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By:
Becky Laney,
on 11/4/2016
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The Seventh Wish. Kate Messner. 2016. Bloomsbury. 228 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: I've only seen the ice flowers once.
Premise/plot: Some books are near-impossible to summarize concisely...and do the book justice. This is such a book. I want to just say READ IT. But I won't. That really won't help you make up your mind now, or refresh my memory later. Charlie, the heroine, learns a little about wishes and a lot about life in this middle grade fantasy. Why is it fantasy and not realistic fiction? A talking fish that grants Charlie wishes.
My thoughts: I LOVED this one so much. Why? Perhaps in large part because of the narrator, Charlie. I truly connected with her--despite our differences--and wanted to spend time with her. I just adored her as a character. And because I adored her, I didn't mind a bit reading about Irish dancing (she made it sound super fun!) and ice-fishing (not convinced this is super fun but still not enough of a deterrent to keep me from loving it). I really felt this one was well-layered and peopled with flesh-and-blood characters.
This one was wonderfully balanced between light and dark. On the one hand, we've got Charlie and her friends and their "problems." (A friend whose father is pressuring him to play sports when that is the absolute last thing he wants to do, for example. Charlie's own "troubles" about wanting to earn money so she can buy a dancing dress for competitions.) On the other hand, we've got grown-up problems as well. Charlie's sister experiments with drugs--with heroin--at college and life becomes MESSY very quickly.
The Seventh Wish doesn't read like your typical PROBLEM NOVEL. It doesn't feel weighed down with manipulative messages, themes, and morals. Part of me wishes that this one didn't have the fantasy elements--the fish that grants wishes. The other part realizes that maybe the fantasy elements give this one a just right balance so that it isn't heavy and serious and dramatic and IMPORTANT.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
How To Be A Good Cat. Gail Page. 2011. Bloomsbury. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Bobo was good. He liked to help. So when Mr. Hiccup asked Mrs. Birdhead if someone could look after his kitten, Bobo volunteered!
Premise/plot: Bonkers, the neighbor's kitten, IS very, very naughty. Bobo has quite a time trying to keep up with him. When Bobo stops treating him like a dog, and, instead seeks to learn ALL ABOUT CATS (from a cat), things improve. He learns how to sneak, how to chat, how to stretch, how to clean himself, how to climb...
My thoughts: I liked this one. Bonkers is quite adorable. A perfectly cute and sweet-looking gray and white kitten. Of course, readers learn that he's not quite as innocent as he appears. But it's fun to read about these two.
Do I love the illustrations? I can't say that I do. Oh, I definitely loved Bonkers, and how he's illustrated. Some quite expressive illustrations!!! But there is something about how Bobo is drawn--he's almost always, always on two legs instead of four. He doesn't look like a dog. He looks like a human in a dog costume. And that, for some reason, bothers me. Also, the cat who teaches Bobo how to act like a cat walks on two legs. And it's just unnatural looking.
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 2 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Duck, Duck, Porcupine! Salina Yoon. 2016. Bloomsbury. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: This is the perfect day for a picnic, Porcupine!
Premise/plot: Duck, Duck, Porcupine is the first book in a new early reader series starring Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine. There are three short adventures in this one. The first is "A Perfect Day for a Picnic." Little Duck is the first to notice that it will soon be RAINING. But will a little rain--or a lot of rain--spoil the day completely? It may not be a perfect day to EAT outside, but, it may be a perfect day to PLAY outside. The second is "I Think I Forgot Something." Big Duck is CLUELESS. Little Duck tries to help Big Duck remember what she forgot. (Holding up a present, holding up a birthday invite, bringing out a calendar, etc.) Will she remember in time that it is Porcupine's birthday?! The third is "The Campout." Little Duck may not be ready to WRITE out a list of what is needed on a camping trip. But make no mistake, Little Duck KNOWS that marshmallows are essential. (I have the idea that they'd not be item #100 on *his* list).
My thoughts: Loved this one. I definitely liked the characters. Characterization is brought about by little details. And this one has plenty both in the text and in the illustrations! Definitely worth reading more than once.
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Be A Friend. Salina Yoon. 2016. Bloomsbury. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Dennis was an ordinary boy...who expressed himself in extraordinary ways.
Premise/plot: Dennis (aka "Mime Boy") is lonely until he finds someone who really, truly gets him. Her name is Joy. And they can be friends without saying a single word. So long as they can use jazz hands to laugh together!
My thoughts: I love this one. I do. It is cute, sweet, and true. What a celebration of friendship...and imagination...and being true to yourself. My favorite line: There was no wall between Dennis and Joy. It was more like a mirror.
Do watch the
Emily Arrow song.
Text: 4.5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4.5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Little Shaq. Shaquille O'Neal. Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III. 2015. Bloomsbury. 80 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Little Shaq is the first in a new series of early chapter books by Shaquille O'Neal. In this first book, readers meet Little Shaq and his cousin Barry. An argument over basketball leads to a frustrating video game experience for the two. Instead of being a way to make peace, the video game increases the tension between these two close friends. The game ends up getting broken, and, the two brainstorm a way to earn money to replace the game. Since they are both at fault, they both need to make it right. Working together in a new watering-and-gardening business, can they get the job done?
I liked this one. I did. I don't love sports now, and I didn't love sports as a kid. But a good book is a good book no matter the subject.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 7/10/2015
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Apple and Rain. Sarah Crossan. 2015. Bloomsbury. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I don't know if what I remember is what happened or just how I imagine it happened now I'm old enough to tell stories. Apple doesn't have the best memories of Christmas, or of her mother either, for that matter. One of her earliest memories is when she was three: the Christmas Eve that her mother left. Apple has been raised by her Nana ever since. She does have some contact with her Dad, but, their relationship isn't all happy. So when Apple's mother returns unexpectedly seemingly eager for a relationship, eager for Apple to move in with her, Apple doesn't want to over-think it. Hasn't she been wanting to know her Mom? Hasn't she been wanting some freedom and independence? So her decision to move in with her mom--who is a complete stranger to her--is sudden. Apple couldn't be happier, could she?
But Apple soon realizes that her mom hasn't been completely honest with her, Nana, or her Dad. Apple has a younger sister, Rain, SURPRISE. They'll be sharing a room. And guess what?! The sister has some mental/emotional issues! And Rain is not thrilled to have a sister either. Apple will certainly have some adapting to do...
Can studying poetry in English class help her adapt? Can doing her homework make a big difference in her personal life? Readers get a chance to read Apple's homework, and, some of her poems are
good.
Apple and Rain is a coming-of-age novel set in England. It's an emotional and dramatic read. I loved the focus on relationships: primarily between Apple and Rain, but, also to a certain extent her relationship with Del, the neighbor boy.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Judy Blume: Are You There, Reader? It's Me Judy! (Women Who Broke the Rules). Kathleen Krull. 2015. Bloomsbury. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Kathleen Krull has a new nonfiction book series: Women Who Broke The Rules. So far the series features biographies of Sacajawea, Judy Blume, Dolley Madison, and Sonia Sotomayor. Biographies of Coretta Scott King and Mary Todd Lincoln are listed as 'coming soon.' I think the series has some potential for its intended age group. Especially when I think about the oh-so-limited options I had as a child.
I enjoyed reading this biography of Judy Blume. The first chapter takes us from birth through high school graduation, essentially. The next five chapters focus mainly on her writing: her love of writing, the struggle to get published, what she's written, what it's like to be an author, challenges she's faced, etc. I like the balance of this one.
Overall, I'm happy to recommend the series. I think it would be a good choice for elementary students.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 5/26/2015
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The Forgotten Sisters. (Princess Academy #3) Shannon Hale. 2015. Bloomsbury. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I enjoyed reading The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale, the third in the Princess Academy series. The book opens with Miri so very excited to go back home to her mountain, to her father and sister. And she'll be traveling with the love of her life, Peder. Life couldn't really get any better for her. But. Apparently she hasn't earned her happily ever after just yet. The king has need of her, and she can hardly refuse his request. It seems war with a neighboring country is pending, and, she is needed as a teacher at a new princess academy. She'll be going away, far away, to teach three sisters--discarded members of the royal family. Swamp life is completely different from mountain life or city life. Does Miri have what it take to meet this new challenge in her life? How can she train these three when all they're concerned about is surviving: having enough food to eat day by day?!
Miri will have to be creative and brave and persistent. Readers should know by now, after having spent two books with Miri, that she is up to the challenge and that she'll always find some way to resolve things well.
I like this one. I think it's a great addition to the series. It does feel different from the others in the series, but, that isn't really a bad thing. I was quite pleased with the ending of this one. There were plenty of scenes that had me smiling. (But there were plenty of intense moments as well.)
I'd definitely recommend all three books.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 5/24/2015
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Palace of Stone. (Princess Academy #2) Shannon Hale. 2012. Bloomsbury. 323 pages. [Source: Library]
I definitely enjoyed rereading Shannon Hale's Palace of Stone, the sequel to Princess Academy. It was great to read these two books back to back. Having that continuity certainly helped me appreciate it all the more.
Miri is the heroine of Palace of Stone. Princess Academy concludes with Prince Steffan choosing Miri's friend, Britta, to be his wife. Britta and Steffan had known each other before and had fallen in love with each other. But Britta was not from Mount Eskel. Not until her father pushes her into a big deception: she MUST go live a year on Mount Eskel, she must be an orphan sent to live with oh-so-distant relatives on the mountain. She must attend the academy. No one but Miri and Britta and Steffan know the absolute truth. (Well, obviously her ambitious parents know.)
Palace of Stone opens with Miri and a handful of other Princess Academy graduates preparing to go with traders to the capital city. They have all been invited by Britta, they are her ladies. Miri will have an extra privilege as well. She'll be the first person from Mount Eskel to go to university. (Queen's Castle) She is thrilled and anxious and overwhelmed. She really WANTS to learn, to keep on learning, to absorb as much as she possibly can, so she can return to the village she loves and teach others what she's learned in her year away. She is a most eager and motivated student. She's also a great listener. She tries to stay close to Britta and the others, but, it isn't always easy since she's so busy.
And then there is of course her spying. Katar, the representative of Mount Eskel, her former classmate, has begged for Miri's help. She KNOWS that many are discontent and eager for revolution. But she can't seek these 'traitors' out herself and spy for the royal family. But Miri, well, she can be her eyes and ears. She may quite naturally come across these people at university or in the community. (Miri does have greater access, wider access, than some of the other girls.)
Miri learns all about the cause of 'the shoeless.' What she learns about the royal family, what she learns about the nobility, changes her. How can she LIKE such despicable people who are so cruel, so smug, so unfeeling?! She loves Britta, and, she wants to believe that Steffan isn't just like his father, but, she sees the rightness of the cause...
What will Miri do? What can she do? Will revolution come and change the kingdom forever? Or will Miri find a way to save the day?
Readers definitely meet a lot more characters in Palace of Stone. And the book is a quick, satisfying read. Her love of Peder remains strong throughout despite the fact that she's tempted a few times to entertain the attentions of another young man--a fellow student.
The book is beautifully complex in its characterization. It's easy to recommend both books.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 5/12/2015
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Princess Academy. Shannon Hale. 2005. Bloomsbury. 314 pages. [Source: Library]
I enjoyed rereading Shannon Hale's Princess Academy. I wanted to reread both Princess Academy and Palace of Stone before reading the third book out just this year. There isn't always time for me--unfortunately--to reread all the books in a series each time a new book is released, but, I do try to make it a priority when I've loved the author's work in the past. And that is certainly the case with Shannon Hale!
Miri is the heroine of Princess Academy. She is small, for her age, and is, in a way, kept separate from others her own age for the simple fact that everyone but Miri is already working in the quarry. Miri tends the goats and keeps house for her family: her older sister and father. (Her mother died within a week of giving birth to her.) Her father isn't a man of many words, and, Miri misunderstands much. The community in which she lives is dependent on traders. They work the quarry and mine linder, they trade the precious stone for food and other supplies. It is both an anxious and exciting time for the village. This year is especially so. For this year the trader brings a BIG, BIG message. All the girls of the community--within a certain age, I believe twelve or thirteen to sixteen or so--MUST attend Princess Academy. For the prophets have revealed that Mount Eskel is the home of the future Princess/Queen. The prince heir (Steffan) will visit the academy in one year to choose his bride. All the girls must be trained and educated for any one of the girls could potentially be 'the one'. It is a huge shock to the community. Miri, of course, is one of the girls.
Readers get to know many of the girls at the Princess Academy. Some better than others, of course. Britta and Katar are two girls that get much attention. For very different reasons though. The book chronicles Miri's time at the academy: what she's learning, what they're all learning, what she likes, what she wants, etc. One thing she wants is to be able to go home more frequently and see Peder, the boy she loves and hopes one day to marry.
Another focus of the book is on quarry speech and the magical qualities of linder.
The book celebrates stories and storytelling and the power of words and literacy, the importance of education and knowledge. Miri is wise because she is able to absorb what she's taught and use it to her advantage and to the community's advantage.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Sacajawea (Women Who Broke the Rules) Kathleen Krull. 2015. Bloomsbury. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Kathleen Krull has a new nonfiction book series: Women Who Broke The Rules. So far the series features biographies of Sacajawea, Judy Blume, Dolley Madison, and Sonia Sotomayor. Biographies of Coretta Scott King and Mary Todd Lincoln are listed as 'coming soon.' I think the series has some potential for its intended age group. Especially when I think about the oh-so-limited options I had as a child.
Krull has written plenty of picture book biographies, but these new books are chapter books. (They do feature illustrations. One of the most important things to me as a kid when it came to picking a nonfiction book for a book review.)
What did I think of Sacajawea? I liked the introduction to this new series. I thought it was a quick, informative read. As an adult, I have read a few books on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and so I knew a little about it. But I hadn't read a book specifically focused on Sacajawea. It was a nice introduction, I believe.
Overall, I'm happy to recommend the series. I think it would be a good choice for elementary students.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Lion Heart (Scarlet #3). A.C. Gaughen. 2015. Bloomsbury. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I read Scarlet and Lady Thief last spring. It was LOVE. I've been waiting for Lion Heart since I finished Lady Thief last spring. I've held the characters close for a whole year in anticipation. I just have to say that I was not disappointed with Lion Heart at all.
If you're looking for a good--a great--retelling of Robin Hood, then you must pick up these three books. They're wonderful. Yes, they build upon the legend, and, a few details will feel familiar to readers--as they perhaps should. But the depth and complexity to the characters is remarkable. I loved, loved, loved getting to know all the characters. Especially Robin Hood and Scarlet (Marian). There are plenty of other characters to love as well. Though perhaps a fewer number in Lion Heart. (I'd forgotten just how Lady Thief ended. So rereading it and rushing into Lion Heart, I felt the loss of a certain character very much.) Still, there are plenty of new characters to get to know in Lion Heart.
Lion Heart definitely has a different feel to it in a way. But I still loved it. Much is required of Scarlet in this one, and, she'll continue to fight for what's right and what's good from cover to cover. I love that she never gives up. I love her determination and fierceness.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 4/26/2015
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Scarlet. A.C. Gaughen. 2012. Walker. 292 pages. [Source: Library]
I first read Scarlet
last year. I really enjoyed it, but, not as much as I ended up enjoying the second book in the series, Lady Thief.
So. Scarlet is a retelling of Robin Hood. The narrator is "Will Scarlet" a young woman posing as one of Robin's men. All of the gang know her secret, though they didn't all learn at once. But most of the villagers don't. Scarlet is a thief with a past, a past that will catch up with her by the end of the novel. Through Scarlet's perspective, readers get to know Rob (Robin Hood), John Little, Much, and Tuck. Readers also get to know about the dangerous and cruel Guy Gisbourne. He's been hired to find Robin Hood and his gang and kill them...
How did I feel about Scarlet the second time I read it? I enjoyed it so much more! I think one of the reasons I love rereading is because I can relax and enjoy how everything comes together. The first time I was focused on the potential of the premise, on the mystery--who was this Scarlet?--and on the action--will The Hood and his gang be able to save everyone?! The second time I was able to focus on the development of characters and relationships. I already had a connection with the characters, a LOVE for them, so that helped this reading experience tremendously.
I'll be rereading Lady Thief before I read the third in the series, Lion Heart, which releases in May.
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
All the Answers. Kate Messner. 2015. Bloomsbury USA. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The pencil didn't look magic. It looked the opposite of magic. It was the kind of pencil a parent might bring home from some boring financial planning convention. All the Answers has a wonderful premise. The premise is this: Ava Anderson, brings a pencil from home, from a junk drawer, to school because she knows she'll have a math quiz. During the quiz, she learns the pencil is magical. If she writes a question, the pencil will answer her, answer her as a voice in her head. She uses it--gently--to help her with the quiz. After school, she tests the pencil again. Is it helpful just in math? Or is it good for other subjects? What about subjects not studied in school at all? Will the pencil help her have a better life? Based on the premise alone, one would think the book would be great fun: playful and amusing and overall satisfying.
Unfortunately, the book itself is not as wonderful as the premise. I'll start with the good. First, I must admit that I liked how Ava uses the pencil to bring joy to the folks in the nursing home. I think it shows her thoughtfulness and sensitivity. Yes, her grandfather is in the nursing home. Yes, she's been in the habit of going with her family weekly to visit him. But her caring extends beyond that--in a way. She also learns that life isn't all that simple. The pencil might be able to tell her some things, but, not all things, and not all the most important things.
Another thing I appreciated about All The Answers is the characterization of Ava. In some ways, she was oh-so-easy to relate to. And I liked spending time with her. I liked how she grew up a bit in this one.
The biggest problem I had with All The Answers is the resolution. There were a few answers that I didn't need or want. Why do we really need to learn how/why the pencil works!!! It made me want to yell at the book!
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
This Side of Home. Renee Watson. 2015. Bloomsbury USA. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
This Side of Home is without a doubt an issue book. But the issues within This Side of Home are relevant and almost universal, I'd say. So, it may be an "issue book" but the issues addressed are authentic ones. The book spans Maya's senior year in high school.
Maya and Nikki are twins. They've always been super close. But the older they get, the more that is changing. Nikki is becoming her own person. Maya is becoming her own person. And sometimes the two just don't understand where the other is coming from. They can like each other, even LOVE each other, but still not quite understand each other.
Maya and Nikki have the same best friend, Essence. But again this is changing. Maya and Essence continue to be close--despite the fact that Essence moves near the start of the novel. But Nikki and Essence, well, they are growing apart from one another.
Essence has lived across the street (I believe, or, perhaps next door?) from Nikki and Maya for years and years. The girls can't remember not being friends with each other, of being just steps away from each others' houses. The two families are close--a little too close sometimes probably from Essence's mom's point of view. But when Essence and her mom are evicted (the landlord wants to upgrade the house and sell it) a new family--a white family--moves in. This family has a brother and a sister. Kate becomes close to Nikki. And Maya becomes close to Tony.
Race is very much an issue in This Side of Home. Nikki and Maya see things very differently, but, both are true to themselves. Maya embraces her ethnicity/culture. She is proud and outspoken and passionate. Nikki is often accused of "acting white." Nikki doesn't like to be picked on--Essence's family in particular has opinions--but she's not trying "to be white," she's just being true to herself, dressing the way she wants, the way she prefers, and wearing her hair the way she likes it, the way that suits her best.
Community is also an issue in This Side of Home. Through Maya's eyes we witness a community in the process of changing--of a primarily black community changing more and more into a more diverse one--a white one, she fears. She doesn't mind the addition of shops and restaurants and general property improvements, but, why are all the new owners white?
School. This is very much a "school" novel where the emphasis is on the whole school year...from the end of summer to the beginning of another summer. Maya is a diligent student, very smart, and very active. In fact, she's president of the student council, I believe. So much of the book is about her experiences as a Senior...and her thoughts about what comes next, where she wants to go to school, thinking about what those big, big changes will mean to her and her family and her friends. (How will going away to college change her relationship with her family? with Essence? with Tony?)
There are two things I really liked about This Side of Home. First, I loved the characterization. I loved the thoroughness of it. Major characters. Minor characters. Every character was brought to life. The characters had substance and felt human. Second, I thought the author did a good job with the setting and atmosphere of this one. (It's set in Portland, Oregon.)
© 2015 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Magic in the Mix. Annie Barrows. 2014. Bloomsbury. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Magic in the Mix is the sequel to Magic Half. I enjoyed both Magic Half and Magic in the Mix. Both books star Miri, a middle child. In the first book, Magic Half, Miri travels back in time and "rescues" Molly, a girl living in 1935. Molly fits right in with Miri's family when the two return. In fact, Miri and Molly are the only two that remember Molly's true origin. To everyone else, Miri and Molly are twins. Molly has always been a part of their family. In the second book, Molly and Miri do more time traveling. First, they travel back in time to 1918. Molly recognizes her mother, Maudie, and her aunt, Flo. The two are teens. Flo sees Molly and Miri as unwelcome intruders--gypsies, she calls them. Maudie, on the other hand, while still thinking of them as gypsies, sees them as potential friends. Second, they travel back in time to the Civil War era. I'm not exactly sure the book names a year. If it does, I can't recall it. Here's where everything turns tricksy. Molly and Miri aren't the only ones doing time travel. (view spoiler)
I liked the book fine. However, there were several things that didn't charm me. I don't necessarily enjoy the family scenes. I don't know about the two youngest, but the oldest four children are irresponsible, disobedient, and disrespectful. All of the children are rude and insult one another. I didn't like some of the phrases they use. The children think absolutely nothing of lying and sneaking around. The dad. Has he had even a sentence or two in either book that could count as characterization? The mom. On the one hand, her children are always, always doing something they shouldn't be, and are very proud of the fact. But she seems to have only one tone: angry. The time travel also seemed even less realistic to me. I'm not sure how either girl managed to fool anyone in the Civil War era. (Rolling up your pants so they just see your T-shirt doesn't seem very a very authentic way of passing, even if you go the extra step and take off your glasses.)
© 2014 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/2/2014
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Thursdays with the Crown. (Castle Glower #3) Jessica Day George. 2014. Bloomsbury. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I enjoyed reading Thursdays with the Crown. I'm glad I read it so soon after finishing Wednesdays in the Tower. I only wish I'd had the time to reread the first novel in this fantasy series, Tuesdays at the Castle. I'm sure I would have appreciated the whole series even more if I'd had the chance to reconnect with the characters and have an attachment. That being said, I ended up enjoying so many of the characters anyway. Thursdays with the Crown picks up right where Wednesdays in the Tower left off. I was prepared to love it from the start.
The novel opens with Celie, Lilah, Pogue, Rolf, Lulath, and Rufus (Celie's griffin) finding themselves in a strange, foreign place. They have been transported to the Glorious Arkower, a land they believe the Castle originated from. They come into this adventure with a few assumptions for better or worse. When they come across two different men with two very different stories--contradictory stories--everything becomes a bit confusing. Who is telling the truth? Is either man telling the whole truth? What is true and what is only half-true? If a man lies about one thing, does that mean he's lying about everything? Celie and her friends will have to puzzle things out.
It is definitely an adventure fantasy. It is a quick read, a delightful read in many ways. I think I love Lulath best of all.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Chapel Wars. Lindsey Leavitt. 2014. Bloomsbury USA. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Holly, our heroine, has inherited her grandpa's wedding chappel, Rose of Sharon. This wedding chapel is one of the classiest in Las Vegas, at least that is what Holly and her family would have us to believe. Her grandpa had a certain standard to uphold. No gimmicks. Just real romance. In other words, no preachers in Elvis suits. But poor financial decisions from several years ago has left the chapel in big trouble. Grandpa Jim knew this before he died. He failed to mention it, of course. But he speaks the truth in a letter to his favorite grandchild, Holly. Seventeen IS young to be THE BOSS, but, Holly is super-smart. She is GREAT at numbers. She has vision too. She's going to give it her ALL. She is not afraid to make decisions and stand behind those decisions even when other employees disagree. In other words, hello, Elvis. She knows that she absolutely cannot save the business IF she binds herself to WHAT WOULD GRANDPA DO?
One of the highlights of this novel, and there are many, is the romance. Grandpa left TWO letters behind. One for Holly. One for Dax. Dax is the boy-next-door. The boy-from-the-wedding-chapel-next door. He not only works at the chapel next door, he is the grandson of the owner. These two businesses share a parking lot. Though they've never really spoken before her Grandpa's death, after his death, these two become something...
I loved, loved, loved the developing relationship between Holly and Dax. I loved their conversations. I loved their dates. I loved how everything was far from perfect. I loved the emotion and tension between these two.
I also loved the character development. Many members of Holly's family were developed. And Holly had a circle of friends that were developed too. This made the novel believable. Readers were invited to share a life, a messy life.
This one will most likely be one of my favorite YA books of 2014. I just loved, loved, loved it.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Searching for Sky. Jillian Cantor. 2014. Bloomsbury USA. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I would definitely recommend Jillian Cantor's Searching for Sky. I found it impossible to put down. Sky and River live together on an island, or, perhaps I should say THE ISLAND. Sky and River have been raised on the island. Sky does not remember life BEFORE the island. River, who was around four or five, does remember a few things about life in California. Both remember Helmut and Petal who died after eating mushrooms. Helmut was River's father; Petal was Sky's mother. Though these two have been raised as brother and sister, before Petal's death, she told her daughter that soon--very soon--she would start having all these feelings and desires for River, and that would be a good thing. The novel opens on Sky's sixteenth birthday. These opening chapters give readers an idea of what life is like on the island for two isolated teenagers; they have survival skills to a certain degree. But the two are rescued and returned to California. Sky's world is about to crumble. It will get worse before it gets better.
Sky does NOT want to be rescued. Sky does NOT want to live in California with other people, in a society that she thinks her mother despised. She does not like feeling ashamed and scared and confused and frustrated and angry. Life has suddenly become too much, too overwhelming. Because she has no memories of life before--she was under the age of two when she arrived on the island--she doesn't understand the most simplest, basic things that everyone takes for granted: forks, plates, toilets and sinks, pencils and paper. She'll need to learn EVERYTHING if she's to function in this strange, new world that readers are oh-so-familiar with. And that might not be the hardest part to accept: there are facts about her mother and Helmut that will challenge her incredibly.
I found Sky's story to be very compelling. I would definitely recommend this one.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 9/12/2012
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Princess Academy: Palace of Stone. Shannon Hale. 2012. Bloomsbury. 336 pages.
Miri woke to the insistent bleat of a goat. She squeaked open one eye. Pale yellow sky slipped through the cracks in the shutters.Miri and the other graduates of the Princess Academy are preparing to go to capital city to attend the princess-to-be, Britta. Miri will even have the privilege of attending Queen's Castle--a university. Peder, Miri's best friend, will be heading to the capital as well, as an apprentice to a stone carver. But the months leading up to Britta and Steffen will be anything but boring...
Katar, the delegate from Mount Eskel, confides in Miri that there is talk of revolution. The "shoeless" are conspiring against the aristocracy. And she's hoping that Miri can get to the bottom of it, discover who is plotting and why...and determine which side is in the right. And attending Queen's Castle, Miri does in fact discover how unhappy, restless, and angry people are with the royal family, with the way things are done in the kingdom. Miri listens quite sympathetically and decides that change does need to happen, that the people have a right to fight against injustice....so what does this mean for her relationship with Britta and the other royals?
Most of Palace of Stone focuses on Miri and her new friends and acquaintances. (Peder has some competition as well.) Politics definitely play a big role in this one! As does education and literacy.
I really loved it. I certainly couldn't put it down! The writing was great. Hale does have a way with words. I would definitely recommend both books.
Read Palace of Stone
- If you're a fan of Shannon Hale
- If you're a fan of Princess Academy
- If you like a blend of fantasy and politics--think Megan Whalen Turner.
- If you like fantasy with light romance
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The latest addition to our Reviews Section is a piece by Aleksandra Fazilpour on Tomás Eloy Martínez’s Purgatory, which is translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne and available from Bloomsbury USA.
Aleksandra did an independent study with me last semester to learn about writing book reviewing. She read a bunch of books, wrote and rewrote and rewrote her pieces, read all of the essays in the Words Without Borders “How to Review Translations” series, and became a much better writer and reviewer over the course of the semester. I meant to run her pieces throughout the semester, but classes (and ALTA and life and work and everything) kept me way too busy. So instead, I’ll run them every Friday for the next few weeks.
This is from the first review she ever wrote:
Emilia Dupuy is haunted by the memory of her missing husband, Simon Cardoso. During what seemed like a routine mapping expedition in Argentina for the couple (both of whom were cartographers), Simon vanished without a trace. A thread of hope is preserved in Emilia thirty years after his disappearance in spite of testimonies stating that he was detained, tortured, and murdered. Simon became one of the many “disappeared” that characterized Argentina in the wake of the Dirty War, and Emilia became one of the individuals left behind in her own personal purgatory, marked by uncertainty with regards not only to the whereabouts of her husband, but the direction of her own life and her place within her family. Tomas Eloy Martinez carefully constructs this tale of one woman’s struggle in Purgatory by mingling poignant emotion with gut-wrenching fact and allows the reader to effortlessly move between present-time New Jersey into the corrupt Argentina of yester-year characterized by propaganda-induced authority.
The true power of Martinez’s storytelling lies in is his ability to make his protagonist’s personal struggle secondary to the oppression of the Dirty War—he uses his artistic skill to enfold the reader not only into Emilia’s story but into the time itself, whisking the audience through 30 years in the blink of an eye. In hopes of finding her husband, Emilia fruitlessly following a series of ultimately inaccurate clues pointing to Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and finally the United States. The true angst in the story floods not from the pursuit itself but from the slow realization that these clues seem loosely linked to Emilia’s own father: Dr. Dupuy, a propagandist for the oppressive government regime itself. The irony almost makes the narrative humorous—Dupuy’s ideals enforce the statement “God, family, country,” but it seems increasingly clear to the audience and to Emilia that her father instigated Simon’s disappearance, and possibly his torture and murder, in order to further his own agenda and to keep Emilia among others from discovering the truth behind the government’s atrocities.
Click here to read the full review.
Mister Creecher. Chris Priestly. 2011. Bloomsbury. 390 pages.
Billy pulled his clammy coat collar tightly to his throat. It was damp with the fog and felt like the tongue of a dead animal lolling against his neck. His thin body shivered and trembled. He was fifteen but looked eight. A fever sweat glistened on his forehead. His breaths were short; they puffed from his mouth in feeble wisps.When the novel opens, our hero, Billy, is getting ready to rob a corpse. The corpse in question turns out not to be a corpse at all, but a "Mr. Creecher." A dead-looking man of large proportion. He "saves" Billy just moments later when a mean gang of thieves (Billy's also a thief of course) shows up threatening him. But his "savior" wants Billy to do a little work for him. He wants Billy to follow two men about town. A Mr. Frankenstein and a Mr. Clerval. Billy easily agrees to this. And so it begins...an odd friendship of sorts...partly based on convenience and circumstance.
At first Billy barely knows a thing about Creecher. And he doesn't mind not knowing. What little he has heard, what little mumblings (or grumblings) he's heard, he's been able to ignore. And even when the truth--the Creecher's truth--is revealed, Billy has a hard time REALLY believing that such a thing is so, that something like that is even possible. But as the story progresses, Billy hears more and more of the Creecher's tale. At times Billy thinks he talks WAY TOO MUCH. He accuses him of talking like a girl, a woman. Of being too in-touch with his feelings, of loving novels and reading too much. I didn't agree with every little thing Billy said. (I was later very glad I didn't!!!) But. It provided an interesting perspective of viewing Mary Shelley's creation or creature.
'Shut up!' Billy snapped. 'Why do you have to be such a...'
He snarled and kicked a moss-covered branch and sent it tumbling into the darkness. Without the coachlights, the moon provided the only illumination to the scene.
'You see how it is for me,' said Creecher. 'I try to help and--'
'It's always about you, isn't it?' said Billy. 'Oh, poor me--I'm ugly and no one likes me. Boo hoo, boo hoo. Well, life ain't a bowl of cherries for the rest of us neither!'
'But you can live among them...'
Billy fumed for a few moments, unable to express his feelings. The truth was he had never felt part of 'them.' He had never belonged.
'Oh yeah. I can get treated like filth,' he replied. 'I can starve or steal. I can hang. If you want someone to feel sorry for you, you've come to the wrong place.' (191)
The novel is set in the middle of Frankenstein. The creature has requested Frankenstein create a mate for him, and Victor has agreed. The novel ends with them on their way to Scotland.
I liked this one. I really, really liked it. I'm not sure that I absolutely loved it. I'm not sure it will make my favorites list. But I am SO GLAD I read it. I found it a great read. Very quick, very enjoyable. The tone of this one was just right. It was just a great, great read. It definitely made me think!
© 2011 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 6/29/2011
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The Boy at the End of the World. Greg van Eekhout. 2011. Bloomsbury. 224 pages.
This is what he knew:His name was Fisher.The world was dangerous.He was alone.And that was all.I definitely enjoyed Greg van Eekhout's The Boy At The End of the World. If you like survival stories or action-adventure stories or post-apocalyptic stories, then this one may be for you. Fisher, our hero, is truly the boy at the end of the world. There's a good possibility that he's the only human left on earth. At least the only human awakened from his pod. And if the other arks on earth look like Fisher's, well, the world could be in trouble.
But he's not completely alone in the world. He's guided by a robot, Click, and together they set out on a journey. To find other arks--other survivors, perhaps, and to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the bad guys--the evil robots that have destroyed Fisher's ark. (Not that it was *his* ark. But the ark that housed his pod.)
The Boy at the End of the World is imaginative. The author has created quite a world--an unfriendly world--for our hero to try to navigate. Some of the creatures that have evolved or survived-long-enough-in-the-world-to-evolve are quite interesting. (Though they take some getting used to perhaps.) I did enjoy this one. It was a quick read with plenty of action and suspense.
© 2011 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
In a Heartbeat. Loretta Ellsworth. 2010. February 2010. Walker & Company. 216 pages.
I'm fatalistic. I've always had the feeling that time was running out. After 9/11, I started reading end-of-the-world type books: Alas Babylon; Lucifer's Hammer; On the Beach; The Stand. Then I started hoarding bottles of water and granola bars under my bed. Last year I spent my birthday money on two hundred batteries, which I kept in a shoe box at the back of my closet. Of course, I never intended to die.
In A Heartbeat is told in alternating chapters. Eagan, one of our narrators, has died. She was a figure skater whose death was unexpected and tragic. She was an organ donor. Amelia, our second narrator, is the one who received Eagan's heart. She's been sick for six years. Now, for the first time, Amelia has a chance to really live life. But one of the first things Amelia wants to do is learn about her donor. She wants to meet the donor's family. And with the help of her new boyfriend, Ari, she may just get her wish.
Readers meet both teens, both families. One girl is having a hard time letting go, a hard time passing over into the afterlife. The other is just learning how to live again. Just beginning to imagine the possibilities of what her life could be.
I liked this one. I liked both Amelia and Eagan. I liked seeing these two stories come together.
Also by Loretta Ellsworth: In Search of Mockingbird.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
By:
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on 3/28/2010
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Perfect Chemistry. Simone Elkeles. 2008. [December 2008] Walker & Company (Bloomsbury). 368 pages.
Everyone knows I'm perfect. My life is perfect. My clothes are perfect. Even my family is perfect.
Brittany looks like she has the perfect life. A life that includes the perfect boyfriend. But. Appearances can be deceiving. Brittany is keeping more than a few secrets. Not wanting anyone at school to know how her home life really is. She doesn't want anyone to see the real her. Brittany has a role to play, control to maintain.
Alex, our other narrator, doesn't even pretend to have the perfect life. (Though that doesn't mean he's not pretending about other things.) There are thousands of rumors going round about him at school. And some of them are true. Not all of them, mind you. But some of them. Like the fact that he's a gang member. Like the fact that he's been arrested.
Destiny steps in when the chemistry teacher pairs these two (from opposite sides of town) as lab partners. These two teens have nothing in common (so they think) and don't want anything to do with each other. At first. Brittany just doesn't know what to make of Alex, his teasing, his charisma. Does he really like her? Does he really understand her more than Colin?
Is she brave enough to go there?
I loved this one. It's not that I think it's the most perfect book I've ever read. It's not. But it's satisfying. Really satisfying. I really enjoyed these characters. I loved the development of this relationship.
There's been something nagging at me all day. As long as I'm here with him, I might as well ask. "Did we kiss last night?"
"Yes."
"Well, it wasn't memorable because I have no recollection of it."
He laughs. "I was kiddin'. We didn't kiss." He leans in. "When we kiss you'll remember it. Forever."
Oh, God. I wish his words didn't leave my knees weak. I know I should be scared, alone with a gang member in a deserted place talking about kissing. But I'm not. Deep in my soul I know he wouldn't intentionally hurt me or force me to do anything. (142)*
If you enjoy romance, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's satisfying in the same way as
10 Things I Hate About You,
Dirty Dancing, and
How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days.
*All quotes are from an ARC. They might have been revised in the final edition.
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I am glad it was a great read!
Ooh. It looks really nice and creepy. I'll have to take a look.
This sounds really strange and creepy but like a totally fun time.
I loved this one as well, especially the reveal at the end. ;)