Sam: The Boy Behind the Mask

Sam: The Boy Behind the Mask 

by: Tom Hallman, Jr.

Synopsis: This is a book about a boy named Sam Lightner. He was born with a very rare disfigured growth on the left side of his face. This growth has determined everything about his life. It affects him and how people see him. This book is meant to show the real Sam to the world. The book is about Sam's life and all the struggles he has had to endure. 

Review: This book is really good! It's pretty old, it's from 2002, but I just found it in my basement and decided to finally read it, and I'm so glad I did! To be honest I didn't know weather this book was fiction or nonfiction until halfway through and there was real pictures of Sam. It was very cool to read about Sam and it was interesting to read about all of his medical procedures and issues. This book is kind of funny, but more so sad. This book is very well written and it also has a great lesson, which is to never judge someone based on their looks. 

Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea 

by: Ruta Sepetys

Synopsis: In the Winter of 1945, four young people try to get to the coast to escape the Soviet advance. Each born in a different place, each with their own secret. When all of their paths cross, they are on a ship that promises safety and freedom, the Wilhelm Gustloft, bur not all promises can be kept. 

Review: Salt to the Sea is an outstanding book. This is the kind of book I could read a hundred times and not get sick of it. It's absolutely amazing. It's historical fiction, my favorite, and has all different sides covered, in the end of World War two. It was written by the same author who wrote Between the Shades of Gray and even alludes to it. It was so cool to learn about something in history that isn't usually taught. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloft really happened, which was extremely shocking. This book had amazing characters, and it had a really cute love story. The only bad side was one of the characters, Alfred, he was basically crazy, and reading his parts were very creepy and annoying. However, he was an example of how Hitler actually got people to believe what he was saying was true. So he was important to see that side of the story and history. My favorite part of the book was the fact that it had genuinely good characters in it, and showed that war doesn't have to turn people into animals. Overall this book is great and I recommend it to everyone. 

The Boys in the Boat

The Boys in the Boat 

by: Daniel James Brown 

Synopsis: This is the inspiring story about these nine American boys and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the journey they took to get there. 

Review: While I read this book, I went through several emotions. At the beginning I was confident and looked forward to reading it. The book has some pictures, and I thought they were going to shorten the book a little. They didn't. There was only 19 chapters but it felt like a 100. It was so so long. I started to doubt that I would ever finish it, because I had no motivation. However, whenever I actually read it, I couldn't put it down, until a random bit about Berlin would pop up in the middle of an important moment. Although it was interesting to see what was happening to the characters parallel with what was happening in Germany, it got really old really quick. The story was great and very interesting. It was also cool to read and learn about rowing, but sometimes that took over and I would have to take a break. Even with all the negative, it was worth it, the ending was amazing and it made me cry and even gave me goose bumps. So, even if you're not into rowing or never even heard of it, you should read this book!