First OFFICIAL Book Review!!! And oh yeah, I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Hello everyone!
Oh my goodness! I cannot believe that it's been sooooooo long. I am so sorry to just have disappeared, though I have kept in touch with a lot of you, thank goodness :) You all keep me sane lol....anyway, things have been crazy here between this, that, and the other thing. I'm hoping to start posting more regularly now though. Yay! And I will have you know that if you all are interested in more book reviews I have about 9 books to review that I've read just for myself, so let me know if you'd be interested in having them reviewed please!

Today, I have my first official review! YAY! Thank you to Miss Teeny Tiny aka Amber :P and Renee for pushing me to do this. I think that it was a great idea and I'm excited to get my next book!



Description of book: “I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud.”

As far back as he can remember, the orphan Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. With his adolescent accomplice, Floyd perpetrates a variety of hoaxes and flimflams on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier, such as the Ugliest Boy in the World act.

It’s a hard way to make a living, made harder by the memory of fatter times when audiences thronged to see young Grady perform as “The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp.” But what can they do? Nobody believes in feechies anymore.

When Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders’ belief in the mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark. Floyd’s Great Feechie Scare becomes widespread panic. Eager audiences become angry mobs, and in the ensuing chaos, the Charlatan’s Boy discovers the truth that has evaded him all his life—and will change his path forever.

My Review: The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathon Rogers was an enjoyable read. It was not my favorite book and disappointed me a little bit after hearing remarkable compliments about it and it did sound really great! It never caught my interest until the very end of the book, unfortunately. I am not sure if it was enough to make me curious enough to read the second book or not. There were not too many characters in this book by way of named, main characters. I did enjoy the character of Grady and his quest to find his way in this crazy world. He is a young boy who has always believed that he was a real live Feechie because that is what Floyd, his pseudo father figure of sorts, has always acted. However, that is simply what it was, an act. So poor Grady is suddenly lost, unknowing of what he really I, who he really is, and he wants to find his real parents. So you can easily be sympathetic to this little boy’s feelings. Floyd simply irritated me, which I almost think was part of the point. Just when you thought that he was getting “good” or at least being nice to Grady, he became somewhat of a jerk again for lack of a better term. It drove me crazy! It was very interesting to kind of see the behind the scenes of what it takes to be a charlatan though. Not that I ever plan on being one or anything, but it was just interesting to see the mechanics of their mind. I think knowing what the book is about, there are a few kids I would recommend this too. I think based on some of the material though; you would want to limit it to a mature fourth grader through middle school aged. I think kids may enjoy the sense of adventure and relate even more to Grady and the other characters!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Just an update: My school year is almost done :) Last day is April 29, but last final is due by email on the 30th. But still!! I have a roommate for next year!!! Her name's Amanda and I'm sure you will be hearing about her coming up soon lol. I will post on our crazy adventure that we're taking today to my home (*whispers* she's meeting the family and my old friends LOL) I am so very excited about it and having her makes me actually excited to come back next year. I am still working at my grocery store as a cashier on the weekends, but am applying to be able to substitute teach in May and whenever they need me from now on. I will focus on only elementary school because it would just be too tough with especially high school because of my age compared to theirs! It would be cool because if I'm at WRS I know a lot of the kids and I do get paid to do it, so it will be fun. Medically, everything is up in the air right now. Apparently I do not have Rheumatoid Arthritis even though, yes, that is what I have been diagnosed with for five years now. That's very frustrating for me because though RA wasn't good, at least I had a diagnosis and I had come to terms with it by now. So no news still about all that unfortunately :/ I got to skype with a certain Miss Tiny Ariel last night for the first time!!! YAYAYAY! It was really fun and I look forward to many more fun skype dates to come ; ) I've been reading like crazy for who knows why! LOL I always keep the blog updated in that respect. I am on book number seventeen for 2011 which I don't think is too shabby considering it's technically still March!

That's about it for me! What's new with all of you???

OH just ONE more thing ; ) I will be going on TWO trips this summer again! Alicia, gramma, grampa, and I will be driving to Wisconsin for the Jersey cattle convention....it could be interesting LOL! And then Gramma, Grampa, Alicia, Mom, Aunt Donna, and I will be going to....drumroll please *drumming on desk* Wales, London, and the Isle of Jersey again!!!!! Yessss they are all repeats, but they are three of our favorite overseas vacations we've been on : ) One of the highlights, I can tell you right now will be meeting two of my favorite blogger friends who also are coincedentally my best UK friend and my mum ; ) when we go to London!!! We're hoping to see Wicked together (since that is how we found each other afterall) and do lunch or something of the sort. SO excited, you two!!

Okay now tell me about yourselves ; )
Hugs, smooches, and much love to you all!
Hannah