Hunger: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Publication date: May 2009
ISBN: 9780061449086
Source: Library
Things I Liked:
Just like the first book Gone, this one was once again nonstop action. There is always something horrifying or deadly happening. I got angry and frustrated at the kids for their unconcern about having enough food, just like I got mad last time. I loved how realistically it shows Sam, the leader who is still just a kid. It is a fairly accurate account of what might happen with no adults and no one to assume responsibility. It definitely keeps you wanting to know what happens next and also what's coming in the next book! And what a surprise that ending was - definitely unexpected.
Things I Didn't Like:
There was a lot going on in the book. It almost suffered from having too many plots and characters to keep track of and what each was experiencing. I again found it to be pretty gruesome for me, but I'm sure many wouldn't be as bothered. I admit I'm pretty conflicted about how much I "like" these books.
Read-alikes:
Read the first book in the series Gone by Michael Grant
Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few, none very strong
mrg-factor: X
mostly just talk and kissing
v-factor: ->->->->
quite a bit, some of it gory
Overall rating: ****
Do you have love-hate relationships with lots of different books?
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Though the response to my first Cover Sillies post was not stellar, I am still interested in noting some strange first impressions I have on book covers. My comments are not what I'd call criticism, more of strange or odd reactions to the covers. Many covers I highlight are ones that I really love. This collectin of covers is what I like to call the Awkward Bodies edition.
Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this position is awkward - it literally makes me uncomfortable to look at it. Maybe I'm just seeing it wrong or something.
Now I know this is odd on purpose, but I honestly think to myself "Don't try this at home, folks!" It makes my back hurt imagining the model standing like that for any length of time.
I really love this cover, but since I've been experiencing neck problems recently, I cringe when I think about her neck pain. Hopefully she doesn't have to lie there for long (and is this a zombie or the main character?)
Now, I really really love this cover, but when I first saw it, I thought again of how painful her head position looks. Maybe it's just the placement of it in relation to his body, but it looks otherworldly. Probably part of its charm.
Do you notice these kinds of things or am I alone?
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The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Publication date: March 2011
ISBN: 9780547482477
Source: e-book provided by NetGalley
Things I Liked:
I really enjoyed the interesting and unique nearly-paranormal mixed with historical fiction details. I liked the way Mitchell described things so vividly. The somewhat spooky, gothic and historical feel of the setting and atmosphere were my favorite things. The relationship between Amelia and Zora was fun and I loved how they interacted and had so much fun together. I felt like there was something missing from it at the end that should have been there (yeah, trying to be vague and avoid spoilers). I also really liked the ending, since it was pretty unflinching and different. Definitely not what I expected in a historical fiction or even a historical fantasy.
Things I Didn't Like:
I wish there was a little more historical detail. It felt like there wasn't quite enough to make me feel like I was there. At the beginning I really had a hard time following what was happening - it jumped around a lot from one thing to another. Once I adjusted, it was easier to follow. I wasn't too impressed with the romantic element either. Definitely was too much like love at first sight. Amelia acted a bit nauseating at times, but they did have some interesting interactions - up and down.
Read-alikes:
Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
Sorcery and Cecilia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Everlasting by Angie Frazier
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a very few
mrg-factor: X
a little sensuality
v-factor: ->
not much
Overall rating: ***
I do wonder if my discontent at the beginning was a result of reading the ARC - anyone read the published edition and found the same thing?
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A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication date: October 2010
ISBN: 9780525423348
Source: Library
Hansel and Gretel you may have heard of, but there is a lot more to their story than a child-eating witch. Born to a king and queen who treat them unspeakably poorly, they run away and find that there is a lot they don't know about the world and about parents.
Things I Liked:
I liked the story, but I loved the side notes. I think they made the whole book more enjoyable. They were humorous and alleviated the sometimes repetitive and simplistic fairy tale story writing. This felt like the perfect read-aloud and I almost wanted to close the book and find an audio version. I read the first story to my husband and he liked it. It would be a lot of fun to read to older classes, though I still don't know how young an age group I'd read it to. (Hey, it does have some scary stuff and quite a lot of "awesome," ie: blood.) So fun and different from most retellings.
You know how it is with stories. Someone tells a story. Then somebody repeats it and it changes. Someone else repeats it, and it changes again. Then someone's telling it to their kid and taking out all the scary, bloody scenes - in other words, the awesome parts - and the next thing you know the story's about an adorable little girl in a red cap, skipping through the forest to take cookies to her granny. And you're so board you've passed out on the floor. [Prologue]
Oh no! he thought. Now I'm cooking for certain! He sniffed at the air. And I smell delicious! But he wasn't cooking. It was three strips of bacon that he'd tucked into his socks at breakfast. p 46
For a moment she stopped and considered following the rain's advice. But then she shook her head. "You're being foolish," Gretel told herself. "Rain can't talk."
No, of course it can't. The moon can eat children, and fingers can open doors, and people's heads can be put back on. But rain? Talk? Don't be ridiculous. Good thinking, Gretel dear. Good thinking. p 97
If you are gambled away to the Devil (and this is a matter of public record - I'm certainly not making it up), you are damned to excruciating pain for all eternity, and no matter what you do, no matter how good you are, or how many times yu ask, "Please pretty please with a cherry on top?," the Devil will never, ever, ever let you out. It's excruciating pain from the moment you arrive in Hell until the moment after eternity. p 125
Things I Didn't Like:
One thing I've always been annoyed by is the simplistic fairy tale writing style. There is nothing descriptive or beautiful that goes with the stark writing to make it more enjoyable. The parts where the author interjected made it fun, but when it went longer without those parts it was less fun. Also, almost too gross and bloody for me in places :)
Read-alikes:
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
incidental when they visit Hell
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->->->->
lots and lots of blood and gore and scary stuff
Overall rating: ****
Do you like quirky or do you avoid it?
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Sorry all, life is getting really busy and I didn't get a chance to do a new Name That Book episode this week. But, since last Name That Book episode no one guessed the book titles, I figured I could send you to that one and hope someone wants to guess this time around. Thanks and see you next time!
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The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9781595143372
Source: Library
Things I Liked:
It was a really unique book - it felt original and different and also just plain weird. The creepy setting and story was perfectly written to inspire spine tingles. I liked Mackie, the kid who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere and who wants to acknowledge what is wrong with his town (well, eventually he does). There is a lot of good stuff on accepting different kinds of people and also not ignoring things that are important simply because we don't want to talk about them. Ugly things happen and they matter. It was a crazy reading experience, but also quite thought-provoking.
Things I Didn't Like:
The biggest problem I had was that it was too odd for my liking. The story and sometimes what people said just didn't make sense to me. I had a hard time getting into the story and relating to the characters because I couldn't figure them out. I believe this is entirely me and not a reflection of the author or her writing even. Another minor problem was there seemed to be an abnormal amount of grammar problems - missing words or incorrect choices. I was pretty surprised it had so many problems; it almost made me feel like I was reading the ARC. Anyway, overall, I think this is just not the book for me. Others have really enjoyed it though, so check out what others' had to say.
Read-alikes:
A little like Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
lots, some quite strong
mrg-factor: XX
one or two incidents
v-factor: ->->->
some very disturbing images and gore
Overall rating: **
Am I the only one who didn't get this book?
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Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie of Angieville and "focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc."
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Publisher: many
Publication date: 1910/1911
ISBN: many
Source: audio download from library
When Mary Lennox is sent to England to live with her uncle, she finds everything is very different than what it was in India. She has no servants to wait on her hand and foot and no one cares if she is lonely or sad. When she discovers a secret garden, she finds an outlet for her anger and begins to transform just as the plants do from winter to spring. She also helps her cousin, Colin, to change from a sickly, weak and spoiled little boy to a strong healthy one.
Things I Liked:
I'd forgotten just how magical this book was. My husband and I listened to it on a road trip and it really is delightful. Even my husband laughed and enjoyed the story. We especially loved the accents and voices that Josephine Bailey used (top notch, really, she was great). The story sucks you in and the magic of the secret garden seems so real. I loved listening again to how Mary changed and then helped to change Colin and he helped to change his father. A beautiful story of growing up and the magic of nature. Seriously, I felt so nostalgic listening to this, remembering adoring this story when I was younger. I can't wait until I have kids I can introduce to this story for the first time.
Things I Didn't Like:
Not much I can think of. A great story that still has remarkable appeal for kids today (and adults, apparently).
Read-alikes:
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
And really a hundred other classic children's stories, simply for nostalgia
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: *****
What's a book you loved as a child that you still love as an adult?
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I got the chance to visit a more local, but still amazing library! I love doing these libraries around the world posts, because it's fun to see so many beautiful buildings that house my life (ie: books). I visited the main Salt Lake City public library a few months ago and was just amazed by the place. Not only is it designed to look awesome from any angle, but it houses a fantastic collection as well. Worth a visit if you're ever in the area.
This is the outside courtyard in front of the building. I imagine in the summer, the shops are filled with vendors. Personally, I think an ice cream shop would do a great business there!
Here's a view of the front. I love how it is all curves and glass. On a sunny day, the reflection must be glaring (and amazing) if you're standing in the right spot.
Here we're looking at the main entrance. I love how it feels asymmetrical!
Looking back at that curving front, just before you enter the building. So cool!
Right inside the doors, this little atrium greets you. It feels so light and airy, I just love it!
My husband and I got a huge kick out of riding in the elevator with its glass panels. Made me think of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Here's the view from the top looking down.
I just loved this list of some of amazing libraries around the world. Interestingly enough, I've visited three of the fifteen and highlighted all three in Libraries Around the World posts! Can you guess which three?
I've decided that before I move (in like, a month) I must highlight my own lovely local libraries - especially because of the huge part they played in my own childhood and young adult life. Watch for that!
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Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication date: March 2011
ISBN: 9780547390093
Source: e-copy from NetGalley
Things I Liked:
This was a sweet and fun quirky story. I loved the feel of the writing - the voice of Hildegarde making commentary about her colony throughout. She was a stern and yet understanding Mouse Mistress. The story is adventurous with action and danger throughout. The ending is just about as perfect as it could be. I also really enjoyed the illustrations, even though I was reading the advanced version and they weren't final. I flipped through a final version and they were even better!
Things I Didn't Like:
I sure wish this book had been around when I was a kid, cause I would have loved it a lot more then. It's definitely for a younger crowd, being both short and fairly simple. Give this to your Charlotte's Web or other classic children's book fans.
Read-alikes:
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Stuart Little by E.B. White
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ****
What books do you wish were around when you were a kid?
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Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: March 2011
ISBN: 9781442409057
Source: ARC sent by publisher
When Rhine is kidnapped and forced into a marriage with a man who has three other wives, she little expects to find any pleasure in the rest of her short life. In her world, women live only until 20, while men live until 25, due to an unknown virus. She only has four years left, but being trapped and at the mercy of her husband's creepy father is not how she wants to spend that time. Little by little, Rhine develops relationships with those around her - her sister wives, a serving boy, even her husband. Will she ever find a way out or will she decide that this life is not so very bad?
Things I Liked:
I thought the portrayal of Rhine's relationships and the changes she experiences throughout the book were really interesting. DeStefano has taken a potentially horrifying situation and made characters that you should despise into relatable, sympathetic, real people. I loved how those relationships were built over time and not instantaneously, like many romantic YA books today. The writing is simply fantastic, each scene and place described in vivid and sometimes horrifying detail. The future world's technology and situations are (for the most part) quite believable and well-realized. And that ending really made me want to know what happens next! An interesting and fairly unique dystopian debut.
Things I Didn't Like:
The one detail I had the hardest time accepting was the virus that kills people at specific ages. I thought it was a little too much of a convenience for the story. I just couldn't believe that there would be something so specifically able to target a person who suddenly reaches a certain age. However, the dressings on the story and the beautiful exploration of relationships easily distracted me from that distraction.
Read-alikes:
Matched by Ally Condie
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
XVI by Julia Karr
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some, not a lot
mrg-factor: XX
Nothing too descriptive, but because they're married...
v-factor: ->
mostly off-page and creepy, but not outright violent
Overall rating: *****
I've seen lots of reviews for this one, both positive and negative. Where do you fall on the spectrum?
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before i fall by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: March 2010
ISBN: 9780061726804
Source: Library
Things I Liked:
This book definitely had a high emotional factor. It breaks your heart over and over again (with each "new" day, in fact). I really loved how Samantha had to learn different things about each person in her life, a little at a time each day. So much unraveled just because she started living purposely, instead of partying and not paying attention to anything else. I was quite impressed with what she managed to accomplish in changing herself. Oliver is very good at bringing her characters to life and making you care what happens to them, even the ones you don't like. An interesting and very thoughtful book that will have you treasuring each day of your life, since you never know if it will be your last. This quote pretty much says it all and much better than I ever could:
Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around in it, let it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste it. But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know. p 268
Things I Didn't Like:
I'd heard lots and lots of good things about this book, so I had pretty high expectations. Plus, I had read and loved Delirium, so I was expecting more good stuff. I have to admit, the first about four or five times she relived that day annoyed me to no end. Not that I don't think it was realistic for the character, but I just really didn't want to read about the drinking and smoking and seducing that went on. I'm a prude, so it's no surprise I didn't enjoy those parts, but I can see why Samantha acted like this. The thing that these chapters actually made me realize was that I'm glad I never had friends like hers. I was lucky to have the kind that take care of and make friends with those who don't have friends or are different. And also to have the kind of parents who would care if I smoke or drank or spent the night at a boy's house. Definitely made me glad for my own happy, if sheltered, teenage years.
Read-alikes:
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (for some reason)
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (a bit)
11 Birthdays (though only because of the repeated day and not for any kind of content, since it is very middle grade)
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
lots in number, though surprisingly no f-words
mrg-factor: XXX
do they ever talk about anything else?
v-factor: ->
a few scary parts, nothing very descriptive
Overall rating: ***.5
What books did you like with unlikable characters?
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Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont
Publication date: June 2011
ISBN: 9781606841440
Source: ARC provided by publicist
Emerson has definitely had a rough life. Since her parents died, she's been seeing people that aren't there. She ends up in a mental institution and she's been heavily medicated. But now, she's finally returned home to stay with her brother and his wife. When her brother brings around someone to "help" her, Emerson is understandably skeptical. But Michael is definitely not like the others. They have an immediate connection and she feels comfortable with the only guy who doesn't make her feel crazy. But she will soon be drawn into a world she knows nothing about.
Things I Liked:
This book had a really intriguing premise. I loved the idea of time travel that's introduced into the story (hope that isn't really a spoiler - I think it's kind of obvious from the title and jacket summary). McEntire is able to describe the time travel elements and almost make it just a little believable why and how it happens. I liked the pseudo-science feel to the explanations. Those parts that talked about how it worked and the intricacies of going back and forward in time were my favorite. I love the twisty paths and difficult situations time travel can get people into. The ending was pretty exciting and surprising as well. The quirky writing was pretty good most of the time too. I liked many of her descriptions and synonyms (some of the them were funny and interesting, but some of them were just awkward). An interesting start to a new series.
Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit there were parts of it that felt very much the same as every other YA romance I've read recently. That is what I liked least about the book - the romance. The connection between Emerson and Michael is electric - literally. They are in love because they feel an electricity when they touch. It isn't developed much beyond that. I think I ended up liking the other love interest more than Michael. He seemed more interesting to me. But I really could have done without that element entirely.
Read-alikes:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some scattered throughout
mrg-factor: XX
nothing very descriptive
v-factor: ->
some scary and rather horrifying things happen
Overall rating: **** for premise *** for execution
Do you prefer books with a little romance and a lot paranormal (or fantasy or sci-fi) or the other way around?
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White Cat by Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication date: May 2010
ISBN: 9781416963974
Source: ARC sent by publisher
Things I Liked:
Awesome world-building and story. I really had no idea where it was going or what twists and turns it would take and it completely took me by surprise more than once. I loved how realistically Black created an alternate reality with curse workers. Every detail was thought through and executed completely! It was so well done that I began to believe in Cassel and his family. A unique and pretty well written paranormal fantasy. Honestly, I'd probably just keep gushing if I said more about it, so I'll just say - read it. I just finished Red Glove, watch for my review coming soon!
Things I Didn't Like:
I can't think of much I didn't like, though some of the surprises felt a little unbelievable at first; but after some time, they felt right. Really a great new series.
Read-alikes:
I guess Heist Society by Ally Carter
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some, but nothing too strong
mrg-factor: XX
a few suggestive parts
v-factor: ->->
things got a bit brutal near the end, but not graphic
Overall rating: *****
Do you have a favorite stands-above-the-pack YA paranormal?
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The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780061833663
Source: Library (for Cybils)
Things I Liked:
This book's greatest strength is its humor. I literally laughed at every page. At times, it seemed like a spoof of fantasy and comic book-like heroes, which just made it all the funnier. The golem was my favorite source of laughs as well - his notes made some of the less interesting parts bearable. Mack was an interesting character, definitely not your typical hero, but more like a typical wimp who gets picked on. This is the start of an action-packed and humor-infused series that tween boys should devour. Just a hint of the fun:
Some were rich, as evidenced by their numerous teeth, their excellent clothing - two of the Magnifica had actual buttons - and their superior education. The others were poor and wore coarse grain sacks with holes for arms and neck. Some were really poor and wore nothing but strategically placed tufts of grass attached with mud - uncomfortable at the best of times and rather disastrous in a heavy rain. p 127
Shut your vile, filthy, fruit-chewing mouth, you low, slow, soggy bag of water; you sweat-oozing, cheese-scented wad of pulp mounted on toothpicks; you barely animated mistake of nature. p 186
Things I Didn't Like:
Aside from the humor and action, not much really happens in the book. It felt very much like an introduction to a story without getting past the introduction; only giving us get a glimpse of what is to come. Also, as several folks on the Cybils panel with me noted, it felt very commercialized with all the website tie ins. The plot just didn't hold together well and all the characters other than Mack were not developed enough. The flashbacks to ancient times kind of distracted from the story, rather than pulling it along. Still, it will provide entertainment, if nothing else.
Read-alikes:
The 39 Clues series by various authors
A bit like The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->
some bullying and a few scary creatures
Overall rating: ***
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Name that Book is a biweekly game where you get to guess a book title from the photo clues.
Just a fun one this time! Leave your guesses in the comments. In case you missed it, I hosted a Book Puzzle mini-challenge for the 24-hour read-a-thon on Saturday and there are lots of folks who made puzzles, if you can't get enough of them :)
Book 1:
(P.S. It's NOT Jane Eyre :)
Book 2:
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