I originally had to read this book as a summer assignment for a class, but once I opened it, I simply couldn't put it down. From the start, you're immersed in O'Brien's world. At the time, he's a young man with his whole life ahead of him, sent to fight in the war in Vietnam. Through each of his stories, you're able to paint a picture of everyone he knew, the ones they loved and the ones they lost. Perhaps one of the most accurate depictions of life as a war veteran and an eye-opening recollection on American values, 'The Things They Carried' will make you experience a wide range of emotions, all the while rejuvenating your inner sense of patriotism.

"If nothing changed, there'd be no such things as butterflies." This was a sweet surprise! I mostly read adult fiction nowadays, but I've missed books like this! What surprised me is that THE CANDYMAKERS took itself surprisingly seriously - it sold itself as a mystery, and it was a mystery, and an especially good one at that! It starts out as a fun, sweet candy-making adventure, but it doesn't end on that note. It's never until it's over: THE CANDYMAKERS doesn't stop revealing secrets until the very last page. Somehow both unexpectedly funny and unexpectedly touching, THE CANDYMAKERS never turns treacly and the fun never fizzles out - it has plenty of meaningful stories to tell. There is something so nostalgic about reading something I would have enjoyed as a child. Some things never change: I will always love elaborate candy factories and child detectives, and this was the sweetest, funniest, smartest combination of both.

"If nothing changed, there'd be no such things as butterflies." This was a sweet surprise! I mostly read adult fiction nowadays, but I've missed books like this! What surprised me is that THE CANDYMAKERS took itself surprisingly seriously - it sold itself as a mystery, and it was a mystery, and an especially good one at that! It starts out as a fun, sweet candy-making adventure, but it doesn't end on that note. It's never until it's over: THE CANDYMAKERS doesn't stop revealing secrets until the very last page. Somehow both unexpectedly funny and unexpectedly touching, THE CANDYMAKERS never turns treacly and the fun never fizzles out - it has plenty of meaningful stories to tell. There is something so nostalgic about reading something I would have enjoyed as a child. Some things never change: I will always love elaborate candy factories and child detectives, and this was the sweetest, funniest, smartest combination of both.

The Candymakers is definitely a sweet surprise! The story takes place in the Life is Sweet candy factory where the candy-making contest was taking place. Daisy, Philips, Logan, and Miles are the four protagonists of the story. This book is unique compared to others because it gives the same story in four different perspectives. I appreciate that Wendy Mass presented the story in that format because it gives readers a sense of what is going on without giving only one biased perspective and it helps you understand each character better. The four are oblivious to the secrets each person held. Peculiarly, the secrets they had ended up to be what kept them apart, but they used it to protect the factory and to reconcile. By the end, everyone learns something about each other and became close friends.

I wrote two reviews last night/this morning, and I have just checked to see their status, but when I went to look it was blank as if I hadn't written any reviews even though I had. I would like to know if there was something wrong with my review and if that was the reason why it was not counted and erased?

This was an incredible book, a recommendation from a friend. The plot and idea of the book were very interesting. The general idea was that children were taken away to the School for Good and Evil, and there, they would be trained to be villains/antagonists or superhero/protagonist. I found this as a unique but enjoyable idea that made to be a stable foundation for the rest of the book. The plot twists that were thrown in throughout the book kept me captivated. I enjoyed the book greatly, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in starting a book that they won't be able to put down until the last page.

While many children have childhoods built upon the foundation of their favorite movies and cartoons, favorite games and amusement parks, etc, mine was built on books. Picture books, pop-up books, chapter books. Books, in general, were my obsession, and more specifically, the Boxcar Children. Genuinely, this was one of my favorites as a child. The idea that these brave orphans had just each other to guide themselves through life was an entirely captivating and revolutionary idea from my seven-year-old perspective. Living in an abandoned boxcar was a very creative and interesting idea that I find incredibly different even at my age looking back. The orphans were all beautifully created and their personalities define each of them as great people with their unique flaws and beauties. As the Boxcar Children was a series, there was a different plot in each book, but each was just as good as the previous with brilliant plotlines that had younger me entertained for the entire book and even hours after, still processing the information. A highly recommended series from current me recalling all the past memories and from younger me still fangirling internally.

Dork Diaries has been another staple book series as a child. The humor in this book, and the series in general, never failed to amuse me. The main character, Nikki, was genuinely one of the most lovable characters ever to be created is extremely relatable and exciting to follow around in her journey of middle school. Assisting characters like her friends, her parents and her sister (BRIANNA IS THE CUTEST) were also nicely developed with depth, personality, and serve a purpose in moving the story forward. Plotlines were extremely adorable and fit the humorous vibes the book radiates with. The drawings are also applaudable. I still remember spending hours trying to recreate the characters on my own. It never worked, but the drawings never failed to captivate me with their incredible details. Highly recommend for a good laugh.