5 comments about An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President.

1. Randall Robinson again displays his towering intellect, clear-eyed vision, and grasp of history, economics and power relationships. The ugly truths regarding the unrelenting American (and French) hostility toward Haiti are truths that the overwhelming majority of Americans cannot handle, and who therefore resort to willful ignorance. This book is a fascinating review of the kind of U.S. history that is not taught in the schools, nor covered by the media.



2. This book is a great book for anyone who wants to understand Haiti's 2004 coup and the events leading up to it. But it is even better for anyone who wants to understand U.S. foreign policy towards Haiti and other poor countries. It should be required reading in US high schools and colleges. As with all Mr. Robinson's books, it is written with passion and eloquence, from the perspective of someone who was there, with his eyes, ears and mind open.



3. I like the book, and would recommend it to someone else. I learned a lot about our goverment involvement and about the Haitian people.



4. I sent the author an e-mail when I finished reading this book. And I will tell you like I told him. This is one of the best books I have read in quite sometime. Mr. Robinson is a voice for the people of Haiti. I admire people like him because he cares so much for which most people care so little.



5. Randall Robinson paints the accusation that the United States and perhaps France as well masterminded the February 2004 coup d'état ousting Haiti's democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This would be a troubling revelation, if true. But doesn't the CIA do that sort of thing all the time? God knows what they've done! Unfortunately, Randall makes Aristide look like a black Mahatma Gandhi - virtually without flaw, that is. Hasn't he done anything wrong? Doesn't he at least cuss every once in awhile? Randall's racial bias is also palpable. There's anti-white rhetoric throughout this book. Randall also has a penchant for writing very short chapters that seem little more than afterthoughts. This book could definitely use better organization. Nevertheless, Randall writes a compelling narrative that many students of international machinations and outright shenanigans would find informative. Moreover, anybody interested in the plight of poor little Haiti should probably read this book.

5 comments about Rescue (Kidnapped).

1. My son has read all of the Kidnapped series, he can not put them down.
   Perfect for 5th graders!!!



2. Please note: You don't have to read the On The Run series for this to make sense, 'cause I didn't. This is a wonderful book, better than the others in the Kidnapped! series. Will Meg be found by Spidey and Tiger, or will Meg find civiliation first? And more importantly, will Meg's ransom be paid, and will Meg return home safe and sound, with the kidnappers behind bars- with the possible exception of Mickey, of course?...It was a great book and I finished all in one reading. It has a huge twist at the end that will make you want more.



3. We read the first book, so we had to get this one as the sequel. Good quality time!



4. I love this book. It keep u guest about what is going to happen next. I am done with that book, I am now reading The Search and that also keeped u guesting. That is the way I like to read books u don't know what is going to happen with the people,until u read it. Please keep writing these kind of books. W.M. Of AZ



5. This was the first time I've ordered from Amazon. When I received the book, it was torn. I had to ask for a return and that process wasn't easy either.

5 comments about Ransom.

1. The book ransom is a very good book. It has kept me interested through the last word. The moral behind the story was great; the grass is not always greener on the other side. The moral is a common one, but in this story you see it in a different way.
   The kidnappers plan the whole thing out. They would kidnap the kids that lived in valley gardens, a place thought to be all rich people. The kids are riding the bus home from school unexpectedly as they do every day, then all of the sudden they go past their drop off spot. They go farther and farther until they have no idea where they are.
   Five kids are kidnapped as each of their families are forced to pay a very large ransom. What the kidnappers don't know is that the ransom is as hard for them to find as it would be for anyone else.



2. 
   
   
   This was an outstanding book about
   the triumph of five kids as they fight for their
   life in Ransom.
   
   This book is about a group of students
   from a wealthy part of town. On the bus they
   realize theirs a new bus driver, whatever the
   old one must be sick. But when the bus driver
   kidnaps them and brings them to a kind of
   hunting post in the middle of nowhere.
   The kidnapper asks for an impossible ransom,
   the kids need to get away. They know their parents
   just won't come through.
   
   
   This book is for readers who like books
   that everything is weird until the last page where
   it wraps up. It had a lot of switching but besides
   that it's pretty easy to read.



3. Ransom, by Lois Duncan, is a very good book. It is a realistic fiction book.
   In Ransom five kids from a rich neighborhood are kidnapped and kept for ransom, but only a few families are able to stretch their money and use it for the ransom. This book is about what the kids, and parents, go through when the kids are kidnapped.
   Ransom was a very good book and keeps you interested throughout the whole entire book. If you like exciting and exhilarating books you will love this one.



4. This will be a mini-review, instead of a full one, since the book in question is less than 150 pages long and told in the omniscient viewpoint, so character complexity is minimal. Lois Duncan was rather the R.L. Stine of the X generation, except that she wrote for a slightly older audience and was more psychologically creepy than blood-and-gore. Her stories weren't the type made for around-the-campfire telling; they'd take too long to explain in full. I remember reading and enjoying this one, Ransom, and especially Locked in Time as a teen.
   
   The story's premise is fairly basic: five teenagers are kidnapped by their substitute bus driver on the way home from school. He and two accomplices have planned out the kidnapping, selecting a route that terminates in Valley Gardens, a rich neighborhood, for maximum financial benefit. They take the kids high up in the New Mexico mountains where the cold and altitude make escape very unlikely and wait for the money to roll in. Unfortunately, the kidnappers only minimally examined their would-be profit makers. Of the five kids - Marianne, Glenn, Bruce, Dexter, and Jesse - only two families have any real money or access to it. Brothers Glenn and Bruce's parents have it, but Jesse's parents are only renting/housesitting in the glitzy neighborhood, and Dexter is an orphan temporarily lodging with his uncle. Popular Marianne's family looks like it has more money than it does. Her mother got the house in the divorce, but her new stepfather's income is paltry. Which leaves a lot up in the air. The kidnappers are capable of plenty, and if their demands aren't met, it's entirely possible, they'll cut their losses - literally - and run rather than bargain down.
   
   Written in 1966, this book has the spare prose of an earlier era. In some indefinable way it reminded me of Mary Stewart's writing. Perhaps it's because Duncan describes a gentler, less complex era, an era in which kidnapping children is shocking, and murder is shock inducing. 1966, after all, is only a few years after the events of In Cold Blood, a crime which left Kansas speechless with horror. A Columbine or Virginia Tech mass murder was behind the scope of imagination. These kids still believe in the innate goodness of humanity. They are also a bit more polite and respectful than kids are these days. That and a little dated slang keeps this book from being quite timeless.
   
   Duncan uses the omniscient point of view which allows her to impart a great deal of information about these kids, their parents, and the kidnappers, but this device allows for little mystery. It's all just out there; the reader knows what's going on in everyone's head at all times. Still, since the reader doesn't know how these characters will all interplay with each other, there is a level of suspense here that Duncan adroitly builds to a climax. And in the meantime she creates a portrait of a teen sociopath who is perhaps more chilling a character than any of the kidnappers are.
   
   Ultimately, this is a fast and fairly enjoyable read. For the most part it holds up, even after all of these years. My grade: a B-.



5. Ransom is a book about 5 teens in High School who get kidnapped. The tennagers, Bruce, Glenn, Marianne, Dexter, and Jesse have rich families or so the kidnappers think. When the teens get on the bus, they realize they have a sub bus driver. The driver doesn't know the routes, so Bruce sits in the front and tells the driver where to go. After all the kids are dropped off, the driver ignores the 5 teens left. This when they realize that they are being kidnapped. The kidnappers take the teens to the Rocky Mountains to hide. What happens next is mind-blowing.
   
   I enjoyed this book. I think anyone who like mysteries or suspenceful books would enjoy this book. I liked how Lois Duncan described the characters. What I didn't like was how Lois kept swiching point of views. I think that this book should be read by every middle school and high school student.

2 comments about Taken.

1. Ever since her dad invented a super-effective bronzing treatment, Charity's been living the life of the coddled rich, in a guarded estate of a select 120 homes, with servants to see to all of her family's needs. But being rich has its downsides, too -- she can rarely go beyond the walls of the estate, her father and ex-stepmother are too busy with their own lives to concern themselves with hers, and being a rich kid makes her the target of the growing kidnapping industry.
   
   When Charity finds herself taken by mysterious men in an ambulance, she decides to follow the rules to the letter to ensure that she'll be delivered safely home as soon as the ransom is paid. But the longer she spends with the kidnappers, the more clear it becomes that their plans are more complicated than she could have imagined.
   
   TAKEN puts readers right inside Charity's head, making every moment of the kidnapping as vivid as if they were experiencing it themselves. Charity's reactions are believable and poignant. With every frightening development and shocking twist, readers will find themselves right there with her, quickly turning the pages to learn what will happen next. Charity herself is a strong heroine, practical, scared, yet not afraid to put up a fight when she has to.
   
   Readers may have a hard time relating to the world the novel portrays and the isolation in which Charity now lives with her family's newfound wealth. The society seems very strongly divided between the rich and poor, with little room in between. Nonetheless, it provides a pointed commentary on many of the advantages the privileged in today's world take for granted, and the struggles of those who do not have those advantages. TAKEN is sure to provoke thoughtful discussion among its readers.
   
   For both its tense and unpredictable story and its social commentary, TAKEN is a great read. Be forewarned -- with so many twists, at least one is guaranteed to take you completely (and pleasantly) by surprise!
   
   Reviewed by: Lynn Crow



2. What we might call Fat-Cat Syndrome renders many Americans blind to the potential impact of the growing disparity between the haves and the have-nots in our society (and globally), but Edward Bloor has his eyes wide open. With Taken, he uses his obvious concerns to create a striking portrayal of a possible near-future in which, as our heroine Charity Meyers points out, "Kidnapping has become a major growth industry."
   
   Charity is the narrator of Taken, and the book begins with her strapped to a stretcher in an unknown location, wondering whether her captors will have to remove a body part in order to find her personal GPS tracker. (An acquantance of hers has a badly replaced ear for that very reason.) The story alternates between Charity in the present in her captors' hands and Charity's memories of the past as they relate to her predicament (everything from kidnapping protocols to the faux Edwardian servants and Christmases favored by members of her elite community).
   
   This book is well written as a story, but it is also a fable that might make some teens think a little more about how social stratification affects their lives. I bought another newly published book this week which turned out to be a fable about social stratification, too, though The Castle Corona by Newbery winner Sharon Creech has a medieval/fairy tale setting. (Some middle schooler looking for a great writing project for school should compare and contrast the two books!)
   
   Look for Bloor's satirical take on other issues in Taken--the ineffectual satellite-based schooling, the wonky health-care system, the artificiality of vidqueen (and Charity's ex-stepmother) Mickie's "documentaries," and the crass cruelty of rich, purposeless young people. I also got a kick out of the sight of Charity's butler carrying a Glock as he follows her down the street, openly guarding her against kidnappers. The toy helicopter crashing Mickie's Christmas special decor is another lively and no doubt symbolic moment.
   
   If, in the service of his message, Bloor's poor characters are a little too normal and noble, he does throw ethical dilemmas at them to liven things up. For that matter, Charity is an awfully nice kid, considering how she's been raised! (Of course, her early years were more sensible, before her father made his fortune and moved her to the soulless, gated community where they now reside.) Especially with his juxtaposition of Charity and Dessi, Bloor points out something that shouldn't need to be said, but is often forgotten: that two people on this planet have more in common as human beings than not.
   
   Intriguing plot twists add to the adventure and suspense, making the book a compelling read even if you don't entirely agree with its message.
   
   Unfortunately, Taken's portrayal of rich-and-poor dynamics isn't quite as futuristic as we might like to think. In this book, servants are assigned Edwardian names like Victoria and Albert, and their real names and lives are kept secret. Well, a friend of mine once told me she overheard her wealthy husband yelling at a servant, "I don't care what your name is! While you're here, your name is Maria because I SAY so!"

5 comments about Skeleton Man.

1. I was reading the book "Skeleton Man" by Joseph Bruchac. This book has amazing events. The events are filled with suspense and mystery. With the details, it will make you want to read as much as I did. The main characters and their actions make you want to read and keep going.
   
   In this book, you can probably relate yourself to the characters and the events. There were many surprises in this book. If you love suspense books, this is a great book for you.



2. Bruchac weaves a suspenseful tale of a courageous, determined, heroine who allows her dreams and American Indian heritage to guide her decisions. At first, Molly is unsure of what is coming to her in her dreams; is it memory, or premonition? As the story unfolds, Molly embraces her dreams, and even beckons them to "help" her. She recalls stories told to her from the Mohawk traditions which comfort her, and also warn her of possible danger. She learns to have faith in herself, even when some of the adults in her life dismiss her claims as an "overactive imagination." She is shrewd enough to realize that if she tells the adults everything about her dreams and suspicions, she may be putting herself (and her parents) in more danger. Molly can trust just one adult - her teacher, and this alliance makes her stronger. Knowing that she can rely on at least one other person makes her feel more secure and sane throughout this whole ordeal. This quick, intense mystery is sure to appeal to reluctant readers.



3. This book was bought to go into the Library collection to support the Halloween season.



4. Skeleton man was really mysterious book. They start with tons of action right away. The character is telling spooky stories. But the bad part was that they didn't introduce the characters right away like most books do. The main character Molly was telling spooky stories. Stories that her dad told her before he and her mom dissapeared.
   It was also a really quick read for the people that don't like to read much. When I started reading I couldn't put down the book. My fingers couldn't stop flipping the pages.
   I love how joseph Bruchac [author] describes molly's uncle. He really explains in detail the characteristics of him. I could acually see how molly could think of him as a scary person or maybe even a skeleton man. With his creepy face features and how he locks her in her room every night.
   I hate books but loved this one, so you will like it too. highly recommend this book to any 6th grader who is looking for a good book. I would like to tell much more but i can't. So go to the library to check it out. So you can see what happends to the skeleton man.



5. This is a much better mystery than many of the others that are out there for the age group.
   
   The good: The length of the book is perfect. It appeals to students that don't want to read. The cover is decent, students find the cover appealing enough to pick up the book (and that is often half the battle). The story detail makes it easy to visualize what is happening.
   
   The bad: Parts of the book do drag. The connection between the dreams and the "actual" events may be hard to make for many 10 year olds, causing some confusion with the ending. There are a lot of unexplained events. Too many for my opinion.
   
   Overall, yeah, students pick it up. Some get it more than others. But, for the most part, they want to read it.

5 comments about With.

1. A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book. My favorite author of recent years has been Gabriel Garcia Marquez (with Salman Rushdie not too far behind), but this book has sent me further into Harington's work...and I haven't been disappointed.



2. Give yourself a week or so to read this book slowly to savor it, then you may just find yourself starting at the beginning again. Yes, it is that wonderful. It not only describes humananity in all its beauty and uglyness but describes the bonds of all living creatures & how life goes on even when physical bodies have left.



3. I bought this book as a gift for my husband, his parents are friends with Mr. Harington and we live in the area written in the book. I have to admit, we haven't read it yet but do plan to as soon as we can! A small bookstore in town has raved about it, one person said it was the reason they moved here!



4. This review may contain general spoiler information, as I have mixed feelings about this book and to explain requires some plot disclosure. The book was wonderfully original and well written. I loved Hreapha, and giving a dog a voice to start the book was clever and inventive. The story at the beginning of the book was suspenseful and scary. Sexual abuse is a frightening reality, and the subject can easily make the reader uncomfortable. And I did find it sadly realistic. Predators are out in our society, plotting and fantasizing. Maybe this is where I have the most trouble with this book. There is an odd juxtaposition between the reality of the abduction and the complete whimsy of the anthropomorphizing of all the animals. Putting both together in one book was an odd choice.
   
   The in-habit was an inspiring idea. The survival aspect was very interesting. How do you eat, drink, or stay warm? Nevertheless, I have some smaller problems with the book, also. If a cow could make it up, how could the path be unusable? Why didn't Robin have more of an interest in the outside world once she had met Latha?
   
   Please don't misunderstand, I am glad I read this book, because it made me think about life, growing up, and even literature. It made me very curious about this author. This is the first Donald Harington book I have read, and I may read another to see if others show the same bend in his view of sexuality. I don't often read books about old men lusting after children and young girls curious about sex. The author explored Robin's burgeoning sexuality in the same way he handled the whole book - told with a mix of reality and myth. She explored masturbation, and yet thought she was experiencing real sex with an `in-habit'. Throughout the last half of the book the fantastical elements overwhelmed any reality.
   
   Does this review bother your sensibilities? If so, don't read the book. If you are intrigued, then by all means pick up a copy. A very elderly woman recommended this book to me by claiming it to be the best book she had ever read. It is interesting, compelling, thought-provoking, and creative. But it is a very odd book, indeed.



5. This book opens with a kidnapping of a child by a disturbed man. I almost stopped reading, expecting some awful crime. But the worst does not happen, and the story evolves into a unique tale of nature, growth, wisdom, and love. Her kidnapper dies when she is ten. Geographically isolated, lacking the company of other humans, the girl finds the companionship of animals and an in-habit--a kind of spirit-energy of the boy who loved that house and grew up there. She grows into a lovely young woman, and somehow, we understand that she is perhaps wiser and more fully realized as a person now than had she not been taken from her mother.
   
   The concept of the in-habit may seem fanciful, and one that can talk certainly does. But it may be true that our energy imprint exists where we have left it.
   
   An unforgettable book. An amazing author.

5 comments about Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith.

1. My heart broke as I read this book. The horror that Beth Holloway must have felt at the news of her daughter's disappearance is overwhelming. While I'd like to stick my head in the sand and believe that this could never happen to my family, this book made me realize that it could happen to anyone.
   
   However, instead of letting her brokenness over her daughter destroy her life, Holloway used her tragedy as a call for action has been spearheading a campaign to strengthen travel safety.
   This book is a tribute to mother's love and the faith that helped her through her pain.
   
   I was glad I read it. If you've followed the story of of the Holloways at all, you will be glad to read it too.



2. Loving Natalee was a true testament of what any parent would never want. The book makes me wonder what i would do in the situation natalee was in. Her mom tells the story from begining to end and tells everyone the details about natalee and her life. she really shows how she is a normal person and it could happen to anyone.



3. Who doesn't remember the mysterious disappearance of the Alabama HS senior while on vacation with her high school friends in Aruba, now almost 3 years to the date. When I saw this book, I simply had to pick it up and read it for myself. One may think that you know the whole story, but until you read this book, you really don't.
   
   In "Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith" (255 pages), Beth Holloway, the mother of Natalee, brings us in brutal details what she experienced as a mother when her daughter went missing (and is now presumed dead). Holloway kicks off the Preface of the book with "I am the parent who got the dreaded call. The parent no one wants to be." Right then and there, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, and indeed this is no easy book to read, as Holloway describes the nightmare she and her family and loved ones went through upon arriving on Aruba, and try and find Natalee. The utter incompetence, if not outright unwillingness to assist and underlying corruptness, of the Aruba police authorities is beyond comprehension, even as it is clear that 3 young men are directly involved in Natalee's disappearance. Just sickening.
   
   What keeps Beth Holloway going is her strong faith. I am deeply saddened by what she has had to go through, and (being a parent of a HS senior myself) can only hope and pray that I will never have to go through this. As to the culprits who did this to Natalee, they will receive their due, be in in this life, or in the next when they sit in judgment of our Lord. My prayers are with Beth Holloway and her family.



4. This is a true story of a young girl written by her mother. The book was sad, but I could have waited and gotten it at the library. Not the type of must have book.



5. Beth Holloway is a "Fearless Faith" Fighter and protector of her child. She is an example to all parents. She may not know where Natalee's body is but she knows in her hearts she's with God. I was so truly touched by this woman's determination and drive she has motivated me to reach out and help others. I am the mother of a rape victim and believe helping others after suffering is what heals your soul. Thank you Beth. God has great plans for you ad Natalee!!
   A fellow "Fearless Faith" Fighter and protector of her child

5 comments about Triangle Of Sins.

1. This Urban Loves Story was a definite one setting page turner. I was excited as well as surprise at how part one ended. Could hard wait to see if Norit Folkes could continue this story with the same exuberance. I would have to say that part two was just as stimulus!



2. I found this book to be most entertaining. Definetly a page turner! Although I totally disagreed with a lot of the choices Natalia made, I truly enjoyed reading what she'd do next in terms of selecting her soul mate.



3. This book was great the author has a real good imagination and could keep a reader entertained. I could'nt put the book down because i was dying to know what will happen next. The sequel is also good. I wish there would be a third part. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.



4. THIS BOOK IS GOOD, I READ IT TWICE. MY FAVORITE PART IS THE END BECAUSE YOU KNEW WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN IN THE SECOND BOOK.



5. GREAT WRITING!!! THIS BOOK WAS CHOSEN IN MY BOOK CIRCLE AND WHEN I PURCHASED IT ON AMAZON THEY OFFERED RECTANGLE OF SINS SO I TOOK IT NOT KNOWING IT WAS THE SEQUEL TO TRIANGLE OF SINS, I WAS GLAD I DID CAUSE TRIANGLE LEFT YOU HANGING RIGHT OFF THE CLIFF BUT I GOT ALL THE REMAINING DETAILS IN RECTANGLE....BOTH BOOKS ARE A MUST READ AND HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTIONS.

3 comments about Ulterior Motives (Sun Coast Chronicles Series #3).

1. This is a great book, as are all Terri's books! She keeps you guessing and in suspense. As always, she provides you with biblical answers to difficult situations. She doesn't skirt or sugarcoat the hard issues, but deals with them head on.



2. Terri Blackstock is not only one of the most unique writers today,incorporating her stong faith in her work; but is also among the very best in creating compelling plots and people about whom the reader cares. This talent is increasingly rare, even among the "best-selling" secular authors. --Ron Howe (a.k.a., Toby Martin II)



3. In this third book of the series, Terri Blackstock introduces a new character to the mix. While still excellent, the characters don't have as much punch as in the previous two books. Her characters' struggles with coming to the Lord need to be better worked out. Still, this is a great read.

5 comments about Smoky Mountain Tracks (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 1).

1. A solid mystery with good characters, good pacing, interesting backstory (more revealed in next book) a likeable protagonist and wonderful overlay of information about search and rescue dogs.



2. Ms. Ball will grab your attention with the first line of the book, and you won't be able to put it down til you have finished the last page. This is the 1st of a great new series. How can we not love a book with such a wonderful dog featured.



3. As the first in a new series, this is very good and very interesting. It is very similar to Virginia Lanier's Bloodhound series. The same type of main character although this takes place in the Smokey Mountains rather than Georgia. This isn't a bad thing since Lanier's books were probably the best in the genre. Like Lanier, the characterization takes second place to the mystery, which I happen to enjoy. Bad mysteries and not enough characterization as in Susan Conant's dog mysteries are too boring.



4. I am a addicted to dog stories. One can tell That Ms. Ball is an expert in dogs, and specifically in rescue dogs. The mystery story is average at best, but the dog part is great. 3.5 stars.
   P.S. This is The FIRST book in the series, NOT the SECOND!



5. I enjoyed this book enough to order the second in the series. The main character, Raine Stockton, was well-developed and interesting. I agree with another reviewer that the romance side of the book was confusing. It was hard to understand what Raine's relationship was with her ex-husband. But, perhaps the author is intending to elaborate in her next book. Overall, a good choice for dog lovers.