The Scarlet Letter (Readable Classics) by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Wayne Josephson

Publisher: Readable Classics

Source: Author

Edition: Paperback

# of Pages: 210

Rating:

Readable Classics gently edits the great works of literature, retaining their essence and spirit, and making them more enjoyable and less frustrating for modern readers.

Puritan Boston, 1600's -- Beautiful, defiant Hester Prynne commits adultery, refuses to name the father of her illegitimate child, and is condemned to wear a scarlet A on her breast for the rest of her life. She becomes the first true heroine of American fiction.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 masterpiece was the first American novel to explore the moral struggle with sin, guilt, and pride; the conflict between the heart and the mind; and the deadly consequences of not being able to forgive ours

elves and others.

Miss me? It's been a while since I've reviewed a book and it's funny because I'm not actually reading this book just for pleasure, it's for school too. That shows how much time I have... This is a hard book to review because I'm not just reviewing one author's work, I'm reviewing another's work also.

I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter although I got bored at times. It was mysterious, yet somewhat predictable. Romantic... yet lacking. I really wish they could have showed the romance that happened before the prosecution.

As for Wayne Josephson, he did a great job making the book an easier read. This is the first book I've read for a literature class that I didn't fall asleep reading! If Readable Classics has another book that I'll need to read for a literature class, I'm definitely going to have to grab it!

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Published: August 2009 by Scholastic Press

Source: Received for review

Edition: Hardcover

Number of pages: 392

Rating:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

At first, I was totally excited to read Shiver because I had heard and read so many good things about the book. I had presumed that the book was going to be excellent and although it was good, it definitely wasn't excellent.

The characters in the book are very likeable and charismatic but I didn't particularly like Grace. I thought that her love was rushed and that Grace was more in love with the idea of her wolf than with Sam himself but that's just my opinion. I also didn't like how Grace's world completely revolved around Sam after she had met him in person. She didn't care about her school life or her friends, all she wanted to do was to be with Sam. I like main characters who have strong backbones and can be independant, not lovestruck girls like Grace who only think of their significant other. Aside from that, I thought that they did have good chemistry and Sam's perspective of the story was great to read.

I also thought that the book didn't exactly have a plot. Sure, there were a few unsolved mysteries and it was about Grace and Sam's love but other than that, I felt like there was nothing leading to an exciting ending or any big twists in the storyline. My opinion probably differs from a lot of other reviewers but for me, the development of the book wasn't interesting or exciting enough. The beginning was intriguing and the end was great but the middle wasn't very good.

Now that all that has been said, I can say that after all I did enjoy the book as a whole. I thought that it was very well written and captivating at some points. There were a few good twists in the book and I particularly liked the ending. I wanted to start reading Linger right away. I probably made it seem like I didn't enjoy the book but I did. It wasn't a great book but it was pretty good and I recommend it to those who love werewolves, teen love and a cute, simple read. Oh and the cover is beautiful!