The Examination

Rating:
Summary: The Examination
Review: "The Examination" by Malcolm Bosse has its good points along with its bad. This is a historical fiction book set in the medieval China, the Ming dynasty to be exact. He tells the tale of Lao Chen, and expiring scholar and young prodigy, who traverses the empire to take the strenuous civil service examinations. Chen is accompanied by his young brother Hong, his complete opposite. Chen is the smart type and Hong is more into adventure and military. If you are really into Chinese culture, this would be a good book for you. It explains very well the atmosphere there and how amazingly hard the Examinations are. The author is really detailed in his writing. In the beginning I found it was very interesting but by the time I made it to the middle I started to get bored. But stick with it the author comes out with a good ending and did a good job of summing up the book. To rate this book out of from 1 to 10, I would give it a 7. I thought this book was very interesting but I thought it was really missing some things to hold my interests.

Rating:
Summary: Knew the characters, tasted the food
Review: Bosse doesn't always say in his book exactly how his characters are feeling. At first, this gives the novel, although entertaining, a slightly historical feel. However, as you travel with the brothers, (I felt like I'd been all over China at the close of the book!), you come to really see inside of them, and the contrasts, similarities, and interaction between the two brothers really pulls you in. You come to care for each of them through the other's eyes, so that when they separate, you know what each of them is feeling-- because you are feeling it yourself. More impressive than Bosse's research were his plot twists and the flow and freshness of the brothers' experiences on their journey. And its reality. The thing I like about this book is that it's not just about a young man taking a test, it's about ambition, it's about pirates and secret societies, it's about love and friendship and loss and fear, missing home and finding home, conflicts of ethics and religion, and uncertainty about the future. Three cheers for Bosse! I hope he keeps writing :)

Rating:
Summary: Knew the characters, tasted the food
Review: Bosse doesn't always say in his book exactly how his characters are feeling. At first, this gives the novel, although entertaining, a slightly historical feel. However, as you travel with the brothers, (I felt like I'd been all over China at the close of the book!), you come to really see inside of them, and the contrasts, similarities, and interaction between the two brothers really pulls you in. You come to care for each of them through the other's eyes, so that when they separate, you know what each of them is feeling-- because you are feeling it yourself. More impressive than Bosse's research were his plot twists and the flow and freshness of the brothers' experiences on their journey. And its reality. The thing I like about this book is that it's not just about a young man taking a test, it's about ambition, it's about pirates and secret societies, it's about love and friendship and loss and fear, missing home and finding home, conflicts of ethics and religion, and uncertainty about the future. Three cheers for Bosse! I hope he keeps writing :)

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Chinese history
Review: In the story, the author seemed have researched a lot about Chinese history. China has its own complicated history, but he described Chinese from a particular point of view. fight for survive. It is interesting that how two brothers went through every kinds of defence to find their dream.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: It really made me want to know more about China and it was enthralling. I want to know more about this author who brought me back in time...

Rating:
Summary: Great for Adults and Kids alike!
Review: Okay, so I'm only 11. So what? I have a high reading level, and can read about anything. I am also very picky about books, LOL, so this book will hold you attention. Its about two brothers, each with their own personality. One, who is Chen, is a high-classed scholar, and the other, who is Hong, is a spy for a group called the White Lotus. The brothers face many difficulties, such as starvation and river pirates. At the end, Chen goes off and serves China, while Hong continues to be a part of the White Lotus. This book is a page-turner! For those kids in AR (Acelerated Reader), this books' reading level is 7.7 and the points are 17. Belive me, you'll love this book!

Rating:
Summary: River Pirates!!??
Review: The plot twists were minimal and predictable. China was portrayed poorly and it was not believable. The book was totally unrealistic!! What was with the stupid river pirates?? I hated this book and only read it because I was forced to.