Book Review: The Demon King

Title: The Demon King
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Genre: Adventure, Fiction
Pages: 506
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Rating: 9.5/10

 Have you ever been famous? And not in a good way? Reformed thief Hans Alister was poor and would do anything for money. He used to pick pockets, but that was before. He was a new man now. Or boy, to be exact. But being honest isn’t easy, especially when you want to sell something to get a lot of money. The only thing Han had to sell were the silver cuffs that were magical, and wouldn’t come off. And those would definitely have sold for a lot of money.

Everything changes though when he and his friend Dancer run into a couple of wizards, and Han ends up taking an amulet from one of them, Micah Bayar. Now with the amulet which once belonged to the Demon King, Han must strive to reveal the secrets that surround his life, and start a new life that he never imagined would be his.

While Han deals with his dilemmas, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna has to go through the horrors of finding a suitable husband. But being fifteen, adventurous, and wanting to be like the legendary queen, Hanalea, is a trying combination for what Raisa’s mother expects her to be. Also when her friend Amon Byrne comes back from Oden’s Ford, she finds that now, she and Amon seem to be more than just friends, which makes Micah Bayar--son of the high wizard, Gavin Bayar-- quite annoyed.

My favorite character in the book, The Demon King, is Han. His full name is Hanson Alister. Han is my favorite character because for one, Han’s a character with a sense humor. Also he is an adventurous person. Most of the time he does dangerous things, which is one of the things that make this book very interesting.

Another one of my favorite character is Raisa. Marrying is definitely not on her agenda, but as she finds herself closer to her Name Day, and suffocated by suitors, she finds a way to sneak out and have adventures. I like Raisa, because she is a strong-willed, determined person who will stop at nothing to get what she knows is the right thing.

I like the author Cinda Williams Chima, because her stories captivated me, not letting me drop the book. The book has surprises, twists and turns, which many books miss by a long shot, making it quite an entertaining book.

I like the book, ‘The Demon King’ because it is a book in which anything that seems impossible can be possible, when just one small discovery can lead to a chain of discoveries that can either make or break the world, a book in which one small object can cause much havoc, and in which a couple of words magical or not can lead to laws being broken, plans of death being made, and reveal the truth of the past.

Join Han and Raisa as Han explores, and Raisa dances, into one incredible adventure that twists and tangles their lives together, forever.

Review: The Wednesday Wars

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Pages: 264
Publisher: Clarion Books
Rating: 8.5/10


Have you ever had a teacher that always tried to make things worse for you? I mean like they let the worst people slide but when it comes to you, your teacher gives you a punishment just because you’re the person she doesn’t like. Holling Hoodhood had that type of teacher in 7th grade. And really compared to Doug Swieteck and his 410 ways to get a teacher to hate you, hating Holling made no sense. His teacher’s name was Mrs. Baker. And she hated Holling’s guts.

My favorite character in this book is Meryl Lee Kowalski. She is my favorite character because her father and Holling’s father are both architects and competing for a job that can end the relationship that she wanted with Holling. And Holling isn’t sure whether she meant to start this argument or if she is working for her dad, trying to get inside information on Hoodhood and Associates, the company that Holling’s dad owns and that will soon belong to Holling.

Another one of my favorite characters in The Wednesday Wars is Holling. Trying to evade Mrs. Baker isn’t as easy as he hopes and having a family that doesn’t really support him because they don’t believe him makes it even harder to explain that Mrs. Baker hates his guts. Telling his friends doesn’t help either because if she hated Holling, then why didn’t she hate Doug Swieteck?

I liked The Wednesday Wars because it was a funny book about Holling being the only person that doesn’t go to a church on Wednesdays. So he has to spend his Wednesdays from 1: 55 to the end of the day with Mrs. Baker with no one else and live through the school year by reading Shakespeare and going through plays that may be fun but may also be a bit embarrassing. Of course maybe there are a few happy moments. But Mrs. Baker may ruin most of them. Except one that could change his thoughts about Mrs. Baker. Maybe.

Will Holling get through the school year? We he even get through a week? Especially on Wednesdays? Read The Wednesday Wars, a book about a boy named Holling and how he gets through 7th grade with a teacher that hates his guts. Or so he thinks.

I recommend this book to anyone that likes a funny book ( almost everyone). This book is a wonderful book that places the reader in wonderful mood.