HAPPY SUMMER + REVIEW: RUIN & RISING

Happy summer! After the end of the school year (for most of you teachers, students, and parents!) and a much needed break, we are returning with some great books and summer literacy tips over the coming weeks. However, just because we took a break from the internet doesn't mean we took a break from reading--let's be honest, that will probably never happen! So we ran into a bit of a problem, considering the long list of books read in the last month and a half and choosing which ones to post reviews on. We've picked a few of the best to share, starting with Ruin and Rising (a much anticipated trilogy conclusion from author Leigh Bardugo), and as for the rest, we'll refer you to the following links to Goodreads if you want to browse the good and the bad of our summer reading so far!

Boy Snow Bird
A Snicker of Magic
Annihilation
The Winter Horses
The Glass Castle
On the Road
The Brothers Karamazov
She Is Not Invisible
An Untamed State
All Joy And No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood
It Starts With Food
We Were Liars

and now, you should really read this . . .

Ruin and Rising
by Leigh Bardugo
**** 4 of 5 stars

Henry Holt & Co.
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Pages: 417
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. 

 Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. 

But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

I love to love the villain. That is where the power in this book--and the series--lies. He was complex and so easily evoked sympathy and interest--you can't help it. This also opened the door for the story to examine issues such as good and evil in individual people. Really, I was hoping that there would be even more scenes with the Darkling, but what there was ended up being pretty satisfying. And if he's not your flavor, there's plenty of other attractive guys to take your pick from.

Some significant details in the ending were surprising, but overall it followed a fairly predictable path. Still, because the characters were so well done--including a great cast of secondary characters--the ending to this series was on point. Because it was easy to read and imagine, I think I'll have a lot of success recommending this book/series.

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REVIEW: TEASE

Tease
by Amanda Maciel
**** 4 out of 5 stars

Balzer & Bray
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction
Pages: 336
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. 
At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. 

 During the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over. 

In this powerful debut novel inspired by real-life events, Amanda Maciel weaves a narrative of high school life as complex and heartbreaking as it is familiar: a story of everyday jealousies and resentments, misunderstandings and desires. Tease is a thought-provoking must-read that will haunt readers long after the last page.

This book was hard to rate because of what it's about, and the perspective that it uses to talk about bullying, but the added dialogue to the issue has some thoughtful and purposeful moments.

I liked the view that the author provided of Sara and how caught up she was in things, how being angry and mean sometimes felt wrong but sometimes made her feel better, and how she was unrepentant in a world where she was too blinded by her own desires, feelings, and self to see her impact on others. This perspective means that the author didn't really take sides, but allows the reader to react to the situation and Sara's character. You get to see the deeper side of Sara and Brielle, and with it the often complex and short-sided world view of high schoolers who worry about what they look like, what others think of them, and about sex.

Behind the book was the message about everyone having a deeper side or their own perspective and troubles (most blatantly seen in the character of Carmichael), but this is a message that Sara doesn't really get, even by the end. A lot of people might find this hard to read because of how unremorseful Sara is; honestly I'm not the biggest fan of her whining about how everyone else was ruining her life as if she had no control over what happened to her, and because of that throughout the whole book I didn't fully believe that she was sorry at the end or that her character developed much at all.

Some readers feel like they have to like the main character to like the book, and if that's you then you probably won't love this book. But regardless if you liked the main character or not the intent of the book--and the perspective-- makes you think about things that are hard to thing about--who is wrong, to blame, and how the situation should be handled.

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

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REVIEW: THE HERE AND NOW

The Here and Now
by Ann Brashares
** 2 of 5 stars

Delacorte Press
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Genre: YA, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 288
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to. Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love. This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

 Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 

 From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

The premise was really great, but the plot execution didn't live up to it. I got hung up on some really critical plot points that were resolved seemingly out of nowhere (or were the result of characters not doing things any rational person would have done), and the whole relationship between the two main characters seemed like it sprang up out of nowhere--it would have been nice to see more of a build up to that.

I would have loved to seen more of the back story. It could have really been great: the idea of people time traveling back to the past because the future has become a climate-change pandemic-disease mess is really fascinating and plausible, but the book has very little of this--instead focusing on the romance part. Which, by the way, was able to do silly things like play cards at the beach or go out for mexican food with no real sense of urgency when the plot situation called for extreme urgency. The time traveling from a diseased future idea was interesting and realistic enough for a bit of a thrill--hopefully there'll be more of that in the next book.

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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THE CLASSICS & ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE

I wonder sometimes if it's the best idea to talk about "classics" on a blog that has such strong literacy aims, in some aspects strongly geared toward reluctant readers. But then I think about all the incredible leaders and thinkers in our world, and how many of them were inspired by or had their thinking shaped by "classics" or books with lasting ideas and strong stories. (My favorite list with leaders, musicians, athletes, actors, etc. is You Are What You Read. See booklists from One Direction, Eli Manning, Hillary Clinton, Jeff Kinney, and so much more.) You'll also find that some of them, and even a lot of us "readers" once were reluctant until convinced by such books.


I recently finished One Hundred Years of Solitude, and while it took me a little while to get through--mostly due to deadlines of other books--it was worth every minute I spent with it. Here's my brief thoughts:


One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Harper Perennial 
Release Date: this edition--2006. Originally 1967.
Genre: Literature, Magical Realism
Pages: 417
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
One of the 20th century's enduring works, One Hundred Years of Solitude is a widely beloved and acclaimed novel known throughout the world, and the ultimate achievement of a Nobel Prize winning career. 

 The novel tells the story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the family. It is a rich and brilliant chronicle of life and death, and the tragicomedy of humankind. In the noble, ridiculous, beautiful, and tawdry story of the family, one sees all of humanity, just as in the history, myths, growth, and decay of Macondo, one sees all of Latin America. Love and lust, war and revolution, riches and poverty, youth and senility -- the variety of life, the endlessness of death, the search for peace and truth -- these universal themes dominate the novel. 

Whether he is describing an affair of passion or the voracity of capitalism and the corruption of government, Gabriel Garcia Marquez always writes with the simplicity, ease, and purity that are the mark of a master. Alternately reverential and comical, One Hundred Years of Solitude weaves the political, personal, and spiritual to bring a new consciousness to storytelling. Translated into dozens of languages, this stunning work is no less than an accounting of the history of the human race.

Not the easiest thing I've ever read, but really one of the most brilliant. Marquez's writing is dreamy and descriptive, and it's as easy to get lost in it as it is to get lost in the plot.

The magical realism was incredible. It seems totally plausible that characters do things like eat dirt, get taken up into heaven admist the laundry, survive insomnia plagues, etc. Sometimes I felt a bit like I was in a thrilling ride through the dryer's tumble cycle--round and round and round--with all the name repetition and of course the idea that history repeats itself, an idea so prominent you'd be as crazy as most of the characters to miss it.

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REVIEW: THE BOHEMIANS

The Bohemians
by Ben Tarnoff

Penguin Press
Release Date: March 14, 2014
Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography
Pages: 336
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
The unforgettable story of the birth of modern America and the western writers who gave voice to its emerging identity: The Bohemians begins in 1860s San Francisco. The Gold Rush has ended; the Civil War threatens to tear apart the country. Far from the front lines, the city at the western edge roars. A global seaport, home to immigrants from five continents, San Francisco has become a complex urban society virtually overnight. The bards of the moment are the Bohemians: a young Mark Twain, fleeing the draft and seeking adventure; literary golden boy Bret Harte; struggling gay poet Charles Warren Stoddard; and beautiful, haunted Ina Coolbrith, poet and protectorate of the group. Ben Tarnoff’s elegant, atmospheric history reveals how these four pioneering western writers would together create a new American literature, unfettered by the heavy European influence that dominated the East. Twain and the Bohemians find inspiration in their surroundings: the dark ironies of frontier humor, the extravagant tales told around the campfires, and the youthful irreverence of the new world being formed in the west.

At once an intimate portrait of an eclectic, unforgettable group of writers and a history of a cultural revolution in America, The Bohemians reveals how a brief moment on the western frontier changed our country forever.

While it did focus largely on Twain and Harte, they were the more prominent and influential writers. The friendship and later rivalry between Harte and Twain plays out like a good drama, and the interaction between all of them allows you to see how they developed as writers. Mark Twain's personality really came to life by examining this period of his writing and personal development that made him the famous writer that he is, and seeing his rough and tumble character against the backdrop of the west, and later trying to refine his rougher edges to appeal to wider audiences is really funny at times. It gives you perspective on Twain and the culture of America at the time--constantly trying to define itself and be successful.

One thing I noticed was that the descriptions and portrayal of Ina Coolbrith seemed one-sided--she was always brooding and sad about her life circumstances, and seemed like a much lesser artist than Twain or the others. I don't think this was entirely accurate, at the least it didn't seem like Coolbrith was realistic or rounded as an artist or person.

The highlight for me was the absolutely fascinating setting of San Francisco and California during that time. I loved how he discussed California and the West as having their own identity and making some important cultural contributions to America, while at the same time not forgetting the dynamic with the New England literary scene where they still sought attention and approval.

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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REVIEW: THE WINNER'S CURSE

The Winner's Curse
by Marie Rutkoski
**** 4 of 5 stars

Farrar Straus Giroux
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance
Pages: 355
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love. 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

The pensive tone drew me in, and the clever world-building kept me fascinated.  That familiar but foreign setting (I loved the Greco-Roman influences) as well as the political plot were well crafted--with interesting warfare dynamics--conquerer and conquered and all of that. Of course, along with the political plot is the strong romantic plot. In fact, it could have been a little better if it was a somewhat lighter on the romance and stronger on the fantasy-world-building aspect, although the slow building of the romance makes it seem more real than a lot of the other YA relationships.

I appreciated that it was thoughtful and direct in approaching certain issues--class equality, power, etc.... but at times maybe a little too obvious about it for a more sophisticated reader. I also have to mention how softly and brilliantly the music was woven into the book--it provided an extra layer of the characters that they needed. 

I have a feeling that this is going to be a great series! It has all the right components--a complex but not confusing fantasy world, political dynamics, and romance. Readers of Shadow & Bone (The Grisha trilogy), Legend by Marie Lu, and Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge would love this.

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SHORT REVIEWS: AVALON, THE SCAR BOYS, & DARK EDEN

Avalon
by Mindee Arnott
****4 of 5 stars

Balzer & Bray
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Genre: YA, Science fiction, Fantasy, Space
Pages: 432
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett. 

 Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light. 

 Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long. Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

Plenty of action scenes, space, and a gang of teenage mercenaries make this book entertaining and fun. The plot twists in the second half of the book, along with a bit of romance thrown in (sometimes a bit obviously) keeps things interesting. Because it's told in third person mainly from the perspective of Jeth, you can see that the other characters have secrets and hidden motives, which creates some great suspense throughout the story. 

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

The Scar Boys
by Len Vlahos
****4 of 5 stars

Edgmont USA
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Genre: YA, Music, Realistic fiction
Pages: 256
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
A severely burned teenager. A guitar. Punk rock. The chords of a rock 'n' roll road trip in a coming-of-age novel that is a must-read story about finding your place in the world...even if you carry scars inside and out. 

The first defining moment: the day the neighborhood goons tied him to a tree during a lightning storm when he was 8 years old, and the tree was struck and caught fire. Harry was badly burned and has had to live with the physical and emotional scars, reactions from strangers, bullying, and loneliness that instantly became his everyday reality. 

The second defining moment: the day in 8th grade when the handsome, charismatic Johnny rescued him from the bullies and then made the startling suggestion that they start a band together. Harry discovered that playing music transported him out of his nightmare of a world, and he finally had something that compelled people to look beyond his physical appearance. Harry's description of his life in his essay is both humorous and heart-wrenching. He had a steeper road to climb than the average kid, but he ends up learning something about personal power, friendship, first love, and how to fit in the world. While he's looking back at the moments that have shaped his life, most of this story takes place while Harry is in high school and the summer after he graduates.

Anyone who is into bands or music will really be able to connect with this book. Also well done is how the main character Harry becomes aware of himself and his self-pitying tendencies, and tries to work it out. He's got kind of a rough deal but the people in his life--the friends, the Obi-Wan Kenobi-like mentors, as well as the cathartic, empowering presence of music help him through those rough things and that is what makes this story work.

Sure, it's insightful as it examines feelings toward self and bullying, but really the best parts are how it gives you a taste of rock-band life, and how anyone who has ever felt like a song (or music in general) just spoke to them at a certain time in their life will get that from this book.



Dark Eden
by Chris Beckett
***3 of 5 stars

Broadway Books
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Dystopia
Pages: 448
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it. 

 The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return. But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark…and discover the truth about their world. 

 Already remarkably acclaimed in the UK, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature; part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty--rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive.

On a sci-fi and kind of Avatar mixed with Lord of the Flies level it worked really well: how free &; critical thinking change things, and how stories shape and change society. Those were the most interesting parts, and the times when the plot had the most action and excitement. The big moment at the end is revelatory, but doesn't solve every little thing--which was surprisingly not disappointing at all but rather an organic conclusion of the story.

But, it felt like it was mis-marketed. It seemed to be a YA book, but after getting not that far into it I started feeling like all the content (relationship and some language), while showing an interesting picture of a somewhat primitive society, was taking away from the story and would not fit for younger YA audiences. The continual and heavy-handed emphasis that the author put on the primitive society's promiscuous approach made this book seem better put in a more mature category. I was left with too uncomfortable of a feeling at some parts to enjoy it much, but some readers might not care. Overall it was a fascinating story.

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review.


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Other new books with a male POV that sound interesting (that I haven't read):

Phoenix Island
by John Dixon
This one sounds like a mix of X-Men and Percy Jackson. Got you interested? Just the first part of the book blurb had me curious: A champion boxer with a sharp hook and a short temper, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman has been shuffled from foster home to foster home. He can't seem to stay out of trouble, using his fists to defend weaker classmates from bullies. His latest incident sends his opponent to the emergency room, and now the court is sending Carl to the worst place on earth: Phoenix Island. 

Zom-B Gladiators
by Darren Shan
Part of the Zom-B series by Darren Shan, this thrilling and gory sounding book is supposed to be one of the best in the series . . . if action and zombies are your thing--I can see some readers loving this stuff.

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REVIEW: DEPT. OF SPECULATION

Dept. of Speculation
by Jenny Offill
****4 of 5 stars

Knopf Publishers
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Genre: Adult fiction
Pages: 176
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Jenny Offill’s heroine, referred to in these pages as simply “the wife,” once exchanged love letters with her husband, postmarked Dept. of Speculation, their code name for all the uncertainty that inheres in life and in the strangely fluid confines of a long relationship. As they confront an array of common catastrophes—a colicky baby, bedbugs, a faltering marriage, stalled ambitions—the wife analyzes her predicament, invoking everything from Keats and Kafka to the thought experiments of the Stoics to the lessons of doomed Russian cosmonauts. She muses on the consuming, capacious experience of maternal love, and the near total destruction of the self that ensues from it, as she confronts the friction between domestic life and the seductions and demands of art.

With cool precision, in language that shimmers with rage and wit and fierce longing, Jenny Offill has crafted an exquisitely suspenseful love story that has the velocity of a train hurtling through the night at top speed. Exceptionally lean and compact, Dept. of Speculation can be read in a single sitting, but there are enough bracing emotional insights in these pages to fill a much longer novel.

The writing is so lyrical, so poetic. It's a compressed, quick read. For the relatively few amount of pages (175), it leaves a lot for you to think over--and parts that you'll revisit for the power and emotion behind the words. There is a unique tone throughout the book where sometimes you couldn't tell if she was being funny or serious; certainly she was being both. It's incredible, how easily and insightfully the exact feelings of a mother, wife, or person-in-general are explained. Although I felt a bit disconnected with her sometimes--maybe this was due sometimes to the randomness of thought and her perpetual grief over the event that takes up the whole last half of the book.

But after reading, you feel so aware of yourself and the people and world around you--observant, admiring. If I haven't convinced you on how much I loved this, here's a few bits to hold up as evidence:

Some women make it look so easy, the way they cast ambition off like an expensive coat that no longer fits. 

What Fitzgerald said: Once the phial was full--here is the bottle it came in. Hold on, there's a drop left there . . . No, it was just the way the light fell. 

We dance with the baby every night now, spinning her round and round the kitchen. Dizzying, this happiness. 

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REVIEW: THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY

The Impossible Knife of Memory
by Laurie Halse Anderson
****4 of 5 stars

Viking Juvenile
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Genre: YA, Realistic fiction
Pages: 372
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.

Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down.

The Impossible Knife of Memory has some truly beautiful passages where we see inside her father's head, where the description of PTSD through his character was powerful and filled with an aching, sad kind of hope, with some really memorable and well-written scenes that stay in your mind. I realize that it's tough to write a realistic book about such a hard subject, and the pain and struggle that Laurie Halse Anderson tries to convey will reach readers in varying degrees. It touched me in particular to see a student so obviously struggling, yet none of the (more or less stereotypically ignorant/emotionally blind) teachers could manage to connect with her. As a teacher, you can recognize signs, and really, they didn't do much to help. But you get the feeling that in this situation things are often helpless, which makes the story feel more realistic.

I felt that the main character was hard to connect with, maybe because at times she felt a little too much like a stereotypically angry/rebellious teenager. While I had a hard time with those overinflated parts of her character, I thought how she tried to bury her bad memories and felt such sharp pain each time they resurfaced was well written--both giving her character a sharper edge and allowing me to sympathize more. Also, Finn's initial interest in her was never really explained, so it left me wondering why he was attracted to her. They're both kind of goofy characters, and do develop some good chemistry.

In the end, it turns out to be a story to evoke compassion and understanding, as well as send a subtle message that people have problems that you aren't aware of, and that it's not always a good idea to make assumptions about them without knowing . . . something that I think Hayley gradually comes to realize.

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REVIEW: CRESS

Cress
Third book in The Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer
**** 4 of 5 stars

Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science fiction
Pages: 550
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

This is the third book in the series, and I have to say that I still love the strong female characters who do things like fly ships and hack computers, but also how cleverly Meyer weaves together the fairy tales into her plot, staying true to the important details.

And there are a lot of characters, kind of a cumulative build-up of everyone along the way. They're very interesting, but when they're all separated the individual plot threads in alternating points of view make it seem like there's a lot going on.

My excitement and enthusiasm for this series has not dulled, despite how large the story and character pool has grown. The characters don't blend together--they all have their own individual voice. These individual stories (& love interests) as well as their combined story has that have-to-read-more quality. This is a great series--great for YA readers who are more into sci-fi and fantasy, or those readers who rarely venture outside the manga realm--they'll like this one! While this one isn't my favorite of the series, I'm definitely interested in the last book Winter, to see how things turn out!

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REVIEW: FLORA & ULYSSES

Flora and Ulysses 

by Kate DiCamillo

*****5 of 5 stars

Candlewick Press

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Genre: Middle-grade, graphic novel

Pages: 233

Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format—a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K.G. Campbell.

This book kicks off like any well-known superhero story: an unexpected event leads to unexpected greatness. Flora, an eccentric, self-proclaimed cynic, spares Ulysses (a squirrel) from a tragic death, thanks to guidance from her comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You! This book follow the adventures of Flora and Ulysses as they discover Ulysses' new powers, and as Flora finds she is capable of hope and love.

"Holy unanticipated occurrences!" This quote from the book completely sums up my reaction to it. I was floored by how incredible this story was. It was filled with love, passion, and friendship; showing the true goodness of people and what can happen if you hope and believe in something. It was refreshing to look through the eyes of a young, restless, innocent soul (not to mention through the eyes--or stomach--of a squirrel at various points in the story). I was, quite literally, laughing out loud throughout the entire book.

Kate DiCamillo has such a talent for taking the unique perspective and quirkiness of childhood and turning it into something simply profound and funny. And a lot of funny and random things happen, things that will hold a lot of appeal to a middle-grade audience. Super-charged, life-threatening vacuums, giant donuts with sprinkles, and an arch-nemesis that kidnaps. Also important to note, the illustrations by K.G. Campbell give the story more of the grand tone that you find in superhero comics, while still relating perfectly to the everyday occurrences of childhood. Text-graphic mixes like this are fabulous for the struggling reader crowd. This one is mighty delightful--I bought it in hardcover to keep & read to kiddies.

Review by JR. 

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REVIEW: CRUEL BEAUTY

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So unexpected! I really was surprised how much I liked this. While the main character was a little predictable at times, I really couldn't stop reading until I found out what happens. It's suspenseful even though you know how the story of Beauty & the Beast ends; the integration with other fairy tales and mythology, which at times can make the reader feel lost, are interestingly layered to create that suspense. Despite her predictability, Nyx is strong and witty and the dynamic with her sister makes things much more interesting. Of course the Beast character (ummm, how to pronounce his name??) is handsomely captivating and dark, and Shade completes the love triangle to make things even more interesting--especially at the end!

Cleverness, style, and a lovely use of language are not missing. Sure, there's lots of talk of being a maiden and that sort of thing, but it doesn't describe anything beyond kissing.  And although I think the plot and all the fairytale story lines are slightly too complex for really wide acceptance,  I think this one might become a popular underground favorite.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

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SHORT REVIEWS: THE INVENTION OF WINGS + WHY I READ + HYPERBOLE AND A HALF

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love how it depicted Sarah's search for meaning in her life. Beginning with complicated and often difficult early years, she searched for purpose and felt its absence through most of her life. Her dedication to her inner idea and purpose for herself is inspiring. Historically fascinating as it brings the powerful story of the Grimké sisters to greater light.

Some plot points felt expected, more in the romance category, but weren't a major detraction.  This book also doesn't refrain from telling about slavery like it was. Painful. Handful's character shines.


Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books
by Wendy Lesser
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was a bit surprised that I liked this so much . . . at first I was groaning a bit about how much she discusses some strong classical literature, but the conclusions she reaches are brilliant and entirely relatable. I skipped over some parts (the part


about translations--not my thing) but especially enjoyed her thoughts on character & plot, and grandeur & intimacy. It's very reflective--a pleasant quality given the subject matter.

"For we are plotting creatures, we humans, and we like to be told a story that goes somewhere. We like to sense the connections between seemingly disparate events, even though we may recognize that real disparities rarely resolve so neatly. Life often foils us in this respect, with its coincidences and its dead ends. We turn to literature to remedy the loss, and to impose some kind of meaningful order on the non sequential. And good literature . . . meets us only halfway."

Hyperbole and a Half

by Allie Brosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really a laugh-out-loud type of book, especially (for me) the parts about the dogs. Although the parts about depression and identity, while being humorous, are some deep-thinking and aren't lightly passed over. It was a pleasantly quick read--perfect length for the subject matter and Allie Brosh's strong voice. 

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REVIEW: OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has such a lovely moody tone! The dusty museum, the ghosts, the frightening adventures, and the snow and frost make this a perfectly pitched magical story for the middle-grade audience. I have to say that I think it's good timing with the Snow Queen story--with the raging popularity around Disney's Frozen, this is a great rendition of the story for middle-grade readers.

I thought that some of the chapter titles "In Which . . ." gave away a little too much. But that really seems to be my only complaint. The characters, especially Ophelia, have a lot of heart and are very brave. The writing has an understated poetic and dramatic feel, which if we're comparing, is similar in feeling to Neil Gaiman. This is definitely a book I would recommend to middle-grade and even slightly older readers not just for the thoughts on bravery and things, but for the suspenseful and exciting story.

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

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REVIEW: THE TENTH OF DECEMBER

Tenth of December by George Saunders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This came out in paperback recently! I finally got around to reading it . . . and now I'm definitely a George Saunders fan.

Tenth of December can be dark and deep, but it is balanced out with wit and and a fascinating quality--either in the setting or in humanity, which ends up being quietly marvelous.

I was thrilled with the brilliance of some of the stories . . . "Escape from Spiderhead" & "Victory Lap." Saunders uses his intense ability to get you deep into the characters and plot in such a short span of time. He creates another version of the world where either characters, a setting, or an aspect of society is slightly exaggerated, but not fully disconnected from reality. This allows him to examine dark places and triumphant yet often bleak themes (and the subsequent social commentary) and still while providing a range of piercing emotions and creative, revelatory perspective. I wouldn't read these stories one after the other, but separately with a little time to think about the good ones.

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REVIEW: ON SUCH A FULL SEA

On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I initially picked this up because of the setting in future America--dystopian in adult fiction! And that turned out to be one of the best aspects of the book, along with the characters. The characters really pull the plot along, although it does get off to a slow start. About 50 pages in things start to pick up and I began to realize that there are sections where the author is more didactic, and then sections focused more on Fan and what's happening to her. While the didactic-seeming sections are thoughtful and sometimes amusing, if you're more into the plot (like I was) you might end up skimming over those sections.

Those sections are where the story offers a lot of insight into social classes and individual identity, but I felt that the structure of the narrative stood in the way of it taking full effect on the reader. Constantly stepping back from the plot to examine society and ask questions about the nature of humanity made me separate the insightful perspective from the plot, kind of lessening the natural insights that the plot had on its own. Other than that, the story is exciting and unassumingly suspenseful, with characters that are utterly fascinating.

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REVIEW: PERFECT

Perfect by Rachel Joyce

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been waiting to share this story, and am really excited that this is one of my first books of 2014! It provides a thoughtful look on how time--seconds, even--can affect so much. 

Perfect  is character-driven . . . and the characters are exquisite.  It took me a little while to get to the point where I couldn't put it down or stop thinking about the characters, but eventually they work into your mind and you kind of fall in love with them, especially Diana.

The children give the story that quality of uncertainty, of not knowing everything about the world, being surprised when you figure some things out, and in general a feeling of wonder and the mystery of the world and the unknown. That was probably my favorite aspect of this book--those qualities and feelings of childhood that make it imaginative and deep-feeling. Without trying too hard it simply says so much about humanity, our fears, friendships, gender expectations, and the revelatory experience of growing up.

The two stories of Byron and Jim create a mild suspense, because you know that they're connected, but not sure how. While I haven't read her other book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,  I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I can definitely say this: Rachel Joyce's flowing, descriptive writing is discerning in the best moments.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

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TOP RATED BOOKS & LITERACY POSTS OF 2013

We enjoy knowing what books readers like, and so in a highly complicated (not really) combination of reader ratings and our own reviews, we've come up with a list of the top-rated books & literacy posts of 2013! Click on the book/post title to read the review.


Top-Rated Fiction








Top-Rated YA

Top-Rated Nonfiction




A Few Other Popular Books

Top-Rated Literacy Posts

Hunger Games Wannabes

Be Seen Reading

Does Age Match Reading Level?

Short List for Reluctant Readers

Literacy Links 01

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REVIEW: CHAMPION

Champion by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The conclusion of Champion convinced me of one thing: that this series is one of the stand-out dystopian trilogies out there. And the end is so wonderfully satisfying.

Part of what makes it stand out is that Champion gives a slightly different timeline than other dystopian books--rather than simply the overthrow of an oppressive government, triumphant young characters fighting for what they know is right--it focuses more on what happens when those idealistic young characters have taken over that oppressive government, turning into leaders that have to defend their beliefs and humanity against other crushing superpowers--fighting to keep a grip on things so they can continue to change and make a difference. Those characters that just seemed like hormonal teenagers have developed naturally into impressive and powerful people capable of pulling off what they did.

I was worried that I wouldn't remember the plot lines or characters very well, having read Prodigy a year or so ago, but a few pages in, I realized that wouldn't be a problem because the plot is easy to get a grip on. The world of the Republic is one caught in war, power struggles, and societal inequality and so full of action . . . just how you would imagine a country at war--one thing after another, and the stakes are high. The pace is quick and it finishes at such a breakneck speed that you'll have to finish the last chapters in one sitting.

I did feel like a plot thread was left hanging when June stepped in at the end to solve a certain hopeless situation with little consequence or thought to why she had the ability to do so, and I also think I would have enjoyed the epilogue better from a third person perspective. Even considering those two things, this series ending was excellent. I'm recommending it like crazy to everyone, especially fans of Hunger Games series, Divergent series, and other similar books.

Before the year is over Enjoy A Book will be presenting our top-rated books of 2013! We used a combination of reader feedback + our own ratings . . . check back in a few days to see which ones made the list! 

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REVIEW: THE GOLDFINCH

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While it took a long time to build up to the quicker paced action of Theo's life, I really enjoyed the younger years and the poetic, dreamy way in which Donna Tartt describes his childhood, and the events that lead to Theo no longer being a child.

I was not impressed with nor did I even really like Theo's character. While he seemed perfectly suited to the plot and the ultimate aims of the book, he was weak and unmoored and had no grit or perspective. While it's qualities like that that make him the kind of person I can hardly stand, I believe that kind of character was needed to carry out the story. And he, like the other characters, were complicated enough to be totally real and really, just fabulous.


The alternating depictions of the lovely verses the dreary and grim are what really kept the story moving for me--that and a couple of surprising plot turns. But being centered around the painting of the goldfinch is what gave the book significance, especially as it examines art and what art can do--which was largely and successfully the purpose of the book. Those were probably my favorite parts--the ones that had the most emotional force and beauty.

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