Awesome Axolotls

A Review of Unwind by Neal Shusterman Review by Andrew Langer Fair warning, this book/review is slightly macabre (look it up), so just be aware of that.               What was going on inside Neal’s head when he came up with the idea for this story will always be a mystery to me. Unwind, written in 2007 by Neal Shusterman, is a novel set in a dystopian world where abortion is illegal. Instead of aborting, parents must keep their child alive from conception all the way to age 13. After age 13, the parents can elect to have their child unwound. It’s like organ donation, but involuntary… (I’ll keep it at that.) This process saves countless other lives through the sacrifice of one, and every unwound part is kept alive. This is the justification, saying that no part ever “dies,” so the person is still technically alive. After they turn 18, the person is no longer at risk of unwinding and now lives in a world with no medical ...

Every year, I try to attend the NARBC (North American Reptile Breeders Conference) in Tinley Park. It’s the largest reptile/amphibian conference in the country and conveniently close, considering many attendees drive or fly for hours in order to be there. I have always had a passion for and felt drawn to animals ever since I was little. My dad unfortunately passed his allergies onto me though, so I had to stay away from any furry or feathery pets. I started doing research on animals that I wouldn’t be allergic to, and so began my journey with reptiles. I currently have two African fat tailed geckos (shown in photos) and I love them! At last year’s conference, I was lucky to meet and chat with Robbie Hamper. She is a knowledgeable reptile enthusiast, breeder, and publisher of Crested Geckos in Captivity .  This book is packed with information on the origins of this species, how to properly keep them in captivity, as well as the breeding process and growth cycle from hatchlings to ad...

A Short Analysis and Review of The Screwtape Letters By Andrew Langer              The Screwtape Letters is a book written by C.S. Lewis and published in 1942. C.S. Lewis is primarily known for his “Chronicles of Narnia,” books, so I was also surprised to learn about this book. “The Screwtape Letters,” covers the correspondence between the demons Screwtape and Wormwood. Screwtape is Wormwood’s mentor and uncle, and in his letters, he educates Wormwood on the temptation of humans. Through reading it, I have found that it has many valuable lessons to teach us. While the book is targeted at Christian readers, I think that what C.S. Lewis has to say could apply to anybody.             Near the beginning of the book, Screwtape advises Wormwood on the art of distraction. He recalls how he was once a tempter, trying to draw in a man. He was studying in the library and was finding the subject of reli...

Akata Witch is a book about a girl named Sunny who figures out she has magical powers and there is a whole society out there with powers like hers. The book starts off very original and it even takes place in Nigeria. The problem with the book though is the rest of it plays out very similar to Harry Potter. (I have not read it but seen the movie and my brother told me about the whole book.) Now I don't have too much beef with that as this book is recognized by many people as the "Nigerian Harry Potter". But, most of my classmates disliked it and thought it made most of the book lazy. I agree with this and found even more evidence of that around the end of the book. You can skip this next part as it contains spoilers, but this is where most of my classmates and my opinions of the book came from.  The main antagonist is supposed to be an unstoppable entity when summoned and it is summoned at the end of the book. But, in the end, Sunny gains powers beyond her limits and just...