One Plus One Equals Blue by M.J. Auch Book Review

One Plus One Equals Blue by M.J. Auch

Twelve-year old Basil has a secret, one that he has never shared with anyone, not even his well-meaning grandmother. Whenever Basil sees a number he associates that number with a color. After being homeschooled since he was small, Basil finds school to be a lonely place, until he meets Tenzie. Tenzie is annoying and overly talkative, but she too has synesthesia and Basil finds himself drawn to someone like himself. When Basil's estranged mother returns, she throws everything into chaos and Basil is forced to find truth and happiness, just like colors, are not always black and white.

This book truly felt like two different books. The first half, dealing with Basil, his grandmother, and Tenzie read like a very nice book about friendship and understanding. Tenzie is a latch-key child whose parents always seem to be away. She immediately begins calling Basil's grandmother Grams, which annoys Basil and begins inserting herself into his life. She sits with him at lunch even though he does not want her to, stands up to bullys for him, and takes over the special times he used to share with his grandmother. The synesthesia is an interesting element to the story, but takes a back seat to the plot, which is important whenever presenting any kind of disorder or disability into a book. And then....

Then Basil's mother shows up and this becomes a completely different book in tone and plot. Quickly, the story shifts into love, forgiveness, righting wrongs, finding the truth, and understanding ones place in the world. The second story was admittedly far more interesting to me, but rather jarring in comparison to the first half of the book. Basil's mother, Carly, is a wholly selfish woman, whose primary concern is for herself. Her inability to care for or even show love to her son is heart-wrenching, made even more so by Tenzie's absolute desire to escape her own life and become an actress like Carly. (a failed actress I should add)

I waffled back and forth as to whether I liked this book. One the one hand there are the typical stereotypes and tropes. Homeschooled kid doesn't know how to make friends and is a loner. As a former homeschooler, I absolutely hate this image. Not that these kids don't exist, but this seems to be the only image of homeschoolers I see in fiction. Basil complains about the children in the neighborhood beside his, never coming outside to play, yet it doesn't appear that he ever did either, because even suburban kids do go outside sometimes, crazy as that sounds.

Carly is your atypical neglectful mother. As far as I could tell, she has absolutely no love or compassion for Basil, even reaching the point where she would abandon he and Tenzie with no money. This made her flat and a terrible villain and an unforgivable character in my book. I am not saying mothers like this do not exist, but it sure made it easy to hate her, which seemed to be the only reason she was around.

On the other hand, Basil's search for the truth and for Carly's affection was engaging and honestly, if the whole book had been like the first half, I probably would have stopped reading. So I think I am going to middle of the road with this one. It was a 2.5 out of 5 stars for me. As for the disability...this was interesting element, but didn't add or take away anything from the story, and yet whenever I think about it, it will always be that book about colors. I am still unsure as to whether that is a good or a bad thing.

The Tell-Tale Start : The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine Book Review

The Tell-Tale Start: The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine

Edgar and Allan Poe are identical twins and the great-great-great-great-grandnephews of the famous Edgar Allan Poe. Identical is almost every way, it is almost like the two boys are one person, and it is this very concept that drives them into a trap so dark that not even their granduncle in the Great Beyond can stop it. 

Although highly predictable, The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe was a wry twist of humor, literary analogies, mystery, and the paranormal. However, I wonder if some of the funny asides relating directly to the renowned author Poe will be lost on young readers. I am not entirely sure when children are assigned to read The Fall of the House of Usher or The Tell-Tale Heart, but without a basic working knowledge of these works the book may be a little over the heads of its readers. That is not to say that they may not enjoy it, like a kids movie that has adult jokes in them, but there are a number of references they just won't get. 

Perhaps this one may have to go into the category of 'Book that adults will love more than kids.'

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer Book Review

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Initially, it was the illustrations by Josee Masse that made me want to pick up this book, but once in my hands I found myself staring at these poems in fascination. Being a terrible poet myself, I am completely amazed as to how Singer managed to create a vignette of poems, all centered around classic fairy tales, in which the poems structure literally creates two different stories with the exact same words. The thought that must have gone into something like this. Reverse poetry my be my favorite kind of poetry so far, or at the very least it is as good as poetry for two voices.


An exert of the book follows:

In Reverse

Who
says
it’s true–
down
is
the only view?
If you believe that,
this poem
will challenge
you.
Up
is
something new.
***
Something new
is
up.
You
will challenge
this poem
if you believe that
the only view
is
down.
It’s true.
Says who?

For more of this author: http://marilynsinger.net/

The Navigator: A Study in Character Development

I devour books at an astounding pace. When I feel like I have "slowed down" I often mean that I was only able to get through 4 or 5 books in a month as opposed to my 15-20 that seems to have become my average. When I tell people how many books I read in a month, they usually give me a rather bizarre eye-popping stare followed by a quick exhalation of breath and some statement about not having read anything but blogs (or nothing) for the past month. This is good for me, or at least it would be as long as I keep up the blogging. I know I sound like I am rambling, which most of you aren't used to since I mostly write reviews, but I have felt rather cooped up by my blogging format and have decided that if I am to maintain any sanity in the next few months, my blog may have to reflect my brain, which is currently stuck on characterization.

To be more specific, consistency within characterization. I recently read a fabulous adult sci-fi called Ready Player One. This was everything a sci-fi should be.

Except for the first chapter.

See, the author had a terrific plot involving a virtual reality treasure hunt with the 1980's as a focal point. There were War Games, Dungeons and Dragons, virtual reality wars, Pacman, and a great mystery. For the haters, it basically name drops the 1980's all over the place, which was fine by me. It is one of the better books I have read of late. However, that first chapter was like the author's own personal soapbox and sadly, the character in chapters 2 through whatever was not the same in numero uno. In that first chapter there are a number of character inconsistencies. For example, Wade Watts (our protagonist) is against religion and states that he finds it useless along with its worshippers. However, just a few paragraphs later he tells the reader that one of the nicest and best people he has ever known is a religious women who lives below him. An interesting dichotomy in character that would have been a good jumping off point, but here is the crux, the author never mentions religion again. Not in the entire book. Which leads me to believe that the author has a problem with religion and simply couldn't let his book go without mentioning it, to the detriment of the character since it really has nothing to do with the character or his story.

This is an issue that I have seen in a number of books lately. Shades of Earth, Hunger Games, Insurgent, The Navigator,  in a world in which less and less authors and by extension books are being published, one would think that the editors and agents would be quick to point out these major character flaws and authorial intrusions. Something along the lines of:

Dear author, I understand that you don't like organized religion, but it doesn't seem like it matters at all to your character so can we leave that bit out?

Or,

Dear author, it is our understanding that your character is a rather logical person, so why would you make her an emotional wreck in the second installment of your series?

I expect such letters from my beta readers and eventually editors. One such beta reader recently pointed out that my fantasy characters are all rather defeatist, a trait that I had not really noticed until she pointed it out. Reading through it again, I realize that yes, they are, and really only one of them should be such a cynic and not because of a lack of training but because of a lack of trust, which are really completely different things.

As the title may suggest, I read The Navigator and City of Time series and found that the character in book 1 was nothing like the one in book 2 and sadly this was not because the character had changed all that much by the end of the first book. I felt like I was meeting an entirely new character in the second book, one who made choices that seemed more like plot points than actual character development and as a reader that is frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I am okay with the occasional plot driven action adventure, but for the most part, I am a character girl. Give me a good engaging character and I may forgive a slower plot simply because I love the character so much. And as authors, sometimes it is important to remember that not all our characters are like us and sometimes we must step aside in order to let our characters shine through.

Green with Envy: New Releases from Hamline graduates and others

So I have a confession to make. Obviously, I have been rather lax in my blogging duties as of late. I have a great many excuses that involve being a newlywed and working two jobs and so on, but the truth is, I have been rather tired of late and at the end of a long day, I want to veg in front of the television with a bowl of Cookies & Creme frozen yogurt and a good action flick rather than blog. Occasionally, I get twinges of guilt, but then I convince myself that no one is really reading anyway. Then I get my blog statistics report and am reminded that a couple hundred people visit every week and I am a sorry excuse of a blogger. Hangs head in shame.

The real confession is this: I am jealous of my fellow writers.

A few times now I have been asked to review a book or feature a book or interview an author and I have not done so for various reasons. The first being that I made it a steadfast rule from the beginning to never review the book of a friend or classmate. I have no regrets with this rule other than the fact that you, my readers, never get to hear about some of the amazing books written by my wonderful colleagues. The jealousy part doesn't play a part in any of this other than to make me feel like a terribly lazy writer every time one of them publishes something new. On the one hand I am excited for them and yet on the other...

So without further ado, here are some of the most recent books of some of the people that I consider my colleagues and friends that one day I will join the ranks of if I can only pry myself away from the television.

Legend by Marie Lu Book Review

Legend by Marie Lu

Day is a wanted criminal. On the run, Day spends most of his time thinking of schemes to bug the Republic, while keeping his true identity secret. Never far from his thoughts though is his family, who struggle under an oppressive regime. When his youngest brother contracts a new deadly plague, Day desperately breaks into a hospital in order to find a cure, but instead winds up with more than he bargained for. Believing her brother to have been murdered by Day, June chases him down, scenting him out as she has been taught. Yet, Day is not what she expected and the questions he asks, about their society and their lives create a world that June is unsure of.

I have had a fascination with North Korea for a long time, especially in regards to the people who live in a continual state of lies and brainwashing. And don't mistake brainwashing for something as simple as trying to teach children your own agenda. This is an entire society that literally functions off lies. From education to God to how the outside world is, this kind of society exists in a bubble. Having read countless interviews with the people who leave such a world behind, they often have a very difficult time adjusting to life outside. In South Korea, North Koreans are seen as burdensome, often needing government assistance when it comes to education, employment, health care, and mental health care. Of course, what would you be like if you discovered that the president of your country really isn't a god, that your “enemy” countries are actually friendly, that there are rich and poor, that you do not have to rat out your neighbor or live in fear, that no one will send you to a labor camp simply because you did not cry loud enough at a state funeral.

This is the world of Legend. As with a few books I have read lately, chiefly You'll Like it Here (Everybody Does) and Divergent, this is an area of fascination. World's cut off from society and unaware of the outside world. A world that, from the reader's point of view, is so obviously unhinged. The difference for me was that in You'll Like it Here (Everybody Does), the characters were simply bystanders to this strange place. In Divergent, the characters were a part, but were too reactionary and did not see a reason for change, believing their way of life to be perfect. Legend's characters were instigators. Even June, who believes her world to be rosier than reality, is still a character who seeks out truth, if only to satisfy her own curiosity. Day knows there is a better life to be had outside of the Republic, but refuses to join the Patriots for reasons that I imagine would be pointed out in book 2, Prodigy.

This isn't to say that there aren't a few problems with the book, but honestly, after having just finished the angst ridden Insurgent, the world building alone made this books ten times better for me. True, Day and June have almost indistinguishable characterization and abilities, but I think I would rather that than the lovesick Tris any day. Besides, at least the characters in Legend know there is an outside world even if what they have been taught about it is a lie. The Divergent Tris, for all her supposed curiosity, never once even considered a world outside her doors. Weird.

I do have some expectations for book 2, first and foremost being expansive world building that was sorely lacking in this rather small volume, but rest assured, I will be reading that second book. Very soon.

Insurgent Book Review

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

In book two of the Divergent series, we begin right where the last book left off. War is looming. Each faction is being forced to choose a side and haunted by horrors they have seen. Tris Prior is ragged with grief and guilt, mourning her parents, friends, and her very faction. But Tris wants answers. Why did this happen? What was the secret her parents died for? And how can they stop this war before everything falls apart?

I am warning everyone now, there will be a lot of spoilers here. I finished this book three days ago and the more I think about this book, the more problems I have with it. Originally, if I had written this post three days ago, I would have given this book 4 stars despite the major teen-angst. However, I think my star rating may have dropped down to 2 1/2 stars.

As with most teen series these days, the second (and third) begin right where the last one left off. There is little to no recap for those of you who didn't read the book back to back. Thank goodness there is wikipedia and goodreads for those who don't remember all these different characters and factions and politics. However, if there was a character that you connected with in Divergent, do not expect to have the same connection with them in Insurgent because they all change so much.

Insurgent reminded me of Harry Potter #5, riddled with teen angst and one massive death wish. Tris goes from being a hero to a complete head case with more issues than Rolling Stone. There was a heavy focus on Tris and Four's relationship, which, as you can imagine, was grating. Why does it matter that these two love one another when their entire world is falling apart? Four shows his love for Tris over and over again and yet she fights it, ruins it, flaunts it, and then tosses it away.

And what does she toss it away for? Information. In a mind boggling twist of fate, Tris finds herself siding with Marcus, Four's abusive father, in a covert operation to find the one piece of information that forced the Erudite to mind control the entire city. Marcus, a known liar, abuser, and manipulator, somehow convinces the ever-logical Tris that she should trust him and not tell Four a thing, because for some reason Four is now completely untrustworthy, even after sacrificing himself to save her life. Then, Roth drags out the secret until the very end, and I can promise you this, it wasn't that world changing.

Here is a big issue I have had with these books. How can you possibly separate human nature into only five categories? Five? I mean, I have always had issues with Astrology and blood typing, but at least there are more categories than five. No wonder the Erudite rebelled. You stick all the smart people together in one room and I promise, they are going to eventually have a problem. For that matter, the Dauntless are a terrible faction. A group of trigger-happy, undisciplined, extreme sports fanatics who are almost worthless as far as security is concerned. What a terrible way to build a society. Especially one that isn't very old. Someone did not plan this very well at all.

I don't know what is going to happen in the final installment, but I can only hope that Tris is now over her self-deprecating  death wish and can move on into this new factionless world where she will actually have to be a hero rather than just react when bad situations are thrown her way. Please Tris, don't be another reactionary character like Katniss Everdeen. Please.

The Dark Unwinding Book Review

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Katharine Tulman's inheritance is in jeapordy. Her Uncle Tully, long considered eccentric, is now rumored to be squandering the family's money, money that belongs to her cousin and by extension, herself. So Katharine is sent to her Uncle's home to declare him insane and secure the family fortune. What she finds instead is a genius inventor with the mind of a child who employs hundreds of employees rescued from the workhouses of London. For reasons that she cannot begin to explain, Katharine decides to wait to give her assessment and quickly finds herself surrounded by mystery and intrigue.

I slogged through this book, truly hoping that the things I guessed from the very beginning would be different. In the beginning is our heroine Katharine being sent to institutionalize her Uncle, which doesn't bother her as long as she gets some money. Of course, my first questions was, why is she not elligible for marriage? She isn't illegitimate and even without money, surely someone would marry her for her name at least? Once she arrives, she finds an Estate full of people who hate her, fair enough since she will be throwing them out of their homes soon. This is where I began to truly dislike Katharine, both for her selfishness and her characterization.

For reasons I cannot begin to explain, Katharine decides to stay for 30 days, which made the story longer, but also showcased Katharine's selfishness and made it mighty convenient for Kathatine to stumble on the mysteries surrounding her Uncle and the estate.

This book was stilted and confusing. There was one chapter where I literally thought pages were missing. Throughout most of the middle section I began to skim the story, and was rewarded with a predictable ending and a "twist" that fell flat. In the end, I felt like I trudged through a novel with a character who barely redeemed herself.

Alchemy and Meggy Swann Book Review

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

Set in 1532, Meggy Swann has been sent for by her father. When she arrives though, she finds that she is unwanted, for he has no need of a girl, and a crippled girl at that. Despite a disability that makes it impossible for her to walk without sticks or pain, Meggy begins to make friends and help her father in his great work of transformation.

I have always been a huge fan of Karen Cushman with her strong but time-period correct females with interesting job descriptions. I was also happily surprised by Meggy's disability. Before you read that wrong, I am always excited to see author's writing stories with a special needs character because I think it is important to introduce to children of all sorts. On just this level alone, this book worked for me. Although Meggy is "crippled", the story itself is not about her disability but rather one little girl's search for love and acceptance in a world where both seem so difficult to achieve.

I did find the story to be a little slow at times, leaning heavily on the history and descriptions of London to carry it along. This is a rather small book though, and the slow parts were short, unlike another book that I just read and shall be reviewing next. Alchemy and Meggy Swann is not Cushman's best book, but I think readers will like it just the same.

Fire Book Review

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire is a monster. The only living human monster in the Dells. Equally hated and adored, she has the ability to control minds, but Fire knows firsthand the destruction that can be caused by her monster gifts after watching her father, a monster in more ways than one. When Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, she is asked to help uncover a plot against the King. Her power could save a kingdom, but Fire is afraid that to use her powers may unleash a true monster.

A companion novel to Kristin Cashore's Graceling, readers will recognize some names and places, but make no mistake, this book stands on its own. I was told by more than one reader that they couldn't figure out how this book ties into Graceling, which I found an interesting criticism, because I could definitely see what Cashore was doing and how the two storied interlinked. I found it a very interesting and unique way to introduce back story without a bunch of needless back flashes throughout Graceling.

Fire is a strong female character, but her secrets and fear make her vulnerable in a way that I found both endearing and frustrating. I know it must be difficult to live in the shadow of a father as monstrous as hers and yet, I wanted her to realize sooner that she creates her own destiny. Also, Fire's monster abilities can literally cause men to go made, some wanting to rape her while others fall in love with her. This is only heightened if she is on her monthly menstrual cycle and since the story takes place over a period of months, we are definitely given the nitty gritty on that account.

I liked the back story and the introduction of characters, but in the end I don't think I cared about what would happen to Fire only what would happen to the truly evil child who eventually becomes king of the Dells. I am not upset that I read, but I am really looking forward to the sequel Bitterblue, because it is time to find out what happens.

Picture Books in Review - January through March

As usual, a slew of picture books have been rolling in and as usual, I am ho hum about a large majority of them for various reasons, most being that this picture books are start to seem similar with different illustrators conveying their version with various anthropomorphic animals. So here are a few that piques my interest recently, and perhaps they will grab yours. 

The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) 

by Kathleene Krull, Paul Brewer, and Stacy Innerst

A child's introduction to the Beatles if you will. For the older, or at least more attentive reader, full of great facts and fun pictures.

Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino

So I have a soft spot for robots in kids books. It is probably the sci-fi nerd in me. But this is an adorable book and I can't help but think of some fun crafts that would go along with this one at a storytime.

All Through My Town by Jean Riedey and Leo Timmers

A potpourri of images and quick rhymes make this book a snap to read through and a joy to read again. Never mind that there is a twist ending, well...as twist as a picture book can get.

Lucky Ducklings by Eva Moore and Nancy Carpenter

Based on a true story, this is a tale that may have never happened without the help of many good Samaritans. Reminiscent of Make Way for Ducklings, this is a duck tale for the 21st century child.

King of Space by Jonny Duddle

A bit long for a picture book, this is for the older reader, the ones who love the long stories and there is plenty to entertain the eye while a parent reads. 

The Museum by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds

It's Peter H. Reynolds...does it really need an introduction?

Open Very Carefully: A Book With a Bite by Nick Bromley and Nicola O'Byrne

For the adventurous reader, beware. I can totally see my nephew enjoying this one.

RoboMop by Sean Taylor and Edel Rodriguez

So far, my favorite book this year. I absolute love this little Robomop, doomed to clean a bathroom in a basement. But he never loses heart and keeps dreaming and I thought it was fantastic!

The Yellow Tutu by Kirsten Bramsen and Carin Bramsen

Who says tutu's have to be worn around your waist? Why not on your head so you can look like a giant flower? And would you keep wearing it like that if someone made fun of you?

Code Name Verity Book Review

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Julie, code name Verity, has two weeks to live. Two weeks to tell the Germans everything she knows, codes, names, places. In exchange they promise her a swift execution. And so, with painstaking honesty, Julie divulges her secrets.

Code Name Verity was absolutely brilliant. Throughout the first half of the book, I had a difficult time liking Julie. She is selfish, a traitor in the deepest sense of the word, willing to share all in an effort to not be tortured any more. She drags out her story day by day, knowing that with each sentence she is only delaying the inevitable. How is a reader supposed to relate or like a character like this? One that, by her own admission, is going to die in the end?

Then comes the second half, told from the perspective of Maddie, Julie's best friend, and everything changes. Everything. Your opinions of Julie, what she has said and done will be altered for the good. It is difficult to write this review without creating any spoilers and so I will leave it at this: This book was one of the best historical fiction novels I have read in a long time. I would not hesitate to recommend it to teens and adults with the full knowledge that they will be reading a truly wonderful book that deserves to be read more than once.

Homesick Book Review

Homesick by Kate Klise

Benny's mother has had enough. After another fight regarding the ever mysterious splinter that is rumored to be a part of "the" cross, she leaves Benny and his father to themselves. Benny's dad has always been a bit of a pack-rat, but now, he is hoarding everything from pizza boxes to old motorcycle parts. As the house begins to fill up, Benny begins to try to convince his dad to get rid of that splinter, because if the splinter is gone surely his mother will return. Meanwhile, a local teach enters their little town into America's Most Charming Small Town contest and the pressure is on to clean up the town and number one on the agenda is Benny's house.

Authentic and poignant, this is a tale about one kid who is forced to become the grown up after his mother leaves and his father's mental health begins to deteriorate. After watching shows like Hoarders, I think we have all become familiar with what it means to be a hoarder, but this story really brings to light  how terrifying and overwhelming it is to be on the inside of those houses.

The end felt a little too happily ever after for my taste, but I think it is important when kids are going through situations like this to know that things can end well, that they are not bound into living the way their parents have chosen to live. This may be especially important when dealing with mental health issues.

Reminiscent of Out of My Mind and Dead End in Norvelt, I think this may be one that a lot of teachers and librarians may want to consider for elementary school readers. Oh and did I mention...there is a tornado?

When Life Gives You O.J. Book Review

When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica S. Perl

There is only one thing 10-year-old Zelly Fried wants more than anything and that is a dog. Zelly is sure a dog will help her fit in with her new neighbors in Vermont, but her parents don't think she is ready yet. This is when Zelly's grandfather, Ace, hatches a preposterous plan in which Zelly will have a "practice dog", made from an old orange juice jug. She must feed it, walk it, and let it do its business. The only problem is how does someone fit in when they are walking around with an old jug?

When Life Gives You O.J. is really one of your atypical middle grade books. New girl in a new town trying to fit in with an eccentric family member whom the child really doesn't understand until something tragic happens. If this is all there had been in the story I may have just been ho hum about this book, but Perl added some flavor, like adding some salt and pepper onto an otherwise bland food and suddenly, it is good. Maybe not the best thing you have ever eaten, but good.

The flavor of this story is the cultural context, with Zelly's family being Jewish. The addition of various Yiddish words and phrases, stories and traditions peppered throughout gave life to a story that could have been bland into something charming. I also think there are a number of themes that young girls will be able to relate to. There were a few moments where I even found myself flashbacking to my own childhood with horrible sleepovers and rocky friendships.

I know this review doesn't make the book sound wonderful, but I really think that girls between 8-11 are really going to enjoy this one and may learn a few Yiddish words in the process.

Divergent Book Review

Divergent by Veronia Roth

Beatrice Prior lives in a world split into five factions, each one dedicated to upholding and cultivating a particular virtue. The honest Candor, selfless Abnegation, brave Dauntless, peaceful Amity, and intelligent Erudite have been living together in virtual harmony for as long as anyone can remember. Beatrice, who has grown up in Abnegation is thrown for a loop when her test results show that she is Divergent, a term that is so secret that not even she is supposed to know what this means. Despite her fierce love for her family, when the time comes for her to choose which faction she belongs in, Beatrice chooses the brave Dauntless. But not all is at it seems, and Tris (formerly Beatrice) must learn that true bravery requires the use of all the factions, especially if she is going to survive.

My co-workers have been buzzing about this book for quite a while. The books are sold by the truckload. I wasn't resisting reading it, but despite the buzz, no one was actually buzzing about what the book was about, just that Hunger Games fans would love it. This is both a plus and a minus for me. One the one hand, I enjoyed the first book of Hunger Games and really do love dystopian sci-fi. Check out my fan-girl rants about The Maze Runner if you have any question about that. On the other hand, Hunger Games has become the 'it' thing, and every writer is trying to do it with varying levels of success. Because of this I both excited and wary of books that are touted as a you-will-love-this-book-because-you-loved-that-book.

I liked Divergent. Didn't love, but I liked it. The pacing and plot were quick and interesting. Tris is an understandably conflicted character who I expect is going to have some real psychological damage in the  sequel. The love story wasn't too heavy handed although I always find it curious when characters fall for each other without knowing a thing about the other person. I wonder what will hold their relationship together once they get past the difficult times and just have to live? It is possible that I consider these things more now that I am married, but it is no secret that I am highly suspicious of the romance elements in any book.

My favorite part about this book is that it kept me guessing. I didn't know what was going to happen or how the story would unfold. For someone who reads as much as I do, this is rather important because I get bored when I can guess exactly what will happen in a story. (Currently trying to finish The Dark Unwinding and I think it is terrible because I know exactly how things are going to turn out.) It was nice to have characters who were truly tough and unlike Hunger Games had chosen to be part of a group in which they were expected to be. The conflict with the characters was in the competition, but the competition, even when life in death, made the Tris and her friends seem more human. It also made their tormentors more human as well.

Shades of Earth Book Review

-->

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

In this third and final installment of Beth Revis’ riveting sci-fi adventure, Amy and Elder are finally landing on Centauri Earth, having left the Godspeed behind. The new colonists soon realize though that the monsters they were warned of are real and that they may not be the only intelligent life on Centauri Earth. When their people start to be systematically picked off, Amy and Elder must unravel a mystery that may stretch all the way to Sol-Earth.

In a genre where post-apocolyptic novels have stepped in and called themselves science fiction, it is always exciting to find a true sci-fi with spaceships, space travel, and alien worlds. Beth Revis does not pull any of the stops or slow down any of the action in this final installment of her trilogy. There are plenty of deaths, explosions, monsters, and mystery to appease any audrenaline junkie.

Despite my love of this book, I am afraid that the characters did fall a little short for me. Although the plot rolled along at a pace that kept me breathless and wanting more, Amy and Elder’s budding romance felt forced and Amy’s flirtations with the military man Chris, was completely unbelievable. Amy’s wishy washy attitude towards Elder and her parents were sometimes understandable and at other times it defied logic.

That said, I think this is a lovely trilogy to add to my bookshelf and despite a characterization flaw, I found the book to be dead exciting with an interesting mystery that was fun to uncover.

A Year in Review 2012

Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud:

Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett

Let's Go For a Drive by Mo Willems

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Forgive Me I Meant To Do It by Gail Carson Levine

New-To-Me Series That On One Hand I'm Glad To Have Found, But On The Other, I'm Seriously Horrified That I'd Missed Out On Until Now:

Beka Cooper Terrier by Tamora Pierce 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Sequel Happiness:

My Bonny Light Horseman by L.A. Meyer

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Rapture of the Deep by L.A. Meyer

The Wake of the Loreilee Lee by L.A. Meyer

A Hero for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi

Horten's Incredible Illusions by Lissa Evans

Book That Made Me Crave Food:

Tyler Makes Pancakes by Tyler Florence & Craig Frazier

Most Enjoyable Bad Book:

Forgettable Plot Saved By a Fresh, Honest Voice: 

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Book(s) I Was Most Surprised By:

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Flip by Martyn Bedford 

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Made of Pure Awesome:

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

The Theory of Everything by J.J. Johnson

Best Book Hidden Under the Worst Cover:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

More Adorable Than Sparkling Puppies:

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

YA Book Most Likely to be Loved By Adults More Than Actual YAs:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Biggest Disappointment: 

Aliens on a Rampage by Clete Barrett

The Kill Order by James Dashner

Books that Invoked Irrationally Violent Emotions in me:

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jaqueline Woodson

Books I Loved For Their Imperfect Heroines:

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Best Book For Wimpy Kid Lovers:

Middle School Get Me Outta Here by James Patterson

Best Vampire Book For Twilight-Haters:

On the Day I Died by Candace Fleming

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Favorite Roadtrip Book:

Every Day by David Leviathan

Best Action/Adventure Book:

Chomp by Carl Hiassen

Books that were weird just to be weird:

Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Niz

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

Sci-fi's that made me think there is still a future for this genre (future, get it):

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Search For WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi

Books I lent out to people multiple times:

The Maze in the Heart of the Castle by  Dorothy Gilman

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Worst Book of the Year:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Land of Storied: The Wishing Well by Chris Colfer

Have a question about this list. Wonder why I loved or hated a book? Leave a comment...let's discus

You'll Like it Here (Everybody Does) Book Review

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does) by Ruth White

Meggie Blue and her family, consisting her brother David, mother, and Gramps are refugees from another world, living on Earth. But when one of the earthlings catches sight of the families' electric blue hair, a genetic trait of the Chromian species, the Blues are forced to flee, escaping in their space ship. The ship, having followed their instructions to take them somewhere where English is the native tongue and they will be safe, drops them off in Fashion City. From the outside everything appears to be perfect. No disease, no homelessness, no starvation. The Fathers take care of everyone. But the longer they live there, the Blues begin to realize that this parallel Earth may not be as perfect as all the residents say it is.

I shall begin my new round of blogging with a book review for a book I absolutely loved. If there was ever a way for a child, or for that matter an adult, to comprehend the way North Koreans live then it is in this book. Fashion City is part of a closed society, carefully brainwashed for obedience, able to spout government propaganda without thought, and careful to never step out of line. The people live in constant fear, yet they manage to find music, and love, art and color. Nothing can quench the human spirit.

Meggie and David are both very interesting characters, Meggie for her kindness and adaptability and David for his seeming perfection. Yet, Meggie and David would not be nearly so interesting without a wonderful cast of characters. There is the wise and artistic Gramps, their dutiful and intelligent mother, and all the people of Fashion City like Elvis Presley, Gil and his family, and Meggie's best friend Kitty. 

It is rare to find a science fiction book for middle grade readers, and even rarer to find one with a parallel earth, and even rarer to find one that makes such a big statement and yet doesn't feel didactic.

I think many young readers will be easily caught up in this Twilight Zone kind of novel.

A Blogger's Wedding

Ahh, my dear readers, I know you have been wondering what in the world happened to that cool girl who runs that amazing children's book blog. Maybe you haven't been thinking that, but I shall tell you nonetheless. I went and got myself married. Normally, I wouldn't share personal pictures except that in true bibliophile fashion our wedding was book themed. Our centerpieces were books, the wedding favors were handmaid bookmarks, the guest book used library cards, and my bouquet was made with book pages. Now, that I have gotten back into the regular rhythm of life, I will now be returning to my regular scheduled blogging. Expect many reviews in the weeks to come because despite all those wedding preparations, I still managed to read quite a few books.