Allons-y, impossible girl.
587077
Best shirt I've ever bought on Amazon. The size was true. I wear an XL ladies and it was just baggy enough to be comfortable. Three people today gave the thumbs up and said they loved it... I just like when my fellow Whovians make themselves known
4774684
Okay. so this girl has lukeimia. and the parents have doctors engineer a perfect match their daughter, so they can use this new kid for spare parts. Well the spare parts kid turns 13 and decides to sue her parents for medical independency, so that SHE can decide whether or not she wants to give her sister her own kidney.

its a really difficult topic. it also includes a love story between the lawyers which is hot. i really HATED the mother though.

but, and i won't give it away. but the "ENDING" was an escape. she couldn't SOLVE the problem or show which horrible solution would happen. she jumped ship!!! this conclusion doesn't answer the problem it runs from it. shame, shame on you!!! what a coward!!! you should have chosen a side instead of flaking out!!!
1846377
This book is different then anything ive ever read.  Its about a girl hiding who she is a girl from her town so breeders don't take her for breeding.  Then she goes on a mission to rescue her mother and aunt when the breeders come and take them away.  Can she do it?  Youll have to read it to find out and once you do oh wait theirs more, silly sequels.
1093569
The idea of the Field Theory of Everything (it explains the relationship of all physical laws, particularly those between relativity and quantum mechanics) is an amazing, but apparently a real, Holy Grail for physics.  The thought to fictionalize it is a wonderful story concept.  Only with the science, which is apparently, and I'm no expert, reasonably accurate, it must coalesce with a believable story-line.  The fictional tale of the hero David Swift and his adventure is ludicrous with concocted strange characters including the dope-addicted, prostitute daughter of a leading physicist and her autistic son, whom the author late in the book calls an "idiot" (interesting politically or socially incorrect verbiage)and a crazed, revengeful (on a senseless mission) Russian assasin are all much too far out for me.

The science and the threat the Field Theory presents, and it's a true historic tie to Einstein, are fascinating; someone else should have scripted the fictional part.  Read it for the intersting science and whiz past the rest of the story.
45605
Take one part Voltron, one part Robotech, and one part Evangelion. Mix them together, and then sift out any form of depth. Toss in some computer generated graphics and what you've made is Aquarion.

This series had a lot of potential, but if you're even a moderate fan of anime, you've seen everything it has to offer. Teens that have never seen anything better are the only ones that will be able to tolerate this DVD set.
3350047
This is an injustice to the Horror genre. So bad that I found myself rooting for the mutants.  If the fake valleygirl screams don't get to you, the make believe scary faces of twenty-somethings trying to look like teenagers will. Anyone, and I mean A-N-Y-O-N-E, who gave this movie more than one star (for the mutants) is simply being untruthful.  Oh, maybe for those who get off on gore and blood splatter only, it might've been close to a masterpiece. But even they must've wanted to turn the sound off.
2229839
A bit of an unusual entry. My Best Friend is Invisible reaches in too many directions, I think; indecisive on whether it wants to tackle realistic social issues kids may be facing, or just be silly with itself in a very Twilight Zone way. This indecisiveness makes aspects of the story both memorable and forgettable.

The title plot is immediate: Strange occurrences start happening around Sammy from page one. His window opens on its own; his food keeps disappearing into thin air; he's getting in trouble for messes he didn't make; invisible, clammy, wet, sticky hands keep poking at him and pushing him around. Without any warning, his new invisible friend introduces himself. Brent is an enthusiastic, invisible youth who genuinely likes Sammy, and wants nothing more than to help him in any way he can. The only catch is Sammy has to be his friend. Brent's also kind of a needy jerk, and he won't leave Sammy alone. Every attempt to help ends in an embarrassing blunder for Sammy and only Sammy because -- of course -- no one can see this 'invisible friend' of his make a mess of dinner or accidentally trip him during the school's Olympics (yikes!).

But Brent, the invisible friend of the title, is just continually needy and pushy and happy to be with Sammy. His obsessive behavior is genuinely creepy. It almost seems at times like he wants to hurt the kid he's stalking, that he has no intention of really helping with him anything. (Or if Brent's even human....) A classmate is even nearly killed, all in the name of a dumb joke. There has to be some way for Sammy to get rid of this awful presence without causing any damage, right?

The obligatory twist ending is among the silliest of the series (which I'm not usually keen on, but this one's a bit endearing). Also, like many '90s kids stories, the story demonizes science in a really passive, silly way that I can't ever get along with. Sammy's parents -- both research scientists -- are neglectful and cruel, all in the name of logic and science. Not a fan of that lazy characterization. The darker aspects of the story are memorable, but these are too often interspersed with arbitrary silliness. Overall, My Best Friend... is a perfectly average entry in the series.
2404655
"Obedience" was a lot of fun while I was reading it, and so fast moving that I didn't have time to really think about what was happening. But five minutes after finishing it, with all secrets finally revealed, I realized how impossible it all was. Other reviewers have touched on it, but let me restate it:

No experienced academics would ever dream of performing an experiment on live human subjects without their informed consent. Ever. No matter what the outcome, even if you weren't seriously messing with the heads of your subjects, even if it didn't end in catastrophe as it does in "Obedience," pulling such a stunt would instantly and permanently end their academic careers. Worse, they would likely spend some serious time in federal prison. I've filled out my share of academic grant applications, and even in a field like music composition you MUST check off a box that says human subjects will not be involved. The law takes this matter very seriously.
2004952
Supposedly written for ages twelve to seventeen, this YA novel would be more believable if the main character's age was increased by thirty years.  I have never read anything by this author before, but she obviously does not know any real teenagers.  She is, however, very familiar with a wide variety of deviant personality traits and aberrant behaviors.  I would not recommend this book for anyone, but especially I would not recommend it for teenagers.  The book is ugly and mean-spirited.

The novel tells the story of Kristi, a gifted, sullen sixteen-year old who is dealing with the break-up of her parents' marriage.  The twist is that about the time Kristi's father walked out, two years before the novel begins, Kristi begins to believe that she is psychic.  She can "hear" the thoughts of people around her.  Most of these thoughts revolve around how revolting, sick, fat, unwanted and misunderstood Kristi is.  Kristi also hates her big eyes, big hair and big boobs -- all of which she thinks are ugly, but which, of course, are absolutely gorgeous in reality.

All of this is standard YA heroine stuff.  But the heroine of this novel is not believable as a teenager.  She is only believable as an adult psychotic.  She belongs on a locked ward.  I would have no problem with this if I thought that the author meant for her to be truly mentally ill -- but she doesn't.  The author obviously thinks this teen creation of hers is funny, witty and super-cute.

The main problem with this book is that the author has created a first-person narrator who does not have the voice of a teenager.  She has the voice of a very troubled forty-five year old woman.  This character enjoys making people around her miserable.  For instance, she keeps a cat in her padlocked bedroom although it causes her mother to have terrible allergy attacks (the mom doesn't know about the cat or why she is having attacks).

Another example of Kristi's sick behavior is that she goes out of her way to play "jokes" on total strangers which cause actual injuries.  For instance, she gets a real giggle out of spreading oil and water in a low place on a jogging path and watching people take falls.  She then rushes out and "rescues" these bleeding or bruised people, and while doing this she is enjoying the fact that her psychic powers allow her to hear the grateful thoughts of these unwitting victims.  These actions are those of a sociopath, not a merely troubled teen.  Kristi doesn't "punk" these people, she truly hurts them and then laughs about it.

There is plenty of wonderful YA fiction out there.  My three teenagers love the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Uglies-Boxed-Set-Uglies-Pretties-Specials-The-Uglies/dp/1416936408/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Uglies (Boxed Set): Uglies, Pretties, Specials (The Uglies)</a>&nbsp;series, the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/What-If-Everyone-Knew-Your-Name-A-Choose-Your-Destiny-Novel/dp/0385732961/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">What If . . . Everyone Knew Your Name (A Choose Your Destiny Novel)</a>&nbsp;series, anything from the Goosebumps series (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Stay-Out-of-the-Basement-Goosebumps-Series/dp/0439568455/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Stay Out of the Basement  (Goosebumps Series)</a>),&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Graveyard-Book/dp/0060530928/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Graveyard Book</a>&nbsp;(and anything else by Neil Gaiman.)

Believe me, the teen narrator of this novel is closer to Bette Davis in "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane" than she is to Katniss in "The Hunger Games."  Kristi is one of the most self-centered, self-absorbed, unlikeable characters I have ever had the displeasure to read about.  Please don't expose your teens to this trash.
1843062
Short book, with some overdrawn characters.  Yes, girls have hormonal angst, and maybe some of their mothers just want to feed them to get rid of it.  Yes, boys can be introspective, and maybe an 11-year-old boy will be as gullible and placid a character as Pooch is, but somehow both characters were just that -- characters.  It was hard to find anything to relate to -- in their interactions or their conversations.  Even though her mother is overwhelmingly hovering, Verbena can go running around town for days in her nightgown.  It just doen't make sense.

For middle-grade girls who have absolutely nothing else to do.
4076561
It's strange to give such a low rating to a story with so many promising elements.  The world building was rich and detailed, and the primary Jeckyl/Hyde character of Eliza/Lizzie was absolutely fascinating.  Eliza was the scientific, steady one while Lizzie was the passionate, devil-may-care type, and either of them could have been a wonderful protagonist in her own right, and watching them attempt to come to some sort of understanding was a treat to read.

My frustration with this book was that Eliza/Lizzie was an amazing character who was utterly wasted.  The woman/women were supposed to be inordinately clever, and yet were outsmarted and outmatched at every turn.  Every major clue is basically handed to her by one of the male characters, all of whom seemed to be deceiving her and she was constantly in a state of surprise by this.  She never really figured anything out until it was too late or until it was handed to her on a silver platter.  I never really felt that she "bested" anyone.  I don't want to have a protagonist made up to be a strong, female character, and then have her either need the aid of (or to be rescued by) her male counterparts, much less have her seem to be constantly duped.  And the author spends so much time desperately throwing red herrings and false accusations into the mix that I was able to guess who the culprit was simply because this individual was the only one who DIDN'T have suspicion thrown their way.

This could have been one of the best books that I'd read in a while, but the author just didn't do the story any justice with her remarkable main character.
1391035
I am horrified by this doll. First of all, she looks anorexic. And she is in these ridiculously high-heeled boots, even though, like her mother, she is otherwise dressed for walking through the woods. What message are we sending girls when we give them dolls like this? That they need to have stick-like legs and wear back-breaking shoes to be fashionable and cool?

Not to mention her "big, bad secret," the wolf ears under her hood. This begs the question of how/why her mother, Little Red Riding Hood, got it on with the wolf who killed her grandmother. Just what is the implied story here? Did the wolf rape LRRH? Or did LRRH fall in love with the horrid beast who murdered--and ate!--her grandmother? So Cerise Hood's "big bad secret" is that she is the bastard child of a vicious wold and the little girl whose life he destroyed? Who thinks up these sick products, anyway? I wouldn't want my daughter playing with this twisted thing.
4055542
impossible to classify impossible not to be transformed  impossible to read and not think about angels as needing disguises impossible to not read every single word  impossible to consider these short stories as likable  impossible to forget  impossible
2185149
I found this book utterly incomprehensible.

There are 218 pages on the Standard Model and after frustrating hours
rereading and rereading, trying to extract some kind of meaning from them, I
learned about 10 pages' worth of things.  Another 15 pages cover things I
already knew, but I doubt the vague explanations would have made sense to me
if I didn't.

And then it gets worse.  The next 79 pages cover all the rest of physics
beyond the Standard Model (string theory, etc.) and it was like reading a
different language.  I got nothing out of it (but by this time I was smart
enough not to spend any time trying - I just read through it once).

My background is a year of college physics and a year of college chemistry,
and lots of math.  I got A's in those classes, enjoyed them, and had no
trouble reading the text books.

The main problem appears to be that the book is just far too short to cover
the vast array of topics it attempts to cover.  In fact, it reads a lot like
an editing disaster - like it used to be twice as long and readable and
someone went through and indiscriminately removed half the sentences.

The text is paragraph after paragraph of undefined terms, ordinary words used
in apparently special physics ways ("force," "symmetry," ...), non sequiturs,
and aimless wandering.  The book tells me a positron is an electron moving
backward in time.  It makes no attempt to explain what it means for an object
to move backward in time, and the phrase is gibberish to my ears.

There are lots of diagrams, but they are sparsely labelled and scarcely
referred to in the text.  Most of the diagrams are Feynman diagrams, which
apparently depict the behavior of all subatomic particles, but the book never
tells how to read one.  One of these diagrams supposedly depicts an electron
moving backward in time.

In areas where I had enough background to possibly learn something, I found
fatuous statements like that the electric field is an object and that
potential energy is real, while the quantum field is just a mathematical
construct.

I learned there is something called a virtual photon.  I did not learn what
one is, except that it moves faster than the speed of light.  The book tells
me not to worry about this contradiction of a fundamental law of nature,
though, because virtual photons don't actually exist.  Not existing does not,
however, stop them from being essential to the book's explanations of several
physical phenomena.  I might have got lost in the book's frequent attempts to
draw a distinction between the "real world" and mere models of the world.  I
can't imagine the point of such a distinction.

A second problem is organization: The book is in storytelling format.  It
drags you through a hundred years of physics research, including the wrong
turns and bickering.  Chapter 10 is entitled, "The Standard Model, At Last"
and is where you supposedly find out what the Standard Model is: an equation
with 18 parameters.  If you think you can follow the thought processes of the
greatest physicists in history, you might enjoy this book, but for me a
readable book would start with the equation and then proceed to explain the 18
parameters, and then, if there is space and interest, explain how we know the
equation is correct and tell the story of its discovery.  I'm not sure what
all the subatomic particles the book identifies, a few at a time, have to do
with that equation, but again, a readable book would lead with a list of them.
It looks like there are about 70 kinds, but as they never show up all in one
place, and some exist only in historical science, I don't know.

The Standard Model does not appear to be difficult to understand; this book
just doesn't explain it in lay terms.  One thing I did get from the book is a
long list of things I don't understand.  Now I can shop for a book that
explains some of them; I doubt that book will be written by a physicist, like
this one.
637984
Across the Universe takes place on a spaceship in the far future. Our main protagonist, Amy, boards the ship because her parents were a big part of the mission. If she didn't she would have to live the rest of her life with no parents. In order to go on the ship and go to the new planet, Amy and her parents must be frozen with tubes shoved down their throats in cryo chambers. I couldn't imagine having to go through that. Amy kept saying that she felt as if she was going to drown and she constantly wanted to puke. Plus, she kept going in and out of dreams, never knowing what year it was or how close she was to the new Earth.

One day, Amy finally wakes up. She almost drowns because she still has the tubes shoved down her throat and nobody is around. When she is finally taken out of her cryo chamber, she meets a guy named Elder, who happens to be the future leader. He is to be the next Eldest. He has no clue who his parents are, as Eldests are not allowed to know, since it is part of tradition. As time goes on, more and more people are pulled out of their cryo chambers. A few even die. Amy and Elder have to get to the bottom of it before it's too late. They must find out who is doing this and why.

Amy, one of the main characters, was very confused and curious. I would definitely be the same way. Life is so much different on the ship compared to the way it is on Earth. Amy was very bubbly and she was one of the only few people that were actually normalish. I felt really bad for her at times because everyone thought that she was weird just because of her hair and skin color. They constantly called her "freak". I really don't think that they should be saying anything, as they were more freakish than she could ever be.

Elder was absolutely in love with Amy because of her red hair. Most people on the ship all look the same because that is what happens after mating and reproducing after many years with the same people on the ship. Elder was meant to be the next ruler of the ship, though he didn't even know everything about it yet. Eldest was keeping way too many secrets from him.

Eldest was overly annoying. He kept way too many things from Elder, and he was always in the way. He was also keeping way too many secrets. Eldest was constantly getting on my nerves, though he is probably one of my favorite villains. Harley was a very interesting character. I enjoyed how he was an artist, as it seemed that there were not very many on Godspeed. He was considered different just because of his talent. Orion was an okay character. I really liked him in the beginning, though he got a little annoying towards the end. I do really like his name though. O-R-I-O-N.

Though this was a reread, I hadn't read it since last year. I completely forgot what had happened and I was instantly tangled up in all the secrets and lies aboard Godspeed. This book was full of so much mystery. I was constantly filpping the pages because I was just so intrigued. There were so many lies and things that we didn't know. It was like watching television but you were actually reading. I can't wait until I finally get the chance to read A Million Suns. Beth Revis is definitely one of my favorite authors.
296828
Deamon, the alien with troubles is still a sexy beast. Phew. Now he is Katy's sexy beast. He is the model boyfriend supportive, attentive, glows in the dark and did I mention he's a sexy beast. He call's her Kitten, purr. Their relationship is finally going forward with about a thousand interruptions. (somebody should learn to use a lock) He struggles with his distant brother and his need to get Beth, his girlfriend back from the evil bad. Then to make matter worse, several somebodies that nobody wanted to see again come back to town, and they bring nothing but trouble.
Katy's faced with her growing issues of troubles. Her BFF is no more, another friend is missing, her mother still loves Will, a turdwad comes back into her life, she is still a virgin and she's finally get's mad and stops being such a wimpy little victim. In the end she still trusted to much. She has not learned the fine art of communication. This girl could have saved herself so much pain if she just spoke up.
The rest of the characters ? Dee's pissy, Ash is Bitchy,  Andrew didn't do much, Matthew didn't either. They faded into the back ground for me in this book.  Except for two evil nasty, dirty, rotten, flesh bags of wasted space,that shall remain un-named.

 GASP !-Last page thought * What, no way, really ? Holy black cave of horrors, stupid trusting idiots, twisted back stabbing turdwad, Why didn't you run faster...omg.* Ms. Arementrout, I hate/love you. You evil twisted cliffhanger writing goddess. It was a thrilling adventure, some beautiful moments finally happened, and then my heart was tossed out onto the highway !
2174364
My heart hurts for Kricket. She is truly her only hope. She is thwarted at every turn by Kyon. Betrayed by those meant to protect her. Her only ally seems to be trey and his men, but they fail at keeping her safe. She is alone in a strange world and in the clutches of a madman obsessed with her and a prophecy. I am sunk in this world and I don't want to leave until I know Kricket is safe.