Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion Press
Publishing year: 2012
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: 

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

Review:

It took me a while to get used to the voice of this book. For one it's in first person, which I am slowly becoming used to but its an uphill battle. For another it didn't have a good start.

First sentence: "I am a coward."

Okay that's not too bad. It does generate curiosity, which is always good but the next ten pages or so are dull. Secondly, I just found it very hard to like the narrator, at first anyway.

Thanks to some pretty awesome reviews I stuck through the boring bits and got to the more interesting ones that other reviews promised. Now I can say without a doubt I love this book. It's not an all time favorite of mine but neither is it a castaway.

As far as WWII novels go, I prefer Soldier X. It's a little less detailed, and oddly enough I like that. Still it was nice to learn so much about planes. It was hard at first but after two hundred pages I could say I had learned a little something.

What really pulled me in was the characterization and relationships between the characters. It was written to come off as sincere and genuine. It succeeded. There was no insta-love or fake friendships.  The ending was heartbreaking because I felt that I truly knew Julie and Maddie as people. It was so realistic, this story could have been based on a true story.

When all was said and done and I closed this book, one quote remains in my head. 

"Fly the plane, Maddie."

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Philomel

Publishing year: 2012

Rating: 5/5

 Synopsis:

Panic grips the city!
There is a killer loose in New York City, and Carver Young is the only one who sees the startling connection between the recent string of murders and the most famous serial killer in history: Jack the Ripper. Time is winding down until the killer claims another victim, but Carver soon sees that, to The Ripper, this is all a game that he may be destined to lose.
 

Review:

There are so many words to describe this book: steam punk, science fiction, historical fiction...awesome. Most historical fiction I read takes fictional characters and places them in true historical event or time period. Well Ripper does that and more. If I had to name something similar I would point to Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Why? Because real historical figures are present such as Teddy Roosevelt and Jack the Ripper and the book doesn't take too many liberties with history. Sure it's unlikely that Old Jack had a son, and there were no ripper murders in New York but neither did Lincoln hunt vampires.

What I found amazing about this novel, besides the way the mystery unravels which for lack of a better term is epic, is that Petrucha shows a human side of the ripper. If this story has a moral, it would br that no one is wholly good or evil. Jack for example started off as a good man but circumstances and his reactions slowly changes him. But even after that we can still see he cares for Carver. In his own way.

And what a name for his son, Carver. Considering that Jack is best known for carving people up. Punny!

I didn't catch it when reading after all I was so tangled up in the plot that I didn't take the time to analyze the details but this novel definitely falls into the science fiction sub-genre steampunk and historical and science fiction all in one? I am in heaven.

I don't think this will have a sequel. There's room to work with the characters, no doubt and I'd love to read more of their adventures but I don't see that as possible unless Carver catches Jack.

Question time: Is having a father a big influence in a boy's life? Do you think Carver would be a different kind of person if his father raised him?

Remembrance by Theresa Breslin

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Publishing year: 2004
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:
It was the largest conflict the world had ever known. It covered three continents and lasted five years. Millions of soldiers returned wounded, millions more never returned at all. In the summer of 1915, in a small village in Scotland, the Great War has already begun to irrevocably alter the course of five young lives.

Eighteen-year-old John Malcolm enlists in the army, eager to fight for his country. His sweetheart, 15-year-old Charlotte, stays behind to earn her nursing certificate, along with John Malcolm’s twin sister, Maggie, who recognizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself. Charlotte’s brother, Francis, sees only tragedy in the war, but feels the pressure to join up. And Alex, below the recruiting age, is determined to reach the front lines somehow.

Review:

Quite simply a wonderful book. I remember reading it for the first time in middle school and falling head over heels in love with it. I found both Charlotte and Maggie to be wonderful characters, and very well developed. We see Maggie's jealousy that her brother prefers spending time with Charlotte and we see Charlotte rebel against her mother. Neither character is an angel and that appeals to me.

I've always had trouble finding any YA historical fiction set during WWI, let alone anything worth reading which is why this book remains in my favorites. Finding books set during WWII is no problem, it seems like everyone is writing about Nazi Germany today, but I do wish there was more about the first war. 

What I love and hate about this book is the ending. Being set in the middle of the first world war, there is no way it can end happily. We do see character death, and while I was disappointed, I think it puts the book on a realistic level.
 

Soldier X by Don Wulffson

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic
Publishing year: 2001
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Erik Brandt barely knows what Germany is fighting for when he is drafted into Hitler's army in 1944. Sent to the killing fields of the Eastern Front, he is surrounded by unimaginable sights, more horrific than he ever thought possible. It's kill or be killed, and it seems clear that Erik's days are numbered. Until, covered in blood and seriously injured, he conceives of another way to survive. Filled with gritty and visceral detail, Soldier X will change the way every reader thinks about the reality of war.

 Review:
This book took me by surprise in a wonderful fashion. I initially chose it because its a short book and because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year I don't have a lot of time to read. Couple that with a need for some bloody historical fiction and I have to say I picked a winner. The action was fast paced and scarily realistic. The main character ends up scarred for life and no character is untouched by the war.

What I really liked about this book in comparison to others say, The Berlin Boxing Club, for example was that it showed multiple sides of the war and didn't pull any punches. It shows us the side of Germany we often glance over in these books, because after all, not every German soldier was a Nazi. A fact I strangely don't remember my history teachers ever mentioning ...hmm. And it shows us both the good and bad sides of Russia as well. Violence and slaughter abound and I think this book very accurately portrays the war and it's affect on soldiers and civilians of every nationality.

What I didn't see coming was the romance. I thought it was a coming of age story, which it was, bit the synopsis gave me no hint that there would be love between the pages of this novel. And what a love! It wasn't overdone or sappy but light, poignant, and expertly written. A Russian and a German from opposing sides falling in love, I absolutely adored it.

Question: If placed in a life or death situation could you desert a duty you had pledged yourself to? Why is it that being branded a deserter wasn't a heavy concern in Erik's mind?

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

Genre: Contemporary
Publishing year: 2012
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: 3/5
Series: Companion to Triangles

Synopsis:
Witnessing the fallout from the poor choices their parents make and the lies adults tell themselves, three teens are clinging to the last remnants of the secure and familiar world in which they've grown up. But the ground is shifting. What was once clear is now confused. Everything is tilting.
Mikayla is sure she's found the love her parents seem to have lost, but is suddenly weighing nearly impossible choices in the wake of dashed expectations. Shane has come out, unwilling to lie anymore about who he is, but finds himself struggling to keep it all under control in the face of first love and a horrific loss. Harley, a good girl just seeking new experiences, never expects to hurtle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Review:
I don't feel that this book lives up to the standard set by Hopkins' other books. It just felt flat to me. Before reading Impulse, I could only remember one time I had cried over a book, and that book was A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. But Impulse and several books after it made me burst into tears.  Just not this one. At least part of my problem is that I couldn't connect with any of the characters.I honestly didn't like a single one aside from Alex, and he wasn't involved enough for me to grow attached.

The biggest issue is the number of narrators. In every other book by Hopkins we might have three to five main characters, it just depends. But it seems like every character in Tilt had a say. Mikayla, Dylan, Tyler, Shelby, Shane, Alex, Harley, Lucas, and a few others. While getting a peak into character's head was interesting it really made it hard to focus on the story. I felt myself getting turned around and confused several times and it became frustrating when I began mixing up the characters. Whose sister is that? Wait is this girl's parents the ones getting divorced or is it that other girl. By the end of the book my head was spinning off into space.

The only character I came close to liking was Shelby, but knowing her fate from the get go stopped me from becoming emotional over her narrations. Having already read Triangles, I knew most of the plot spoilers for this book already, but I did like getting into Mikayla's head. She seemed childish in the first book, and while I'm not ready to completely change my opinion of her, she did take a small step to redemption in the end.

Question: How many characters are too many?

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Genre: Fantasy
Publishing year: 2000
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Series: The Queen's Thief #2
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:
When his small mountainous country goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia, Eugenides the thief is faced with his greatest challenge. He must steal a man, he must steal a queen, and he must steal peace. But his greatest triumph-as well as his greatest loss-can only come if he succeeds in capturing something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago.

Review:
Most reviews of this book are favorable and I do enjoy it as well, just look at the rating. But almost everyone seems to have chosen this book as their favorite in the series. I disagree. The first book, The Thief, had more action and the next book, The King of Attolia has more romance. I like this novel, it just isn't the highest ranking in the series for me.

 Anyway what I like most about this book is the witty dialogue between Gen and Irene, they're always snapping at each other and the best part about this book is that it doesn't have insta-love.

"She was very pretty." After a pause he added, "And very kind." Page 316.

"You have any mistresses and I'll cut your other hand off." Page 316.

I just love how Gen isn't fixated on the loss of his hand. Sure he misses it and it causes him annoyance but it doesn't stop him from falling for Attolia and he honestly doesn't seem to hold a grudge against her. In fact it seems that she is more bothered by it than he is. Interesting development. The changes we see in Attolia from her brief appearance in The Thief  to the ending of this book are drastic. She seems completely capable of love and even forgiveness.

Favorite scene is when Attolia is sending a messenger back to Eddis and since her enemy the Mede is present she has to layer the message to have a double meaning.I found her word play clever and sweet.

"What remains of his life, he spends with me, so you understand messenger?" Page 285.

I bet no one else has ever accepted a marriage proposal with those words. That she played the Mede for a fool only adds to my delight. Unlike The Thief, this book is written in third person and we see several scenes in the point of view of the Mede. Just as he thought she was playing into his hands, he was playing into hers. Hard not to love a book like this one, although I promise The King of Attolia is better.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Genre: Fantasy
Publishing year: 1996
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Series: The Queen's Thief #1
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:
Because of his bragging-and his great skill-Gen lands in the King's prison, shackled to the wall of his cell. After months of isolation, he is released by none other than the King's scholar, the Magus, who believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. The thief he needs for the long, dangerous journey is Gen. To the Magus, Gen is just a took. But Gen has some ideas of his own.

Review:
The second time I have read this book in less than a year and it still remains a resounding masterpiece in my mind. For once I am glad to read a book written in first person, it adds to the story in such a way that third person could never accomplish. Gen is able to surprise us over and over again because he is the only voice telling the story. He doesn't narrate every moment of every scene and leaves out minute details. However he leaves clues that get our brains whirling. He has a bump in his hair? The long hair he uses to hide objects he has stolen? We didn't read about him stealing anything did we? Oh yes, we did, Gen just didn't tell us, he showed us.

I thought Turner told this story in a brilliant fashion and I absolutely adore the world she set it in. So many resemblances to Greece and Greek mythology, I felt right at home. Of course having the gods become more than just mythological figures was a nice twist that unsettled me for a moment. It reminds me of the Percy Jackson series in a way.

One minor annoyance was the use of guns. In the setting and time period I envisioned there were no guns and I found myself having to adapt to their sudden appearance.

Without a doubt Eugenides is my favorite character. He is completely self-assured and confident of his abilities. But he has his flaws like all great characters do, from his swearing to his sulking he reminds us all that he is indeed human.

There are four books in this series, and I have read them all. But I plan to reread each so that I can review them here, so it shouldn't surprise anyone when my next review is of The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner.

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

Genre: Science Fiction
Publishing year: 2004
Publisher: Puffin
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:
In the future, in a place called Satellite City, fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill enters the world, unwanted by his parents. He's sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys. Freight class.
At Clarissa Frayne, the boys are put to work by the state, testing highly dangerous products. At the end of most days, they are covered with burns, bruises, and sores. Cosmo realizes that if he doesn't escape, he will die at this so-called orphanage.

When the moment finally comes, Cosmo seizes his chance and breaks out with the help of the Supernaturalists, a motley crew of kids who all have the same special ability as Cosmo-they can see supernatural Parasites, creatures that feed on the life force of humans. The Supernaturalists patrol the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what is left of humanity in Satellite City. Or so they think. The Supernaturalists soon dins themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they'd imagined, when they discover a horrifying secret that will force them to question everything they believe in.

Review:
My first thought is that this could have been better. I love the idea of this story more than the actual writing. I honestly expected more of Colfer.

The action is wonderful, especially the drag race scene. The story moves quickly and the reader isn't likely to get bored. Its the characters that drag it down. None of them are fully developed and while I realize Colfer is working on a sequel to this book which I hope will flesh out these characters more fully, this novel was really lacking in characterization.

Another issue I had was with the narration. Thankfully it was in third person but even so there was so much head jumping. We spent the majority of the book with Cosmo but we frequently visited Mona, Ditto, and Stefan. Other readers may not find this annoying but it's a pet peeve of mine.

The ending. Trying not to spoil it completely, I just felt that very little had been fully addressed. Is Ditto now the leader of the Supernaturalists? Does Cosmo still want to know his parents? Has Cosmo finished grieving for Ziplock? It could have been more conclusive and still left room for a sequel.

For further reading I'd suggest Half Moon Investigations and The Reluctant Assassin, both by Eoin Colfer.

Question: We see a lot of orphans in young adult fiction, do you think the lack of parental guidance plays a significant role in the development of these characters?

Lost by Jacqueline Davies

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publishing year: 2009
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:
Essie can tell from the moment she lays eyes on Harriet Abbott: this is a woman who has taken a wrong turn in life. Why else would an educated, well-dressed, clearly upper-crust girl end up in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory setting sleeves for six dollars a day? But Harriet isn’t the only one who is lost. Essie wanders between the opposing emotions of her love for the young would-be lawyer who lives next door and her hatred for her mother who seems determined to take away every bit of happiness that Essie hopes to find. As the unlikely friendship between Essie and Harriet grows, so does the weight of the question hanging between them: Who is lost? And who will be found?

Review:
This was an entirely different take on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire for me. Essie was born in America, so unlike other books on this topic she doesn't encounter any language barriers. She is no greenhorn. But this book really isn't about the fire, nor about labor laws or unfair working conditions. Its about a girl whose entire world has been struck off-kilter and she believes her own delusions.

I do like how she escaped the fire though. Other protagonists ran to the roof, jumped, or squeezed into a elevator but Essie made sure her friend made it into the elevator car first and slid down the cable right after.
She is scarred for life but I think that is what makes her such a strong character. Every other protagonist came through physically unharmed but Essie didn't. I think this is far more realistic than other books I've read.

I won't spoil the actual ending anymore than I already have but let's just say it didn't sit well with me. I'm a big fan of happily ever after endings and although I know this story couldn't have ended with everything ties in a neat little bow, I needed more closure.

On characters, I am torn between smiling and wanting to throttle Jimmy. I was glad to see him gain his independence in the end but just the fact that he kissed Easier while he was engaged and the simply disappeared irritates me. He ran away with his tail between his legs and that's horrible. By the end of the book he never redeems himself and that was a large factor when I rated this book.

Question: Have you ever places someone's wants and desires before your own, such as Essie dis for her sister, to the point your happiness depended solely on theirs?

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Publishing year: 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Scarlett and Rosie March have spent years hunting the Fenris-werewolves who took Scarlett’s eye in a brutal attack years ago. Donning blood-red cloaks and wielding deadly hatchets, the sisters kill Fenris to protect other young girls from a grisly fate. Yet even as the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is lethal with an ax and is Scarlett’s only friend-but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they’ve worked for?

Review:

First I want to say that I read this in one sitting. That’s right, it’s that good. The writing is fast-paced, and never dull. The imagery is bold and defined. For example:

“His irises were dark sienna, the red-brown shade of Autumn leaves.” Page 2.

No matter the scene, it’s always detailed in a way that makes you feel like you’re there. A few times when reading about the Fenris attacks a chill went down my spine. It became incredibly easy to see those creatures with yellow fangs and patchy fur in my own house. This is a brilliant book to read late at night.

As for what kept this from achieving a perfect score, it begins with the beginning. Har har.  I was lead to believe this was written in third person thanks to the prologue and later I discovered the epilogue was also in third. Everything else was in first person with each chapter being narrated by the sisters. I’ve never been a big fan of alternating perspectives except with Across the Universe and it was also okay in this book.

I loved that this book was set in Georgia, especially since so much action took place in Atlanta. It seems childish but I’m always delighted when the setting of the book is a real-life location near me. It just makes it easier to fall for the book.

Another minor thing. Their cat is named Screwtape. I bet there’s a story behind that and I am so disappointed Pearce didn’t throw in a bit more of a backstory that way. Still every time Silas was attacked by the cat I had a good chuckle.

Sadly, the plot was a bit predictable. I had the basic ending sketched out after the first hundred and fifty pages or so. I’m not sure if that’s because I was on the lookout for a plot twist or not but it was still disappointing.

The age difference between Rosie and Silas was also a hurdle I had to overcome. If memory serves correctly, Rosie is sixteen to Silas’s twenty-one. When they’re in their thirties five years won’t make much of a difference but for this novel, I had to suspend my disbelief and that’s a hard thing to do. I understand why Silas has to be twenty-one but I don’t see why Rosie couldn’t be eighteen or nineteen. And while I’m on this topic. The scene where Silas and Scarlett kiss. Rosie never finds out and that irks me. It’s as though Rosie is second best to Scarlett for his affection and that’s not okay. It completely undermined Silas as a character.

One last piece of criticism. I read somewhere that this book was listed in the top 100 ranking of young adult books for feminists. Or something along that line. I just don’t see this as a feminist book. Every female character aside from Rosie, Scarlett, and Oma March is shown as superficial and vain. They’re overheard talking about nail polish and described as dragonflies. Brightly colored and flitting about. I might be missing a clue here. No doubt that Rosie, Scarlett, and Oma lead self-empowered lives but I don’t see how this can be called a feminist book when every other girl is so shallow.

Despite all my negative thoughts this is a book I’d recommend and I definitely plan to check out other books by this author.

Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publishing year: 2010
Publisher: Viking
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

It’s 1910, and Raisa has just traveled alone from a small Polish shtetl all the way to New York City. She is enthralled, overwhelmed, and even frightened, especially when she discovers that her sister has disappeared and she must now fend for herself. How do you survive in a foreign land without a job, a place to live, or a command of the native language? Perseverance and the kindness of handsome young Gavrel lead Raisa to work in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing bodices on the popular shirtwaists…until 1911 dawns, and one March day a spark ignites in the factory. Fabric and thread and life catch fire. And the flames burn hot enough to change Raisa-and the entire city-forever. One hundred years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (March 25, 1911) in New York City, the stories of love and life lost are still relevant, and the hope that can come from despair still resonates.

Review:

This is the third historical fiction novel I’ve read about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and it’s vying to be my favorite.

I love how the story starts in Raisa’s Polish shtetl and carries through to the trial of the factory owners. It shows us what life was truly like in the early 1900s. Raisa’s older sister Henda even believes her to be dead because the wrong letter reached her before the correct one could. This makes me extremely grateful for telephones and the internet. All those modern conveniences we take for granted.

There were some large time gaps after the fire we swiftly move through spring and summer and find ourselves right back in chilly weather. I think Raisa’s fifteenth birthday is skipped over as well, although I’m not certain.

The strongest factor of this book is the characters. Friesner did a wonderful job of bringing them to life. I envied Raisa’s ability to quickly befriend and comfort Brina, the child she saves from a bleak future in a New York orphanage. I’ve never been popular with small children, likely because I’m an only child and have only babysat a handful of times. Already I admire Raisa and as her tale unfolds that admiration grew. Each time she was backed into a corner or faced with an insurmountable problem she tackled it head on and overcame the odds. She’s one of the strongest characters I’ve encountered recently.

Gavrel the funny one.

“Now, let’s be honest, dearest,” Gavrel said to her. “I know I love you, but I’ve got no idea if you can cook. That’s why I’m eating all the good food I can get now, so that after we’re married, at least I’ll have my memories.” Page 337.

He is never without humor and in several instances, he boosts Raisa’s falling spirits and encourages her to strive towards her goals of becoming a teacher and finding her sister. I was on pins and needles when Raisa learned he had been working at Triangle on Saturday when that dreadful fire occurred. Rather than be at the synagogue, he chose to go to work so he could save money so that he could announce his plans to marry Raisa to his parents. This was an almost unbearable sweet gesture on his part and it seemed so tragic when he disappeared afterwards. I had to know what happened. Did he die? Was he comatose? Where the heck did he go? I was tempted to go to the end, but I held myself back. He had to be alive. He just had to be. That’s the way this book is written. It grabs you and doesn’t let go until you finish it. Bravo.

I only have one problem with this book. Gavrel. Which is almost funny because he’s my favorite character. Throughout the book he is strong and confident but in the end he almost breaks. We finally discover his flaw, and it bothered me. True it proves him to be more than a flat character but this made him seem weak to me.

Raisa was stronger than him and maybe I’m a tad old fashioned but it’s not right. Anyway this only dropped my rating by one point because otherwise it’s a terrific novel.

If you have an interest in historical fiction, especially pertaining to further reading on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, I would recommend Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch. 

Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publishing year: 2004
Publisher: Dial Books:
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

When fourteen-year-old Elliot Sutton arrives at Holminster High, he is determined not to stand out. He simply can’t let himself become a target like he was at his last school. He’s going to invent a whole new Elliot. The new Elliot is tough, impenetrable. Enter the Guardians. A group of upperclassmen that secretly rule over Holminster with a quiet and anonymous terror. Obsessed with George Orwell’s book 1984, they desire power for the sake of power. And strangely enough, they want Elliot. Not to terrorize…but to become one of them. Everyone knows that if the Guardians notice you in the wrong way, life will be miserable. But as Elliot soon discovers, even if they notice you in the right way, there will be some terrifying choices to face.

Review:

Genuinely a good book but I can’t help having mixed feelings about it. At 181 pages, it’s one of the shortest books I’ve read in a long time. I think this counts against the book only because it limits the amount of detail that can be squeezed into such a tight page count.

I wish the author had gone into more detail about Elliot’s father for a start. The physical injuries were described well but it wasn’t clear what the current situation is. The impression I got was that his father’s spirit was broken. He seems capable of moving about but he never speaks through the course of the novel. I wonder if after the beating, something may have damaged his mental health. Perhaps his brain was oxygen deprived for an extended period. At any rate, I would have preferred a clear reason.

1984 by George Orwell is referenced dozens of times in this book and if this book accomplished nothing else, it did stir my interest for this book. I will probably read it sooner rather than later.

Elliot’s determination to never be a victim again is the fundamental reason he falls in with the Guardians. His fear of being beaten and humiliated is very well conveyed. The process of choosing a punisher, punishment, and selection was self-explanatory. Just not the standards that they use to choose a victim. At first I had the understanding the Guardians were a vigilante group. Wrong understanding.

Upon finishing the book I believe the victims are chosen by the whimsy of whoever is doing the choosing. If I had to describe it with a phrase I would say, ‘organized bullying’. I just would have enjoyed a method to this madness.

One more thing bothered me. The ending. My issue with it: it wasn’t an ending. But wait there is more. It’s a standalone so there is no sequel. There is a feeling of hope at the end and Elliot has done a substantial amount of growing as a character over the past 180 pages. There are good points. There are just too many loose ends, to call this an ending. His farther is still a silent man who spends his days watching TV. His mom is still overworked and has no true idea of the turmoil Elliot is going through. Louise, his love interest, is still on the fence about him and for good reason, nothing has been resolved there. In summary, nothing has been resolved. Elliot has made a decision, that much is clear, but none of the consequences are mentioned. I am left with a tiny voice speaking in the back of my brain saying, “…And then?”

Besides those three things, the book was great. The pace was delightfully quick and was written in smooth even prose. It wasn’t made for suspense but I had to finish it and that’s a good thing.

Question: If you were given the chance for a fresh start at a different school, workplace, or city, would you take it? Would you be yourself or adjust your personality, attitude, and dress to suit the environment?

How Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl Lost a Reader in the First 100 Pages

Series: Caster Chronicles #1, Paranormal Romance

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publishing year: 2009

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

Rating: N/A

Synopsis:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review:

The reason I didn’t rate this book is that I didn’t finish it, hence the title. If I had to rate it, it would be a one out of five but that would be wrong. I didn’t finish the book, so what right to I have to judge it? So, I’ll just explain why I stopped reading it. With quotes of course, because we all love quotes.

“And if there’s one thing a Southerner knows, it’s their family tree.” Page 93. The South plays a large role in this book, a large tacky role.  I work in the genealogy section of my local library and if there is one thing I have learned in the past two years, it’s that everyone gets it wrong at some point. Patrons may think they’re descendants of the Cherokee or that their great-great grandfather served in the Civil War, or something much similar like the spelling of a family name that now looks like Smith but two hundred years ago was Smyth. It takes a lot of work to compile a family tree with any degree of accuracy, and the above quote is not only stereotypical, it’s dismissive. Hackles effectively raised. But it doesn’t compare to the next quote.

“The Sisters of the Confederacy, the lesser cousin of the DAR, but equally horrifying, was some kind of sewing circle holdover from the War.” Page 93. I think this was meant to be the United Daughters of the Confederacy but regardless that ended this book for me. Final nail in the coffin. I’m sorry but the DAR is a wonderful organization and if you are able to prove your lineage to a patriot of the American Revolution, you had better be damn proud. That little sewing circle comment wasn’t needed either. This is why I truly can’t respect Ethan Wate as a character. He is rude about everything, as if he is better than his heritage. 

I realize both of these quotes are from the same page, and that I need to give more reasons for why this book failed to gain my interest. Ethan sounds like a girl. I’m all for male protagonists, but I get irate when their voice sounds like a teenage girl. Example: 

“It was like I was in love with her, even though I didn’t know her. Kind of like love before first sight.” Page 5.

That’s right. Page five. This book is all about insta-love, which is a concept I hate. I have seen books that have pulled it off, there are always exceptions, but this one couldn’t manage that. So he’s already in love with Lena before he even meets her, and from here his masculinity never recovers. 

“When I touched her, electricity ran through my body.” Page 44.

I hate this sentence. It sounds like something a twelve year old girl would say to one of her friends after her first date. “And then Billy took my hand and when he did, electricity ran through my body.” Why didn’t they just say it gave him the shivers or goose bumps? On that note:

“Butterflies in your stomach. That was such a crappy metaphor. More like killer bees.” Page 6.

That was a rather poor attempt at humor. I put this with the electricity quote for a reason. The sensory details in this book are lacking, it goes into great detail about clothing and Southern history but it skips over these, or makes it overly cheesy. His stomach could be described as twisting in knots or churning. But no, we get butterflies or killer bees.

“She had the longest eyelashes I had ever seen, and her skin was pale, made even paler by the contrast of her wild black hair.” Page 46.

He just noticed her eyelashes. Her eyelashes. Most female protagonists don’t notice those. While I’m pointing this out, let me also mention that Ethan goes into great detail about every other character’s clothing. Not only does it distract from the action of the story but it takes away from whatever appeal Ethan originally held. 

So to recap:

1.      Insults DAR and possibly UDC

2.      Ethan is a girl.

3.      Awful descriptions-eyelashes, electricity, butterflies, etc.

I feel that this book had some great potential, if it had been revised before publishing. This just proves that if you write a book, someone will read it. This one certainly doesn’t live up to the hype. I wanted to like it but every time the Civil War, the DAR, and Southern hospitality were brought up it became too difficult. I’m proud to come from a Southern state; Georgia is a great place to live in my opinion. It’s not for everyone but I like it. I like seeing Civil War Reenactments, and I enjoy conversing with others who have that soft accent. It just seems to me that this novel pushes everything Southern onto the reader in a tacky, annoying, and over the top way. 

Reading the authors’ bios, I noticed they both live in LA, although Garcia is mentioned as having Southern roots. I just wonder if I was the only reader who found this portrayal of the South as false and mildly insulting.

But maybe I’m just ranting. Whether you loved the book or hated it, let me know in the comments below.

 

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Genre: Science Fiction

Publishing year: 2011

Publisher: Razor Bill

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Amy is cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends-and planet-behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed’s scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber. 

Someone tried to murder her.

Now Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed’s 2,312 have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest’s rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship’s cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again. 

Review:

I have been hearing a lot of hype about this book, actually the trilogy as a whole, and since I’m always willing to give anything a go, I picked it up. Unlike most popular novels, I feel this one truly lives up to a high standard. It didn’t start out that way though. The first line:

Daddy said, “Let Mom go first.”

The good news is that it immediately launches us into the action with dialogue. The bad news is that we have a semi-grown teenager calling her father ‘Daddy’. I don’t think this will bother many people, but somehow it just managed to wiggle underneath my skin. She automatically seems desperate, clingy, and heavily dependent on others. Not exactly, what I like to see in a heroine, but later on she did show some improvement so I’m willing to let it slide.

What I like about this book is that the plot is not spread paper thin just to make sure there is enough material left for a sequel or two. Too many series can be summed up as a whole in a few paragraphs and quite literally could be edited down to a single average size novel. The action in Across the Universe flows quickly. Like a machine gun, it’s just BAM, BAM, and BAM. 

The alternating perspectives of Amy and Elder also helped to keep up the pace. Neither of them had a dull day since Amy was unfrozen. While Amy is discovering what the fourth floor of the hospital is actually used for, Elder is learning the truth about the Plague from Eldest. Both are monumental plot twists, and I found myself encountering cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. One second Amy is in trouble and I want to speed read through Elder’s chapter so I can find out what happens next to her and then I’m pulled into his difficulties with Eldest and I don’t want his chapter to end. And the cycle just kept repeating. It really kept me on my toes. 

On character growth, I believe Amy has taken a few steps closer to adulthood. She has begun to spend less time mourning her life on Earth and I think she has embraced life aboard Godspeed somewhat. When she realized that her father never expected her to join them on the ship, she was visibly upset. Realizing that her own father had counted her out is the point where I stopped thinking of her as a child. She still refers to him as ‘Daddy’ but I like to think that she isn’t as childishly naïve as she was at the start of the book.

Elder is a tough nut to assess. He has doubts about his leadership ability throughout the course of the book, and I don’t think these doubts and fears could have been vanquished in one book. This is why I am so glad the rest of the trilogy is already published. Still in the end he has stepped into a leadership role, and I think that while there may be plenty of bumps in the road he is capable of being a strong dependable leader. 

The ending. It was surprising, but not horribly so. The book ended on a mixed note. It wasn’t a happy ending, but it was pleasant and left me with hope for the characters. Well I still don’t know about Elder, but I’ll just have to wait and see when I read the second book in the trilogy, A Million Suns. 

Question: Could you ever imagine leaving Earth behind, allowing yourself to be frozen for a few centuries in the hope that you would land on a new planet that may or may not be better than Earth?