Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Published March 22, 2011 by Philomel Books
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Review:  Between Shades of Gray is an important book for people to read because it brings awareness to a side of World War II that doesn't get a lot of attention.  The atrocities that were committed in concentrations camps, as terrible as they were, were not the only crimes committed during the war and those victims weren't the only victims. 

I honestly had no idea what was happening in Lithuania and other eastern European countries until I read Between Shades of Gray.  The work camps in Russia were just as horrible as the concentration camps but their history is nowhere near as well know.  I think Between Shades of Gray tells the stories of the victims of tyrannical government gracefully and with care.  It doesn't exploit their pain but it doesn't sugar coat it either. 

I really loved all of the characters, but in particular I greatly admired Lina's mother.  She is so strong and sacrifices literally everything she has to try and make things a little bit easier for her children.  She is amazingly strong and I admired her bravery.

Between Shades of Gray is a book that needs to be taught in schools.  It's the kind of book that will open your eyes to the horrors that don't make it into history courses.  These are the kinds of stories that need to be heard so we can remember the victims and so we can prevent things like this from happening in the future. 

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

#2 in the Infernal Devices series
Published December 6, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.

Review:  I can't believe I actually liked a Cassandra Clare novel. I never thought I would see the day.  This is my fifth Cassandra Clare book and the first one I can say I honestly enjoyed.  Even though the main plot didn't really go anywhere (much like Clare's other middle books City of Ashes and City of Lost Souls) I wasn't bored, unlike the other middle books.    

Honestly, the character development in the Infernal Devices is so much stronger than in The Moral Instruments it feels like two different authors.  I don't understand how engaging the characters of The Infernal Devices can be and how flat and dull the characters are in The Mortal Instruments.  There are a lot of writing faults in The Infernal Devices.  The word "startlingly" is used way too much!  It's like Cassandra Clare thinks that everyone in Victorian England walked around jumping at literally everything they see "ooh your eyes are blue!",  "ooh you are handsome!", "ooh your skin is pale!".  Just stop, seriously, it's so bad.  I also feel that Will is incredibly anachronistic.  I know he's supposed to be a rapscallion, but the way he talks is just too modern. 

I thought the romance was really well done.  I mean, this is of course the over used love triangle trope, but The Infernal Devices is actually successful because we don't know who Tessa will choose.  Both Will and Jem are viable options and we as readers actually have to read the rest of the series to see what will unfold.  So even though Will was a huge idiot (seriously, didn't he ever think to I dunno, talk to someone about his issues?  Why would he just take everything he was told as the truth and believe it blindly?  I don't understand) and I don't thing Jem (my boo) has a snowballs chance in hell, I'm excited for clockwork princess.

Overall The Infernal Devices series is turning out to be leaps and bounds better than the Mortal Instruments.  If I may be completely truthful I would recommend just skipping the Moral Instruments all together and starting with Clockwork Angel.  You get the same characters and plot, but more interesting versions.

A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner

#1 in the Infinity Ring series
Published August 28, 2012 by Scholastic Inc.
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel -- a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring -- they're swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course.Now it's up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak's missing parents while they're at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

Review:  The Infinity Ring is a really fun and interactive series for kids.  Not only is it a fun science fiction series that incorporates historical events (educational!) there is also an online element where kids can play a game that continues the adventure.  It's a great series for reluctant readers and could be used by parents to connect with their kids on the computer as well.

I think the Infinity Ring series could be a great tool for teachers.  Each book focuses on a different point in history and this could be used in the classroom to discuss the events around those major historical events and why they are important.  The computer game is a great hook to help draw kids in to introduce them to reading about history.

I was lucky enough to go to a book signing for A Mutiny in Time.  James Dashner is one of the most passionate authors I have ever met.  Not only does he enjoy the writing process, but he really cares about education and getting kids excited to read.  On the day of the signing he had spent his morning at local elementary schools talking to kids about reading and getting them excited about books and school.  It was very encouraging to see many young kids (and boys!) at the book signing event.  Dashner had obviously made an impression on the kids and it was so awesome to see their enthusiasm about the series.

Overall A Mutiny in Time is a great start to a fun multi platform series.  The Infinity Ring will appeal to kids ages 9-11, which I think is a very crucial age for developing an appreciation for books.  It's series like the Infinity Ring that will lay the ground work a life long love of reading.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

#1 in The Infernal Devices series
Published August 31, 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013.In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

Review:  Clockwork Angel is an interesting novel in that it produces a conundrum.  I think it was better than The Mortal Instruments books, but pretty much the exact same story and characters.  I would love to see Casssandra Clare write something other than a love triangle of sarcastic teens with modelesque good looks.  All of her characters are the same, and it's getting old.   

While the writing was better, this did not really work as a historical or steampunk novel.  These characters are most certainly not Victorian, they are written in a modern voice with mostly modern sensibilities.  Occasionally Tessa will think that something isn't proper or that servants shouldn't act a certain way, but because none of the characters ever seemed to follow Victorian propriety all this did was make Tessa look judgemental and prudish.  It felt like all of the ideas about Victorian society came from Wikipedia.  Also, just having a cheap imitation of Dr. Who's cybermen doesn't make your novel steampunk.  Steampunk is highly stylizied speculative fiction and just inserting a few robots and putting "clockwork" in the title doesn't cut it.  This felt very gimmicky and like a way to cash in on a popular trend.

Now with that said, I still did enjoy Clockwork Angel.  Third times a charm I guess.  I think this is largely due to Jem, the one character that felt new and fresh to Cassandra Clare's world.  Tessa and Will are pretty much carbon copy's of Clary and Jace, but Jem actually felt like a fleshed out character with a unique back story.  I was actually surprised at how excited I was to read a different character from Cassandra Clare (can you tell that I've been marathoning all of her books back to back?). 

Overall the best offering from Cassandra Clare, but when you consider her other novels that's not saying much.  I think if I hadn't read The Moral Instruments before Clockwork Angel I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but sadly this comes off as a more polished version of the novel she has already written.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Published September 18, 2012 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

#1 in The Diviners series

5 stars

Goodreads Review
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Review:  The Diviners by Libba Bray is a dense book. This is by far one of the most historically rich young adult books I have ever read. The amount of effort and research Bray put into The Diviners is immediately apparent. Not only do we get the more surface historical elements such as bobbed hair and flappers and speakeasies, but we also get the political, social, and economic climate of the time period in a masterfully subtle way. I think that is the greatest strength of The Diviners. The historical elements are fully integrated into the story in a beautifully seamless way.

Besides the awesome historical element, I really enjoyed the occult aspect to The Diviners. I loved "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies" as well as the various rituals and ghosty things that happen. I think there's a wonderful blend of fact and fiction that creates a really interesting story. I think some people may be initially turned off by the occult elements, but I think if you just remember that this is 100% fictional it will be ok. (I personally love creepy Halloween stuff so that was a huge selling point for me).

Now let's just take a minute to discuss Naughty John. That is one CREEPY mofo. Seriously, Naughty John is one of the best villains I have ever read. I would say he is on par with Stephen King's ghostly bad guys, which are really about as good as you can get. I think a lot villains in YA are watered down but not Naughty John. He's a great villain and I'm really excited when YA authors take their villain out of the box the way Bray did.

The other characters were also wonderful. I really liked Evie, even if she started off rather shallow, I think there will be a lot of growth with her character. I also really liked Theta and Mable, Evie's two friends. I liked their friendship a lot. I've said it before, but I love YA that has girls being friends with other girls. I think it's really important to include in YA and I think The Diviners does a great job.

My only real complaint about The Diviners is the sheer density of the book. Not only is it almost 600 pages, but the story is so full of background and historical elements that it can be a little daunting. This really isn't a negative, more of an observation that The Diviners was a slow burn for me.

Overall The Diviners is an impressive YA novel and really stands above a lot of historical fiction (YA or not). The excellent paranormal mystery woven into one of the most comprehensive historical novels that I've ever read makes The Diviners by Libba Bray an achievement for the YA genre.

Les Miserables Movie Review

Released December 25, 2012
Rated PG-13
Directed by Tom Hooper
Starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe
Won 3 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway)
Nominated for 8 Academy Awards

I want to preface this review by saying that I am a massive theater geek and have been so for my entire life, and Les Miserables is my FAVORITE.  So when I heard that Tom Hooper was making a movie version of the stage musical I was equal parts chihuahua-quivering excited and nervous.  I was worried that this movie wouldn't live up to my expectations.  This worry was further expanded when the cast was announced (you can watch my reaction here). 

 Well, after seeing the film I will freely admit that I was terribly wrong.

First, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Les Miserables, let me give you a quick overview of the plot and characters.  Jump down to the review section if you don't want spoilers.

PLOT

The main character is a man named Jean Valjean (which I always found kind of odd, like naming your kid William Carlos Williams) who is played by Hugh Jackman.  At the start Valjean has been in prison for 20 years for thievery and attempted escape.   We meet Inspector Javert, played by Russell Crowe, who tells Valjean he's being released on parole but has to carry papers identifying him as a criminal for the rest of his life.  While looking for work Valjean meets an unusually generous Bishop (played by Colm Wilkinson, the OG Valjean!) and experiences a life changing epiphany, causing Valjean to tear up his papers and take on a new identity, vowing to change his life and be a better man.

Fast forward a few years and Valjean is living as a very successful business man who owns a factory where a woman named Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is working.  It's revealed that Fantine has an illegitimate child, Cosette, who lives with an innkeeper in another town.  Fantine is fired for her moral impropriety and is forced to work as a prostitute in order to support her child.  Valjean finds out about this and takes Fantine to the hospital and tells her he's going to get Cossette.  However before he can leave Javert, who doesn't recognize him as the escaped convict, tells him that he's arrested a man who has been mistakenly identified as Valjean.  Unable to live with another man going to prison in his place, Valjean reveals himself to Javert and escapes to find Cossette.  Cossette has been living with the Thenardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham-Carter)  and their daughter Eponine (Samantha Barks), a rather unsavory family that runs an inn and steals from their patrons.  Valjean is having none of that and takes Cossette, narrowly evading Javert and escaping into a convent in Paris.

Fast forward a few more years, and Cossette has grown into beautiful young woman (played by Amanda Seyfried) and Paris is once again in turmoil.  Note, this is not the French Revolution, which ended about 30 years prior, but the much smaller June Rebellion brought on by the monarchy that was set up after the revolution (and it was just as inefficient as the first one).  One of the revolutionists, a student named Marius (played by Eddie Redmayne), meets Cossette on the street and the two fall instantly in love.  They plan to run away together but before they can the revolution begins and riots break out in the street.

Javert tries to infiltrate the barricades but he is identified and taken prisoner.  Valjean, realizing that Cossette is in love with Marius, goes to the barricade to protect him and is given the option to execute Javert but chooses to let him go.  The students were hoping that all of Paris would rise up to fight like in the previous revolutions, but no such luck.  They are mowed down but Valjean escapes with a wounded Marius into the sewers.  Javert discovers them but chooses to let Valjean go, and has a bit of a mid-life crisis. 

Valjean reveals himself to Marius but asks him not to tell Cossette because having a convict for a father would ruin her reputation.  He tells her he's going on a trip and goes into hiding.  At their wedding Marius realizes (through a botched attempt at blackmail from the Thierdiners) that it was Valjean who rescued him from the barricades and he and Cossette hurry to Valjean's death bed.  Valjean gives Cossette a letter telling her about Fantine and his true identity, then peacefully passes on with Fantine and Eponine/the bishop (depending on if you're watching the stage musical or the movie). 

The whole thing ends with a rousing rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing" and it's all very heart warming and emotional.  Expect to cry a lot.

Review

OK you've either skipped down or made it to the review!  HOLLA!  I'm going to be reviewing the movie only, and I won't be talking about the plot, so for those who don't want spoilers, you're good.  Also note, this is a movie musical, so there will be singing!  (you won't believe how many people I've heard complaining that there was too much singing!  Are you serious!?)

First thing first.  I have to admit that I was sososososo wrong about Anne Hathaway.  She was AMAZING as Fantine.  I Dreamed a Dream is probably the most famous song from the musical and I think a lot of people expected a Susan Boyle rendition.  What we got was so much more.  I loved how they put I Dreamed a Dream after Lovely Ladies.  That adds so much despair to the song.  I always imagined that Fantine was pissed off because she had just gotten fired, but after Lovely Ladies that song becomes completely discouraged and hopeless.  Bottom line:  She was great and homegirl better win the oscar or immabe MAD.

The other actor that deserves all the praise is Hugh Jackman.  He was AMAZING.  I already knew he could sing thanks to a DVD of Oklahoma, but he knocked this one out of the part.  In particular I want to highlight his performance during the soliloquy.  That had me BAWLING.  But not only that scene is notable, because he carried this musical.  I heard in one interview that he did the belted "begin" at the end of the soliloquy 24 times in one day.  24!!!  Now that's what I call devotion.

Photo Credit

 

The rest of the cast I thought was strong with the exception of two actors (well more like 1.5).  I wasn't a huge fan of Amanda Seyfried, largely due to my opinion that her voice sounded unsupported and often out of range.  However I thought she looked the part and I thought her acting was really good, so I can let a weaker voice slide. 

The one actor that I really didn't like (and I'm not alone in this opinion) is Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert.  Good lord that was a bad choice (Mandy Patinkin anyone?  Am I alone in this wish?).  Everything about Russell Crowe was bland at best.  And am I the only one who thought the ledge walking during Stars was just weird and uncomfortable?  What was up with that?  Poor Javert, he's such an interesting and compelling character and he really got the shaft, not just in terms of actor but story telling in general.  I thought a lot of his character was just glossed over. 

Aside from the sadness that is Russell Crowe, the rest of the movie was great.  I loved the costumes and makeup, as well as the sets.  I especially loved the book additions that would be difficult to replicate onstage, such as the galley prison in Toulon, climbing the walls to get into Paris, and The Elephant of the Bastille statue during the funeral parade.  There were some times when parts of the musical were rearranged or cut down, but overall I thought it was tactfully done, with a lot of effort made to keep the movie as genuine to the source material as possible.

I also wanted to mention the directorial choice to sing live during filming as opposed to pre-recording.  I thought that was a brilliant choice and gave the actors the opportunity to really get into character and gave them some stylistic freedom that a recording doesn't allow. 

Overall I thought Les Miserables was a fantastic and faithful adaptation of my favorite musical.  This was an adaptation that was created with a lot of care and respect for an iconic piece of literature and Broadway classic. 

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress + GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

Published December 6, 2012 by Dial
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns–and the heroines who use them all.

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

Review:  The Friday Society is simply a fun read.  What I loved the most about The Friday Society was the girl power vibe.  Cora, Michiko, and Nellie were all smart, independent, and resourceful but still had different shortcomings they had to overcome with a little help from their friends. 

The three main characters were the best part of this novel.  It is incredibly refreshing to read a YA that has girls working together to solve a problem, not fighting or swooning over some boy.  I think The Friday Society has just the right balance of boy angst in that it's there, but it's not the main focus of the novel.  This kind of relationship between girls, friends helping other friends, is really important in YA and sadly very lacking.  I also loved how the three girls start off as assistants, but throughout the course of the book they find their own agency and really take control of their lives. 

The actual story is cute.  It's not anything wildly substantial, but it's entertaining and exciting and would make a super fun teen movie.  I wouldn't have minded some of the science to be more fleshed out, but I'm really picky about science and understanding how things work in a novel.  I did find some of the technology in The Friday Society to be a bit convenient so I really had to stop questioning it and just let it happen.  There's a lot of just silliness in the book (they dress up in super hero costumes at the end to go fight the bad guys) but I just kind of had to be like Michiko and go along with it, even as I rolled my eyes.

The biggest negative was that the book was written with a very modern voice despite the historical setting.  However as I continued to read the novel I enjoyed it more and more.  Sure the book is set in Edwardian England, but I could completely related to these girls and was really cheering them on. 

The Friday Society is a cute and silly novel that I think would work well as an introduction to steampunk and alternative history.  I think it's a perfect book for a middle school aged reader and has a great message of team work, friendship, and a healthy dose of girl power.

Congratulations to the winner of the giveaway, BookYAReview!

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

#1 in the Graceling Realm series
Published October 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.     When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

     With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Review:  Graceling is hands down one of the best examples of YA high fantasy I've ever read.  It is action packed, well thought out, and never got static or predictable.  There is a great foundation set in the world building that really allows the characters to shine. 

I really believe that good high fantasy is based on good geography;.  When you write high fantasy, you're creating an entire new world, and how that world works is based upon their geography.  Coastal countries should have port cities, colder regions can trade furs and game, warmer regions grains and fruits. There are going to be areas that have better advantages in war because of a river placement or a mountain range.  There are going to be different cultures, economies, governments, religions, and dialects, and can get very confusing all on its own even without adding in a magical element.  I think Graceling handles all of these elements well while still keeping it simple enough for younger readers.

I also really enjoyed the main characters, Katsa and Po.  I loved the growth that Katsa goes through and I like how their relationship develops.  I LOVE how Katsa takes charge of her life and decides that she will have lovers without marriage.  In medieval settings it's rare to find a woman who is open about this kind of sexual arrangement and who really takes control of her life (I'm thinking of the women in Game of Thrones) which makes Katsa even that more refreshing in the fantasy genre.  I also loved Po.  I thought he was what a YA love interest should be, supportive, understanding, and a hottie (that goes without saying though).  Po isn't perfect, he has his own insecurities and short comings, but he never tries to dominate Katsa and I really like the dynamic the two have (plus Cashore doesn't sky away from the sexy times which is AWESOME).

Overall Graceling is everything that everyone has been telling me, exciting, interesting, intelligent, and totally awesome.  I highly recommend this novel as one of the best high fantasy novels in the YA genre.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

#1 in the Grisha Trilogy
Published June 5, 2012 by Henry Holt and Co.
4/5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. 

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Review:  Shadow and Bone is really hard to rate and review. It was nothing like what I expected, which is good and bad. There were many aspects that I found extremely frustrating and unoriginal, but even with my grievances I could not put this book down. Shadow and Bone was a read until 2am, sneak pages during work, and walk around doing everything one handed because it is just that compelling kind of a book. 

The story of Shadow and Bone starts off totally awesome, but then slides into very typical YA fare. There are mean girls and boarding school antics and a sexy dark mysterious hottie OMG!!!! It was so frustrating because there is a very interesting foundation for Shadow and Bone but it is just buried under trite YA carp. The story does turn back to the awesome later on, but the aspects of the story that lead our character to make changes felt forced and extremely convenient. 

The main character Alina has a bit of a Bella Swan syndrome. She is told she is special, she has a destiny, but she just constantly denies it because the magical Grisha are “beautiful and striking” where Alina is “plain and awkward.” It’s definitely a case of “I’m so ugly, I’m so plain, there’s no way I’m special!” mentality which is completely annoying. And of course the first thing they do to her is give her a super magical makeover! Too much time is spent focusing on physical attributes that ultimately give very little to the overall story. 

I also had some pretty major issues with parts of the writing. Alina and her friends sounded like modern American teenagers. They say things like "you guys" and "you're crazy" and "that's his problem" and other expressions that modernize the narrative and took me out of the story. In my opinion, when you write a fantasy that has a historical feeling to it, you can't use modern expressions or culturally specific ones that don't match the culture of the characters. 

Speaking of culture, I know that this is just based on Russian history and the author has taken creative liberties (obviously, there's magic and whatnot) but the basic linguistic structure should still be the same. Doing research to make sure you don't completely change the definition of an existing word or name a girl the Russian equivalent of "Kevin" is really important, and I feel like this did not happen.

Also I think when you write different cultures with different languages, anyone from the same country should have the same speaking style (ie Baghra speech is broken, but as far as we know she was born and raised in the same country as Alina, who speaks perfectly. Botkin, being from a different country, is ok speaking in broken English because he wouldn't be fluent in their native tongue). I realize this is more of me nitpicking, but I really liked where the author was going, it just didn’t quite get there for me.

Now based on this review you might think that I would be giving Shadow and Bone a two or even one star rating. I chose to give it a four star rating because even with all of my complaints, I still really enjoyed this book. Despite its faults Shadow and Bone is completely enthralling and has so much potential to grow. I think a lot rides on the second book of the series, but I’m really hoping the author will take the fantastic history and word she has built and leave the overdone plot devices behind. 

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

Published September 14, 2010 by Henry Holt and Co.
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. The ghost of the last maid will not leave Tabby in peace, yet this spirit is only one of many. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave? 

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. He is determined to keep Seldom House as his own. Though Tabby tries to befriend the uncouth urchin, her kindness cannot alter his fate. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him. 

Review:  Confession time.  I have never read Wuthering Heights.  I don't really know what it's about.  I know there's a boy named Heathcliff and he's a bit of a douche to a girl named Cathy, but beyond that I got nothing.  The House of Dead Maids reads like a middle grade prequel/inspiration story for Wuthering Heights.  I think it would be great for a middle school student to help introduce them to the more Bronte/Austen style of writing.  I could see The House of Dead Maids being used in a middle school classroom and then Wuthering Heights being taught later in High School. 

The House of Dead Maids is very creepy.  I could totally see it being an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark.  The story telling and pacing are very well done and while it isn't extremely scary, it maintains a level of suspense throughout the entire novel.  I also thought the ending of The House of Dead Maids was very clever.  I liked how it ties in the Bronte sisters and hints at the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.  It an interesting addition to the Wuthering Heights tale, and it has definitely made me want to read Wuthering Heights. 

Overall The House of Dead Maids is a great middle grade Gothic tale that maintains a a suspenseful tone without becoming too scary.  I think will help spur an interest in classics in young readers and I would recommend it to any reader who is looking for a quick and ghostly story.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlick

Published in 1999 by Vintage
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Oprah Book Club® Selection, February 1999: Originally published in Switzerland, and gracefully translated into English by Carol Brown Janeway, The Reader is a brief tale about sex, love, reading, and shame in postwar Germany. Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns very much about her, and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But, to his horror, he does. Hanna is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. As Michael follows the trial, he struggles with an overwhelming question: What should his generation do with its knowledge of the Holocaust? "We should not believe we can comprehend the incomprehensible, we may not compare the incomparable.... Should we only fall silent in revulsion, shame, and guilt? To what purpose?"

Review:  I picked up a copy of The Reader after watching the beautiful movie version (in which Kate FINALLY got her Oscar.  About time!).  Sadly the book did not live up to the movie at all.  It read like a technical article.  It was cold, stiff, and unemotional.  The best part of the book was when Michael was a teenager, and even then I had  a very hard time connecting emotionally to the characters.  Once we move on to the trial the book completely lost me.


I think that this book is best for the people who lived during the time the book was published.  It is an interesting look at the group of people trying to come to term with the crimes of their parents generation.  There was so much opportunity with the idea of this book, but while the movie executes the themes in a way that will just crush your heart, the book falls far, far behind.  This is one of those rare moments where I would say skip the book and watch the movie.  Further, you MUST watch the movie, it is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

#1 in Shades of London Series
Published September 29, 2011 by Putnam Juvenile
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Review:  The Name of the Star is an excellent murder mystery that combines historical, comedic, and paranormal aspects to create a unique spin on one of history's most famous crimes.  This book is excellently researched and fully utilizes the urban legends that have grown from the historical facts to create a believable modern day mystery.  


I really loved the main character, Rory.  She is smart and funny and really well developed.  She rolls with the punches and is able to step up to the different challenges she faces and is just totally awesome.  But I have to admit my favorite moments weren't the fast paced action but the small moments when Rory was hanging out with her room mates and friends.  Maureen Johnson is excellent at writing girlfriends.  (I also have to admit that the first 100 pages or so felt like Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins but in London.  Sort of a Aurora and the English Murder, if you will...)


One thing that I have to mention is the humor in this book.  It is very smartly done.  There are pop culture references without being specific.  I really hate specific pop culture references because it dates a book.  Maureen Johnson did a wonderful job creating jokes that are funny because they are funny, not because they're relying on current events that will be forgotten about in a year.  


I'm super excited that this is the first of a trilogy.  The ending of this book was CRAZY AWESOME.  I really have no idea where the next book is going to go, which is both exciting and kind of scary.  The next book is called The Madness Underneath (awesome title, btw!) and it's due out October of 2012 and I cannot wait.  Will it still follow Jack the Ripper, or will it go into a different British myth?  (maybe some creepy Alice in Wonderland?  I'd freaking love that).  The point I'm trying to make is that I'm really hooked on this series and will definitely be pre-ordering book 2.  


Overall The Name of the Star is an excellent murder mystery with a great sense of humor AND a freaking scary ghost/killer that will keep you laughing and guessing on every page.  I highly recommend this book for all fans of paranormal YA or books about European boarding schools.  

Pink piggy mugs....for times of extreme stress

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn

Published in 2009 by Emilie Autumn Ent. LLC
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Presenting Emilie Autumn's long awaited autobiographical, reality-bending thriller, "The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls." This beautifully bound hardcover volume measures 8" x 11.5" and clocks in at a massive 274 fully illustrated pages. Positively packed with hand-written memoirs, photos, and paintings, this profoundly empowering epic not only deserves a place on your tea table, it is also one of the most complete accounts of bipolar disorder ever penned, and will take readers behind the doors of both modern day psych ward and Victorian insane asylum in this true life horror tale of madness, murder, and medical experimentation.
But reader beware: It's much easier to get into the Asylum than it is to get out.

Review: I don't think I've ever read anything like The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. It is amazing, horrifying, and both a work of magical fiction and brutal honesty. I felt like for the first time I had found someone who could understand how I feel. I identified on so many levels with this book, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. I appreciate Emilie as an artist so much more now because I realize just how much of herself she puts into everything she does. This is one of a kind, and is well worth every cent I paid and more.  


The Asylum is a book, I think above all else, about women's rights.  Women's rights to do whatever they want and have freedom over their bodies, minds, and lives.  This includes the right to harm their bodies and to even end their life.  Emilie is all about fighting like a girl and being a total bad ass, and I love watching Emily-with-a-y grow into a Victorian warrior queen.  It's just totally awesome.  


I also totally loved Emilie's story as well.  I think it was such a perfect blend of fact and fiction that I really couldn't tell what was true and what was bleeding over into Emilie's story.  The decent into madness was so slow and subtle that I found myself thinking very odd things were perfectly normal and destructive behaviors were really the only option available.  And the ending?  Amazing beyond belief.  


On a more practical note I loved the overall presentation of this book.  It is absolutely beautiful.  Every page is glossy and full colored with photos, drawings, and cut outs from journals.   It really adds to the story and makes it more than just a book.  


I cannot recommend the Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls enough.  It has so many fascinating topics.  Abuse, mental illness, historical fiction, self mutilation, suicide, friendship, women's empowerment, music, photography, art, and of course muffins, tea time, rats, and leeches.  So spread the plague little rats because, as we all know, dead is the new alive!

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Published in 1999 by Harper Perennial Modern Classics
5 Stars


Goodreads Review
Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find. The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?

In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Biblerevolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

The Poisonwood Bible is arguably Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious work, and it reveals both her great strengths and her weaknesses. As Nathan Price's wife and daughters tell their stories in alternating chapters, Kingsolver does a good job of differentiating the voices. But at times they can grate--teenage Rachel's tendency towards precious malapropisms is particularly annoying (students practice their "French congregations"; Nathan's refusal to take his family home is a "tapestry of justice"). More problematic is Kingsolver's tendency to wear her politics on her sleeve; this is particularly evident in the second half of the novel, in which she uses her characters as mouthpieces to explicate the complicated and tragic history of the Belgian Congo.

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber

Review: 

There are two big questions that The Poisonwood Bible raises.  First, why does helping people in poverty have to be tied in with religious ambition, and second, why does religious fervor cause people to forget their common sense?  I don’t understand why religion, especially (though not only) evangelical Christianity, causes people to act like Nathan Price.  On one hand I’m ok with religion when it acts as a moral compass to guide life decisions that affect only you, and I’m even more ok with it when it guides people to help others out of a desire to be more God/Christ-like.  However, what I do have a problem with is when people try and force that religion on others and try and change a person’s culture to make it fit into a prescribed box of what people are “supposed” to be.  And when the desire to control other’s and make them just like you takes precedence over the safety and welfare of your family, well then you’ve just gone too far.  People need to realize that while you may have chosen a particular path, other people may not choose it.  And those other people may indeed be your wife and kids.

Ok, religion rant over, back to the book.  I absolutely loved the first two thirds of the book.  I loved the culture clash of a middle class white family being thrust into a tribal African culture.  I also adored the five different viewpoints of the story.  Each character had a distinct voice that added to the overall texture of the story.  The African culture in this book is richly presented, with wonderful descriptions that show just how much the Price family was like a fish out of water.  It also showed that people have to adapt in order to survive, and some members of the Price family welcomed the change while others fought it tooth and nail.

The last third of the book was when the story started to go downhill for me.  Not that the political climate of Africa isn’t fascinating, but I felt myself emotionally disconnecting the more macro the story got.  I was more interested in the effects that Nathan’s blind religious zeal had on his family and the African community than sweeping political commentary. 

Overall The Poisonwood Bible is about how intolerance and ignorance does nothing but destroy the very thing you’re trying to build.  Rigidly following religious doctrine only causes the people you’re trying to help resist you more.  In order to bring about change you have to be bending and considerate. 

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Published in 2000 by Regan Books
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household -- and the treacherous truth of her former life.

Review:  I don't know what it is about Gregory Maguire, but I keep reading his books thinking I'll like them and I end up being disappointed at best, but more often than not annoyed and put off. I love the ideas of his novels, but every single one is a let down. Confessions is not so terrible as Mirror Mirror or Lost, but I'm still leaving feeling like he could have done so much more. There is all of build up in this novel and the ending feels rushed, like he got bored half way through and just decided to stop writing. Also, I am surprised at the lack of sexuality in this book, which is a very prominent topic in some of his other books. This story seemed ripe for sexual exploitation, and if there was any it was only hinted at. There were many aspects of this book that I thought were almost good, but just not quite developed enough.

I think I will always try and fail to enjoy his writing.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Published in 1997 by Picador
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tentcombines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

Review:  The Red Tent is an interesting perspective of one of the most know stories from the Bible.  The story of Jacob and his many sons, in particular Joseph and his "Amazing Techno-color Dream Coat", have been told in many movies, books, and even Broadway musicals.  The Red Tent tells the same tale but from the woman's perspective; a side that is sadly under represented in the Bible.

I really loved this book.  Like REALLY loved this book.  I absolutely loved the tribe aspect for the women.  I think in modern times we look at ancient tribal cultures and see the women as repressed "possessions" of the men in the tribe.  This book really shows how the women have their own culture, support systems, and contentment with their woman-ness.  They aren't meek submissive pets.  They stand up for themselves, are shrewd business women, and sexual beings aware of their bodies and the natural cycle of life.  Being on their period wasn't the curse so many women complain about today.  The Red Tent was their retreat, their place of solace where they could congregate and share in each other's wisdom. 

There are a lot of people who dislike this book, and I think it's largely the people who cannot see history as any way other than what is exactly in the Bible.  The idea that the "heroes" of the Bible may not be so heroic after all scares them because it causes them to question their faith.  I think that it's very important to not read the Bible as literal fact for modern times.  It has to be looked at within the context of a two thousand year old nomadic nation and that the Bible was written two thousand years ago in ancient Hebrew.  There's bound to be some things that are lots in translation and through cultural evolution.  For example the word "rape".  Was Dinah raped in a modern sense, with violence and anger, or was she raped in an ancient sense, as in having sex out of wedlock?  The same word but with two very different meanings and implications. 

Overall I think The Red Tent is a very important book for women's spirituality.  It presents the story of one of the most under represented figures in the Bible and gives her a voice.  It never strays from the original backdrop of the Biblical story, but expands on this untold story with grace and beauty.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Published June 7, 2011 by Quirk Publishing
4 Stars

Goodreads Review

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage

.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Review:  Miss Peregrines is an excellent adventure story that is part historical, part fantasy, part art book, and 100% awesome!  I loved the quirkiness and uniqueness and I wish it had been taken further.  There is a little something for everyone; family drama, exciting adventures, weird magic, romance. 

First let's talk about the photographs.  I really like it when books include pictures, illustrations, and other visual clues that help support the plot.  Heck I geek out when there's a map on the inside cover of a fantasy book.  I think it enhances the entire reading experience, and the weird photographs in Miss Peregrine's certainly did just that.  It gets especially creepy when you realize that these photographs are unaltered.  They are genuine weird-o photographs that Riggs found.  Taking it a step further I loved the entire package of the book.  The book has a unique binding, the paper it's printed on is high quality and glossy, the cover is a beautiful red cloth with gold embossed letters, and the paper used on the inside covers is like an antique photo album.  The entire presentation of the book  lends to the atmosphere. 

The good parts of this book were the villains and their mythology.  I liked how they were revealed and the horror aspect to them.  These villains were monsters and there was no ambiguity to their monstrosity, and in this day and age of sparkly vampires and sexy werewolves, I found it refreshing.  I don't want to give away too much about these characters because they are what makes the book so interesting. 

I would say that at times this book feels a little over-written, especially for a YA book.  Sometimes the photos, as awesome as they were, felt a little forced into the story as opposed to supporting the experience.  This isn't a negative necessarily, but I think sometimes the writing got in the way of the story telling.  I think that it does rely heavily on the appearance of the book and listening to the audio would severely detract from the experience.  Rigg's strength is definitely in visual media, have you SEEN the trailer for this book?  It's beautiful and is at such a higher quality than other book trailers it's in a league of it's own. 



Overall Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a visually unique and pleasing book with a story that almost matches.  I wish the story and characters had been as well rounded as the beautiful presentation of the book, but it is still an exciting and interesting read.  I am looking forward to the sequel as well as his photography book "Talking Pictures" set to be published in January 2012.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Published in 2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

5 Stars

Goodreads Summary

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

Review:  The Book Thief is a beautiful and unique novel about one of the most horrible times in human history.  It is a brilliantly constructed look at how the Nazi party controlled all of the citizens of Germany through fear and intimidation and the lives of citizens who dared fight back.  This book does more than describe the atrocity of the concentration camps and the crimes against the Jewish people; it shows the compassion and courage of the people willing to save them.   

The characters are presented in a way that allows the reader to understand their actions and motives and connect with them on a deep emotional level.  The characters are tangible, their emotions wonderfully described, making them believable and relatable to the reader.  The use of death as an omnipresent narrator weary of the crimes humans continually commit against each other is a wonderful balance between exasperation at humanity's need to repeat the mistakes of their fathers and admiration of compassion that can be shown toward people who are truly in need.  Death tells the story sprinkled with humor and a sense of wonder that humanity can still surprise him with its rare bouts of selfless goodness.

This book is not light and easy fare.  It is heavy material about the need for people to stand up for what they know is right, even if it means facing foes much more power and control.  You as the reader will grow to love the characters for which they are, the mistakes they make, and the dreams they have.   The Book Thief does an excellent job of presenting the German people as individuals with their own opinions on morality who were fighting personal battles against tyranny and oppression.  These are people just like the reader, not the single minded evil entity in which many other World War II stories seem to lump the entire German community.

Overall The Book Thief is an emotional account of how World War II affected everyone in the world through the one entity that connects us all, death.