Search
Search results
Magic Spell - 300 first words in phonics spelling
Education and Games
8.0
Rate It
App
~~~ Learn spelling and pronunciation of 300+ first words ~~~ ~~~ Interactive spelling game with 9...
Dream Catchers: Legend, Lore and Artifacts
Book
Considered the definitive book on dream catchers, this book is for all readers that want to learn...
Wall Street's Just Not That into You: An Insider's Guide to Protecting and Growing Wealth
Book
Do you consider yourself a long-term investor? If so, chances are you have parked your money with an...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Key in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I really like reading books which has an interesting setting, and what could be more intriguing than a mental hospital in 60ies. That was what kindled my interest to read this book. There is always something sinister behind those closed doors…
This novel didn’t disappoint me with the originality of its characters. I loved this wide variety of amusing characters with different states of mind. The main characters in this novel were Ellen, Amy and Sarah. Amy was a patient in the hospital where Ellen was working. And Sarah was the person from the present, investigating, what happened in Ambergate all those years ago. I absolutely adored Ellen and Amy’s story in this novel. It was very indulging, absolutely absorbing and heartbreaking. I adored Ellen’s kindness and the constant fight for making patient’s lives better. I really enjoyed reading multiple perspectives in this novel, I think it opened up the characters wonderfully.
It is obvious from the blurb, that narrative was switching between past and present events, bringing different stories and different findings, and Hughes has done amazing transitions between these parts. I really liked that author was telling multiple stories in this novel, constantly bringing in turns and twists to keep the reader entertained and hooked. K. Hughes touched really sensitive topics in this novel, such as mental health, loss in a family, teenage homelessness, family relationships, disability and many more.
The writing style of this novel was absolutely beautiful and the whole book very well rounded up. It has pleasant short chapters and the pages just flew through my fingers. I really liked the way author ended this book. I think it was very deserved and heartwarming finish to the story, and I appreciate that author kept it realistic. So, to conclude, this is a very intriguing and full of surprises story, with plenty of original characters, which kept me hooked, and I savoured this book till the last page. I do strongly recommend it and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
This novel didn’t disappoint me with the originality of its characters. I loved this wide variety of amusing characters with different states of mind. The main characters in this novel were Ellen, Amy and Sarah. Amy was a patient in the hospital where Ellen was working. And Sarah was the person from the present, investigating, what happened in Ambergate all those years ago. I absolutely adored Ellen and Amy’s story in this novel. It was very indulging, absolutely absorbing and heartbreaking. I adored Ellen’s kindness and the constant fight for making patient’s lives better. I really enjoyed reading multiple perspectives in this novel, I think it opened up the characters wonderfully.
It is obvious from the blurb, that narrative was switching between past and present events, bringing different stories and different findings, and Hughes has done amazing transitions between these parts. I really liked that author was telling multiple stories in this novel, constantly bringing in turns and twists to keep the reader entertained and hooked. K. Hughes touched really sensitive topics in this novel, such as mental health, loss in a family, teenage homelessness, family relationships, disability and many more.
The writing style of this novel was absolutely beautiful and the whole book very well rounded up. It has pleasant short chapters and the pages just flew through my fingers. I really liked the way author ended this book. I think it was very deserved and heartwarming finish to the story, and I appreciate that author kept it realistic. So, to conclude, this is a very intriguing and full of surprises story, with plenty of original characters, which kept me hooked, and I savoured this book till the last page. I do strongly recommend it and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hancock (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Throughout the annals of cinema, the big screen has been home to some of the most larger-than-life heroes ever to spring from the pages of comic books. Recent adaptations of Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman, all went on to box office gold and with several more character adaptations in the works, there seems to be no end to the public’s desire to see tales based on costumed heroes with amazing powers.
In one of the more original twists on the hero genre, Will Smith stars as Hancock, a surly lush, who is more concerned about his next drink than he is about saving the day. Despite being blessed with amazing strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly, Hancock is looked upon with disdain by most of the people of Los Angeles because his attitude is second only to the amazing amount of damage he causes in bringing local hoodlums to justice.
Shortly after causing nine million dollars in damage after his latest crime fighting effort, the mayor of L.A. places a warrant out for Hancock, having decided it was time for Hancock to be held accountable for the mayhem he has caused. At the same time, publicist Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) is returning home after failing in his pitch to get a major pharmaceutical company to donate their new wonder drug in an effort to make the world better.
When danger arises during a traffic jam, Ray is saved by Hancock in the nick of time and is grateful for the efforts of the hero. Unfortunately a group of bystanders are convinced that Hancock could have saved Ray without making wreaking such havoc. In the midst of some heated verbal exchanges, Ray steps up for Hancock and expresses his gratitude to the hero and invites him home for dinner with his son and wife Mary (Charlize Theron). Undaunted by the gruff mannerisms of Hancock, Ray eventually convinces Hancock to let Ray represent him and sets out on a plan to remake Hancock’s image more positive and civic-friendly.
While this scenario presents several comedic moments, the film eventually changes tact, and becomes much darker in tone, and mired in a subplot of fate and mysticism that honestly seems greatly out-of-place with the tone established in the first three quarters of the film.
While it is notable that the filmmakers decided to try something different, the final result is a muddled effort that greatly undermines the laughs and momentum that were established earlier in the film. Smith does a great job but when he is not unleashing his sardonic quips, he seems to be disinterested and going through the motion for much of the last half of the film. Bateman does the best he can with a stock part and Theron seems woefully underused in a role that, while promising, really is not worthy of an actress of her skills.
Director Peter Berg does a solid job with the action and FX of the film, and clearly shows he has a knack for humor. Unfortunately the script by “X-Files” alum Vince Gilligan and Vince Ngo fails to live up to the potential of the premise and in the end leaves “Hancock” grounded.
In one of the more original twists on the hero genre, Will Smith stars as Hancock, a surly lush, who is more concerned about his next drink than he is about saving the day. Despite being blessed with amazing strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly, Hancock is looked upon with disdain by most of the people of Los Angeles because his attitude is second only to the amazing amount of damage he causes in bringing local hoodlums to justice.
Shortly after causing nine million dollars in damage after his latest crime fighting effort, the mayor of L.A. places a warrant out for Hancock, having decided it was time for Hancock to be held accountable for the mayhem he has caused. At the same time, publicist Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) is returning home after failing in his pitch to get a major pharmaceutical company to donate their new wonder drug in an effort to make the world better.
When danger arises during a traffic jam, Ray is saved by Hancock in the nick of time and is grateful for the efforts of the hero. Unfortunately a group of bystanders are convinced that Hancock could have saved Ray without making wreaking such havoc. In the midst of some heated verbal exchanges, Ray steps up for Hancock and expresses his gratitude to the hero and invites him home for dinner with his son and wife Mary (Charlize Theron). Undaunted by the gruff mannerisms of Hancock, Ray eventually convinces Hancock to let Ray represent him and sets out on a plan to remake Hancock’s image more positive and civic-friendly.
While this scenario presents several comedic moments, the film eventually changes tact, and becomes much darker in tone, and mired in a subplot of fate and mysticism that honestly seems greatly out-of-place with the tone established in the first three quarters of the film.
While it is notable that the filmmakers decided to try something different, the final result is a muddled effort that greatly undermines the laughs and momentum that were established earlier in the film. Smith does a great job but when he is not unleashing his sardonic quips, he seems to be disinterested and going through the motion for much of the last half of the film. Bateman does the best he can with a stock part and Theron seems woefully underused in a role that, while promising, really is not worthy of an actress of her skills.
Director Peter Berg does a solid job with the action and FX of the film, and clearly shows he has a knack for humor. Unfortunately the script by “X-Files” alum Vince Gilligan and Vince Ngo fails to live up to the potential of the premise and in the end leaves “Hancock” grounded.
ClareR (5950 KP) rated The Hunting Moon in Books
Dec 12, 2023
When will I learn to check that books are a one off or the second in a series? I mean, it was a couple of chapters in before I realised something was off, but I have to admit that I quickly filled in the gaps, and it didn’t spoil my listening pleasure. I really enjoyed this.
The world of Hemlock Falls is an interesting one - shut off from the non-magical, they look down on them somewhat, but still feel compelled to keep them (and themselves) safe from the nightmares in the forest separating the two peoples.
We join Winnie Wednesday after she has passed the hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries after being cast aside by them for some reason (in book 1, I believe!), and Winnie is now a local celebrity. Not that she’s enjoying it very much. She’s worried that everyone is passing her attacker off as a werewolf, and she’s pretty certain that it’s another creature called a Whisperer. And the Whisperer is still killing hunters every night.
There’s a bit of romance as well - Jay Friday, who seems to have his own problems that he doesn’t want anyone to know about, is making advances to Winnie, and she doesn’t mind one bit. He’s a nice boy (I sound like a mum here, I cannot deny I am one).
I listened to this on Bolinda Audio through NetGalley, and the narrator, Caitlin Davies reads the story so well. There’s nothing quite like a good narrator, adding value to a story and bringing a world to life. The feelings of the characters were conveyed so effectively that I felt fully involved.
I think this opens up a whole argument as to whether books should be sectioned off into age groups. I mean, this is YA, so aimed at 12-18, and I can’t for the life of me understand why? Perhaps I’m a simple soul. OK, there’s no sex, but I’ll be honest - I don’t want to read about sex all the time. It can get a bit boring (controversial, perhaps, but there’s my opinion!). And YA seems to do fantasy and science fiction SO WELL!!
So I’m off to read The Luminaries and fill in some gaps, because I loved this second in what I assume will be a trilogy.
The world of Hemlock Falls is an interesting one - shut off from the non-magical, they look down on them somewhat, but still feel compelled to keep them (and themselves) safe from the nightmares in the forest separating the two peoples.
We join Winnie Wednesday after she has passed the hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries after being cast aside by them for some reason (in book 1, I believe!), and Winnie is now a local celebrity. Not that she’s enjoying it very much. She’s worried that everyone is passing her attacker off as a werewolf, and she’s pretty certain that it’s another creature called a Whisperer. And the Whisperer is still killing hunters every night.
There’s a bit of romance as well - Jay Friday, who seems to have his own problems that he doesn’t want anyone to know about, is making advances to Winnie, and she doesn’t mind one bit. He’s a nice boy (I sound like a mum here, I cannot deny I am one).
I listened to this on Bolinda Audio through NetGalley, and the narrator, Caitlin Davies reads the story so well. There’s nothing quite like a good narrator, adding value to a story and bringing a world to life. The feelings of the characters were conveyed so effectively that I felt fully involved.
I think this opens up a whole argument as to whether books should be sectioned off into age groups. I mean, this is YA, so aimed at 12-18, and I can’t for the life of me understand why? Perhaps I’m a simple soul. OK, there’s no sex, but I’ll be honest - I don’t want to read about sex all the time. It can get a bit boring (controversial, perhaps, but there’s my opinion!). And YA seems to do fantasy and science fiction SO WELL!!
So I’m off to read The Luminaries and fill in some gaps, because I loved this second in what I assume will be a trilogy.
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Trust Casefiles in Books
Nov 5, 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review, and I am pleased to say I very much enjoyed it.
It is, what reads like, a collection of stories which are based on a 'Trust' who protect the humans by destroying vampires and other supernatural beings. There are lots of different types of vampires mentioned, as well as lots of different 'agents' for the Trust.
The book has many positive aspects which make it a very good read, however there are a couple of areas that, with minimal work, could make this book much better and easier to read. Firstly, it's necessary to point out that it's not, in my opinion at least, an easy read. The snippets don't always seem to flow on from each other, and this can make it quite confusing as a reader. In addition, I feel there are too many characters to keep up with and the major characters could just do with a little more development earlier on in the book to encourage the reader to engage and invest more emotion in them from the early pages.
That being said, there are many positive aspects that are a credit to Cushing. Perhaps the best of these is the variety of vampires covered in this book. The imagination necessary to create not only one unique brand of vampires for a book, but to create a huge variety, and making out that they are as diverse as humans is a novel concept that I've not encountered in such detail before. The fact that Cushing also dabbles into other supernatural beings as well makes this book a must read for those interested in traditional stereotypes of supernatural creatures.
In addition, I feel huge credit has to be given for the plot in this book. Although not entirely easy to follow throughout, the amount of twists and turns that Cushing has included is admirable. Each chapter delivers something new and very fresh to the story, and that's something few books manage. Personally, it needs to be just a bit more careful in the plot structure, and a few more signposts are needed to really help the reader find their way through the book a little easier, but it is immensely enjoyable to read.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes traditional vampire tales with a twist. It's a fast paced book with plenty of action and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a few hours!
It is, what reads like, a collection of stories which are based on a 'Trust' who protect the humans by destroying vampires and other supernatural beings. There are lots of different types of vampires mentioned, as well as lots of different 'agents' for the Trust.
The book has many positive aspects which make it a very good read, however there are a couple of areas that, with minimal work, could make this book much better and easier to read. Firstly, it's necessary to point out that it's not, in my opinion at least, an easy read. The snippets don't always seem to flow on from each other, and this can make it quite confusing as a reader. In addition, I feel there are too many characters to keep up with and the major characters could just do with a little more development earlier on in the book to encourage the reader to engage and invest more emotion in them from the early pages.
That being said, there are many positive aspects that are a credit to Cushing. Perhaps the best of these is the variety of vampires covered in this book. The imagination necessary to create not only one unique brand of vampires for a book, but to create a huge variety, and making out that they are as diverse as humans is a novel concept that I've not encountered in such detail before. The fact that Cushing also dabbles into other supernatural beings as well makes this book a must read for those interested in traditional stereotypes of supernatural creatures.
In addition, I feel huge credit has to be given for the plot in this book. Although not entirely easy to follow throughout, the amount of twists and turns that Cushing has included is admirable. Each chapter delivers something new and very fresh to the story, and that's something few books manage. Personally, it needs to be just a bit more careful in the plot structure, and a few more signposts are needed to really help the reader find their way through the book a little easier, but it is immensely enjoyable to read.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes traditional vampire tales with a twist. It's a fast paced book with plenty of action and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a few hours!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Children of Hare Hill in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Set in the National Trust owned gardens in Cheshire, Scott McKenzie writes about the loss of a parent from the perspective of young children. <i>The Children of Hare Hill </i>deals with the grief and confusion of those too young to fully comprehend the impact a death has upon the remaining family members. Charlotte, aged 8, and Ben, aged 5, lost their father two years ago and now it is time to say goodbye.
McKenzie sets the story in Hare Hill Gardens, a place he loves to visit with his own children. It is here that the two protagonists are scattering their father’s ashes. Around the gardens are thirteen wooden hares that visitors are encouraged to find, something that the children enjoyed doing with their father numerous times. After their difficult task, Charlotte and Ben fall asleep in the walled garden and, on waking, discover the secret of Hare Hill.
Although still in the same place they fell asleep, Charlotte and Ben are now in a magical version of the gardens where the hares are real animals that have been turned into wooden statues. In order to release them from the spell they have to complete several tricky quests. From riddles to number puzzles the children rely on each other’s knowledge and strengths to save the hares and discover who is waiting for them at the end.
When thinking about magical lands we tend to expect witches and wizards, broomsticks and complicated spells, however that is not the case in <i>The Children of Hare Hill</i>. The tasks that befall the siblings are ones that can be solved by “normal” children with the help of their memories of their father. It is an interesting concept and a beautiful way of remembering the life of a loved one.
It is not clear who the target audience is for this novel. Presumably the ages of the characters and the shortness of the story (166 pages) are more inclined to the younger reader, however the narrative and language suggests otherwise. A child of Charlotte’s age is unlikely to read books containing words such as “serendipitous”, “reminisced” and “crescendo”. Scott McKenzie is such an intellectual writer with a beautiful way with words, yet it backfires when targeted at children.
Putting the target audience issue aside, <i>The Children of Hare Hill</i> is a delightful short story that manages to evoke many emotions in the reader. The sadness that comes with reading about death is overshadowed by the bravery of the siblings, their love for one another and the fun they have solving the riddles and tasks as they race around the gardens. Instead of dwelling on the negative feelings the characters are inevitably feeling, McKenzie focuses on happy memories, making what could have been a heart-wrenching story into a heart warming one instead.
Set in the National Trust owned gardens in Cheshire, Scott McKenzie writes about the loss of a parent from the perspective of young children. <i>The Children of Hare Hill </i>deals with the grief and confusion of those too young to fully comprehend the impact a death has upon the remaining family members. Charlotte, aged 8, and Ben, aged 5, lost their father two years ago and now it is time to say goodbye.
McKenzie sets the story in Hare Hill Gardens, a place he loves to visit with his own children. It is here that the two protagonists are scattering their father’s ashes. Around the gardens are thirteen wooden hares that visitors are encouraged to find, something that the children enjoyed doing with their father numerous times. After their difficult task, Charlotte and Ben fall asleep in the walled garden and, on waking, discover the secret of Hare Hill.
Although still in the same place they fell asleep, Charlotte and Ben are now in a magical version of the gardens where the hares are real animals that have been turned into wooden statues. In order to release them from the spell they have to complete several tricky quests. From riddles to number puzzles the children rely on each other’s knowledge and strengths to save the hares and discover who is waiting for them at the end.
When thinking about magical lands we tend to expect witches and wizards, broomsticks and complicated spells, however that is not the case in <i>The Children of Hare Hill</i>. The tasks that befall the siblings are ones that can be solved by “normal” children with the help of their memories of their father. It is an interesting concept and a beautiful way of remembering the life of a loved one.
It is not clear who the target audience is for this novel. Presumably the ages of the characters and the shortness of the story (166 pages) are more inclined to the younger reader, however the narrative and language suggests otherwise. A child of Charlotte’s age is unlikely to read books containing words such as “serendipitous”, “reminisced” and “crescendo”. Scott McKenzie is such an intellectual writer with a beautiful way with words, yet it backfires when targeted at children.
Putting the target audience issue aside, <i>The Children of Hare Hill</i> is a delightful short story that manages to evoke many emotions in the reader. The sadness that comes with reading about death is overshadowed by the bravery of the siblings, their love for one another and the fun they have solving the riddles and tasks as they race around the gardens. Instead of dwelling on the negative feelings the characters are inevitably feeling, McKenzie focuses on happy memories, making what could have been a heart-wrenching story into a heart warming one instead.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Full disclosure, I grew up a huge X-Men fan. As a kid it was one of the few comics that I would try read as often as I could. I would borrow my friends books, convince my mom to buy me an issue every chance I got and like so many growing up in the early 90s, never miss a Saturday morning episode of the fantastic X-Men cartoon.
As such, I have been waiting for the films to capture the X-Men team dynamic while creating interesting fleshed out characters for the mass audiences to appreciate. I felt the franchise was headed in that direction with the last two films, X-Men: First class and X-Men: Days of Futures Past. Unfortunately, X-Men: Apocalypse takes a bit of a stumble in this department when it tries to introduce several fan favorite characters to this X-Men Universe. However it sacrifices solid character development in order to introduce them all in this one story. That’s not to say that this decision makes a bad film, it’s just that the characters are somewhat hollow and we never really connect with any of them. Not even the older characters who we already know. In the 2016 landscape of superhero/comic movies, when you have too many hollow characters the film often feels like we are just going through the motions of fan service, rather than telling a good story though film. This shallow character development makes me wish that instead of making more X-Men movies, Fox would team up with Netflix and produce an episodic series that can really dig down into the story of these characters and the missions they go on to help all of humanity…sigh…one can hope.
As for the rest of this film, it is safe to say that it is a fun popcorn adventure just in time for the summer blockbuster season. The first act suffers from a bit of pacing issues, but once the film starts to pick up steam, it becomes a full action packed adventure filled with all the mutant powers you would expect from an X-Men film. We receive excellent performances we have come to expect from James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the standard cast. As far as the new characters added to this film, Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) is the stand out as Jean Gery. She delivers one of the few nuanced performances of the whole film and I look forward to her continuing to build on the roll in future X-Men films.
X-Men: Apocalypse is more of what you would expect from the X-Men series. Not terrible but not all that great either. Fans will be exited and enjoy this entry to the series while casual viewers will enjoy the blockbuster elements.
As such, I have been waiting for the films to capture the X-Men team dynamic while creating interesting fleshed out characters for the mass audiences to appreciate. I felt the franchise was headed in that direction with the last two films, X-Men: First class and X-Men: Days of Futures Past. Unfortunately, X-Men: Apocalypse takes a bit of a stumble in this department when it tries to introduce several fan favorite characters to this X-Men Universe. However it sacrifices solid character development in order to introduce them all in this one story. That’s not to say that this decision makes a bad film, it’s just that the characters are somewhat hollow and we never really connect with any of them. Not even the older characters who we already know. In the 2016 landscape of superhero/comic movies, when you have too many hollow characters the film often feels like we are just going through the motions of fan service, rather than telling a good story though film. This shallow character development makes me wish that instead of making more X-Men movies, Fox would team up with Netflix and produce an episodic series that can really dig down into the story of these characters and the missions they go on to help all of humanity…sigh…one can hope.
As for the rest of this film, it is safe to say that it is a fun popcorn adventure just in time for the summer blockbuster season. The first act suffers from a bit of pacing issues, but once the film starts to pick up steam, it becomes a full action packed adventure filled with all the mutant powers you would expect from an X-Men film. We receive excellent performances we have come to expect from James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the standard cast. As far as the new characters added to this film, Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) is the stand out as Jean Gery. She delivers one of the few nuanced performances of the whole film and I look forward to her continuing to build on the roll in future X-Men films.
X-Men: Apocalypse is more of what you would expect from the X-Men series. Not terrible but not all that great either. Fans will be exited and enjoy this entry to the series while casual viewers will enjoy the blockbuster elements.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Defending Taylor in Books
Jun 14, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
About a year ago I discovered Miranda Kenneally. The first book I read was Breathe, Annie, Breath and I immediately fell in love with her writing style and the characters. I am a person who loves sports. I played soccer starting from the age of 7, so when I heard about this book I was very excited. While I enjoyed the book very much I did not enjoy it as much as Kenneally's other books.
Defending Taylor is about Taylor. Taylor is the daughter of a state senator. Previously she attended St. Andrews, an elite private school; however, she was kicked out when she lied about drugs that were found in her possession saying that they belonged to her when in fact they belonged to her boyfriend. Her decision to lie not only caused a lot of problems. It caused her to be kicked out of St. Andrews. It caused problems with her dad's re-election campaign. Now that Taylor no longer can attend St. Andrews she must enroll in Hundred Oaks High School for her senior year.
Taylor feels terrible about everything, and things seems to be getting worse but she is not sure how to solve it; other than telling the truth, but telling the truth now will do not good; in fact, it may make it worse. Part of Taylor's consequence is to visit a counselor several times a week. Taylor at first does not like it but as time goes on it gets better and the counselor helps Taylor sort out some of her feelings and big decisions about her future.
When Taylor was at St. Andrews she played on the soccer team and was due to become the captain her senior year; however, with being expelled she lost that position. Taylor joined Hundred Oaks team to get to mind off of all the stress. Unfortunately, the team is one of the worse in the state and Taylor learns why fast. Taylor thought soccer would help with making friends but the team is not a team and only makes her frustrated. When Ezra, Taylor's brothers friend, comes into the picture, that when things begin to turn around for Taylor. Taylor has had a crush on Ezra for many years. Ezra helps Taylor find her old self again.
This books shows that a teenagers life is not always perfect. Life has its ups and downs even if your family is in the spotlight. It does not matter if you put the pressure on yourself or you take the blame for something you did not do; life is not always perfect.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
About a year ago I discovered Miranda Kenneally. The first book I read was Breathe, Annie, Breath and I immediately fell in love with her writing style and the characters. I am a person who loves sports. I played soccer starting from the age of 7, so when I heard about this book I was very excited. While I enjoyed the book very much I did not enjoy it as much as Kenneally's other books.
Defending Taylor is about Taylor. Taylor is the daughter of a state senator. Previously she attended St. Andrews, an elite private school; however, she was kicked out when she lied about drugs that were found in her possession saying that they belonged to her when in fact they belonged to her boyfriend. Her decision to lie not only caused a lot of problems. It caused her to be kicked out of St. Andrews. It caused problems with her dad's re-election campaign. Now that Taylor no longer can attend St. Andrews she must enroll in Hundred Oaks High School for her senior year.
Taylor feels terrible about everything, and things seems to be getting worse but she is not sure how to solve it; other than telling the truth, but telling the truth now will do not good; in fact, it may make it worse. Part of Taylor's consequence is to visit a counselor several times a week. Taylor at first does not like it but as time goes on it gets better and the counselor helps Taylor sort out some of her feelings and big decisions about her future.
When Taylor was at St. Andrews she played on the soccer team and was due to become the captain her senior year; however, with being expelled she lost that position. Taylor joined Hundred Oaks team to get to mind off of all the stress. Unfortunately, the team is one of the worse in the state and Taylor learns why fast. Taylor thought soccer would help with making friends but the team is not a team and only makes her frustrated. When Ezra, Taylor's brothers friend, comes into the picture, that when things begin to turn around for Taylor. Taylor has had a crush on Ezra for many years. Ezra helps Taylor find her old self again.
This books shows that a teenagers life is not always perfect. Life has its ups and downs even if your family is in the spotlight. It does not matter if you put the pressure on yourself or you take the blame for something you did not do; life is not always perfect.