This second review is on a relatively popular book that has managed to reach a fair amount of people, though not as admired as the Twilight series.
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DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? by Nur Syakirah bt Hamdan
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah is a must-read novel which the element of Islam is well-portrayed. It's a story about a girl named Amal - a Muslim girl living in Australia. Before school reopened, she decided to wear the hijab (a head scarf worn by Muslim women) and because of her own decision she gets varying response from her family and buddies. To make matters worse, Amal had recently transferred to a very white-bread prep school, where the environment is completely different and it's going to be hard for her to fit in with that environment. She is inspired to wear the hijab when her best friends Yasmeen and Leila from Hidayah School wear the hijab full-time. At the McCleans Grammar School she also has friends, Eileen and Simone who are really understanding and always support her at whatever she's doing.
Amal is just a normal teenage girl. She loves shopping, gossiping, giggling with her friends and sometimes having a hard time with her parents and getting annoyed with her friends, especially Tia Tamos, Claire Foster and Rita Mason. She has a strong debating side of her personality with a value of doing what’s right and what will make everyone happy. She also has a strong value for her religion and what she believes in. She is a religious Muslim who prays five times a day, but she is also a normal teenage girl who likes to hang out with her friends, shop, have a girls’ night out, and even has a crush on a boy named Adam. She hates the fact that she can’t have a boyfriend, but is still satisfied with the relationship she has with Adam.
There are still a lot of problems that she has to face other than dealing with people who think wearing a scarf is weird and not-up-to-date-fashion. Case in point is when her friend Leila gets fed up with her mother's marriage set-ups and runs away. Amal has to deal with Leila's frustration over the fact that her mother is not practicing her religion correctly and Leila's mother's beliefs. Amal also has an aunt and uncle that are totally "Aussie" and do not follow Amal's religion at all, and question her why she, herself, follows it. Amal must also deal with a cranky Greek neighbor who has stopped talking to her only son because he converted. Amal becomes good friends with her and tries to coax her to talk to her son, after so many years of silence. I really love this book and I give this book 5 stars. I would like to recommend this book to all students to read it as it has lots of moral values. Besides, you can learn a lot more about Islam.
Rating : 5/5
This week's review is on the wildly popular "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer. The reviews are prepared by Sarvinder Kaur and Rebecca Ann Pereira who have both enjoyed the cult-status novels and feel that it is worth sharing with everyone else. The first book in the series is "Twilight", followed by "New Moon", "Eclipse" and lastly, "Breaking Dawn".
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TWILIGHT by Sarvinder Kaur
Twilight is the thrilling tale of a vampire romance at high school. It is an extraordinary love story that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page. Propelled by suspense and romance in equal parts, this story will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Stephanie Meyer's tantalizing debut novel.
Isabella Swan (Bella) moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, a boy unlike any she's ever met. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes and mesmerizing voice, Edward can run faster than a mountain lion and can stop a moving car with his bare hands. Edward hasn't aged since 1918 and like all vampires, he is immortal. But he doesn't have fangs and he doesn't drink human blood. Up until now, he has managed to keep his identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn't realise is that the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back...
Rating : 4/5
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NEW MOON by Sarvinder Kaur
Passionate, riveting and deeply moving, New Moon, the compelling sequel to Twilight, irresistably combines romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. New Moon will grab you and keep you reading well into the wee hours of the night. Poised for bestsellerdom, New Moon encapsulates perfectly the teenage feeling of alienation.
For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself : Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could have ever imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning...
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NEW MOON by Sarvinder Kaur
Passionate, riveting and deeply moving, New Moon, the compelling sequel to Twilight, irresistably combines romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. New Moon will grab you and keep you reading well into the wee hours of the night. Poised for bestsellerdom, New Moon encapsulates perfectly the teenage feeling of alienation.
For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself : Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could have ever imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning...
Rating : 3/5
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ECLIPSE by Rebecca Ann Pereira
Eclipse is the third novel in Stephenie Meyer’s popular Twilight series. You really want to have read Twilight and New Moon (in that order) first before reading Eclipse, because the author doesn’t spend too much time expounding the story-lines of the previous novels but rather drops the reader straight in to the story. Eclipse carries on not long after New Moon left off. Bella’s high school graduation is approaching and she will soon be leaving Forks forever, presumably to go to college - but in reality she is planning to join her boyfriend in his vampire existence and will therefore be unable to return home, due to being dead and possessed by a terrible blood lust for the first few years.
This is only one part of the story though. Eclipse is primarily a romantic saga, so Bella and Edward’s relationship is the primary focus of the novel. Or as I should say Bella, Edward and Jacob’s relationship - because there is a love triangle in the plot of this novel. Bella and Jacob have always been friends, at least they were - right up until Jacob became a werewolf. Then the enmity between vampires and werewolves put a huge strain on their friendship. Besides which, Jacob is in love with Bella, who is in love with Edward so this is going to make things awkward between them. Bella has found her soul mate in Edward but Jacob is the soul mate she should have / could have / would have had if Edward didn’t exist. She loves him too but not as much as Edward. Why she loves Jacob is beyond me – he knows that she loves Edward but Jacob still tries to make her feel guilty that she can’t love him like he wants her too.
Eclipse is still a really good read. The book didn’t feel like it was over 600 pages long, I literally flew through the pages and had to make a conscious effort to slow down my reading so I didn’t finish the whole book in a couple of sittings. For teens already hooked on the series, Eclipse is another solid instalment of Forks goodness. Adult readers may be put off by the teenage relationship angst in this novel but if you have already enjoyed the author’s previous offerings I think there is still plenty here to entertain. This is romantic fantasy – enjoy it!
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ECLIPSE by Rebecca Ann Pereira
Eclipse is the third novel in Stephenie Meyer’s popular Twilight series. You really want to have read Twilight and New Moon (in that order) first before reading Eclipse, because the author doesn’t spend too much time expounding the story-lines of the previous novels but rather drops the reader straight in to the story. Eclipse carries on not long after New Moon left off. Bella’s high school graduation is approaching and she will soon be leaving Forks forever, presumably to go to college - but in reality she is planning to join her boyfriend in his vampire existence and will therefore be unable to return home, due to being dead and possessed by a terrible blood lust for the first few years.
This is only one part of the story though. Eclipse is primarily a romantic saga, so Bella and Edward’s relationship is the primary focus of the novel. Or as I should say Bella, Edward and Jacob’s relationship - because there is a love triangle in the plot of this novel. Bella and Jacob have always been friends, at least they were - right up until Jacob became a werewolf. Then the enmity between vampires and werewolves put a huge strain on their friendship. Besides which, Jacob is in love with Bella, who is in love with Edward so this is going to make things awkward between them. Bella has found her soul mate in Edward but Jacob is the soul mate she should have / could have / would have had if Edward didn’t exist. She loves him too but not as much as Edward. Why she loves Jacob is beyond me – he knows that she loves Edward but Jacob still tries to make her feel guilty that she can’t love him like he wants her too.
Eclipse is still a really good read. The book didn’t feel like it was over 600 pages long, I literally flew through the pages and had to make a conscious effort to slow down my reading so I didn’t finish the whole book in a couple of sittings. For teens already hooked on the series, Eclipse is another solid instalment of Forks goodness. Adult readers may be put off by the teenage relationship angst in this novel but if you have already enjoyed the author’s previous offerings I think there is still plenty here to entertain. This is romantic fantasy – enjoy it!
Rating : 4/5
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BREAKING DAWN by Rebecca Ann Pereira
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular Twilight saga. For readers who have read Stephenie Meyer’s previous offerings Breaking Dawn is the long awaited and highly anticipated end to the compelling tale of vampire Edward and human Bella’s impossible romance. This novel sees Bella coming into her own power and proving that she is more that capable of independent thought and action. While the Cullen family vampires have always been kind to Bella, it has been clear that she was no match for this talented bunch - but Bella’s character gains strengths that make her just as unique and talented as the rest of her new family.
Breaking Dawn is a weighty novel, weighing in at over 750 pages but it doesn’t feel like a long read. The story is well paced and well balanced, with a mixture of exciting supernatural action as well as good character development and romance. Breaking Dawn is a different novel to Twilight (and New Moon) and some readers may be disappointed by this but I’m not one of them. I don’t want to keep buying the same story over and over again just with a different title and cover picture – I enjoy seeing the development of the characters as well as seeing the development of the author’s writing. Breaking Dawn is more like Eclipse, Edward and Bella are sure of their love for each other but outside forces (this time it’s the Volturi) may tear them apart as the story reaches its thrilling climax.
The only small gripe I have about this novel is that in wrapping up the story every loose end has been neatly tied into a pretty bow - sometimes it’s good to leave something dangling in the breeze! Oh, and I don’t like the book's cover either. But apart from that, this book is all that I was personally hoping it would be.
Full of Forks' goodness, Breaking Dawn is recommended reading for any self-respecting Stephenie Meyer fan!
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BREAKING DAWN by Rebecca Ann Pereira
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular Twilight saga. For readers who have read Stephenie Meyer’s previous offerings Breaking Dawn is the long awaited and highly anticipated end to the compelling tale of vampire Edward and human Bella’s impossible romance. This novel sees Bella coming into her own power and proving that she is more that capable of independent thought and action. While the Cullen family vampires have always been kind to Bella, it has been clear that she was no match for this talented bunch - but Bella’s character gains strengths that make her just as unique and talented as the rest of her new family.
Breaking Dawn is a weighty novel, weighing in at over 750 pages but it doesn’t feel like a long read. The story is well paced and well balanced, with a mixture of exciting supernatural action as well as good character development and romance. Breaking Dawn is a different novel to Twilight (and New Moon) and some readers may be disappointed by this but I’m not one of them. I don’t want to keep buying the same story over and over again just with a different title and cover picture – I enjoy seeing the development of the characters as well as seeing the development of the author’s writing. Breaking Dawn is more like Eclipse, Edward and Bella are sure of their love for each other but outside forces (this time it’s the Volturi) may tear them apart as the story reaches its thrilling climax.
The only small gripe I have about this novel is that in wrapping up the story every loose end has been neatly tied into a pretty bow - sometimes it’s good to leave something dangling in the breeze! Oh, and I don’t like the book's cover either. But apart from that, this book is all that I was personally hoping it would be.
Full of Forks' goodness, Breaking Dawn is recommended reading for any self-respecting Stephenie Meyer fan!
Rating : 5/5
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Itching to get your hands on those books yet? Doubtless, they would satisfy you greatly if you are a fan of fantasy, romance and action. A fantastic read, the books have been topping the bestseller charts since their release. To date, "Twilight" has been made into a blockbuster movie starring Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black). The books are available at all major bookstores nationwide.
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Itching to get your hands on those books yet? Doubtless, they would satisfy you greatly if you are a fan of fantasy, romance and action. A fantastic read, the books have been topping the bestseller charts since their release. To date, "Twilight" has been made into a blockbuster movie starring Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black). The books are available at all major bookstores nationwide.
The following are the groups required to publish their book reviews by turn, with Group 1 being the first group and the last group being the last to do the book review for this year.
Each group has two weeks to publish their post after the group before them has done so, i.e. Group 2 must publish its post within two weeks after Group 1 has posted theirs.
Please submit your original book review to your form representative.
(FORM 5)
Group 1
Joanne Tong Hui Shien
Loo Xiu Jing
Loo Xiu Ying
Rebecca Ann Pereira
Sarvinder Kaur a/p Sarjit Singh
(FORM 4)
Group 2
Nur Alia bt Mohd Sa’ad
Nur Diana Athirah bt Rusli
Nur Syakirah bt Hamdan
Syafiqah bt Othman
Group 3
Charmaine Tew Shu Yi
Cheong Wan Yi
Husna bt Zainal Abidin
Jessie Lim
Lim Susin
Group 4
Amira bt Khairin Roslan
Kerk Wei Min
Nuraini bt Terjuni
Sofea bt Idilfitri
Teo Jing Xin
Group 5
Celine Tan
Chan Qian Min
Lim Yen Yen
Nabiah bt Mohsin
Naqibah bt Azman
Shalin bt Mohd Fadzil
Group 6
Farah Wadhirah bt Abd Rashid
Khairunnisa bt Sharom
Nur Faraheen bt Abd Wahab
Nur Syafiqah bt Musa
Siti Rohaida bt Mohamed
Group 7
Anis Atiqah bt Sakmani
Siti Adibah Yumni Jailani
Tan Yi Hui Carolyn
Wendy Victoria Vaz
Group 8
Diyana bt Hamzah
Norfaezatul Fazlina
Siti Mashairana bt Johar
Siti Nur Atikah bt Zeli
Ummi Nazirah bt Abd Kadil
Group 9
Koh Jin Le
Ng Cha Yee
Nur Suhaila bt Mohd Yassin
Siti Nor Fazirah bt Misrah
(FORM 3)
Group 10
Ch’ng Rou Wei
Eunice Soh Ee Shin
Karyn Ter Zuhuan
Ng Xiang Ting
Group 11
Ainatul Nadia bt Mohd Johari
Elia Humairah Bajrai bt Mohammad
Intan Azuwin bt Abdullah
Nur Hidayah bt M. Razif
Tay Ming Xian
Group 12
Chew Lay Ling
Chua Yi Jing
Nur Atiqah bt Leham
Nur Hidayah bt Mohd Kadir
Group 13
Norfazlin bt Zalina
Nur Najihah bt Roslan
Siti Nafizah bt Adanan
Group 14
Farah Izzureen bt Muhammad Khairul Anuar
Nur Liyana bt Salim
Siti Nur Sakinah bt Yunus
(FORM 2)
Group 15
Di Yoong Yun
Er Sin Yee
Low Jing Yi
Michelle Lim Xin Yee
Ong Soo Ying
(FORM 1)
Group 16
Hamizah Bt Shabudin
Soh Jieying
Tan Hui Ling
Tay Girl Xin
Group 17
Ain Natasha Abd. Kadir
Audrey Lau Kar Lin
Nur Farahi Azliana Bt Muhammad Fuad