Official Review: School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino

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Hendmosaad89
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Official Review: School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino

Post by Hendmosaad89 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "School of Deaths" by Christopher Mannino.]
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If I had to read a book that I had never heard of and by an author I haven't been following, but still give it a chance and don't regret one minute I spent on finishing it; it would be this book. Simply put. I find this book excellent for young adults who search for new creative plots, relatable characters, motivational messages & themes, and finally a great enjoyable read.

To start by the surface details; this book's Genre is Fantasy, "but" I have to add Mystery with a big fat letter "M" on the top. Yes, it was that much mysterious! young adults are the target for this book. It is written in the third person narrative. I wholeheartedly give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

What would be the first thing that would come to your mind if you opened a bag full of only lemons and surprisingly enough you found added to them; only ONE strawberry?? Susan was a perfectly normal thirteen year old girl. Nothing was different about her, or so she thought, until one day she was taken to a world she never knew existed and entered the school of Deaths, or better yet a school made to teach Reapers how to reap souls. The world of the dead is a world created only for men and boys, quite literally and figuratively. Susan is the one and only Girl that has ever been in this world in a million years. So aside from trying to survive in a world full of only boys and to try to figure out why on earth she's even in this place; she's trying to know who wants to kill her.

I have to admit that I didn't see it coming that I would like this book. I gave this book 4 starts for fulfilling the whole reason I read books; Entertainment. And I was more than entertained, I was sucked into it from start to finish that I forgot my actual world for a few hours. I love it when books do that. And it's not easy to come across books of any genre that could do that. Plus the only downside in this book for me was that; it had very little romance in it. And there were less than 6 spelling mistakes in the entire book, so I decided these reasons aren't crucial enough to give it 3 stars.

The first thing I always observe in a book is its pace. The author did a great job with it. I felt the pace was perfect for every time frame and every situation. I didn't feel like I lost any important events or information when time moved fast. And I certainly didn't feel bored or annoyed when time went day by day. That is a huge plus point for the author, and it shows a great stability in his writing and how talented he is.

What I didn't expect but still liked a lot was the absolute sense of confusion. I loved that I didn't know what the hell is going on from the start till almost the finish. That feeling gave me an enormous mystery vibe that excited me all the way through the entire story. The aura of suspense from the very first chapter only heightened my entertainment experience. I liked that it didn't have too much blood, violence and graphics.

In fantasy books, authors must be extra creative with the world they create and not forget important details like, foods, clothes, settings, rules, histories, traditions and languages. In this book, the author certainly didn't fail to deliver all of these and more. I admired the world he created and how he portrayed everything in it and how he made me see it through his eyes. He described the settings perfectly, and I felt that yes! That is exactly what it would look like if it was ever made a movie.

The plot was creative and intriguing from start to finish. I honestly didn't know which way it was going and what turns it would take. The story just flowed smoothly. The characters were well written and developed significantly. The heroine felt relatable very much to normal persons from the very beginning till the end. She developed from weak to strong, from self-conscious to confident, from just bidding time to taking charge of things. I appreciated the way he portrayed a thirteen year old girl; her innocence, her purity and her high moralities. The inner thinking she was having with herself gave her more depth and familiarity.

Her development along the story gave away the theme. "Determination to succeed" was my interpretation of this book's theme. The minute she walked into a strange world she became determined to do a lot of things, and she had done all of them. The message was like balm to my heart. "Home is where the heart is" I received this sentence as a message, and I think it fits perfectly to the story and how everything unfolded in the end.

Before I conclude this review, I must mention one single awesome/ fantastic/ great/ wild scene that just blew my mind away. The final game scene was surprisingly the best in this book. Firstly the rules were so incredibly sophisticated with complicity but somehow I easily understood them all!. Secondly the setting of the game's place fit rightly. Finally the narrating of what was happening in the field with most of the players the whole time wasn't boring or confusing at all but on the contrary, it just made me enjoy the game more. I felt very excited especially on this scene because of the urgency vibe it gave off and the high stakes it was taking. I also loved the way traveling across the worlds' scenes, and how they were described, if I ever get to think of how it would feel like to travel through worlds; it would surely be this way.

At last, I would like to conclude by saying I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I highly recommend it for fantasy lovers, it doesn't disappoint. This book's world is brilliant, and the author's creativity is more than amazing and the way he conveyed his imagination was just stunning. I would positively say he has a wild imagination. I would like to praise him on his great work, and I look forward to reading from him again.

***
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Little House
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Post by Little House »

Sounds like a fascinating book. I don't tend to like books where I don't know what is going on, but I might have to give this one a try.
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Hendmosaad89
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Post by Hendmosaad89 »

Thank you:). It could be refreshing for you to read.
If you do read it, I would like to know your thoughts about it.
Have a great day:)
Latest Review: "From Nathan to Nanako" by T.F. Wright
reads-a-lot
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Post by reads-a-lot »

Thanks for the honest review. Sound like it might be something for me to try at some point. Nicce to
find something that both young adults and adults both might enjoy.
Hendmosaad89
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Post by Hendmosaad89 »

Thank you:) yes I think so too. Have a great day:)
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ctmannino
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Post by ctmannino »

The second book just came out. Check it out too!
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