Tracy's Reviews - Bullitt County Public Library

REVIEW: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genres: Realistic Fiction

Summary: Henry Skrimshander’s life changes forever when he catches the eye of college sophomore Mike Schwartz at a no-name summer baseball tournament. The next school year, Henry finds himself at Westish College, a small liberal arts college situated on Lake Michigan. Under Schwartz’s tutelage and with the guidance of his favorite book, The Art of Fielding, Henry hones his natural talent. By his junior year, the Westish Harpooners have become a solid ball team and Henry is attracting attention from the MLB scouts. But then a freak error injures a teammate, sends Henry into a spiral of self-doubt, and sparks changes in the lives of those connected to him. While recovering from his injury, Owen falls into a relationship that could end badly for both involved. Schwartz becomes jealous of Henry’s success and feels uncertain about his own future. Affenlight, the college president, falls in love with someone he never imagined having feelings for. And Affenlight’s daughter Pella, who has just left her husband, returns to her father in search of a new start.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
Baseball and Melville in a single book? Sign me up! And I don’t even like baseball. But anyone who can create a world where the two coexist, jocks aren’t stereotyped idiots, and the characters read has my attention. Of course, The Art of Fielding isn’t strictly about baseball (although sports-types will doubtless find much to enjoy here). So yes, it is about sports; and yes, it is a bit about academia and even literature. But at its core, The Art of Fielding is a quintessential coming-of-age novel: primarily character driven. And Harbach’s characters are superbly drawn indeed. They are complex, intellectually engaged characters, but they are also grounded in the physical world. The novel rotates close, third-person perspectives from chapter to chapter, and each voice is distinctive and authentic. As a reader, I was predisposed to dislike certain characters who shall remain nameless, and yet once I got inside their minds, I understood them and worried about them as if they were real people. Of the five main characters, only Owen doesn’t take a turn at narrating. Instead, he remains something of an enigma, but this perfectly suits his characterization.

The Art of Fielding is undeniably smart and yet it is also a fun, easy read. The pace is unhurried, almost leisurely, but the clear, unpretentious prose carries with it an energy that makes the novel utterly absorbing. Harbach’s imagery is surprising and yet, in a way, obvious. So, too, the story itself: it holds endless revelations and yet, by the end, has an inevitability about it. It all fits together perfectly, and perfectly reflects Affenlight’s own philosophy of writing:

It was easy enough to write a sentence, but if you were going to create a work of art, the way Melville had, each sentence needed to fit perfectly with the ones on either side, so that three became five and five became seven, seven became nine, and whichever sentence he was writing became the slender fulcrum on which the whole precarious edifice depended. That sentence could contain anything, anything, and so it promised the kind of absolute freedom that, to Affenlight’s mind, belonged to the artist and the artist alone. And yet that sentence was also beholden to the book’s very first one, and its last unwritten one, and every sentence in between.

Many novels—from disappointing sports novels to obscure literary tomes—purport to be the next Great American Novel. Having drawn comparisons to authors ranging from Jonathan Frazen to David Foster Wallace (though I would suggest Harbach is much more accessible), greatness perhaps loomed largely in Chad Harbach’s mind over the nine years he spent on this first novel. And yet this book never seems to take itself too seriously. In fact, frequent references to Moby-Dick are but one example of the understated, unselfconsious humor that runs throughout. At the very least, The Art of Fielding is a Really, Really Good American novel, skillfully taking on both the Great American Pastime and a classic considered by many to be THE Great American Novel. I was sorry to see it end—though the ending was completely satisfying—and I suspect that I will visit the characters and Westish College once again.

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: Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Memoir/Adult Nonfiction

Summary: Margaux Fragoso was seven when she met pedophile Peter Curran at a neighborhood swimming pool. Peter was 51. Quickly, Peter’s world—a wonderland of exotic pets and play—became the center of Margaux’s life. Her mentally ill mother thought Peter was practically “Jesus in another life” and for Marguax, Peter became the all-consuming person: friend, playmate, father… lover. Their relationship lasted 15 years. This memoir is absolutely gut-wrenching, and a fearlessly honest account of sexual abuse and family dysfunction.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This is a difficult book to read. Descriptions of the physical relationship are graphic at times, but not nearly as sensationalistic as one might fear. No, the real horror here is the way Fragoso manages to humanize a child molester, showing his perspective while laying bare the destruction of her childhood without self-pity or judgement. It is this last point—the lack of outright condemnation—that is astonishing. I was awed by Fragoso’s storytelling, which skillfully allows readers to experience Curran as the object of a young Margaux’s adoration even as we recognize the calculating manipulations of a predator. It is an uncomfortable balance at times—Fragoso is too candid to deny her love for her molester—but it provides important and fascinating insight into the mind of a victim. The erosion of Margaux’s sense of reality is devastating, and at times I was horrified to catch myself almost sympathizing with Peter. Peter insidiously worked his way into Margaux’s world, and as a writer Fragoso is equally skilled at pulling the reader into the world that they shared. This is an intensely disturbing book, but also a beautiful one.

DUAL/GUEST REVIEW: Trapped by Michael Northrop

Allison’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Tracy’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Suspense

Summary: Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.

Allison’s Guest Review:
I really enjoyed this one. Narrated by the main character, a boy who sees himself as a normal teen, this book takes us into the mindset of teens lost in a crisis. At first, the reader feels like the characters don’t give the situation its due worry, but as the characters develop, the reader realizes that the nonchalant attitude displayed by many of the teens trapped in the school are simply avoiding admitting the danger they face, even to themselves. There are a few scenes which introduce some humor, and many details given to enthrall the reader and keep him/her moving along with the story. It was refreshing to read a book with no clearly defined hero/heroine; just a telling of the story with points of drama where they are needed.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
I was very impressed by Northrop’s debut novel, Gentlemen, and after reading the blurb and reviews for Trapped I had high hopes for his sophomore effort. As in his first book, Michael Northrop does an excellent job of building tension. Not only is there a growing awareness that this is indeed a life-threatening situation, there is also tension as the 7 teens—many of whom are mere acquaintances—must pull together. I liked that these are seven typical teens, although they do tend to represent the usual cliques (popular girls, jock, outcasts, the school bully). This lends the book a sort of Breakfast Club-meets-Christopher-Pike vibe (I’m thinking Weekend). The characters often misread one another, allowing their own preconceptions to get in the way. For me, this was the real drama of the story.

However, the characters, particularly the narrator, just didn’t have the same zing that I expected after reading Gentlemen. What I enjoyed so much about Gentlemen was Tommy’s voice—sharp, biting, and darkly funny. Scotty, the narrator of Trapped, just didn’t have that something special that made me truly invested in the story’s outcome. I needed more character development. The ending, too, was a bit abrupt for my taste and doesn’t really do justice to the excellent premise. But despite my quibbles, Trapped is a quick, enjoyable read and a solid choice for a cold, snowy day’s read.

REVIEW: I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary: Seventeen year-old Sam and his twelve-year-old brother Riddle have never had a normal life. A decade ago, they were kidnapped by their mentally unstable father, a criminal with a pathological fear of government and technology. Since then, the trio has traveled across the country, living in ramshackle places and avoiding the authorities at all costs. At a very young age, Sam learned that it would be up to him to ensure that he and his brother are fed and safe.

Riddle has never been to school, rarely speaks, and suffers from untreated asthma. He lugs around an old phone book filled with the impossibly detailed mechanical drawings he spends his days creating. Sam’s escape is music; every Sunday, he visits a different church so that he can absorb the sounds of organs and pianos, clapping and singing. He sits in the back and remains anonymous. Then he meets Emily, who finally sees him and, eventually, introduces Sam and Riddle to her family. For the first time, the two boys feel connected to the real world, but what will happen when their father discovers their secret?

Tracy’s Thoughts:
Intertwining a gripping survival story with a sweet tale of first love, I’ll Be There is one of the best, most heartfelt books I’ve read in ages. It’s one of those stories that completely mesmerizes you and still lingers in your mind weeks later. And puts a smile on your face. There is a magic to Sloan’s prose: it is thoughtful and yet carries an immediacy that makes each page a joy to read. There is nothing flashy in her writing; it is vivid and precise, allowing the extraordinary characters and their predicaments to move the story along. Am I sounding a bit fan-girl crazy and over-the-top in my praise? I apologize. But. I love this book.

It’s magical in a completely different way. It is all about the connections that people make, the brief intersections that can change your life. It is about how all the small, insignificant things can add up to larger ones. It is about family and belonging. Told from multiple points of view, covering everyone from Sam and Riddle, to Emily and her mother, to the boys’ paranoid father Clarence, I’ll Be There creates a world that is both intimate and infinite. The narration transitions seamlessly, weaving a rich and layered tale.This is a book that made me laugh, cry, gasp, and sigh with pleasure at the end, pausing for a moment to savor the extraordinary journey I had just completed.

REVIEW: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen, Adult Crossover Interest
Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: It is 1941 and Stalin’s reign of terror is in full dominion, though fifteen-year-old Lina has no idea of the terrible forces at work. She is stunned when Soviet officers invade her home to arrest her family and deport them from Lithuania to Siberia, giving them only twenty minutes to pack a few belongings. Her father, not home at the time of the arrest, is separated from the rest of the family while Lina, her mother, and younger brother are crammed into a boxcar labeled “Thieves and Prostitutes.” This is only the beginning of Lina’s journey, filled with deplorable, life-threatening conditions and a slow realization of some of the more unsavory aspects of life. And yet through it all, Lina retains hope, following her mother’s strong example and using her artistic talent to send messages to her father.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This is a truly lovely book; haunting and terribly sad because we know it is based on true events, but also inspirational. Ruta Sepetys writing is fluid and emotionally evocative. With a few precise words, she is able to make a powerful statement (“Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch.”). It is never overdone or cheaply sentimental. The first sentence grabbed me, and I did not want to put this book down as Lina’s story gradually and painfully unfurled:

They took me in my nightgown.

Thinking back, the signs were there—family photos burned in the fireplace, Mother sewing her best silver into the lining of her coat late at night, and Papa not returning from work. My younger brother, Jonas, was asking questions. I asked questions, too, but perhaps I refused to acknowledge the signs. Only later did I realize Mother and Father intended we escape. We did not escape.

We were taken.

The novel is written in short chapters, which makes some of the atrocities described a bit easier to digest. Scenes are not truly graphic, but they are vividly and powerfully depicted. But, again, there is a thread of hope and perseverance that runs throughout, as well as a budding love story to provide balance. Also, there are flashbacks to Lina’s life in Lithuania before the deportation to provide respite and clues to explain why Lina’s family was targeted by the Soviets.

Reading this novel, I felt like I was reading a true account—like Hautzig’s The Endless Steppe or even The Diary of Ann Frank. The characters, especially Lina, her mother, and a crotchety old man who is with the family on the train and at the various work camps, seemed real. Of course, several first-person accounts and interviews where included in Sepetys’s research. And the author’s own family history undoubtedly made this an intensely personal story.

My only complaint is that I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt. I wanted more. There is an epilogue at the end, but to me Lina’s story felt incomplete. But, regardless of my slight disappointment with the ending, this is a story that needs to be told. The Holocaust is widely studied, but comparatively few are aware of the genocide of the Baltic people that took place under Stalin’s rule. Sepetys’s novel is an important work, both thought-provoking and enjoyable.

REVIEW: Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

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

Summary: Christine Lucas wakes in a strange room, with a strange man beside her. He wears a wedding band, and she is disgusted with herself for apparently sleeping with a married man. But catching sight of herself in the bathroom mirror, Christine discovers that she is not the carefree twenty-something she believed herself to be. She’s clearly in her forties—and she also wears a wedding band. Unfamiliar photos are pinned to the bathroom mirror, and a note proclaims that the man in the bed is her husband, Ben. Christine has amnesia. Every night when she goes to sleep, she loses all memory of the her life past a certain point.

Her life is very narrow. Just Ben, and a psychiatrist whom Christine meets without Ben’s knowledge. At the direction of her doctor, she keeps a journal to document her life and piece together the past—and hopefully—a future. However, day by day, her journal entries become increasingly unsettling and Christine begins she wonder if she can trust anyone—including herself.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This book has appeared on numerous Best of 2011 lists, and it won the Crime Writers Association’s 2011 award for best first book. I can understand why. It reminded me of Cat Patrick’s Forgotten, but with a creepier flavor, like the the movie Memento. Watson’s writing is compelling, creating an increasingly tense, claustrophobic feeling in the reader. I read this book in one evening, and although I guessed the book’s twist ending early on, I was never fully confident in my theory, just as Christine could never fully trust her own memory and instincts.

FLASH REVIEWS: A Parade of Picture Books…

I recently realized that we haven’t reviewed any picture books lately (as promised in our site description!), so here goes…

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he seeks out his fellow forest creatures to inquire “Have you seen my hat?” It’s like a sly game of clue, with clever visual hints. It’s an adorable tale with an ever-so-slightly dark twist at the end. Ages 4 to 8.
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Stop Snoring, Bernard! by Zachariah OHora
Bernard loves living at the zoo, and he loves naptime. Unfortunately, the other otters are tired of his snoring. So begins Bernard’s quest to find a sleeping spot where he won’t bother anyone… This is a sweet, low key story with simple, almost vintage-style illustrations. Ages 3 to 7.
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Blackout by John Rocco
Told through a series of graphic novel–style panels, this is the story of an ordinary summer night in the city. A little girl is eager to play a game, but everyone in her household is too busy. Then there is a blackout; with the power suddenly out, no one is busy at all and the the neighborhood comes alive. The visual images are bold and striking, and small details add a lot to this story about family togetherness. The contrast between light and dark plays an important but subtle role. Ages 4 to 8.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

The I’m Not Scared Book by Todd Parr
Extremely bright colors—a Parr trademark—will grab kids’ attention in this motivational book about common childhood phobias. Comical details add nuance. The text itself lacks subtlety, but will give comfort to anxious children and offers simplistic solutions to calm fears. Ages 3 to 6.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting and Julie Fortenberry (illus.)
Danny has lots of what-if questions about pirates, and his mother is patient and inventive as she answers each one. This is a heartwarming tale of imagination and connection between mother an child. The artwork, especially the drawings of pirates, is bright and striking. Ages 4 to 8.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

REVIEW: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Paranormal Horror

Summary: Theseus Cassio Lowood kills ghosts. Well, the bad ones anyway. You know those urban legends and ghost stories about vengeful spirits taking their anger and disappointment out on the living? Some of them are true, and it is Cas’s job to stop them once and for all. He travels from town to town with his witch mother and their cat Tybalt, killing murderous ghosts and secretly preparing himself for the day that he will confront the ghost that killed his father. Now he has a new ghost in his sights: Anna Dressed in Blood. But something about her is different than the other ghosts Cas has faced. She’s incredibly strong. And she knows she’s dead. For over fifty years, Anna has killed everyone who has dared step foot inside her family home. But for some reason, when Cas invades her territory, she lets him live.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
“Spellbinding and romantic,” declares Cassandra Clare on the book’s cover blurb. Spellbinding, yes. But romantic? Um, no… Not so much. Anna Dressed in Blood is more Supernatural than Twilight (or whatever paranormal romance is your current favorite). Yes, there is a late-emerging romantic subplot here, but it is not the heart of the story.

As a horror story, I didn’t really find it all that scary, either. At least, not leave-the-light-on and jump-at-small-noises scary. But. Kendare Blake’s writing is absolutely gripping. Vividly cinematic (unlike one zombie book I could name) and satisfactorily gruesome, Anna Dressed in Blood is definitely creepy and disturbing. I was enthralled by the atmospheric description and the compelling, first person narration:

The stagnant clouds make me motion-sick for some reason, so I go back to looking at the forest, a blanket of pines in colors of green, brown, and rust, struck through with birch trunks sticking up like bones. I’m usually in a better mood on these trips. The excitement of somewhere new, a new ghost to hunt, new things to see…the prospects usually keep my brain sunny for at least the duration of the drive. Maybe it’s just that I’m tired. I don’t sleep much, and when I do, there’s usually some kind of nightmare involved. But I’m not complaining. I’ve had them off and on since I started using the athame. Occupational hazard, I guess, my subconscious letting out all the fear I should be feeling when I walk into places where there are murderous ghosts. Still, I should try to get some rest. The dreams are particularly bad the night after a successful hunt, and they haven’t really calmed down since I took out he hitchhiker.

An hour of so later, after many attempts at sleep, Thunder Bay comes up in our windshield, a sprawling, urbanesque city of over a hundred thousand living. . . . It’s only as we get into the heart of the city—the older part of the city that rests above the harbor—that I see what I’m looking for. . . .

Over the course of my life I’ve been to lots of places. Shadowed places where things have gone wrong. Sinister places where things still are. I always hate the sunlit towns, full of newly built developments with double-car garages in shades of pale eggshell, surrounded by green lawns and dotted with laughing children. Those towns aren’t any less haunted than the others. They’re just better liars. I like it more to come to a place like this, where the scent of death is carried to you on every seventh breath.

Cas is a dynamic character: bold, snarky and wonderfully quick-witted. But he’s also fallible. Every now and then, he fumbles on a job or is caught off guard, with no idea how to respond. He doesn’t always know the answers—especially once he is faced with a ghost like Anna—and admits to manipulating people to achieve his goals. I didn’t always like him, but I understood him and was invested in his story. Plus, his wry humor adds a wonderful dimension to the story, as do the secondary characters. Cas reluctantly makes friends with a geeky psychic and the school’s queen bee, who for once does not fall into the popular girl=mean girl stereotype. And of course, there’s Anna. You wouldn’t expect to find a homicidal ghost known to rip people in half a sympathetic character, but Blake has managed to imbue Anna with a vulnerability that doesn’t make her murderous history any less disturbing. Perhaps more so, if anything.

Anna Dressed in Blood also does an excellent job of setting itself up for further books in the series without sacrificing the story at hand. It stands on its own, but also leaves you wanting more. Personally, I’m hooked and looking forward to the sequel, Girl of Nightmares, due for release in August 2012.

REVIEW: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genre: Historical Fiction/Novel in Verse

Summary: It’s 1975 and, as the Vietnam War rages, the fall of Saigon is imminent. Until now, ten-year-old Hà’s life has been been somewhat ordinary: she goes to school, fights with her older brothers, plays pranks on her friends. Of course, her father has also been missing in action for nine years and now her friends are beginning to move away from the threat of the Communist invasion. When her mother makes the difficult decision to flee their homeland, the family must leave behind everything familiar. The novel is written in free verse and takes place over the course of a year, beginning on Tết, the Vietnamese New Year, relating Hà’s experiences and impressions from her life in Saigon, through the family’s escape and difficult boat journey, to the even more difficult transition to life in America.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
First off, I usually avoid novels in verse. I am always skeptical that they can deliver the same level of plot detail and character development as a prose novel. Thanhha Lai proved me wrong. There is precisely the right amount of detail in this sparse novel. Hà’s world is elegantly and succinctly crafted and the format in no way detracts from the fullness of the story. Hà, her mother, and each of her three brothers emerge as distinct, empathetic characters. There is the scholarly engineering student, Brother Quang, who must take on work as an apprentice mechanic; gentle Brother Khôi, lover of animals; fierce, loyal Brother Vu, obsessed with Bruce Lee; and their mother, a loving woman strong enough to do whatever is needed for her family. Hà herself is eager, perceptive, stubborn, and prone to tempers. She’s determined to feel smart again, though quite sure that “Whoever invented English/should be bitten/by a snake.”

This is a powerful novel about the immigrant experience, and one to savor slowly. Despite what many will consider weighty subject matter, this is a fairly light read with a good deal of humor. I found myself grinning and laughing out loud more than once at Hà fresh take on American culture, such as her insistence that the “The Cowboy,” as she calls her family’s Stetson-sporting American sponsor, should have a proper horse and teach her to ride. Inside Out & Back Again is also the perfect novel to give to any middle school student who has been bullied or felt out of place.

REVIEW: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Adult/YA Crossover
Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism

Summary: The Cirque des Rêves arrives in the night, without warning, and captivates its audience from dusk till dawn. What the audience—and most of the performers—do not know is that the circus is merely the arena for a much grander scheme. Two magicians have set their protégés on a collision course, a deadly game where not even the participants themselves are sure of the rules—or the consequences. Celia, the daughter of Prospero the Enchanter, is a performer in the circus, pretending that her magical feats are mere illusion. Marco, an orphaned boy trained by Prospero’s greatest rival to defeat Celia, is more covert in his strategy. The Night Circus spans decades and continents as the game plays out slowly—until the two competitors finally meet and fall in love, putting the circus itself at risk.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This gorgeously imaginative, genre-blending novel is all about atmosphere and tone. It reminds me of a slightly lighter, Victorian-era Something Wicked This Way Comes. The prose creates a feeling of suspended enchantment, and the reader is made to feel like a spectator to the circus itself. The action develops slowly, and the narrative skips about in time and from one character to the next. Some readers may find this frustrating; and yet, however loosely the threads are woven, they all pull together magically at the end. Readers who loved Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell won’t want to miss it.

REVIEW: Divergent by Veronica Roth

I read this book months ago, before we launched the blog, but with all of the recent attention—it was named Favorite Book in the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards and recently snagged a movie deal with Summit—I thought it was time for a review here on Book News and Reviews!

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

Summary: In a not-too-distant future Chicago, everyone is divided into five factions with five different belief systems. Abnegation strives toward selflessness, Amity pursues peace and friendship, Candor practices unrelenting honesty, Dauntless engages in feats of courage, and Erudite seeks knowledge. Beatrice Prior was raised in Abnegation, but knows she is too selfish and inquisitive to remain there, even though switching factions means leaving her family behind. And now that she is sixteen, it is finally time to choose her permanent faction. But her choice won’t be easy. When she takes her aptitude tests, Beatrice learns that she is a Divergent, someone who does not fit easily into any of the predetermined classifications and whose very existence threatens her society.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
Looking for the next Hunger Games? This is the book you’ve been waiting for. After a slightly slow start, Divergent is an addictively fast-paced read set in a fully developed world. In fact, I liked it even better than Hunger Games. The post-apocalyptic Chicago setting is fascinating and just recognizable enough to make this future vision all too believable. Even better, there is no annoying, forced love triangle. (Seriously… Did anyone really think POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!!! HIGHLIGHT TO READ that Bella was going to choose Jacob or that Katiniss wouldn’t end up with the every-loyal, always-patient Peeta? Well, did you?)

But yes, Divergent has a romance. A GREAT one actually. The romantic tension between Tris (the character formerly known as Beatrice) and Four is engrossing and unpredictable. Yeah, you know they will end up together, but each meeting and conversation holds a surprise. And Roth does a stellar job of balancing the physical action with relationship intrigue.There are enough fights, chases, and life-threatening risks to satisfy any action fan—and it’s not all squeezed together at the end to add last minute conflict like in other popular books I could name. As soon as Tris chooses her faction, she must prove her mettle and survive a series of initiation tests—or become factionless.Tris is gutsy and smart, but also vulnerable and unsure of herself—not in an annoying way, but in a realistic, true-to-life way. She doesn’t have special weaponry skills or supernatural strength, but she’s mentally tough and really, really determined. I loved her, Four, and the entire world Veronica Roth has created.

Both action-packed and thought-provoking, Divergent easily sets itself apart from the other new books on the Hunger Games bandwagon. Roth writes with an engaging intensity that challenges readers to look at their own lives and consider what faction they might choose. This is a page turner that I highly recommend for both girls and the guys, teenagers and adults. Needless to say, I am eagerly—and impatiently!— awaiting the May release of Insurgent, the trilogy’s next installment. Only five more months to go…

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.

BOOK BATTLE: Lauren Oliver’s Delirium vs. Ally Condie’s Matched

Welcome to our first Book Battle! Sometimes book plots are SOOO similar that comparison is inevitable, so we thought we’d see how these two romantic dystopias hold up in a head-to-head fight. So, let the battle begin…

First Up: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Summary:
In the future, love is considered a disease and teenagers are given a government-mandated “cure” at the age of eighteen. Just before their eighteenth birthday, teens also undergo evaluations to determine their future careers and spouses. Lena doesn’t want to end up like her mother and can’t wait to get the cure. But then—just months before her procedure—Lena meets Alex, a free-spirited young man who challenges her to question her beliefs.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This book grabbed me right away. In fact, I was avid to read it from the moment I learned Oliver’s second book (after the fabulous Before I Fall) was in the works. And for the first several chapters, I was certain that I was going to love everything about it. But for some reason… I didn’t.

Don’t get me wrong. There are lots of things to love here. First, the writing is gorgeous. Oliver has a very special way with words and is able to create a scene like nobody’s business. The sensory detail alone is enough to have me pick up everything and anything she cares to write. Take the following excerpt from Chapter Two:

    The smell of oranges has always reminded me of funerals. On the morning of my evaluation it is the smell that wakes me up. I look at the clock on the bedside table. It’s six o’clock.

   The light is gray, the sunlight just strengthening along the wall of the bedroom I share with both of my cousin Marcia’s children. Grace, the younger one, is crouched on her twin bed, already dressed, watching me. She has a whole orange in one hand. She is trying to gnaw on it, like an apple, with her little-kid teeth. My stomach twists, and I have to close my eyes again to keep from remembering the hot, scratchy dress I was forced to wear when my mother died; to keep from remembering the murmur of voices, a large, rough hand passing me orange after orange to suck on, so I would stay quiet. At the funeral I ate four oranges, section by section, and when I was left with only a pile of peelings heaped on my lap I began to suck on those, the bitter taste of the pith helping to keep the tears away.

   I open my eyes and Gracie leans forward, the orange cupped in her outstretched palm.

   “No, Gracie.” I push off my covers and stand up. My stomach is clenching and unclenching like a fist. “And you’re not supposed to eat the peel, you know.”

   She continues blinking up at me with her big gray eyes, not saying anything. I sigh and sit down next to her. “Here,” I say, and show her how to peel the orange using her nail, unwinding bright orange curls and dropping them in her lap, the whole time trying to hold my breath against the smell. She watches me in silence. When I’m finished she holds the orange, now unpeeled, in both hands, as though it’s a glass ball and she’s worried about breaking it.

   I nudge her. “Go ahead. Eat now.”

I also liked the early characterization of Lena. She isn’t rebellious and opinionated; instead she is scared and vulnerable. It was a nice change to meet a dystopian heroine who isn’t immediately strong and sure of herself but must develop those qualities across the course of the novel. Which leads to my first complaint… Lena’s change of heart was much too sudden, and I found her character development lacking. Also, the relationship with Alex seemed rushed to me. One moment she was nervous of him and what her feelings for him meant for her sanity… then she’s all in. You know those annoying montages in movies that are used to indicate the passage of time? Well, that is how much of the Lena/Alex relationship is conveyed. Basically, all the good stuff—the meat of their relationship—gets montage treatment. So I never fully bought into their relationship, which is key to the story and Lena’s own development.

My major complaint, though, is the world building. The details of Lena’s world felt far too nebulous. A fuller, more developed world would’ve grounded the story and created a more realistic feel. Instead, Delirium read like a very well written—but exceptionally long—prequel. As a stand alone novel, it doesn’t really work. Though, due to the high-drama, cliffhanger ending (seriously, I gave serious thought to hurling my book at the wall in frustration!), I will probably give book two (Pandemonium, 3/6/2012) a shot despite my disappointment in the trilogy’s beginning.

VS.

The Challenger: Matched by Ally Condie

Summary:
In the future, the Society officials calculate all the data to determine each citizen’s perfect life. They monitor your food intake, select your ideal job, and find your perfect Match. Cassia has always trusted the Society, and when the screen at the Matching Banquet identifies her ideal mate as Xander Carrow—her best friend—she knows her future with him will be a happy one. But then she discovers that a glitch in the system also selected another Match for her: Ky Markham, a quiet, intense boy who remains on the fringe of her group of friends. Now, aware that her Society’s decisions aren’t as perfects as she always believed, Cassia is forced to examine the the world she lives in and the future she wants more closely.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
First off… Ally Condie’s prose doesn’t pack the same punch as Oliver’s writing, but it has a lyrical, almost hypnotic flow that kept me turning the pages eagerly. The world-building is amazing and wholly convincing. There’s not a lot of background about how the Society came to be, but I expect more details to come later in the trilogy. There are many similarities to Lois Lowry’s The Giver, but Condie’s world thrums with a nervous, subtly terrifying energy all its own. The slightly sinister officials, the strictly organized activities, even the machines used to dispose of waste—it all works together beautifully to ground the story and create a background in which the novel’s plot makes sense. The characters, too, are much more developed than those in Delirium. I was captivated by Cassia’s relationship with her family, especially her grandfather and brother Bram. Cassia’s evolution from a happy, obedient citizen to one who questions, doubts, and—ultimately—rebels was believable and enthralling.

Unfortunately, I did think that the love story that is the impetus for this change was a little lacking. Of course, given the strict monitoring and control of their world, it would be impossible for Cassia and Ky’s relationship to follow a familiar path. This makes for some leisurely pacing, but at least the story doesn’t feel rushed in any way. I found both characters intriguing and look forward to catching up with them again in Crossed, in which I fully expect the action to escalate. (Library copies are on order!)

Final Scores:
Delirium by Lauren Oliver Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Matched by Ally Condie: 3.5/5 Stars BOOK BATTLE WINNER!!!!!

Post-game Questions:
1. Tell me, have you read either of these titles yet? Do you agree with my verdict, or did you have a different reaction?

2. So I wasn’t quite satisfied with Delirium, but still plan to check out the second book in the series. Having invested the time in Book One, I want to know what is next for the characters. My question is… How many chances are you willing to give a series before giving up altogether? Does anyone but me feel a compulsive need to finish a series—even if it’s not exactly to your taste—once you’ve started?

3. Okay… now we have to talk cover art. IMO, both books are gorgeous—probably two of the most memorable YA covers I’ve seen in a while. What do you think? What recent YA cover art sticks out to you?

REVIEW: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary: When their weird classmate Dwight begins to wear an origami finger puppet and claims that Origami Yoda can predict the future, sixth-grader Tommy and his friends decide to keep a case book of their encounters with Dwight’s puppet so that they can determine whether the predictions are accurate. This book includes instructions for constructing your own Origami Yoda.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
First, a confession: I am not much of a Star Wars fan. I mean, I’ve seen the original movie (now dubbed “Episode IV”) and the even the second (i.e., Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back). It was at Governor’s Scholars ~~in 1996~~ a long time ago, and I really don’t remember much beyond the most iconic moments that are probably familiar more from various spoofs than from the actual films. I do remember finding Yoda rather annoying. So, despite all the glowing reviews, I approached Tom Angleberger’s book with (I think) understandable hesitation. And found it adorable and really, really funny.

Despite the title, you don’t have to be familiar with the Star Wars universe to enjoy this book, though a love of all things Jedi and Yoda-like philosophy will certainly heighten its appeal. The format, with various characters’ first-person accounts and its humorous drawings, is sure to attract Dairy of a Wimpy Kid fans. There is also a similar humor and camaraderie reminiscent of Kinney’s uber-popular series. And yet Angleberger’s characters and stories have a distinctive flavor of their own.

Dwight is an awkward, loner-type nerd who uses a finger puppet to communicate with his classmates. His Yoda impression isn’t the best, but the advice and predictions made by Origami Yoda are downright uncanny. Soon the whole sixth-grade class is vying for Dwight’s attention and debating the power of Origami Yoda. The main narrator, Tommy, is a likable, relatable character who isn’t sure what to believe while his best friend Harvey is staunchly cynical about the whole thing. The interactions between the characters and their willingness to follow the cryptic advice of a paper finger puppet are somehow believable and hilarious. All in all, this is a fun, quick read with wide appeal—whether you are a Star Wars fan or not.

REVIEW: Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Summary: Sara Gallagher has always felt that she didn’t fit in with her adoptive family. She has questions about the parents who gave her up and wants to know more about her medical history for her daughter’s sake. Now that her daughter is six and she’s planning a wedding to a wonderful man, Sara decides it’s time to dig into the past. But when she finally discovers the identity of her birth mother, Sara makes a shocking discovery: Her mother was the only victim to survive a notorious serial killer. And everything she learns indicated that her father was The Campsite Killer. Sara’s mother wants nothing to do with her… but her father is a different story.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
I loved Chevy Stevens’s debut novel Still Missing, and her second novel has many similarities. The action takes place in short, fast-paced chapters, each of which represents a different session between Sara and her therapist. And it is a page-turner without a doubt; I read the entire book in one sitting. The premise is fascinating, and the story emotionally complex. Sara’s doubts about her own emotional reactions and coping mechanisms were realistic and intriguing. The characters and their difficult relationships were equally interesting.

However, for me, Never Knowing lacked the impact of Stevens’s award-winning debut. The last-minute plot twist was predictable and unbelievable, and I also had issues with the therapy session format. The plot device seemed a bit stale the second time around, plus the difference in timeline (most of this novel takes place in almost-real time, while most of the events in Still Missing occurred long before Annie’s therapy sessions) occasionally makes the break-up of sessions awkward and unrealistic. So, yes, I was disappointed in Stevens’s sophomore effort. Still, it was a compelling read and I definitely plan to pick up her next novel.

REVIEW: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genres: Realistic Fiction

Summary: The first time seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper hears the term “Duff,” she’s sitting by the bar at a teen night club. Wesley Rush, the “most disgusting womanizing playboy to ever darken the doorstep of Hamilton High,” saunters over to chat. Wesley wants to hook up with one of Bianca’s hot friends and talking to their Designated Ugly Fat Friend, he explains to Bianca, is his way in. Bianca, being no shrinking violet, quickly and dramatically crushes his plan. Still, being called the Duff continues to niggle away at her. She knows she isn’t really fat or ugly, but next to her gorgeous best friends she’s a nonentity. Add to that her parents’ crumbling marriage and the return of the boy who broke her heart, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction… So she kisses Wesley. It’s stupid and she hates herself, but they start hooking up secretly. The plan is to keep everything on a strictly physical level, but then the impossible happens: she actually starts to like Wesley and is horrified to discover that she could actually be falling for the guy she hated more than anyone.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
First off, I have to warn you. If (fictional) teen sex and swearing upset you, you might want to give The Duff a miss. This is an edgy book that is practically destined for the Banned Books list. Due to some harsh language and sexual content, I would only recommend this title for mature teens and adults. The relationship between Bianca and Wesley is smoldering, and most of the teenage characters drop the F-bomb more than once. (Though not all… Casey’s discomfort with swearing was a subtle contrast, and one of the endearing details that makes this book so special.) So, yes, the content is a bit graphic, certainly more than in your average YA novel. But Keplinger isn’t promoting sexual activity to teens—far from it, though this isn’t a book with a heavy-handed abstinence message either.

So okay, you have been duly warned. Now on to what I loved about this novel. I cannot tell you how much I adored Bianca’s snarky, smart, totally authentic voice. She’s abrasive and more than a little spiteful—in real life, I might hate her. But she’s also clever and loyal and eminently relatable. While her cynicism and aggression frequently shocked my inner sensibilities, I always understood where Bianca was coming from. She says what she thinks and makes bad decisions, but she accepts the consequences. In her first novel, Kody Kepplinger has created a memorable, fully realized character that I won’t soon forget.

The other characters of The Duff are also fabulously complex. There’s no question about it: Wesley is often a total jerk and is way too focused on physical gratification. But like Bianca, I somehow found myself liking him anyway, maybe even partly because of his unabashed behavior. Of course, he is also unexpectedly sweet and vulnerable with issues of his own. He’s a real, nuanced person—not just a stereotypical Misunderstood Bad Boy with a Heart of Gold. And I loved Bianca’s friends Casey and Jessica, and the relationship the three girls have with each other. Bianca’s parents are not as skillfully drawn, but they too are flawed and interesting.

The teen dialog is spot-on, not surprising considering that Keplinger was 18 when she wrote the book. It feels fresh and natural, not stilted at all. The banter between Bianca and Wesley, reminiscent of the great repartee in classic screwball comedies but with a modern edge, is particularly engaging. The entire novel is smoothly written, flowing seamlessly between Bianca’s inner thoughts and the exterior action.

All in all, this is a unique and fast-paced read that will be adored by the right audience. It is contemporary, sexy, and sharply funny. It examines teen self-esteem and the social labeling of others as well as being a modern love story and family drama. There is a lot to like about The Duff, and I look forward to reading Keplinger’s next book, Shut Out, as soon as I can get my hands on it.

The Duff is one of the titles up for grabs in our Fall Giveaway Event.

REVIEW: Keeper by Kathi Appelt

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genres: Magical Realism

Summary:

Ten-year-old Keeper believes in wishes and magic, and truly thinks her long-lost mother is a mermaid. She’s safe and happy living in a small, close-knit Gulf Coast community with her guardian Signe and an extended family made up of eccentric neighbors and pets. But on the day of the blue moon, everything goes wrong. Keeper makes a series of mistakes that angers everyone she loves and the only solution she can think of is to find her magical mother to ask for help. Setting off alone to find a mermaid could be dangerous, but Keeper has a plan and her dog BD and Captain the seagull for company. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned.

Tracy’s Thoughts:

It has been months since I first read this book, and yet thinking of this charming tale still puts a smile on my face. The setting is beautifully and evocatively drawn, and a hint of magic runs throughout. It’s not a fairy tale, but there is a dreamy, nostalgic quality to Appelt’s writing that is similar. From the beginning, I doubted Keeper’s belief in magic and mermaids, but her faith had me constantly thinking “what if?” Between Keeper’s rich imagination and Appelt’s lyric writing style, even the most common things are lent a measure of magic.

Keeper is a clever, loveable girl with a unique personality. In fact, all of Appelt’s characters in this wonderfully written book have a distinct personality and history—even BD and Captain! Keeper contains several flashbacks and is narrated from multiple perspectives, which may challenge some younger readers, but the payoff is definitely worth it. There are actually several storylines woven together here, though Keeper’s adventure remains central. One set of flashbacks involves Keeper and Signe’s neighbor and good friend Mr. Beauchamps, an older gentleman with regrets about a youthful romance and missed chances. His relationship with another young man is mostly implied and contains nothing objectionable for young readers, but some readers/parents might want to be aware of this small piece of the overall storyline.

This is a very quiet book. The action builds slowly, only gradually reaching a point where the tension is so high that I actually, literally, held my breath as I turned the pages. I was genuinely worried about the characters, as if they were real people that I knew. Going into too much detail would ruin this enchanting story of family, love, and secrets—but if you enjoy vivid settings, a touch of nerve-wracking adventure, and colorful characters, this book is a rewarding, unforgettable read. It is especially good for thoughtful tweens who consider most middle grade fiction too childish.

Keeper is one of the featured titles in our Fall Giveaway Event!

REVIEW: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

ARC Cover

Final Cover

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genres: Psychological Suspense, Romance

Summary:
Every night when she goes to sleep, 16-year-old London Lane forgets. In the morning, all she has is a note telling her about a day she can’t remember—and about all the days before that. But while her past is a blank, London “remembers” the future, getting glimpses of times to come in the lives of herself and those around her. She knows that her classmate will be accepted into a good college, that her best friend Jamie’s love affair will end tragically—but has no idea what she wore, did, or said the day before. With the help of her mom, Jamie, and her detailed crib notes, London has managed to live a relatively normal life, keeping her condition a secret from everyone else, even her doctors. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can’t make sense of, she realizes it’s time to dig into the past she keeps forgetting and perhaps even discover why her brain resets every morning at precisely 4:33 a.m. Especially now that she’s met Luke, the boy who she can’t see anywhere in her future but still turns up in her life, day after day.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
The premise of this novel grabbed me immediately, and Cat Patrick’s deft writing—somehow managing to juggle the complexities of London’s condition without becoming repetitive or confusing me hopelessly—kept me glued to the story. I raced through this one in one sitting, inhaling every bit of it despite the need to suppress a certain level of disbelief. Patrick skillfully hands you clues to the mystery of London’s condition, while offering several subplots, including a a spat between London and Jamie and family secrets—which later tie in to the main plot nicely.

I especially enjoyed the relationship between Luke and London (although their paired names make them sound like soap opera characters). Their romance is a bit rocky, but all the stronger for it. There is even an element of mystery to the relationship as readers wonder why Luke seems to single out London straight away. Is it simply normal attraction, or is there something else behind it? Plus, there are the unique challenges brought by London’s condition, lending the book a sort of 50 First Dates appeal. Luke is a sweetly adorable guy next door, vulnerable, sensitive, sometimes awkward, and a little weird. London is equally likeable though not without flaw: she can be stubborn and a little slow to forgive, but she’s also fiercely loyal, funny, and charmingly offbeat (but not in an overdone, clichéd way). Her entire personality doesn’t center around her condition, an accomplishment for which I give Cat Patrick props.

All in all, Patrick does an admirable job of piecing together London’s past and her future without tying everything up too tidily. Many readers will hope for a sequel, but Patrick claims she’s happy with the book’s ending and no sequel is planned. (There is, however, a movie in the early stages of development.) In my opinion, there’s just enough for readers to draw their own conclusions. However, I was left wondering a bit more about the practicalities of London’s condition, and also a bit bothered by the suddenness of some of the twists at the end (oh, my, were there twists). One thing, which I will not reveal due its spoilerish nature, bothered me in particular.

I would recommend this book to all YA readers who enjoy a combination of romance and mystery/suspense, especially if they like just a touch of the paranormal for flavoring. If this sounds like the book for you, we have a copy up for grabs in our Fall Giveaway Event! Library copies are on order.

Final note: Did you notice the two covers at the beginning? The prettier, more romantic ARC cover (left) was changed to the cover on the right—which I think does a better job of evoking the novel’s suspense element—for the final publication. Which do you prefer?

REVIEW REDUX: Previously Recommended Titles from our Fall Giveway

Do some of the titles from our Fall Giveaway sound familiar, but you’re not sure why? Several have been featured titles in our Recommended Reading Lists! Here’s a quick reminder of some of the titles I’ve recommended previously. All-new fresh reviews of some of the other titles up for grabs will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Comedy

Set in the colorful world of modern India, this novel is a comedy of manners in the tradition of Jane Austen. Simpler in style than Austen’s work—many reviewers have compared it to Alexander McCall Smith’s No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series—The Marriage Bureau for Rich People is a light, engaging novel about relationships, family expectations, and Indian marriage traditions. The novel’s central characters are Mr. Ali, a Muslim retiree who decides to open a marriage bureau out of boredom and Aruna, the poor Hindi girl whom he hires as an assistant. There is nothing catastrophic in the plot, but the lack of angst, the vivid descriptions of everyday Indian life, and the amusing travails of marriage seekers combine to make a very pleasant, relaxing read perfect for an afternoon of lazing outside with a glass of lemonade.

American Widow by Alissa Torres, illus. by Sungyoon Choi
Genre: Memoir (Graphic Format)

American Widow is a beautiful graphic memoir that illustrates the author’s private grief in the wake of a national tragedy. On September 11, 2001, Eddie Torres left for his second day of work at Cantor Fitzgerald and never returned. His wife Alissa was 7 months pregnant. What follows is a raw and lyrical look at her resulting anger, confusion, and depression as well as the weary tenacity that allowed her to carry on—all perfectly highlighted by images that perhaps express more than words ever could. For me, one of the most poignant moments is when Alissa, surrounded in the maternity store by happy couples, shops for a black funeral dress. Thankfully, this novel avoids the pitfalls of over sentiment or self-pity by balancing its focus between Alissa’s life with Eddie, a young Colombian immigrant who “dreamed the American Dream,” and the aftermath of grief, helpless anger, media frenzy, and bureaucratic red tape.

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Genre: Magical Realism, Women’s Fiction, Southern Fiction

Little Giant is a tall tale with a bit of a dark side. Truly Plaice was born big—so big that half the men in Aberdeen were placing bets on how much the Plaice’s new son (everyone was sure she would be a boy) would weigh. Due to an unusual medical condition, Truly is continuously growing and becomes an object of curiosity and, often, disgust—especially in comparison to her delicately beautiful sister Serena Jane. In addition to a truly unique character, the novel also offers up bits of charming, rural folklore: an heirloom quilt, a rundown family farm, and a family’s healing tradition are all important threads throughout the book. Thanks to an intriguing plot that examines the questions of destiny, life, and death and a narrative style reminiscent of Alice Hoffman, first-time author Tiffany Baker stands out as an author to watch. I wouldn’t be surprised if her debut becomes the next darling of reading groups and book clubs.

I truly enjoyed each of these books. If you haven’t read them yet (or loved them and want a copy of your own), enter our Fall Giveaway Event and let us know which ARCs interest you!

REVIEW: Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genres: Realistic Fiction (Sort of)

Summary: You know the story already. Or, at least you think you do. The King of Denmark has died, and now his widow is marrying the King’s smarmy brother Claudius. Hamlet, the Prince, is seeing ghosts and thinks that his father was murdered. He’s acting like he’s lost his mind—and maybe he has. Determined to get revenge against his father’s murderer, he hatches a number of plans but he’s but is paralyzed by his own inaction. Everybody dies. In this contemporary retelling, we see the story from the point of view of a teenage Ophelia. And this time she doesn’t die. In fact, the entire story is told in retrospect, including transcripts from the formal investigation and from a reality show interview.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This is a very clever retelling of Shakespeare’s famous play, from the P.O.V. of a character who was actually conspicuously absent through most of the original play. The plot line is pure drama—love, hate, betrayal, scandal, death, etc.—and compulsively readable. Even with all the drama, the volatile relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is the heart of the novel. But I’d hesitate categorize the book as a romance despite the girly cover. The core relationship is borderline abusive even before all the craziness starts.

The pace is quick, and there are lots of cleverly worked-in allusions to Shakespeare’s greatest lines. (Although some, like the “To be or not to be” soliloquy are disappointingly awkward when modernized.) Many of the characters gain added depth as well. The updated version of Shakespeare’s Polonius, Ophelia’s proverb-spouting father and a court diplomat, was particularly well done. And I loved how Ophelia’s ringtone for him was “Papa Don’t Preach.”

All in all, I think Michelle Ray did an excellent job of modernizing the play. The intrusion of reality TV and the paparazzi added a very different—and modern—dimension to the story that made me think of the hubbub surrounding royal families today (Will & Kate, anybody?). Sometimes, though, I found the interruption of the various transcripts (mostly the reality show interview) distracting and pointless. I also wish Ophelia had had a bit more backbone. But, despite my quibbles, Falling for Hamlet was a quick, enjoyable read that I recommend to readers with a taste for scandal and drama.

DUAL REVIEW: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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: Crunch by Leslie Connor

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Humor

Summary: With his parents stranded on the highway by a gas shortage, it is up to 14-year-old Dewey to keep the family bike repair business under control. But with cars out of commission and an influx of damaged bicycles, things get a little out of hand. Especially when items begin to mysteriously disappear from the shop. Plus, Dewey has to help his older sister and younger-by-a-year brother with the 5-year-old twins and keep the farm chores tended to. All five siblings must find a way to work together while their parents are detained and decide which of their friends and neighbors they can rely on.

Tracy’s Thoughts:

This is a lovely, humorous book about balancing fun and responsibility, with a bit of a mystery thrown in for good measure. Connor’s dialog is light and amusing, and her characters engaging. The Mariss siblings live in a charming world, and each has his or her own distinct, quirky personality. Plus there is a sneaky, crotchety old neighbor that had me snickering and numerous mini-adventures to keep the pages turning. There is also a message of eco-friendliness and sustainability that will appeal to certain readers.

REVIEWS: Bedwyn Family Series by Mary Balogh, Part I

Background:
I’ve been meaning to read this series for a while now, ever since I read (and enjoyed!) A Summer to Remember, the book that first introduced the Bedwyn family to romance readers. In that book, Freyja—the eldest Bedwyn sister—is a headstrong ex-flame who turns up to cause trouble for the hero and heroine. Several of her brothers, most notably the coldly powerful Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, also make appearances. In all, there are six Bedywn siblings.

Book 1: Slightly Married
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Summary: Slightly Married is the story of Aiden—the second eldest sibling—and Eve Morris, a woman whose security is threatened by the untimely death of her brother in battle. Captain Lord Aiden Bedywn takes the tragic news to Eve personally, determined to uphold his promise to Eve’s dying brother to protect her “no matter what.” As it turns out, Eve’s inheritance is contingent on her marrying a gentleman within a year of her father’s death, a deadline that is fast approaching. Otherwise, her smarmy cousin will inherit the unentailed estate and fortune, then toss Eve and her many dependents out on their rumps. So of course Aiden decides the only honorable thing is to marry Eve, then leave to continue his military career and never see her again. Eve reluctantly agrees since she hasn’t heard from her secret fiancé in more than a year and she feels responsible for the well-being of her servants, her spinster aunt, and two young orphans. But when the Duke of Bewcastle discovers his brother’s secret marriage, he insists that Eve be trained as a lady and properly presented to society to avoid damaging the family’s reputation.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
First, I have to make a confession: Generally, I am not a fan of marriage of convenience plots. So that may have interfered in my enjoyment of the story. But the main problem, for me, was the relationship between Aiden and Eve. I like fireworks and lots of banter in my romance reads and I found Slightly Married… lacking. I never really felt that their relationship grew or developed, or if it did, most of it happened off-scene. Their main obstacle was guilt. By the time each realizes that they actually like being married, each worries about what the other would have to give up (Aiden his career or Eve her home and dependents) so that they can be together. And that gets very old very fast.

I was much more interested in Eve’s interactions with Aiden’s pretentious siblings, Wulfric and Freyja. They are both unbelievably arrogant but just the tiniest bit vulnerable… I want to read their stories. Aiden’s more lighthearted brother, Alleyne, was also intriguing. Aiden was a cipher through most of the book. Eve was slightly more interesting, but her habit of taking in the helpless hit me as a bit ridiculous, and a cliché to boot. Really? All of these troubled servants just happen to stumble upon Eve’s country home?

Still, the Bedwyn family dynamics merit further exploration, and Balogh’s writing is solid and her representation of the period is well done. I found the Bedywn family’s aristocratic snobbery to be much more grounded in reality than the easy-going liberalism of many fictional families in historical romance (e.g., Quinn’s Bridgertons). And yet, simply stated, Slightly Married just lacks that special spark to make it memorable.

Book 2: Slightly Wicked
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Summary: Next we meet Rannulf Bedwyn, who seems to be the rake of the family. He’s off to visit his dying grandmother, who has made him heir to her estate and wants him to marry her dear friend’s granddaughter. Meanwhile, Judith Law is en route to her aunt’s home, where she is to stay as a companion and resident poor relation. After Judith’s stagecoach overturns, Ralf and his trusty steed stumble across the waylaid passengers and he offers to give one of them—Judith—a ride to the nearest inn. Judith decides this is her last chance at adventure before a life of servitude and impetuously introduces herself as Claire Campbell, actress. Ralf also gives a false name, and the two indulge in a brief affair before Judith leaves him in the lurch so that she can face reality. But soon after she arrives at her destination, she discovers that her one-time lover is her cousin’s intended suitor, and Ralf discovers that the experienced actress he bedded was really a virgin.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
I found this book much more engaging than Slightly Married. Despite the potential tawdriness of Ralf and Judith’s initial meeting, their encounter doesn’t come off as sleazy, and there is real conflict in this story. The main characters are nuanced and likeable, and the evolution of their relationship is believable. What’s more, I actually felt like they belonged together. A few of the secondary characters—notably Ralf and Judith’s grandmothers—are especially well done. Also, we see more a Freyja, who is the heroine of the next book in the series. I hated her (but was interested despite myself) in A Summer to Remember, merely disliked her in Slightly Married, and finally began to warm to her (a bit) in this book. I can’t wait to see how I feel about her in Slightly Scandalous.

Lucinda’s Thoughts:
Having read the whole series concerning the Bedwyn family, you are correct. Wulfric and Frejya’s stories are the most enjoyable. Also, Mary Balogh is one of the authors I go to when I need a light, entertaining read.

REVIEW: Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol by Jim Krieg

Rating: 4.5/5
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genre: Mystery

Summary: Griff Carver is a safety patrol legend, but after going too far in the name of justice he was expelled from his old school. Now he’s at Rampart Middle School and determined to sniff out the corruption lurking beneath the squeaky-clean surface. Unfortunately, Griff makes an immediate enemy of the school principal after calling him out for littering, and his new partner is an overly chatty Camp Scout who is blind to the fishy goings-on at Rampart.

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This is one of the best middle-grade novels I’ve read in ages—perhaps ever. Television writer Jim Krieg has cleverly taken the tone of a 40s’ noir film and applied it to a modern-day middle school. Griff is a hard-nosed, dedicated hall cop with an uncanny instinct for crime-solving. He’s suspicious of everyone and quickly catches on to a fake hall pass scheme. Along the way, he makes unlikely allies in his naive by-the-books partner, the school’s ambitious girl reporter, and a wise but mysterious janitor. Plus, an arch villain emerges who is sure to butt heads with Griff in future books. (Are you listening, Mr. Krieg? We want sequels, and lots of ’em!)

The narrative is actually a blend of first person accounts, most of them made up of guidance counselor interview transcripts from Griff’s perspective and incident reports from his super-conscientious partner Tommy. There are also a handful of snark-filled ~~diary~~ journal entries from ace reporter Verity King. I think this style allows each of the characters’ personalities to shine, and will likely appeal to Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans ready for a slightly more challenging read without the cartoons. There are a few words that will challenge younger readers, but Krieg’s easy, relaxed writing style will keep them eagerly turning the pages.

Overall, this is a smart, laugh-out-loud whodunit with style. Krieg creates a slightly skewed yet wonderfully realistic version of middle school, and his characters are engaging and likeable. Griff’s dedication is so intense it is comical, and his pithy remarks are often startlingly funny. Tommy’s bumbling earnestness is equally endearing. Griff Carver is a clever, fast-paced read, with kid-friendly humor and a vivid setting and characters. As I said earlier, I am really hoping for sequels so that I can visit again.

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Tracy’s Reviews