Keeping it real….sorta

Nothing like home renovations, yoga challenges (post to come soon!), the Summer Reading Program, and vacations to slow down reading and reviewing.  However, I still managed to get through quite a few and on the whole was very happy with all my reading.

Rebel Heart, by Moira Young: In the sequel to Blood Red Road, Saba and Lugh are reunited and are headed west with the rest of their crew.  After receiving a cryptic message from Jack, who has now joined the Tontons and helped destroy the Free Hawks, Saba runs back to save Jack.  Along the way they discover a new regime is leading the Tonton, under the guidance of the Pathfinder.
I’m very torn on reviewing this book.  I listened to it, as I did the first, because I had trouble reading it.  I believe some books are meant to be listened to and this is one of them – the audio is perfect.  The story is action packed with a lot of tension and great characters.  The one person I didn’t like, and became my frustration with the novel was Saba.  She is very headstrong, determined, has a one track mind and follows her heart – traits that served her well in the first book and should translate into her quest of finding Jack, but I don’t think they do.  She hasn’t learned anything about listening to other people and thinking about her actions and how they affect others.  Even while acting on one person’s behalf, she can still be very selfish because she is potentially affecting others by her stupid, impulsive actions.  She’s also very manipulative and careless with her actions and words, leading on those who care about her without thinking about the consequences.  However, I am willing to forgive some of this and credit it to her emotional distress over the losses she suffered in the first book.  I admire her strength and conviction, and think that she still has the potential to grow into a better person in the next book.
Will I Read the Sequel: Yes – the storyline left a great set-up for a really great conclusion.
My label: Series, YA, Post-Apocalypse, strong chicks

The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau: The central government takes the best and the brightest students to be tested for entrance to the University.  Little is known about The Testing, except that there are those who never return.  Cia was selected for The Testing like her father was upon his graduation.  His memories were wiped after The Testing, but he has terrible and horrifying dreams and flashbacks of his Testing.  Also, once you are selected, there is no backing out.  Hmmmm,  does this sound like anything else you’ve read?
It’s really hard to read this and NOT think of The Hunger Games, which is unfortunate for The Testing.  There is a lot of action, mystery, intrigue, slimy characters, back-stabbing and, of course, fighting to the death.  It is a super-fast read that is hard to put down.  While there are some surprises, there is also a lot of predictability and standard characters, that seem to be staples in this genre.
Bottom Line: Without comparing to the plethora of YA dystopian novels, this is really great.  When you take into account the other ones out there, it can still stand on it’s own two feet, while sharing certain elements and themes that can be a tad repetitive.  If you are a fan of the genre, a must read.
Will I Read the Sequel? I think so, there was enough mystery left that I still want answered. 
My Labels: Dystopian, series, YA, strong chicks

In Darkness, by Nick Lake:  Wow.  I picked this title up mainly because it won the Printz Award, and it was so worthy of the award.  The novel takes place in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.  Shorty is trapped in the rubble of a hospital, and, convinced of his imminent death, he tells his heartbreaking story of growing up in the slums of Haiti, and caught in the gangs and violence.  He is also linked to Toussaint L’Ouverture, the man who led the rebellion against the French to free the Haitian slaves.  Shorty’s story is woven in with Toussaint’s, and the two catch glimpses of the life of the other.
The story is beautiful and raw.  Lake’s storytelling and imagery are beautiful and compelling and juxtapose the ugly realities of war, slavery and gang life.  Even more heartbreaking are the callousness that Shorty and other gang members have at such a young age – it’s a fact of life.  Adding to the depth of the novel is the gang portrayal – you still can’t fully hate the gangs though, because they take care of the people of the city in ways that the government and UN can’t or wont.  Most importantly this is still an accessible novel.  While this is (what I consider to be) a more literary novel, this is one that teens can read, understand and follow.
Bottom Line: Thought provoking and beautifully written, this is an important novel for both teens and adults.
My Label: Historical fiction, realistic fiction, YA, award winners

The Dark Monk, by Oliver Potzsch:  In the second novel of the The Hangman’s Daughter series, Jakob, Magdelena and Simon are investigating the death of the parish priest.  They are caught up in a mystery that has them on a trail left by the The Knights Templar.  Local politics, romantic rivals, lover’s quarrels and a gang of robbers add complications to their attempts to track down the clues and solve the mystery.
The Dark Monk is a solidly constructed and developed mystery.  Potzsch maintains a nice pace that keeps the 500 page novel from dragging and feeling like 500 pages.  The characters are delightful and the setting of this Bavarian village of the 1660s is fascinating and makes it stand out from other mysteries.  Not being a big mystery fan, this is one that I eagerly picked up, and relished.
Will I Read the Sequel? Absolutely!  Perhaps for a nice long car ride and flight, the length will make it last and I expect to be fully engrossed.
My Label: Mystery, historical fiction, series
The Doll People, by Ann M. Martin: This is a delightful children’s novel about a 100 year old  doll family, told through the eyes of 8 year old Annabelle doll.  Annabelle doll is quite restless and curious, not only about the outside world, but about what happened to her Auntie Sarah, who disappeared nearly 50 years ago.  The arrival of a new doll family, The Funcrafts, provides Annabelle with a new friend who offers to help her find out what happened to Auntie Sarah.
This is a delightful little story, perfect for anyone who ever had (or has!) that thought in the back of her mind that it could be possible that the dolls are alive.  Also, quite perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a lovely story about doll adventures.  Admittedly I initially didn’t plan on reading it because after spending countless reading hours on The Babysitter’s Club, I vowed to read no more Ann M. Martin.  At the encouraging of a coworker I did, so if that is your reluctance, fear not.  This is a perfect read aloud at night, and the audio version, read by Lynn Redgrave, is absolutely wonderful.
Will I Read the Sequel? Probably not.  Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the first, I don’t feel compelled to continue.  There was nothing left hanging and it stands well alone just fine.  It’s nice to just leave something nice alone.  Although, I can certainly see kids looking for and enjoying the series.
My Annabelle: My dog is named Annabelle, so I had to share who I couldn’t help but think about!My Labels: Fantasy, children’s, series

Coming up next: Confessions of a Sociopath, Wrath of the Bloodeye, and The Last Summer of the Camperdowns, and Morning Glories Vol. 4: Truants…..

Ghosties, Steampunk, Vampires and Mysteries – oh my!

Behind again because I’ve been loving what I’ve been reading.  84 books done for the year so far….

Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, by Anton DiSclafani: This is a beautiful, engrossing novel about a young girl sent away by her family to a riding camp in the mountains of North Carolina.  Thea, a strong willed 15 year old young woman is set to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp as punishment for her sins as well as her family’s.  Thea grew up only knowing her immediate family and her cousin’s family in a dreamlike childhood of riding and exploring with her twin brother.  The novel explores Thea’s new life at camp while weaving in the events of her past that led to her exile.
This is one of my favorite adult books of the year so far.  The dreamy writing style compliments the beauty of her childhood and makes the events of her exile seem that much harsher.  At times if feels like you are caught in a haze with Thea as everything turns upside down as she moves away from her old life and reacts to her new one .  The inner workings of this all girls school strongly juxtaposes her Florida childhood, adding to the mystery of why she was sent away.  The characters are vivid and flawed, which makes them hard to hate, but hard to like.
Overall Assessment: This is a must read–perfect for one sitting, or, if you’re like me, one you want to drag out finishing because you don’t want it to end.
My Label: adult historical fiction, coming of age fiction

American Vampire Vol. 5, by Scott Snyder: The series picks up in the 1950’s.  We meet up again with Felicia Book, now retired from the VMS but is brought back into the fold to help hunt down a powerful vampire who has been released.  (Hint: his name rhymes with Chocula, but, alas, he does not offer chocolatey goodness).  Pearl is also brought in by the VMS to help hunt down a pack of vampires who have attacked Henry.  Her partner is none other than good ol’ frenemy Skinner Sweet.
At five volumes in, the series continues to pack a great punch.  The action, stories, tension and cliffhangers are well done and drawn out.  The artwork is beautifully drawn and colored. The only negative?  They are taking a short hiatus before commencing on the rest of the series.  I have to wait!  Noooooooooo!
Will I read the Sequel (or next in series)? If I don’t go crazy from waiting.
Confession: I really love Skinner Sweet.
My Label: Graphic novel, vampires, series

Scrivener’s Moon, by Philip Reeve: I finally got my paws on an audio version (started series in audio, must complete in audio!) of Scrivener’s Moon, the conclusion to the Fever Crumb trilogy.  I struggled a bit with placing everyone and everything since it’s been a while since I read the last two.  Scrivener’s Moon did a nice job of tying all the loose ends together from the first and second book.  Fever has returned home to Wavey and Dr. Crumb who are starting work on making London mobile.  Wavey and Fever travel to the north in search of old tech.  The find themselves captured by peoples who do not wish to see London move, based upon the visions of Cluny Morvish.  We also meet up again with Charley Shallow, who has become an apprentice engineer and is scheming to climb higher in the ranks.
Charley and his schemes play a large role in propelling the plot and keeping things moving.  He makes for an interesting character to follow because he still has a smidge of conscious left, but pushes it aside in favor of self preservation.  Fever, still heartbroken from Arlo, tries to loose herself in reason to but has come too far from it in her past adventures to be able to fully follow it.  She falls for Cluny (who has the most wonderful accent in the audio!), which I was initially a little surprised by and didn’t anticipate (mainly because I was hoping Arlo would come back!).  But Fever has always been an androgynous character, so in hindsight it’s not that surprising.  I loved the evolution of their relationship and how perfectly they compliment each other.  Lingering questions about the beginnings of the Scriven race and the downfall of the tech world, aptly named the Screen Age, are answered.  The tension and plot are tight and tie together well.
Ending Note: A satisfying end, that nicely sets up the Mortal Engine series.
Bonus Factor: LGBTQ points!  Fever’s relationship with Cluny is so sweet and they balance one another so well.  I loved how Fever just appreciated everything about Cluny and never stopped to worry about the fact that Cluny was a girl and no one else did either.
My Label: YA, Steampunk, Strong chicks, series

The Madness Underneath, by Maureen Johnson: This was a typical middle novel.  Lots of threads and mystery added, but little resolution.  Rory is recovering from her stabbing in Bristol, where she discovers she has new abilities.  After her therapist encourages her to go back at Wexford, she becomes curious about a recent murder, and begins uncovering more after effects of the Ripper’s death.  She also begins seeing, Jane, a therapist who offers to help her for free.  Let me restate that: On a recommendation (of someone who isn’t really a friend) Rory goes to a stranger’s house, and accepts that this woman provides therapy for free.  SMH.

Whaaaat?

Anyway, Rory’s idiocy aside, there are a lot of after affects that are still being worked out from the first book.  Stephen, Callum and Boo are without a terminus, which puts their jobs in jeopardy.  Having missed school for three weeks leaves Rory way behind in her school work and in no place to take exams.  Which means her position at Wexford is in jeopardy.  Basically, the Madness Underneath is lots of buildup and increasing tension, and then, it ends.  Sigh.
Will I read the sequel? It was all fun and games until it ended, so dammit I have to read the sequel.  Although I do feel a little gypped.  I thought our relationship meant more than leaving me hanging like that.
My Label: ghosts, Ya, series

Mojo, by Tim Tharp: I kept reading early favorable reviews on some of my favorite blogs, and, since I’m not a big mystery person, I thought I’d give it a shot.  Success!
Here’s the Deal: Dylan needs some mojo.  Like Rodney Dangerfield he get’s no respect (wow, I just made that reference).  After finding a dead body in a dumpster, he’s worse off than before after being pushed around by the police and earning the nickname “Body Bag.”  His solution?  Find the missing rich girl, and earn the $100,000 prize money.
Characters: Dylan is assisted in his search by his geeky and weakly mustached friend Randy and his kick-ass BFF Audrey.  Most of the rich kids Dylan meets are a tad cliche, but it still works within the novel.
Vibe:  The vibe of the book was part of what made it so enjoyable.  It has a classic mystery feel and structure with red herrings in all the right places, the pretty girl distraction, the too nice of a guy, threats from a couple sides, etc.  But Tharp makes it work and makes it original.  Dylan is funny and real and anyone can relate to his desire for mojo.
Overall Assessment: Fun mystery pick.
Bonus Factor: LGBTQ points for portraying a lesbian relationship in a non-gimmicky stereotypical way.  Audrey is an open lesbian and begins her first real relationship through the course of the book.  Dylan has to deal with his best friend dating and spending less time with him AND initially having a crush on Audrey’s GF.
My Label: YA, mystery, guy friendly

Coming up next: Rebel Heart, by Moira Young – The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau – The Dark Monk, by Oliver Pötzsch….