Jasper

Rating:
Summary: The Magical World of Jasper
Review: The day this book arrived at my house, we were without power due to a large thunderstorm. After everyone had gone to bed I curled up in a chair reading by flashlight until some time later the batteries begin to fail and I found myself struggling to read in the darkness. With no light, I stumbled to the kitchen and rummaged around through the drawers looking for a spare set of batteries to continue the story.

Finding the batteries I once again immersed myself in Jasper's world. Eventually the batteries began to fail again. By this time I was so caught up in the story it was a race to the end between the failing Energizers and my ability to read in ever increasing dimness. Fortunately the batteries held on.

As I turned the last page I glanced up at the luminescent clock over the fireplace and was surprised at the time. Minutes had turned to hours and it was now well past midnight. I had in fact been caught up in the magical world of Jasper and like any great reading experience I was very sorry to see it end.

In addition to Jasper you will meet a very exceptional owl named Hank who helps Jasper deal with his unique and often troubling gift. Though Hank is not the focus of the story, he plays a major role that will please any fan of these majestic birds. The entire cast of characters is well developed from the comical cats Chloe and Joey to the humans that Jasper and Hank encounter. Speaking of Chloe and Joey they have one of my favorite scenes in the book as they remind me fondly of some very possessive cats I have known. I still laugh when I think about it.

Classified as young adult fiction, Jasper goes beyond that. This is one of those rare books that has the power to captivate younger readers while at the same time offering a rich reading experience for adult readers. So much of the fiction I read today is predictable or leads you to a very unfulfilling ending. Jasper's journey is very much the exception. You will find the story weaves you through a wide variety of emotions before leading you to a very satisfying and unexpected conclusion.

In a world that is often defined by selfishness, Jasper, Hank and the other residents of a quiet Carolina town remind us that there is so much more.

Rating:
Summary: Cats and Owls
Review: This book was given to me by my mom. She bought it because I love cats. We were both surprised to find it also has an owl as a main character. You would have to see my room to see why this is significant. Needless to say I love cats and owls. The cat (Jasper) and the owl (Hank) are great characters and you will love them. Jasper is so smart and he is like the cat I have always wanted. I have a cat, she is like Chloe(read the book), I love her but - she's no Jasper.

Jasper has a very special power. He can see when bad things are going to happen. The problem is, the bad things don't always happen to good people. Jasper wants to be a house cat very badly, but he has a lot of choices to make. Does he help those that are in trouble? Some of the choices may ruin his chances of living as a housecat forever. Which is the right thing to do? Jasper (with Hank's help) is faced with these problems. What they decide is what makes this a great book.

I highly recommend this book. It is my favorite of the year. I would have said Hoot was the best, but the Owl(Hank)in this book is much better and Jasper is such a great cat. If you bought Hoot because you love owls but were dissapointed because the owls really aren't in the story you will love this. Hank is a big part of the story and he is a great character. He is truly a wise owl and helps Jasper a lot even if Hank never quite understands why Jasper wants to be with the humans.

I love the ending, but surely it will be continued?

Rating:
Summary: Cats and Owls
Review: This book was given to me by my mom. She bought it because I love cats. We were both surprised to find it also has an owl as a main character. You would have to see my room to see why this is significant. Needless to say I love cats and owls. The cat (Jasper) and the owl (Hank) are great characters and you will love them. Jasper is so smart and he is like the cat I have always wanted. I have a cat, she is like Chloe(read the book), I love her but - she's no Jasper.

Jasper has a very special power. He can see when bad things are going to happen. The problem is, the bad things don't always happen to good people. Jasper wants to be a house cat very badly, but he has a lot of choices to make. Does he help those that are in trouble? Some of the choices may ruin his chances of living as a housecat forever. Which is the right thing to do? Jasper (with Hank's help) is faced with these problems. What they decide is what makes this a great book.

I highly recommend this book. It is my favorite of the year. I would have said Hoot was the best, but the Owl(Hank)in this book is much better and Jasper is such a great cat. If you bought Hoot because you love owls but were dissapointed because the owls really aren't in the story you will love this. Hank is a big part of the story and he is a great character. He is truly a wise owl and helps Jasper a lot even if Hank never quite understands why Jasper wants to be with the humans.

I love the ending, but surely it will be continued?