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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Book Review: Epic by Conor Kostick

Epictakes place on New Earth, a place where there is no violence, at least not physically. There is a new way of resolving conflicts without resorting to violence. Epic. Epic is a computer/virtual reality game that allows for problems to be solved peacefully (albeit by virtual battles amongst players). This solution to violence, however, comes with its own set of problems. New Earth is governed by an elite group known as Central Allocations (CA). CA characters in Epic are so powerful that no one challenges them (or their corrupt practices), let alone defeats them! Until now.

Epic


While this book sounded a little too sci-fi for me, I was actually drawn into the action and adventure elements. It was not bogged down by scientific explanations and technical jargon, though my unfamiliarity with gaming was a slight drawback. I enjoyed the book, but I don't know that I learned anything from it.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !
Very little swearing (if any). (Favorite curse phrase: Blood and vengeance!)

mrg-factor: none.

v-factor: -> -> ->
Some violence (in a gaming context) but not graphic or gratuitous.

Overall rating: * * *

Book Review: Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Uprisingfollows the stories of three young women in Manhattan during the early 1900s. Bella and Yetta are both immigrants, working in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Jane is a wealthy American, trying to find meaning in her dull life. The three of them cross paths during the workers' strikes from 1909 to 1910. The climax, of course, occurs during the Triangle Factory Fire of 1911.

Uprising


This book, while it may have started a bit slow, was absolutely amazing! I found the descriptions of conditions, both living and working, to be unbearably real. I became very involved in the lives and struggles of each of the girls. The ending is absolutely heart-wrenching and beautiful. What I love best (well, almost) was that Ms. Haddix included a list of sources for further reading. I think the best kinds of historical fiction are the ones that make you want to read more about the time period.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !

Very little, if any.

mrg-factor: none.

v-factor: ->
The factory fire scene is fairly disturbing, but not terribly violent.

Overall rating: ****

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Book Review: The Luxe by Anna Godberson

The Luxefollows a group of upper class young adults living in turn of the century New York. It is filled with their intrigues, scandals, gossip, betrayals, backbiting, and generally improper behavior.



This was an absolute fluff book. While it does address some serious topics, it was really more of a sophisticated Sweet Valley High of the Victorian era. I found myself getting caught up in all of the twisted plot lines, and I guess this guilty pleasure is akin to a pretty tame soap opera. The writing is far superior to a SVH book and I really liked the historical element. (sequel reviewed here).

RATINGS:
s-rating: !@

Not too much language (after all, they are supposed to have proper decorum).

mrg-rating: XX
While there was plenty of this kind of scandal going on, for the most part the descriptions were tame.

v-rating: none.

Overall rating: ***

Monday, October 27, 2008

Book Review: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Sweetheartsis a story of childhood love. Jennifer only had one friend when she was younger: Cameron. But when he suddenly and mysteriously disappears with his family after a frightening experience, she decides to change herself. Now she is Jenna, pretty, popular, and content. But, when Cameron shows up in her life, she begins to wonder if Jennifer is really gone and what Cameron might still mean to her.

Sweethearts


I think this book had a lot of potential and interesting themes, but I was personally put-off by her casual and rather unkind references to Mormons. They are not a huge part of the story, but it simply made me like the story less. I really enjoyed most of the plot and the somewhat suspenseful feeling I got reading only part of the past at a time, but I think the ending was flat. I was expecting more and got less. (Just FYI, lots of people liked this book, it just wasn't my cup of cocoa.)

RATINGS:
s-factor: !

Not much.

mrg-factor: X
Some references and some incidents, but not descriptive.

v-factor: ->

A rather frightening incident is described, but it's not really violent.

Overall rating: **

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Book Review: Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Brisingris the third installment in the Inheritance Trilogy (Eragon and Eldest being the first and second). During this book, Eragon and Saphira recover from defeat in their last battle and try to discover how they can possibly defeat Galbatorix. Roran (Eragon's cousin) becomes more important to the story and the Varden go on the offensive.



Honestly, there is no way for me to really sum up the story of a third installment in a series that was this long. I thought there was a lot of extra stuff that was unnecessary and just made the story drag on. Perhaps Paolini has uses for all of it, but I kept getting annoyed at its length. I found this to be true in all of his books thus far. When I finally get down to the most exciting (and important) parts of the story, I am hooked. I think his ideas and stories are amazing, but he just loves too many side plots and too many long, descriptive words. All that said, I am dying for the last book. (As with most series books, I still think the first was the best, story-wise.)

RATINGS:
s-rating: !

There is some language, but for the most part, they are made-up swear words.

mrg-rating: none.
Though there is a wedding, nothing is described.

v-rating: ->->->
Yeah, it's got the violence. I didn't find it gory or too descriptive, but there is a lot of fighting.

Overall rating: ****

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Book Review: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

In Little Brother, Marcus and his friends are tech-savvy teens, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time after a terrorist attack in San Fransisco. When he is finally released after torture and interrogation, he discovers the city has become ultra-monitored to "protect" the citizens from further attacks. He decides that, since he can't tell anyone he has been detained and interrogated illegally, he will take down "big brother" himself.



While I enjoyed the action sequences and the exciting story, I was very put-off by some of the paranoid social commentary throughout. While I think our government has done some wrong things in the name of security, this was way over the top. If it was meant more as futuristic, perhaps I could swallow it, but it was very obviously near-future. Almost present day.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#$

Too much.

mrg-factor: XXX
While not a lot of it, it seemed very much gratuitous - what was the point?

v-factor: -> ->
Descriptions of torture, etc, though not graphic.

Overall Rating: **

Friday, October 24, 2008

Book Review: The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

In The Diamond of Darkhold, the fourth in the books of Ember series, Lina and Doon find a ruined book that they believe points to something meant for the citizens of Ember. Both looking for some adventure, they decide to return to Ember and see if this something can be found.



I thought this book was really lacking in the excitement and good plot that were really only found in the first book (see reviews for the first three books). While parts of it are interesting and entertaining, it really doesn't seem to have the same quality as the first one.

RATINGS:
s-factor: none.

mrg-factor: none.

v-factor: none.
May have some parts scarier for younger children.

Overall rating: ***

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Book Review: The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

The Power and the Glory follows a priest in Mexico during a ban on the Catholic church. All the priests have been rounded up and shot or married off, except for this last whiskey priest. This man comes into contact with lots of individuals as he tries sometimes to stay alive, sometimes to just be caught by the police constantly following him. He tries to come to terms with his fallen lifestyle and the religious office he still feels obligated to fulfill. Increasingly, he sees the ridiculous in his performance of rites on the sly and his own personal sins.



This is a powerful story of religion, corruption, redemption and probably lots of other things I didn't pick up on. It is not the most accessible book, with sometimes difficult language and cryptic references. I would have liked to study it in a college course to further understand all it implies.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !@

I am sure it had some language in it, but it did not detract from the story.

mrg-factor: X
The priest fathered a child, but it is not described in the story.

v-factor: ->

Priests are killed during the story, but it is not graphically represented.

Overall rating: ***

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Book Review: Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

Emily of New Moonfollows the story of Emily, an imaginative child, who is just left an orphan after her beloved father dies. Her mother's family, who never approved of her father, take her in, but only for the reputation of their good name. Emily's aunts take her to New Moon and she begins her new life with trepidation. But, her irrepressible enthusiasm and love of writing keep her happy and also manage to win the hearts of her family.



I really loved this adorable and beautifully written tale of Emily, who is such a lovable character. L.M. Montgomery's other quirky young orphan is definitely worth the time.

RATINGS:
s-rating: none.

mrg-rating: none.

v-rating: none.

Overall rating: ****

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Book Review: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind is an intense tale of a teenage boy, consigned to the fate of unwinding. The world of the novel is futuristic where the war between pro-life and pro-choice led to the law that allows parents to "unwind" their teenagers between the ages of 13-18. Connor is a troubled teen who decides he doesn't want his life to end at the decision of his parents and so he runs. He meets up with others who are his unlikely partners on this road to escape.

Unwind

This is really an interesting novel with a premise that is a bit scary and disturbing. I also found it a bit unbelievable to imagine such a law passing here. But, it was intense and interesting and it kept me guessing to the end.

RATINGS:
s-rating: !@

Not too much, but they are teenagers.

mrg-rating: none.
Unless you count kissing.

v-rating: XX
There was some violent things that happened, but they are not described in detail.

Overall rating: ***

Monday, October 20, 2008

Book Review: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino

I, Juan de Parejais the story of a slave working for the famous artist Diego Velázquez. Juan experiences a gentle childhood followed by some rough years before finally coming to Velázquez's workshop. He soon becomes a necessity to the family and a great benefit to Velázquez in his artistic endeavors. Despite being prohibited from practicing art because of his slave status, Juan manages to become an excellent artist.

I, Juan de Pareja

I thought this story was beautiful and terrible. It showed the kinds of extremes slaves felt (at least in Spain) experiencing sometimes the good and sometimes the horrible. Juan was portrayed so realistically and his struggles and limitations were very well expressed. And what an ending!

RATINGS:
s-factor: !

There may have been some, but not a lot.

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
Some cruelty in the treatment of slaves.

Overall rating: ****

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Book Review: The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963is the story of an African American family living in Michigan in the 60s. Byron Watson has finally pushed his parents to make good on their threat to send him to live with his grandmother in the deep south. The family makes the trek down in the family car just in time for a historic event that summer.



I really liked the way this book was less about specific historical events and more about a family's feelings and experiences during this time period. I really don't know much about the event described, but it left a powerful effect on my mind.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !

A few, but not many.

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
An intense event.

Overall rating: ****

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Book Review: Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

Stuck in Neutralis an interesting look inside the mind of a young boy suffering from cerebral palsy and unable to speak or communicate in any way. Shawn, despite what many people assume about him, does have thoughts and feelings and even managed to learn how to read. But, it is hard for his father to deal with Shawn's limitations, because he doesn't know how Shawn feels or what he knows and understands.



A really interesting attempt to understand what a person suffering from this disease might think and feel. I found the views of his father to be difficult to swallow, but probably because I knew about Shawn. The ending is very open to interpretation, making it even more powerful.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !@

Some language.

mrg-factor: X
He has a teenage boy mind.

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Friday, October 17, 2008

Book Review: Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe

Mississippi Trial, 1955is the story of Hiram, returning to visit his grandfather in Mississippi. Things aren't quite the same as he remembered from his childhood days spent there. His sixteen-year-old self begins to see prejudices he never saw as a child. He eventually finds himself caught up in the Emmett Till's horrible murder and the ensuing historic trial.

Mississippi Trial, 1955

Really well written, powerful novel that tells about this important event in civil rights history. I love being able to see through the eyes of someone trying to understand the prejudice of the small Mississippi town and still love his grandfather.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !

Maybe a few scattered words.

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
His murder, though not explicitly described, is pretty gruesome.

Overall rating: ****

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Book Review: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Wildwood Dancingis a mix of several different classic fairy tales, including Twelve Dancing Princesses. The story revolves around five sisters who escape to the Other Kingdom every full moon to dance the night away. Jena, the second oldest, seems the most sensible of the family and must try to take care of things while their father is away, along with her good friend who also happens to be an enchanted frog. When their cousin begins to interfere in the name of helping his poor female cousins, things begin to get more complicated, both at home and in the Other Kingdom.



This is a beautiful fairy tale with amazing details and good story. I loved the atmosphere the book created with its location and descriptions. I didn't quite guess some of the ending, but it was leading me there all along. I highly recommend this to fans of fairy tale retellings.

RATINGS:
s-factor: none


mrg-factor: none
Just good clean romance!

v-factor: ->

Not really violent, but some scary incidents - not a Disney story.

Overall rating: *****

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Book Review: Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

Rapunzel's Revengethrows a western twist into the well-known tale of Rapunzel. Told in graphic novel style, Rapunzel manages to escape from her tower using her extraordinary hair (and not a prince). But, the story doesn't end there.



I thought this book was fantastic. I have never been a great fan of graphic novels, but this one has great illustrations and a simply hilarious story line. I loved the character Rapunzel, who in former manifestations seemed a moron, in this case is a strong and powerful heroine.

RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

(the wild west wasn't as wild as we thought...)

Overall rating: *****

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Book Review: 1776 by David McCullough

1776recalls the events of that fateful year in America. It follows General Washington's actions as well as other famous and less-famous players in that early part of the war (the part where they weren't really winning).



An extremely excellent book about this historic year in America. I loved how McCullough at once made Washington appear as he is idolized today and also as a real human with mistakes and quirks. I was also very much surprised at much of the events described, mostly because I know so very little (unfortuately) about the Revolutionary War. It wasn't too long (which I appreciated) and made the battles pretty exciting, though the beginning seemed to drag a bit.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !

Probably a few here and there.

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: -> ->

After all, it is a war.

Overall rating: ****

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