My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic
Publishing Year: 1974
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:
All his life Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother, Sam. Sam is smart and brave an always knows the right thing to do. Everyone in town admires him. Until now. Sam has enlisted in the new American Revolutionary Army. He talks about defeating the British and becoming independent and free. But not everyone in town wants to be a part of this new America. Most people are loyal supporters of the English king-including Tim and Sam's father. War is raging and Tim knows he'll have to make a choice. But how can he choose when it means fighting his father on one side and fighting his brother on the other?

Review:
I didn't expect much from this book. I saw that it had won some awards and although I was certain it was meant for a younger audience I hopes it would satisfy my need for a historical fiction novel. I didn't expect it to be this good.

I haven't read many books set during the American Revolution but every single one has been promoting the Rebels. I enjoyed seeing not only the Loyalist perspective but also one of a pacifist. It was different and I enjoyed reading a book that focused on the consequences of war rather than the glory of it.

The only think it didn't do was touch my emotions. I didn't feel sad when Sam died-does this count as a spoiler considering the title? Nor did I sympathize with Tim when he was caught between his brother and Sam. I read it in a mild state of apathy but still found it enjoyable.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Series: Fairytale Retellings #2
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publishing year: 2011
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear too. Years later, they find themselves in South Carolina.  Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is. 

Review:
I expected this to be completely different from Sisters Red, the first book in this series. You can see my review of the first book here. I was partly right. Unlike the other book there is only one narrator in this one. That is probably the biggest difference between the two. And I have to say I liked that aspect, it was much easier to follow the story from one point of view. I also found myself liking Gretchen, she has a lot of spunk. Her brother, Ansel, I didn't care much for, but this didn't surprise me. As an only child in reality I've never been fond of siblings in fiction. Slightly weird but it's mainly because I have a serious lack of understanding about the relationship between siblings.

Anyway I started this book with the assumption that the books were linked solely by their roots in fairy tales, but I was wrong. They do share an overall plot line involving the fenris. I am genuinely looking forward to reading the third book.

The fenris spin made me absolutely love this series, this is one of the few times I can say the sequel conquers the first book. I'm a sucker for anything resembling werewolves. Sweetly had several surprises and it kept me guessing. Every time I thought it was becoming dull or when I began predicting the next scene I was wrong.

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.
 

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?

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: The Demon’s Lexicon Trilogy #1 

Publishing year: 2009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Rating: 5/5

 Synopsis:

Nick and his brother, Alan have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick’s mother stole-a charm that keeps her alive-and they want it badly enough to kill again. Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon’s mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase…and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long. Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians’ Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all. This is the Demon’s Lexicon. Turn the page.

Review:

I picked this book up on a whim at the library. I didn’t think I would like it but I was short on time to pick another and needed something to read the next day. How many times do I need to be told that first impressions are misleading? Sure, this book started out a little weak, and I rolled my eyes about Mae’s references to the occult and Wicca. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of talismans either. This book was reading like dozens of others…and then it changed.

The main protagonist Nick is the kind of character I don’t encounter often. He was so cold, but not maliciously cruel or even manipulative. Well later, he was a tad manipulative concerning Alan and Mae and he did torture someone so maybe he’s cruel too.  To clarify, he was without any emotion aside from anger, or at least that’s all he knew how to convey. 

I like how the plot twist at the ending snuck up on me. It was a quick and stunning realization. In other words, it was a duh moment. All the little oddities that had been poking my brain with a sharp stick had piled up and then suddenly they were explained and for equal measure tied up with a neat purple bow. Now for those oddities.

1.      The differences between the two sets of siblings in The Demon’s Lexicon were interesting to me since I’m an only child. I didn’t find it odd that Nick was emotionally unavailable to everyone, his personality just screamed antisocial. Whenever he avoided contact with his brother, Alan it came off as unusual to me. Expressly when Mae and her brother Jamie arrived on the scene and I saw their casual displays of affection. Mae would ruffle his hair or place a light kiss on the top if his head in passing and earlier in the book Alan had tried similar actions only to have Nick edge away.

2.      Nick’s relationship with his mother was downright chilling. Their situation is unusual but for most of the book the hostility and distance between them goes unaddressed. I thought it might be because he wasn’t really her son, or something along those lines. I was close but no dice. Several times Nick remarks to Alan, that he shouldn’t pursue whatever plan he’s currently formulating because if anything happens to Alan then Nick won’t take care of their mother. He even says he’ll kill her a time or two. And he meant it.

3.      Nick’s amulet burns his skin. This doesn’t happen to Alan, Mae or Nick’s mum. For a second I considered the possibility that he might be a magician, but the mum is a magician and her charms don’t burn. This was a nagging mystery throughout the book.

4.      It isn’t supposed to be easy to summon a demon. At the Goblin Market, volunteers dance hoping to summon a demon successfully to make a deal. For example, to remove the demon mark placed on Jamie. However, even if the ceremony is done with flawless precision, it isn’t always a success. In my terms, I would describe demons as very fickle creatures. Still Nick has never had trouble summoning Anzu or Liannan, the two demons who have given their names to him. At a later point in the book, he even summons Liannan without the required dance, just as a magician would.

All the clues were there, and I felt like smacking myself at the end. If I had been paying better attention I might have been able to guess the ending but that doesn’t change how much I love it. I started out without favoring any one character, not even Nick. By the end though I can say I am fully engrossed with this character and the subtle changes he made by the end of the book.

“He felt grounded and at home already under his brother’s gentle human hands.” That is the last sentence of this book and I have strived diligently not to give away any plot spoilers. Except maybe one. As you can tell from the quote, Alan is touching Nick, and for once Nick is not edging away. Alan is stroking Nick’s hair to comfort him and it is working. At this point, I honestly believe that Nick is capable of feeling emotions other than anger.

Question: Do you feel that sibling relationships are portrayed accurately in fiction? Can you think of two examples, one that captured it perfectly, and another that was off the mark entirely?