M.E.A.T. Blog

​ ​ The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson is the first books in a medieval trilogy about royal schemes and dangerous conspiracies. It was filled with twists and turns that created a suspenseful network of lies and masked identities. The False Prince is set in a typical medieval kingdom ruled by a corrupt monarchy.  The kingdom is divided when suddenly, the king and his royal family are poisoned and die. To stop the impending war, a clever court noble, Conner, conceives a devious plan to create a puppet prince to plant a heir onto the throne. The main character is an orphan named Sage, with quick hands a a knack for pickpocketing. He is roped into Conner's schemes, competing alongside two other boys to be chosen as Conner's puppet prince. However, Sage is levels cleverer than the other two, and knows Conner is up to no good. But his life is on the line in this dangerous game -- he either plays his part, or dies. However, there are many overused and familiar tropes woven...

By Malcolm Gladwell Reviewer: Miriam Arend I began reading Outliers because I had read every book I checked out from the library and needed a book to take with me to a somewhat boring event. Although I was not keen to read it at first, I eventually did and found it to be interesting. I almost never read nonfiction because, in my opinion, most nonfiction books are extremely uninteresting, but Outliers surprised me. Gladwell has written many other scientific books that I might be interested in as well after reading Outliers. This book contains data, but Gladwell uses many stories in his writing, so for me reading this book felt like listening to a talented speaker at a science fair. Outliers argues that we as a society need to recognize other factors beyond those we typically mark as indicative of future success. Focusing only on sheer intelligence and ambition has limited our view of everyone who could truly be successful. Each chapter examines one particular person, study or g...

In December of 1996, terrorists crashed a party hosted by a Japanese ambassador in Lima, Peru. What began as a celebration of Japan’s Emperor Akihito’s birthday quickly became a nightmare. Hundreds of the high-profile attendees, including officials and businessmen, were taken hostage for over four months, until they were ultimately freed in a raid by the Peruvian Armed Forces. The fiasco became known as the Japanese embassy hostage crisis, and was the direct inspiration for Ann Patchett’s award-winning novel, Bel Canto. I picked up Bel Canto last week, and found myself quickly immersed in Patchett’s eloquent writing and intriguing premise. Though heavily based on the true story of the hostage crisis, she tweaks the plot and takes artistic liberties so that the tale becomes one of her own imagination. A central focus of her story is the idea of opera as a transcendent force, one that soothes and brings people together. With this idea in mind, Patchett brings in her main character:...

  (warning: spoilers) I just finished reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and it is the best book I have read for a long time. Avid readers of my blog may be aware that I usually post reviews of older classic books, but I can safely say this newer, modern style of writing was a breath of fresh air for me. Cline’s style of writing is concise, yet extremely descriptive, and he never rambles or mentions unnecessary details.  The plot of Ready Player One surrounds a young boy, Wade Wyatt, and his adventures through a hyperrealistic interactive virtual reality simulator called the OASIS. The year is 2044, and the creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, has recently died. Before his death, he made the grand decision to leave his entire legacy to the one person who completes his virtual easter egg hunt inside the game. Shortly after the reveal of this information to the public through the release of a video made by Halliday, hoards of people begin studying Halliday’s interes...

The Selection  by Kiera Cass is set a dystopic society organized in caste systems, and revolves around a love story of two teens, America Singer and Prince Maxon.  The novel is about a process called the Selection, a lottery for thirty-five girls to travel to the palace and try to win the prince’s heart. This Bachelor-esque setup amid a royal backdrop, full of glittering jewels and fantastic gowns creates a fairy tale setting for a classic love story. Our brave protagonist America Singer comes from a family of artists, and has an independent and creative mind to show for it. She is rebellious and stubborn, and stands strongly by her own values instilled by a hard life growing up poor, and her struggles especially highlighted by the sordid and excessive lives of the arrogant upper castes. Upon entering the Selection, she already had a lover – her childhood friend, Aspen. She also had a plan, and it didn’t involve Prince Maxon or marrying into the upper castes. However,...

Reviewer: Miriam Arend Warning: Spoilers  Last summer I read The Hate U Give (also by Angie Thomas) and really enjoyed it. I recently read Thomas’s second novel, On The Come Up, and thought it was just as interesting. While On the Come Up is not a sequel to The Hate U Give, the book is set in the same fictional neighborhood, Garden Heights. None of the characters are the same, and the plot is extremely different, but Thomas does reference Khalil (a central character from The Hate U Give) a few times throughout the novel. Thomas’s experience as a former rapper strengthens her portrayal of the protagonist in her second novel. Overall, I would give On The Come Up a 4.8 out of 5. I enjoyed reading it, although there were some aspects I didn’t like. The book shares a similar theme with The Hate U Give, and both raise awareness about the challenges faced by young African Americans, especially in inner-city areas. The book flows well and the plot isn’t co...

( warning: spoilers) I recently finished reading the book The Pearl by John Steinbeck, and I enjoyed reading it very much. The story takes place in a poor, small fishing town along the coast of an ocean, presumably in the early to mid 1900s. The reader follows the story of one small family, Kino, the husband/father, Juana, the wife/mother, and Coyoto, the child. The book opens on a calm and quiet morning in the family's small hut, but quickly, Kino spots a problem; A venomous scorpion is crawling into Coyoto's cradle. Coyoto sees the scorpion and tries to play with it. As Kino reaches for the scorpion, Coyoto shakes his cradle, and it falls onto him and bites him. Kino quickly retracts the scorpion, obviously to no avail, and Juana tries to suck the venom out. The family realizes the best course of action is to find the nearest doctor, in a nearby, more affluent part of town. To no surprise, when they arrive and question the doctor, he demands a high price for tre...