Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

Published in 2007 by Harper Teen
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Sometimes you have to get lost . . .

The Girl: Clio Ford, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.

The Mission: Survive her father's crazy antics. Oh, and also find some missing underwater treasure that could unlock the secrets of civilization.

The Crew: Dad's wacky best friend Martin, his bizarre research partner Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant assistant.

What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more cryptic than the sea—her own heart.

. . . to find what you're looking for.

Review:  Girl at Sea is an adorable tale of a young girl searching for herself, love, and buried treasure on the Mediterranean Sea.  This book does a really great job explaining the different dynamics of Clio's relationship with her friends, her father, and her budding romance with Adian.  The characters are totally believable.  The strongest part of Girl at Sea is the character development.  I had a clear sense of every character's opinions and goals even though the story was told from the perspective of Clio.  The romance with Adian was developed realistically.  There was not love at first sight, nor did some huge catastrophe bring them together. 

Girl at Sea book is not just a love story though.  There is an interesting mystery where Clio tries to discover the purpose of her father's mission and then the mysterious objective of the mission itself.  The historical experts add a fun bit of insight into their mission.

I also LOVED the setting of Girl at Sea.  I've been to Italy a couple of times and I've traveled to every location mentioned in the book.  Maureen Johnson did a wonderful job describing the Italian scenery and atmosphere. 

Overall Girl as Sea is a fun book about a girl growing up oh the high seas.  She encounters many adventures, some exciting and some dangerous, and through it all learns to forgive and love.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

#3 in Robert Langdon Series
Published in 2009 by Doubleday Books
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling--a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths... all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for... his most thrilling novel yet.

Review:  The Lost Symbol, the third installment in the Robert Langdon series, is an exciting adventure that combines ancient conspiracy theories and modern espionage, but lacks some of the magic of it's predecessors.  The Lost Symbol follows the basic formula as The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons; an evil villain hell bent on awakening some ancient power and bringing about the end of the world and our hero thrust into the fray, frantically trying to beat the clock and solve the puzzles before the villain can achieve their dastardly plan.  Brown again uses his knowledge of symbolism, history, and philosophy to weave a fictitious story founded in fact. 

I'm not sure where exactly The Lost Symbol missed the mark.  I think much of my dislike comes from the naivety of the two main characters.  They do things that didn't seem logical, such as agreeing to a meeting without ever confirming with their friend, believing text messages and not actually phone calls, not backing up their life's research, and just the general gullibility of the cast.  These people are supposed to be top scientists and scholars, but their lack of common sense made them seem unbelievable and unlikable. 

However, my biggest problem is the lack of completion at the end of The Lost Symbol.  In all of Brown's previous books, I finished with a sense of knowing.  All of the loose ends were tied up, I understood the motivations of the characters and the myths and truths that their believes were based upon.  However in The Lost Symbol the main plot concepts were never fully explained.  The ending is very anti-climatic, disappointing, and more than a bit confusing. 

There were smaller concepts that I found very interesting, in particular the noetic science that Katherine was investigating.  I found her story to be a lot more compelling than Roberts.  I cared more about her scientific discoveries than his symbollic history.

Overall The Lost Symbol is a good action story that has some very interesting concepts, but misses in the big payoff at the final reveal.

Top Ten Tuesday: 5/24/11 - Top Ten Books I Have Lied About

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.
Let me start by saying that I haven't lied about very many books.  I usually admit if I haven't read a book (unless I'm getting graded on it) and I'm also not afraid to state my opinion on a book, though maybe if I have a negative opinion I might soften the blow a bit.  Anyway, here's a list of the few books I can actually remember lying about.

TOP TEN BOOKS I HAVE LIED ABOUT

1.  1984 by George Orwell - I've never finished this book.  I had to read it in high school and I got 3/4 of the way through it then lost my copy.  I think I left it on the table at a Bob Evans...I never finished it for the class, which wasn't a big deal because we only worked on this book for about a week.  I've since learned how it ends and while the ending sounds cool, I'm not sure I could ever get through that boring chunk in the middle (it's like a political pamphlet?).

2.  The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane - This is another book I was supposed to read for school and didn't finish.  I remember being horribly bored and then mad because my class didn't even get to this book.

3.  The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - I lie about how much I liked these books.  I loved The Hobbit and I thought the movies were awesome, but I really didn't like the books at all.  However, I feel like I need to like these books because I like the genre so much.

4.  Whatever the Shitty Book I Had to Read My Freshman Year of College Was - This was the only book I've ever actually thrown in the garbage that wasn't damaged beyond all repair.  It was that bad.

5.  All Other Books by Jhumpa Lahiri Other Than The Namesake - I say that Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite authors, but I've only read one book she's written.  I think that in order to call an author your "favorite" author you need to read more than one of their books.

That's really all I can think of right now...

Teaser Tuesday 5/24/11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

 Jackson Hereaux was without a doubt a clever business man, but he was proving to be a stupid politician.  Having Connie arrested was dumb.  It drew attention to the Weres, had the potential to expose them.  A people so secretive would not appreciate a leader who couldn't manage a problem with more finesse than that.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

#1 in The Hunger Games Series
Published in 2008 by Scholastic
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. 

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review:  The Hunger Games is a fast paced science fiction adventure that is gruesome, thrilling, and completely consumed my life as I read it.  This books had a perfect balance of heart pumping action and romantic respites.  The Hunger Games is the first of a trilogy, and it does a wonderful job of introducing the characters and setting up the overlying conflict while still being a complete story within itself. 

I love the idea of people being forced to kill each other in a twisted game exerted by a government's control.  The Most Dangerous Game, The Running Man, Battle Royale, and now The Hunger Games present a captivating concept that is both horrifying and inspiring.  This concept allows us to examine how people would react when put in this situation; what conventions would fall to the wayside in favor of the animistic need for survival and what heroic and selfless acts would rise to the surface. 

I have a lot of love for the protagonist, Katniss.  She doesn't whine about all of the awful things that are happening to her, she doesn't spend her time pining over some boy, and she doesn't depend on others to take care of her.  She's tough as nails and will do what she has to do to survive.  She isn't perfect and she isn't evil either.  She has successes and makes mistakes, has moments of selflessness and self-centered greed, and posses astute shrewdness and youthful naivety.  All of which endear her to the reader and point toward a well rounded and thought out character. 

I really enjoyed the world of Panem.  In The Hunger Games we get a sense of how different the quality of life is in each district.  People are dying of starvation in District 12, where Katniss lives, and the people of the Capitol live in ridiculous excess.  There is already tension and resentment in this first book, and I think Collins does a wonderful job of subtly setting up the circumstances that drive the plots of the following books.  I also adore the attention to detail, from describing the thought put in behind Katniss's costumes, the interesting advances in technology, and the fact that orange juice can be a once in a life time treat.

Overall The Hunger Games is a great adventure that takes a harsh look at classism, government control, and the loss of humanity in extreme circumstances.  The Hunger Games is a gritty science fiction novel that will grab you by the heart and shake you to the core.

Booking Through Thursday 5/19/11



This is a weekly meme hosted by Booking Through Thursday in which every week a different question is posted that generally involved books and reading.

In contrast to last week’s question–What do you think of censoring books BECAUSE of their intended age? Say, books too “old” for your kids to read?

I think that it is largely up to the parents to be aware of what their children are doing/reading/watching/playing ect.  Parents should monitor everything that comes into the house and be aware of the content.  If there is any question the parents should read the book first and decide if they think it is appropriate, especially with elementary and middle school kids.  I also think that when their children hit high school they should give their kids more room to make their own decisions because their kids should be allowed to start judging the quality and content of materials on their own.

When it comes to libraries, there should be no banned books in public libraries.  I think that for an adult any and every book should be available.  However, with children I agree with restricted accounts.  When I was a kid I couldn't check out any movies and I think there might have been some books I couldn't check out, but I never ran into that.  Again I think that parents should approve the books before their kids check them out.  For school libraries I think that questionable books should be reviewed by a panel of teachers and parents to decide if these books are appropriate for the school library.  I also LOVE the idea of a restricted section (like in Harry Potter) that is for adults only and children have to get special permission to use. 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

#1 in The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series
Published in 2009 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
In Mary's world there are simple truths. 

The Sisterhood always knows best. 
The Guardians will protect and serve. 
The Unconsecrated will never relent. 
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. 

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her. 

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Review:  The Forest of Hand and Teeth gets one star for the description of the zombies (though not their explanation) and one star for the awesome title.  That's about it for the positive aspects of this book.

1. There needs to be an explanation for why the zombies exist, and the science has to make sense.  I am a stickler about there being science in science fiction and that science is based on fact.  If a virus causes the zombies I need to know how the virus is spread, where it originated, if it had an intended purpose or if it was just an accident, how it works in the body, ect.  I also need to know how the zombies specifically act in this story.  Are they fast or slow?  Are they thinking and planning zombies or mindless one?  Do they live until their bodies wear out or do they have to feed to survive?  I need to understand the cause of the zombies and how they act and why they act the way they do. 
2. There needs to be an explanation for the way society deals with the virus.  How do they adapt and what strategies have they developed to protect themselves from the zombies?  If there is a government still in place, why does it work, why do the citizens live the way they do, and what are the motivations of the governments decisions?
3. The heroes/heroines need to be smart.  They need to have an understanding of their enemy and survival needs to be their main focus.  They have to be imaginative, determined, and ready to fight.  That's the only way to survive a zombie apocalypse. 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth had none of these elements.  There was no explanation for the existence of zombies, just that they existed.  There seemed to be some knowledge hidden by the "government" of the village, but it was never revealed even though there were many opportunities for the main character to do some sleuthing.  There was almost no history about the zombie outbreak and how the village came to exist.  I got absolutely no understanding about how the zombies worked and how to best defeat them.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth was way too focused on the completely illogical romantic drama.  If the villagers believed that they were the last of humanity in the entire world, why would they force women into becoming nuns?  Shouldn't every viable womb be used to keep the population up?  I can understand forcing teens to marry in order for this to happen, but if a girl cannot find a match when she is 16 it made no sense for her to be forced into a life of celibacy.  Polygamy would have been a more logical system.  The particulars of Mary's relationship were also similarly mind boggling.  The teens involved inflicted a lot of unnecessary stress upon themselves.  They should have all just gotten together and talked about it.  A round table would have saved them all a LOT of problems.

I also really hated the attitude taken towards the zombies.  There seemed to be absolutely no protection and preparation beyond a few vaulted platforms and a chain link fence.  And where did all of the technology go?  This book read more like historical fiction than science fiction.  If it were me, people would be training every day in combat and survival skills, and they would all have the knowledge about zombies that was available. 
I'm surprised that these people lasted as long as they did because there was no preparation for a breach in their defenses.  They always seemed to be taken by surprise by a zombie attack, even though they had weeks to prepare.  The characters needed to get their priorities straight.

Overall I think this author had too many ideas and couldn't wrap them up.  None of my questions were answered or even hinted at having answers.  The Forest of Hands and Teeth focused too much on creating a complicated love square and didn't focus on the more pressing issue at hand, the fact that zombies were trying to eat some brains.  The zombies seemed like an afterthought added in to make a romance story more marketable. 

Top Ten Tuesday: 5/10/11 - Biggest Jerks in Literature

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

*I'm working my way through their old topics, so you will probably see a bunch of Tuesday posts on not Tuesdays for the next few weeks.  I just love making lists!*

TOP TEN BIGGEST JERKS IN LITERATURE

1.  Lord Voldemort from The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The big baddy from the Harry Potter series, Voldemort's goal in life is to RULE ALL THE THINGS, and he isn't afraid to do a little murdering and plundering in order to get it (ok a lot of murdering).  On top of that, he's collected a whole posse of jerks to go around and do his jerk bidding, which usually always is accompanied by more murdering and plundering. 

I know there's a hottie under there somewhere...



2.  Joffrey Baratheon from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

Joffrey is, in a word, a bitch.  He's the jerk who bullies kids who are weaker than him and beats puppies and kittens.  But as soon as he's faced with any consequences for his actions, he goes crying to his mother, who just happens to be the Queen.  This little shit gets away with so much, it's so unfair.  He has the mentality that because he will someday be king, he gets to do whatever he wants.  And the sad thing is that he's right and he knows it. 

3.  Edward Cullen from The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

I know there are a lot of Team Edwards out there right now protesting this, but Edward wasn't romantic or caring.  He was controlling, stalkerish, and WANTED TO EAT BELLA.  Am I the only one who cares about this fact?  Edward wraps Bella up in this completely controlling relationship until he's the only person in her life, then he leaves her.  How is that love?  Seriously, stop being so emo.

yep



4.  Mr. Wickham from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I am SO glad that Elizabeth figured out the truth!  She is way too clever to be with such a jerk.  Sure he may be a hottie, but that's no reason to go around trying to violate young girls for their money, especially when that young girl happens to be the sister of your childhood BFF.   Then on top of that there's no reason to try to steal said BFF's new love interest by telling garish lies!  He and idiotic Lydia deserve each other. 

5.  Iago from Othello by William Shakespeare

This guy is a master manipulator.  He's able to twist Othello's mind so subtly that before Othello knows it he has gone from being a man in love with a beautiful and trustworthy wife to a man so jealous he's ready to murder her.  And the reason Iago destroys these people lives?  He didn't get a promotion.  That's overreacting.

6.  Napolean from Animal Farm by George Orwell

Napolean leads the other animals of the farm in the uprising against humans for freedom, only to turn right around and put himself in tyrannical power.  He steals food, takes baby animals away from their mothers, banishes and executes animals that don't agree with him, and forces the other animals to do all of the work while he takes the credit. 

7.  Nathan Price from The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Nathan Price is an evangelical pastor that takes his family into the jungles of the Congo on a ministry that is barely supported.  There he tries to force his way of thinking upon his family and the villagers of Kilanga.  He treats the African people like idiots who are damning themselves to hell because they cannot accept Jesus as their savior, but he never bothers to learn anything about the African culture that could help spread his message in a more positive light.  He also rules over his family with a tight fist, physically and mentally abusing his four children and wife.  He cares more about a failing mission than the safety of his family, putting them in danger by refusing to let go of his pride and listening to the advice of others.

8.  Thenardier from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

He is a scam artist that steals money from the guests staying at his inn, spends the money Fantine sends for Cosette (and abuses the little girl for her troubles), and loots dead bodies on the battle field.  He cares nothing for other people and their suffering, just acquiring money by any means necessary.  

9.  Edmund from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Edmund is such a tool in this book!  Not only does he lie about going into Narnia, making Lucy look like a prat, but he sells himself to the white witch for some candy!  He's a traitor, and he's the reason Aslan is killed.   I'm glad that he learns his lesson and becomes much more bad ass (like in Voyage of the Dawn Treader) but in this first book all I can say is wow, what a jerk!

10.  All of the dudes from 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade

When it's your name that the word sadism - getting sexual gratification from causing pain on others - is derived from, you know you've been an extra special jerk.  The four men in 120 Days of Sodom gather up a bunch of sex slaves and go sequester themselves in a mansion for a never ending orgy of debauchery that gets progressively worse.  They pretty much perform every single horrible, vile act that you can imagine.  And since the book was never completed, they did it all in 30 days.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

#1 in The Iron Fey Series
Published in 2010 by Harper Teen
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.


Review:  The Iron King is an adorable take on many classic fairy tales and also invents some interesting new ones!  This book is a wonderful mashup of old and new ideas that are mixed around and tossed in the oven to bake up a batch of awesomeness!

I really loved the use of existing mythology to create this entirely new world.  I LOVE the idea behind the iron fey.  Why they exist, how they live, what their world looks like, it's something I've never read before and it MADE SENSE.  I also really liked what Kagawa did with the traditional fairy characters.  Their personalities were vibrant and I felt like I was in their world.  Kagawa does a wonderful job painting the picture of the magical realm.  Her words are descriptive and fluid and her characters are charming.  The Iron King is the first book of a series, but what's great is this book is a complete story in itself but also still alludes to a greater overall story that will connect the series.

Other aspects that I really loved were the supporting characters.  I LOVED Grimalkin, he is SUCH a cat.  I also loved Meghan's two love interests.  I would have liked to see more of Puck and I'm hoping that he will make a great appearance in the following books.  Ash is a great character, but why I always fall for the bad boys?  He's got a heavy sense of duty to his realm, but you can tell that deep down he's not so bad as the rest of his family.  I really appreciated the subtleness of the love triangle.  Meghan didn't immediately fall in love with one boy or the other (or both for that matter).  Kagawa took the time to establish the characters as individuals first, so that when feelings did develop they were believable.

The only criticism I have of this book is the lead character Meghan.  She seemed very helpless for the entirety of the book.   She is very weak and needs other people to take care of her.  Meghan does have a couple clever moments, but most of the time she's frozen in fear.  The most frustrating part is that I knew she had so much power inside of her, and it seemed like she was just too scared to use it.  I'm hoping that in  the coming books for this series she will grow into her ability and heritage and be more of the fighting-kick-ass-warrior-fairy-woman I know she can be.

Overall The Iron King is an excellent first installment in a series that pays tribute to the traditional fairy stories while creating a completely new world that is just as unique and magical.

Teaser Tuesday 5/17/11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

"I realized it was a trap as soon as I stepped inside the lab and saw all those other girls" I say, my fingers automatically curling like claws.  "I Fought.  I scratched, bit, kicked.  It didn't matter.  They herded all of us into a van.  And I don't know how long we were riding.  Hours.  Sometimes we'd stop, the doors would open, and more girls would come in.  It was so awful in there."

Top Ten Tuesday: 5/17/11 - Top Minor Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN MINOR CHARACTERS

1.  Mitsuko Souma from Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.

This girl is BAD ASS.  While the rest of her class is trying to work together or crying over their unfortunate fate, she gets straight to the killing.  She's been through a lot of shit which has made her a fighter.  Her number one priority in the games is to LIVE.  Can't fault her for that.

She'll kill you and not think twice.  Because she's awesome.



2.  Fantine from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

Poor Fantine, she just can't seem to catch a break.  She's left pregnant by her jerk off boyfriend, forced to leave her child in the care of some very unsavory people, resorts to prostitution to help pay for her child, and ultimately dies from some icky disease without ever seeing her child again.  She's barely in a third of the book, but it's her death that springs Valjean into action.  Before he was just on the run trying to avoid being caught, but her death gives Valjean the one thing he hasn't found, a purpose in life.

3.  Reepicheep from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Reepicheep embodies the phrase "size doesn't matter".  He's a feisty mouse who's vicious with a rapier and stylish with a red plume tucked behind his ear.  He values honor, loyalty, and chivalry, and will protect those he loves with everything he has.  This mouse means business, and you would be unwise to underestimate him.



4.  Lee Jordan in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The "third" Weasley twin, Lee is the faithful accomplice in spreading Fred and George's mayhem around Hogwarts.  He's also the commentator during the Quiddich matches, which he uses to slam on Slytherins and hit on Angelina Johnson.  He's always there fighting for what's right, a true Gryffindor and member of Dumbledore's Army.

5.  Martha from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Martha is the first character to be kind to Mary.  She sees past Mary's contrariness to the little orphan girl who is in a new place and is scared and lonely.  She teaches Mary how to use her imagination and starts getting her to go outside to play.  Martha helps Mary learn about the healing powers of nature and gardening.

6.  The Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This cat pops up at random times throughout Alice's travels to provide amusing, if somewhat annoying, conversation and advice.  His infamous grin is iconic in literary history as the trademark of Alice's mischievous guide.



7.  Aphrodite from The House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast

 While not a main character, Aphrodite goes through the most personal growth of  all the characters in this series.  She starts off as the bitchy queen bee, then slowly learns friendship and acceptance.  As the series goes on we see her break down her tough exterior and become vulnerable, though she never loses her quick wit and sharp tongue.  Plus, the girl has a wicked sense of style.   

8.  Chip "The Colonel" Martin in Looking for Alaska by John Green

The colonel befriend Miles, the new kid at school, and invites him into his circle of friends.  They soon form a tightly knit group of friends who play pranks on their bossy teachers and snobby classmates.  After tragedy strikes they lean on each other for support even with a gaping hole in their circle.  The colonel is loyal to those he loves, perhaps to a fault.  *Honorable mention goes to Takumi Hikohito's fox hat.  No one can catch the mother fucking fox!

9.  Cinna from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Cinna is Katniss's primary stylist, and a huge factor in her success during the hunger games.  He later goes on to be a rebellion supporter, and is later killed for his defiant actions.  Even though he is no longer alive, his clothing designs live on, providing continual encouragement for the rebellion.

10.  Lyanna Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

Lyanna Stark was the beauty that started a war.  Younger sister to Eddard Stark, she was betrothed to his best friend Robert Baratheon, who loved her very much.  When she disappeared with rival Rhaegar Targaryen (it is unknown if she was kidnapped or went willingly) her father declared war upon king Aerys Targaryen, Rhaegar's father.  While Robert attacked the crown, Eddard rode to save Lyanna, but she was slain in the tower where she was held captive.  Robert became king, but because Lyanna was dead he married Cersei Lannister instead. 

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

#1 in Hush, Hush Series
Published in 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. 

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. 

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Review:  Hush, Hush is an ominous and titillating tale of forbidden love at dangerous stakes.  Nora is attracted to Patch for all of the wrong reasons.  She throws caution to the wind to find out the secrets of the boy she cannot ignore.  Hush, Hush is full of conflict for the protagonist, who must decide between the safty of ignorance and the danger of knowing.

The best parts of this book were the suspense and sexual tension scenes.  The writing during these parts was fantastic, and drove me to read more.  The pacing and timing of the conversations was well executed, especially on the parts of Vee(the funny BFF) and Patch (even though he has a really stupid name). I also really liked the lore behind the fallen angel, where they come from, what they can do, and what are their goals.  The ending was well done, there was enough resolution to complete the book while still giving enough new information to make me want to read the second book, Crescendo.

 However, I did have some issues with the main character Nora.  At first she is presented as a very intelligent and independent girl who is hoping to get into an ivy league school, but as soon as Patch comes along we seem to loose all sight of that girl.  Nora is very illogical and impulsive at times, while at other times she was so cautious she was teetering towards prudishness.  There were times where she was afraid of Patch, and rightfully so as he is not a peaceful character to say the least, but she still goes with him or does what he says.  She flip flops between being suspicious of him and being lustfully attracted to him.  Nora is the girl you scream at during horror movies, the one who goes up to the attic in her underwear with a dead cell phone and a broken flashlight. 

Sadly there are many similarities to Twilight.  The overall plot is pretty much the same and the relationship between the main characters is very similar as well.  I was disappointed because I was looking for something different and never got it.  I am hoping that in Crescendo the focus will be on the angel lore and less on the chaotic relationship that has no real logic and borders on abusive.  (ok often dives head first into the abusive pool).

Overall, Hush, Hush has an interesting conecpt but got lost in the need to have a mysterious and dangerous love affair.  There are enough redeeming qualities for me to want to read the next book, but not enough for me to feel any urgency at getting to it.

Teaser Tuesday 5/10/11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan

Miranda took delicate hold of that desire with a wisp of her power and tugged at it lightly, saying in a low voice, "It's all right, sir.  You're on break.  You need to go outside and have a cigarette."

Feed by Mira Grant

#1 in Newsflesh Series
Published in 2010 by Orbit
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
In 2014, two experimental viruses—a genetically engineered flu strain designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to act as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as "Marburg Amberlee"—escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks.

It raised the dead. 

Millions died in the chaos that followed. The summer of 2014 was dubbed "The Rising," and only the lessons learned from a thousand zombie movies allowed mankind to survive. Even then, the world was changed forever. The mainstream media fell, Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy, and the CDC rose to a new level of power. 

Set twenty years after the Rising, the Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection. Danger, deceit, and betrayal lurk around every corner, as does the hardest question of them all: 

When will you rise?


Review:   Feed is a fantastic book about how the American economic and political system would rebound from a viral outbreak that reanimated the dead.  It looks at how people would adapt and what would become the highest priority to the government.  Feed is an epic first book that I cannot get out of my mind.  Even months after reading it I am still mulling over the points of the plot, character motivations, and the emotional roller coaster of a perfectly fashioned ending.

The story follows twins Shaun and Georgia and their friend and tech guru Buffy who work together as bloggers.  Georgia is a hard hitting news reporter who is focused on the facts and getting to the bottom of the true story; Shaun is an action packed stunt man who puts himself in danger for his readers entertainment; and Buffy writes romanticized fiction and poetry as well as providing some kick ass security and secret agent spy material.  Feed does a wonderful job with the blogging world, fully explaining how the system rose in the wake of the epidemic.  It also does a great job with the technology aspects fully describing hidden cameras an microphones as well as virus test apparatuses and procedures which really immerse the reader in the lifestyles in the book. 

While there is no major romantic relationship in this book, there is emotion on every page.  I became extremely attached to this trio and Grant does this so subtly that at times I was bawling without really knowing how I got there.  Feed expertly uses the camaraderie that develops from surviving near death situations, the love that siblings can share, and telling experts from their very different blogs to create characters that leave lasting impressions. 

Overall Feed is a well researched, planned, and executed zombie novel that fully explains the science behind the epidemic while still creating a world where the reader feels true emotional investment with the characters.  An instant classic for all fans of the genre. 

Sidenote: I also LOVE the pun of the title.  Not only is it referencing and blog RSS feed, but it also (obviously) references zombies feeding on brains.  Awesome.

Paper Towns by John Green

Published in 2008 by Dutton Juvenile

5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.
 
After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of listeners.

Review: Paper Towns is an interesting look at obsessive teenage love and how our ideas of a person can become much grander than the person themselves.  This book tells the tale of a boy who discovers himself by searching for the girl of his dreams.  Only she isn't the girl of his dreams, she's Margo.  She has her own faults and shortcomings.  She is a real person, not a dream girl whose only purpose in life is to lead Quentin down the road of self understanding through her uncanny wisdom and quirky personality.  She is the anti manic pixie dream girl.  Paper Towns is romantic but honest portrayal of love, loss, and expectation. 

Paper Towns has many other wonderful aspects as well.  While rich in metaphor and contemplation, it also has a wonderful sense of humor with perfect timing delivered by an endearing supporting cast.  One thing I love about John Green's writing is the sprinkling of hilariously casual observations such as:

"I'm not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is."

"Talking to a drunk person was like talking to an extremely happy, severely brain-damaged three-year-old."

"Traveling, I am finding, teaches you a lot of things about yourself. For instance, I never thought myself to be the kind of person who pees into a mostly empty bottle of Bluefin energy drink while driving through South Carolina at seventy-seven miles per hour - but in fact I am that kind of person."

It's in this voice that John Green truly stands out as a writer of his own class.  He can connect to the reader in such a friendly and self deprecating way that allows the reader to be in the moment of the book.  I believed that these were my friends, I was at my school, and I learned things about myself.  Paper Towns was a book that came full circle for this author.  In Looking for Alaska he uses MPDG as a plot device and in Paper Towns he breaks her apart and shows her faults. 

Overall Paper Towns is an amazing book about learning to look at yourself and others for who they really are, not what you wish they could be.  This book is a unique gem, and should not be missed.

"The fundamental mistake I had always made--and that she had, in fairness, always led me to make--was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl."

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

#1 in Uglies Series
Published in 2005 by Simon Pulse
3 Stars

Goodreads Summary
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.


But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.


Review:  Uglies is the first book in a science fiction series that makes some not-too-subtle comments on societies views on beauty, the environment, and government mind control.  Uglies is a warning that getting what you want might not be all it's cracked up to be, and that people need to be more conscious of their decision making as independent beings, not drones who will follow the crowd. 


The main character in Uglies seems very one dimensional to me, but I think this might be more of the culture in which she was raised.  Her main focus throughout half of this book was to become pretty, no matter the cost.  However, some of her actions contradicted  this way of thinking.  She is willing to betray close friends and condemn them to prison or perhaps death, but she also breaks rules and does a lot of silly things that could put her chances of having the surgery in jeopardy.  Why would she take any risks if being pretty was so important to her?  I also did not like her supposed "best friend" Shay.  If Tally cared so much about her, why would she be willing to betray her?  Also if Shay liked Tally so much, why wouldn't she have tried harder to convince Tally to follow if she truly believed in what she said she did?  The minor characters, such as David's parents, were much more interesting and I found myself wishing for more back story to how this society even came to exist.


There were also some glaring plot holes.  Tally watches old black and white movies, but has no idea what train tracks are, thinks the name "David" is unusual, and she had no idea what magazines were.  This I found confusing and could have easily been fixed by having Tally watch movies made in her time.  I also thought the whole idea of the society was a bit ridiculous.  It made no sense that once a person becomes pretty they get to go party hard all day and have absolutely no responsibilities.  How do they prepare for the jobs they take when they reach middle age?  The set up of the entire society seems forced.


There were parts of this book that I really did enjoy.  I loved all of the technology and reading about how society has advanced and adapted.  There is a real focus on renewable resources such as solar power that I found interesting.  I also liked the language of the book.  There were some really fun slang words like "bubbly" to express something that is fun and interesting (I have read in other review that people found this really annoying but I think it adds to the mindless nature of the pretties).  There was some very interesting contrast between those who accept the pretty lifestyle and those who reject it.  I also really enjoyed all of the sweet hoverboarding and the technology behind how the machine works.


Overall Uglies is the first book in a series that has an intention to comment on society's values under the guise of a science fiction thriller, but falls somewhat short of the mark.  This series seems to make a stronger argument for the "bad" lifestyle, missing the author's objective.  I will be interested to see if this theme develops more strongly in the later books of the series or continues to fall apart.