Lucinda’s Reviews

DUAL REVIEW: Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Lucinda’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Tracy’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Zombie/Dystopia
Series: Benny Inmura #2; sequel to Rot & Ruin

Summary:
Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also been six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them. But before they even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town, and as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, and insane murderers, and face the horrors of Gameland—where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin, everything wants to kill you—and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will survive….

Lucinda’s Views:
This novel tells the tale of the further adventures of Benny Imura and his friends in their zombie-infested world. As they set out on their quest to locate the mysterious jumbo jet seen in Rot & Ruin,  the reader will see many changes in Benny, from his blossoming romance to his new found respect for his brother, Tom.  Within we also see ethical dilemmas that pose such questions as, “Does the good of the few outweigh the good of the many?” Also posed is the question of what really constitutes a “good” person?  Is someone who professes to be a preacher automatically a good person?  Should their word be more valuable than that of a layperson? This tale offers many twists and turns and an ending that may be very surprising to some. An ending that leaves one character dead and another completely altered for life. If you liked Rot & Ruin you will love Dust & Decay.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
I am so glad I decided to stick with this series. At the same time, I am seriously mad at Jonathan Maberry for putting his characters through such hell and even (gasp!) killing off a couple of the good guys. In Rot & Ruin, I never quite managed to connect with the heroes. But they really grabbed me in Dust & Decay—and then Maberry pretty much tortures them. I couldn’t put the book down. What that says about me, I’d rather not contemplate.

Anyway, I was very pleased with the character development in Dust & Decay. Benny has evolved into a slightly tougher, more balanced (and likeable!) character, though he is still flawed and recognizable as the same guy from Rot & Ruin. He has matured as a result of his experiences, and I could really feel the struggle between the kid his is and the adult he is becoming. And Tom, well he’s still awesome…only now we get to see his skills in action. We also discover more about Lilah’s past; even Benny’s friend Chong gets new layers (actually, his is one of the most relatable character arcs). I did get rather sick of Nix—IMHO, she seems more than a little crazy at times—but she was an interesting character and I cared what happened to her even though it was difficult to like her at times. Even better, Maberry brings the Zombie Cards to life. We meet fascinating new characters straight from the Cards—Preacher Jack, Sally Two-Knives, and J-Dog and Dr. Skillz (who bring a welcome dose of humor to the mix).

I also found the storytelling more vivid and less clunky than in Rot & Ruin. In book one, the POV was mostly 3rd person from the perspective of Benny. There were a few brief shifts to other characters’ perspectives, but I found this quite jarring. In the sequel, these transitions are more frequent and feel more natural, allowing for a fuller, richer story. This also advances the pacing, which is fast and absorbing. The action scenes (of which there are many) have an immediacy I felt was lacking in R & R, and the villains have more flavor. Horror aficionados will love the increased gore-factor, and Hunger Games fans will be intrigued by the Gameland scenes. But this novel isn’t all blood, guts, and fight scenes; there is also love, heartbreak, hope, and real ethical questions to consider. For me, Dust & Decay has the feel of a good Western (with zombies!). The story touches on themes of loyalty, obligation, and courage in a world where lawlessness is rampant and the good guys are struggling with their own inner demons. There are lots of twists and turns, and a new development in the mystery of zombie reanimation raises questions that have me hungry for the sequel. 

REVIEW: The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Audience: Middle School/Ages 10 and up
Genre: Supernatural Short Stories

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinary Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with these enigmatic pictures. Now we’ve asked some of our very best storytellers to spin the tales. Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won’t soon forget.

This inspired collection of short stories features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children’s literature: Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg himself.

Here is a book trailer:

Lucinda’s Thoughts:  I have always been a Chris Van Allsburg fan and the Mysteries of Harris Burrdick has always intrigued me.  The mysterious drawings have always provoked many “What ifs?” and this collection of tales seems to be the answer to that question.   The stories are all well-written and made me think to myself “Would I have gotten this tale from that picture?”  Many of the stories are definitely “out of the box” and the characters are unexpected and original.  The stories will keep a reader’s interest right up to the last page and leave them asking for more.  For example, M.T. Anderson’s Just Dessert was so well constructed that after I read the story I wondered about the nature of reality and its malleability.  Stephen King’s The house on Maple Street is very reminiscent of his early work and John Scieszka’s Under the Rug could have been an Edgar Allen Poe work.  If you like dark mysteries and enjoy stories that are just a little bit west of sideways, this is the work for you.  I give it two thumbs up!

REVIEW: The Witches of East End by Melissa De La Cruz

Rating: 3/5
Audience: Older Young Adult/Adult
Genre: Paranomal Romance/Mystery/Fantasy

Summary:
It’s the beginning of summer in North Hampton, and beautiful Freya Beauchamp is celebrating her engagement to wealthy Bran Gardiner, the heir to Fair Haven and Gardiners Island. But Freya is drawn to Bran’s gorgeous but unreliable brother Killian, and sparks fly when the two decide to play a dangerous game, following an ancient story of love, betrayal and tragedy that harks back to the days of Valhalla.

Witches of East End follows the Beauchamp family—the formidable matriarch Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid. Freya, a sexy bartender, has a potion to cure every kind of heartache, while Ingrid, the local librarian, solves complicated domestic problems with her ability to tie magical knots. Joanna is the witch to see when modern medicine has no more answers; her powers can wake the dead. Everything seems to be going smoothly until a young girl, Molly Lancaster, goes missing after taking one of Freya’s irresistible cocktails. As more of the town’s residents begin disappearing, everyone seems to have the same suspects in mind: the Beauchamp women.
Lucinda’s Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. As a fan of mythology it was refreshing to see a tale with Norse, rather than Greek mythology at its core.  The character development was interesting and kept me reading.  I finished this book quickly.  The one drawback to this book is the “too” neat ending.  The book seemed to end very abruptly, with a very hurried resolution to problems that should have taken at least a couple more chapters to reach their denouement.  This book comes with a PG-13 rating due to  some steamy romantic scenes.  While they are steamy they are tastefully written.  The epilogue provided an unseen twist that I’m sure will lead to the next book in the series.  This author also writes the Bluebloods vampire series for young adults.

REVIEW: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Spoilers present)

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Audience: Older Middle/High School/Adult
Genre: Vampire Fiction/Romance

Summary: In Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the series, Bella’s story plays out in some unexpected ways. The ongoing conflicts that made this series so compelling–a human girl in love with a vampire, a werewolf in love with a human girl, the generations-long feud between werewolves and vampires–resolve pretty quickly, apparently so that Meyer could focus on Bella’s latest opportunity for self-sacrifice: giving her life for someone she loves even more than Edward.

Lucinda’s Views:  In the last installment in the Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer doesn’t fail to deliver.  I really enjoyed re-reading this book after seeing the movie on opening night.  (Side note:  The book and the movie follow closely and the film is well done.)  Having said that, Bella’s new adventures kept me interested as her evolving relationship with Edward takes on some unexpected turns.  The way that the story neatly wraps up the love triangle between Edward, Jacob and Bella is satisfying, and the ending to the book rings true. 

On a deeper level the story ponders some of the ethical questions that plague our society today….”Is terminating a pregnancy morally right?  Which person is more important the mother or the baby, especially when the mother’s life is in danger?” 

On another note, the appearance of the Volturi bring more vampires out of the woodwork, several of whom I would like to see further stories about.  Vampires such as Garrettt, and the reappearance of the Denali vampires for instance.  Another possible story that I would like to see is the relationship between Jacob and Renesmee.  Possible spin offs?  Who knows?  Only Stephenie Meyer.

Just a little trailer from the movie to whet your appetite 🙂

Found this interview with Stephenie done by Nancy Pearl…Interesting!

DUAL REVIEW: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Mayberry

Tracy’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
Lucinda’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Post-apocalyptic Fiction/Horror

Summary: It’s been fourteen years since First Night, when the dead suddenly reanimated and ended civilization as we know it. Now, the living bunker down in isolated communities surrounded by the great “Rot and Ruin.” Benny Inmura, recently turned fifteen, must get a job or have his rations drastically cut. Unfortunately, the only option he can see is to join the family business with his hated older brother, venturing outside the the fences of Mountainside into the Rot and Ruin to act as a bounty hunter and zombie killer.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Rot & Ruin has been one of the “it” books in the YA blogosphere since before its release in September 2010, so perhaps I was expecting too much (again). The concept reminded me quite a bit of The Forest of Hands and Teeth—an unexplained zombie apocalypse and isolated societies that separate themselves from the infected zombies with fences and guards. But Maberry has taken his story in a completely different direction than Carrie Ryan’s horror hit, and his premise is an intriguing one.

Although the message is a bit heavy-handed at times, the exploration of the idea that zombies were once people too and therefore deserve some respect is definitely a bit different. It helps that Maberry’s zombies aren’t horrific monsters stalking their prey, but actually shambling, rather pathetic creatures. Of course, they are still pretty threatening en masse. But the real villains of the novel are the lawless men who roam the Rot and Ruin, torturing the zombies and even humans for sport. Unfortunately, the main villain was a bit one-dimensional. Also, I hated that at one point late in the novel he gave a completely uncharacteristic monologue about his motives. That’s just lazy writing. As high school English teachers are fond of saying, “Show, don’t tell.”

I found the other characters appealing—especially Benny’s brother Tom and the mysterious “Lost Girl”—but not quite fully-fleshed. I could never really connect with any of them, as much as I wanted to. This is especially true of Benny, the primary character and narrator. His motivations were sometimes baffling, especially his hatred for his brother and only relative. I would have loved to learn more about Benny and Tom’s history and seen more of how they interacted before they became colleagues.

Like the characters, I found that the action lacked that special something that I was looking for. Even the surprises seemed a bit predictable. And some of the scenes that could have been cinematic nail-biters fell a bit flat. Still, though the prose lacked immediacy and elegance, it’s solid enough. I read the entire book—and it’s a thick one!—without ever losing interest. For all the niggling gripes I have about the book, I never once wanted to but the book aside and move on to something else. (I do that a lot.) I wavered between a 2.5- and 3-star rating for a while, but finally settled on 3 stars for the intriguing world and ingenuity of premise. All the pieces are there, just in need of a bit more polish and a dash of emotion. Also, you sort of have to read Rot & Ruin to fully appreciate book 2 in the series—Dust & Decay—which offers up everything that Rot & Ruin is missing (IMHO).

Lucinda’s Views:
I really enjoyed this book.  Benny’s evolution from a clueless fifteen-year old whose only exposure to the Rot and Ruin is through stories told at the local general store to a person who knows what exists in the great beyond is well developed and believable.  Benny’s journeys both physical and mental are peppered with ethical questions such as “Are the zombie’s truly the undead? Do they have feelings?  What constitutes torture, when something is dead, where to draw the line,  etc?” are all thought provoking.  Tom’s humane treatment of the dead is a stark contrast to the other bounty hunters’, especially Charlie Matthias’s, treatment of the undead.  This contrast serves to push the story along to its inevitable conclusion.   A conclusion that may be very surprising to all.      

REVIEW: How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

   

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Middle School
Genre: Juvenile Non-Fiction

Summary: Ever wonder how some of the most famous people in history really died?  This book offers an answer.  Among the people profiled are Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Marie Curie, Henry VIII, just to name a few.  For example, did you know that Cleopatra really died from a poised hairpin, not an asp as legend tells.  Did you also know that Edgar Allen Poe may have perished from rabies and not alcohol poisoning as alleged? Interspersed between the profiles of the deaths of the famous are interesting factoids about disease, death, and historic trivia.   If you do not like gore or gross tales do not read this book.  

Lucinda’s Views:   I really enjoyed this book and read it in under an hour.  It is a quick, interesting read, which captures the reader’s interest from the start to the finish.  The interspersed factoids and trivia serve to enlighten the reader and do not detract from the book’s content at all. Rather, they add just a dash of fun to an already spicy topic.  A good pick for both reluctant readers and fans of the macabre! 

REVIEW: The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger

Rating:3.5/5
Audience: Young Adult/Adult
Genre: Steampunk/Vampire/Werewolf

Summary: This delightful comedy of manners set in the late Victorian Era, details the adventures of Alexia Tarabotti, a woman who is a preternatural.  In other words, she has no soul and her touch causes vampires and werewolves to revert to their former human selves, thus rendering them no longer immortal.  Alexia is a quiet spinster just trying to survive life with a vacuous mother and selfish half-sisters, when adventure suddenly finds her.  Join Alexia as she snares a great catch for herself on the marriage mart, foils several plots to kill Queen Victoria, and learns what constitutes proper dress for dirigible travel. This series starts off with Soulless and is followed by Changeless, Blameless, Heartless, and the soon-to-be published Timeless. (2012)

Changeless     Blameless    Heartless  Timeless
Lucinda’s Views:  This series, is a delightful romp through Victorian England.  However, it is a Victorian England where vampires and werewolves move through high society.  An England where the Queen has werewolf bodyguards and their existence is not a secret.  Alexia, is a complex, but pragmatic character whose soullessness is supplemented by her cool, almost sarcastic logic.  If you enjoy the ins and outs of Victorian etiquette and love a good intrigue, with a dash of romance thrown in you will enjoy this series.  As the series progresses, the characters become more complex and develop surprising depths.   Part of these developments include surprising revelations concerning the nature of Alexia’s union with Lord Maccon,  revelations concerning the unflappable Professor Lyall, and a whole new view of Lord Akledama’s drone Biffy.  On the whole, an entertaining read for fans of the steampunk genre.

REVIEW: The Demon Trappers Daughter by Jana Oliver

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genres: Dystopia/Fantasy

Summary: In a post-economic crash Atlanta of 2018, Hell is a very real thing.  Demons abound and affect the lives of everyday citizens and necromancers can reanimate the dead to serve the living.  It is up to the Demon Trappers to capture these hellspawn and rid the world of their threat.  Seventeen-year-old Riley Anora Blackthore, whose name means “Valiant Light” is an apprentice to her father a master trapper of some renown.  But there is a catch, Riley is the only female apprentice in the Atlanta Guild, and as such is hardly universally welcomed into the ranks of the Demon Trappers.  Strangely enough even the demons know her name, a fact that hardly ensures her safety.  Join Riley as she battles the forces of evil and strives to become the first female Master Demon Trapper, all the while juggling the attentions of several very interesting men.

Lucinda’s Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book.  After finishing The Help, I really needed to read something that was a completely different animal entirely.  This satisfied that need.  Riley’s adventures were entertaining and kept me interested throughout the novel.  Her struggles to come to grips with the events in her life are handled well, without contrived resolutions.  This is a first novel in a planned trilogy and as such, does leave some questions unanswered, but the ending does not seem abrupt or too “I’m just going to leave you hanging here, so you will buy my next book”.  The demon hierarchy was imaginative and were very well thought out as the evil in the book.  Fans of PC Cast, Illona Andrews, and supernatural fiction will enjoy this book.  On the whole a good read.

Here is a video where Jana Oliver describes how to trap a Grade One Demon.

DUAL REVIEW: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Book Jacket

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genres: Historical Fiction

Summary: Told through the eyes of three women in 1963 Civil Rights embroiled Mississippi, one an affluent Caucasian woman and two African-Americans who were employed as maids in Caucasian households.  This book recounts the tale of how Skeeter, a recent college graduate, writes a ground-breaking book telling the stories of twelve women employed as maids from upper and middle-class Caucasian households.  The conflict inherent between the two races is detailed throughout the book and culminates with the publication of Skeeter’s novel entitled “Help”.

Lucinda’s Thoughts:  I picked this book up because of all the buzz about it due to the movie’s (which was based on the book)  popularity.  I quickly became enthralled by the tale of Abileen, Minny and Skeeter.  Having been a history major in college I was aware of  some of the conflict that took place in the South during the early 1960s, but this book made these things more human to me.  Seeing the prejudice, assumption of inferiority, and treatment that the African -American citizens of this time received was truly eye-opening.  The lives of these women present such a contrast to those of today’s women, a truly enlightening experience. 

The only reason that this book did not receive a 5 was that some of the chapters were written in dialect and thus rendered the text a little less accessible for all readers.  On the whole, this was an excellent read.  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or just a well-written story about three strong, but different women and the historical times in which they lived.

*     *     *

Tracy’s Rating: 5/5 Stars

Tracy’s Thoughts: Okay, it’s downright scary how parallel our reading experiences with this book were. I was only a history minor in college, but I too was struck by how the human element portrayed in The Help allowed me to better understand the upheaval of the civil rights era. And you make a good point about the use of dialect. I got off to a really slow start because I found the dialect in Aibileen and Minnie’s narratives a bit distracting. I actually almost gave up altogether. Eventually, though, I adjusted and felt like it only added to the tone and realism of the novel. (Though I recently encountered this blog post pointing out how very unrealistic much of the dialect is…)

Anyway, here’s my initial review from the Summer 2009 BCPL Recommended Reading List:

The Help is a book that manages to both entertain and feel incredibly important at the same time. Pitch-perfect in its portrayal of 1960s Jackson, Mississippi and the women who live there, it follows three women—two black maids and a white “society lady” fresh out of college—who start their own quiet movement even as the civil rights movement explodes around them. It focuses on the lives of everyday people of different backgrounds who are just trying to live their lives. And yet this book made the era of the Civil Rights Movement real for me in a way that no other book, movie, or college lecture ever has. But never fear: this isn’t in any way an overwhelming or heavy-handed book. Stockett uses a Southern-laced dark humor reminiscent of Fannie Flagg that serves perfectly to balance the serious subject matter. The approachability is additionally augmented by the fully realized characterizations. There are no cookie-cutter characters in Stockett’s world; you love them or you hate them, but even the characters that you most loathe have redeeming facets. In short, I loved this book—and admired it as well. There is already speculation that The Help is destined to become a classic. I wouldn’t be surprised.

REVIEW: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Social Satire/Comedy

Summary: What happens when a plane load of beauty queens from the Miss Teen Dream Pageant crash land on an island? Is there an underlying plot here or just dumb bad luck?  What secrets will be uncovered about the contestants and what will they learn about themselves as they strive to survive in unfamiliar territory? To find out, read Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens.

Lucinda’s Thoughts:  This book was a good read.  I classed it as a social satire because of the manner in which Libba Bray presents the contestants and the concept of beauty pageants as a whole.  With subtle, sarcastic humor and biting wit, Bray allows us to gain insight into the world of the beauty queen and what might motivate a young woman to participate in a beauty pageant.  The characters are likable, the villains quirky but evil, and the commercial breaks hilarious. While the plot is somewhat unrealistic, the underlying humor and enjoyable storyline more than compensates for it.  I throughly recommend it as a fun read for the fall!

REVIEW: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Time Travel/Fantasy

Summary: Gwen was not supposed to be the “gifted” one, the individual who possessed the time travel gene.  It was supposed to be Charlotte, who has trained all her life to complete the Lodge’s quest to close the circle.  But when Gwen is suddenly transported to the 19th century, it becomes clear someone has made a mistake or has her mother lied about her birthday all these years? If so, why?  Also, there is the handsome Gideon, who is supposed to aid Gwen in her time travel adventures.  How do all these new people and the mysteries of her family fit together in Gwen’s life? Who can she trust?  Read Ruby Red to find out.

Lucinda’s Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book.  Being a historical romance and fantasy novel fan, it has several elements that really caught my interest. Also, Gwen is a spunky, likable character that seems resourceful, yet down-to-earth and this serves to keep the reader involved in her story. 
Because of her likability,  Gwen’s unexpected jaunt to the past and the subsequent mysteries revealed by her journeys were sufficiently intriguing to keep my interest.  In addition, as the book progresses, Gwen’s eccentric family furthers the deepening of the plot and also helps to bring up additional mysteries that should be answered in subsequent novels in the series.  Gwen’s meeting with the enigmatic historical figure Count De St. Germaine also sparks off new sets of questions that Gideon and Gwen must answer.  Questions like- who is behind the attempt on their lives as they seek to leave the Count’s time period?  What is the Count’s true purpose?  Is Gwen doing the “right” thing by allying herself with the Lodge or should she trust Paul and Lucy? 

 

DUAL REVIEW: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Audience: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia/Zombie

Summary:  Set in a world after the “Return” (a viral apocalypse), the village is the only life and home that Mary has ever known. Constantly on guard against the Unconsecrated (infected individuals that die and come back as zombies, the village allows Mary to be only two things- a wife to a man she does not love or  a Sister (a member of the religious order that rules the village.)  However, Mary dreams of the Ocean, which she had heard of in the tales that her mother told her as a child.  Will Mary ever achieve her dream and catch a glimpse of a life outside the village?

Lucinda’s thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book.  Mary is a very complex character and does not always do what a traditional teen heroine would do.  She is strong-willed, a bit selfish, and determined.  But it is these qualities that allow her to survive in her world.  The love quadrangle in the book only further illustrates Mary’s strength.  She is determined not to settle.  Mary’s character coupled with the suspense present throughout the book as to whether or not Mary will achieve her dream and just plain survive, makes for an engrossing read.  On the whole, I highly recommend picking this book up from the library and getting drawn into Mary’s world.

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Tracy’s Thoughts: 
I reviewed this book a while back, when I selected it for our Book Picks for Juniors and Young Adults list. I really enjoyed it then, and still remember it fondly. The reason for the less-than-perfect rating? For me, the book seemed to lose momentum midway through as I lost interest in Mary’s romantic troubles altogether. It was really the claustrophobic, secretive community and Mary’s unwavering determination to escape despite the perils that really grabbed me. That said, I love Carrie Ryan’s writing in this book and the complex character of Mary. Here’s what I had to say way back when:

If you enjoy bleak, heartbreaking, beautifully crafted horror stories look no further. Mary lives in a terrifying world surrounded by fences that are constantly under threat of attack by the Unconsecrated. The Unconsecrated are zombies, although the word is never used. Mary and the others of her village are taught that they are the world’s last survivors of a terrible virus and that they must follow the rules laid out by the Sisters if they wish to survive. But Mary dreams of another life, holding fast to her dream of seeing the ocean—her one glimmer of hope as she faces a series of tragedies and betrayals. I loved that this is not another glossy paranormal romance with a happy ending guaranteed. There is real tragedy here—people suffer, and people die. Mary is not a character that is always easy to root for; she is undeniably flawed, sometimes selfish, and often fickle. The conflict between Mary’s “duty,” her understandable fear of what lies beyond the fences, and her own dreams is what makes this story so memorable and—in spite of the zombies—relatable. Also, Ryan’s writing style has a wonderful flow and elegance to it, with a compulsive readability that will have you turning pages long into the night.

REVIEW: Another Monster at the End of this Book

Rating:4/5 Stars
Audience: Preschool/Toddler
Genre: Picture Book

Summary:  There is a “Monster” at the end of the book!  In this sequel to The Monster at the End of the Book, Elmo is added to the mix and helps Grover face the “Monster” that lives at the end of the book.

Lucinda’s thoughts: Elmo is a good contrast to Grover and adds some funny variation on the theme of the Monster at the end of the book.  With added methods of preventing readers progression to the end of the book, Grover is his usual funny lovable self.  This book could also be used to show the concept of opposites, using the contrast of Elmo and Grover. 

REVIEW: Cold Vengeance

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Suspense/Mystery

Summary: Agent Pendergast continues the quest to answer the mystery of his wife’s past  and the events that led her murder on the African savanna years ago. Ranging from the Scottish moors to the Louisiana bayous, Pendergast’s quest will revisit old characters like Vincent D’Agosta and others. 

Lucinda’s thoughts:  As a long-time reader and fan of Agent Pendergast and his antics I have looked forward to this book from the time I found out it was going to be published.  It did not disappoint.  With the cliff-hanging escapes and intellectual adventures that Preston & Child fans have come to expect, this book was a truly fun adventure.  While it will not win any book awards, this tome will thrill fans of Agent Pendergast and add a enjoyable chapter to the ongoing life of the fictional Agent Pendergast and his cohorts.

REVIEW: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Rating: 2/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Steampunk

Summary:  After fighting off the advances of a wicked employer, Finley Jayne seeks to unite her dual supernatural nature with the help of a handsome, young duke, Griffin King,  who also shows signs of supernatural powers.  While attempting to reconcile her two halves, Finley attempts to thwart a plot to harm Victoria, the aging monarch and finds herself making some extraordinary new friends in the group that surrounds the Duke.

Lucinda’s thoughts:  I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the title and the cover art. However, the book did not live up to the promise of its title or cover.  While an entertaining enough read, it fell flat with me.  I could not seem to get attached to any of the characters as their development was very superficial. In addition, there are too many of them to allow for any real attachments.  Of course, the fast paced fight scenes and kung-fu fisticuffs are entertaining and there is an evil plot to replace Queen Victoria with an automaton thrown into the mix.  On the whole, though, I was severely unimpressed by this book.  I would give it a pass and just admire the pretty cover art.