Complex sentence: Elizabeth Bird of "School Library Journal" praised the novel, saying it is "exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns", and called it one of the best books of 2008.
Split into simpler sentences: Elizabeth Bird of "School Library Journal" praised the novel, saying it is "exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns". The review also called it one of the best books of 2008.