Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: September 2012
Pages: 416
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Raven Cycle, Book 1

When Blue Sargent sees a boy in the churchyard, among those who will die the following year, she is shocked. Not only has she not seen anyone there before, as her mother does, but the boy tells her his name, Gansey. Things become even more complicated when Gansey, a rich student at the nearby boys' school, shows up in her real life, seeking something that Blue might just be able to help him find.

Things I Liked:
Is there really anything helpful I can add to the love this book got?  I think not.  But, I'll do a bit of gushing anyway.  I absolutely loved this book - the characters, the setting, the beautiful way Stiefvater writes - all of these things melded together and kept me invested in this book from beginning to end.  There were surprises and twists that I never saw coming.  The mix of the realistic and the paranormal was a perfect blend.  I began to think everything about it was real.  And I really love the characters, especially Blue and Adam.  But they are all very well drawn, though I had a hard time grasping Ronan.  This is just a book that will suck you in and spit you out wanting more at the end.

Things I Didn't Like:
One thing I kind of wished (and this is entirely me) is that it had been a stand alone.  I really wanted the book to wrap up right then and there at the end.  And while some things were resolved, I wanted it to be the end.  On the other hand, this means I get more Blue and Adam and Gansey and Noah and Ronan and more of the strange paranormal world she's created here, so there's that.

Read-alikes:
It reminded me of Stiefvater's Lament and Ballad
Also a little bit of a The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper feel for me too!

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
pretty regularly, and a few handfuls of f-bombs

mrg-factor: none
at least that I recall

v-factor: ->
some fighting with some detail, but nothing graphic

Overall rating: *****

Anybody thoughts on why you loved (or didn't love) this book?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Song Of The Sparrowis a beautiful book in verse telling the story of Elaine of Ascolot, commonly known as the Lady of Shalott. She grew up in the army camp with Arthur, Lancelot, Gaiwan, Tristan, and others of the round table, the only girl among them, wishing that Lancelot would notice she has become a woman. Things seem to be going well for her, until the bewitching Gwynivere arrives.

Things I Liked:
The poetry is really beautiful and I love the symbolic and often lyrical use of birds, obviously sparrows, throughout the book. I think Elaine is very well portrayed and I like her as a person in the story. I love the relationships between Elaine and her family, as well as Arthur, though her interactions with Lancelot and Tristan are somewhat less appealing. (Also love the cover!)

Things I Didn't Like:
I didn't like how the story ended. It seemed too neat and pretty. I think it would have been more believable and powerful if it had ended in the way Alfred, Lord Tennyson had written it. It is more tragic, but also I think more interesting. The fairy tale ending, while happy, did not seem to quite fit in with my idea of Elaine. I like that she is a strong and interesting character, but that doesn't mean she should have a perfect ending.

Read-alikes:
Definitely read The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
I haven't read a lot of Arthurian legend books, but I love Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur
And also any Anne of Green Gablesfan will want to watch the movie again :)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating:***

Book Review: Mister Monday by Garth Nix

Description of Mister Mondayfrom the book jacket:

"Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is, in fact, supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Arthur is safe - but his world is nt. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with bloodstained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back - even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him."

I was not as impressed with this beginning of the Keys of the Kingdom series as I was with Nix's other books. I simply couldn't get into the story. It was a bit too strange and seemed to jump around without enough explanation for the fantasy elements. The end was more exciting and kept me reading. I guess it was not exactly my kind of book. I might pick up the next in the series sometime, but I'm not dying for it.

RATINGS:
s-factor: !
Maybe a few, not many.

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
Some scary parts and a little gruesome.

Overall rating: **

Book Review: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Courtis the hilarious story of Hank Morgan, a 19th century Connecticut man sent back 13 centuries by a blow to the head. After realizing his precarious situation in King Arthur's England, Morgan uses his modern knowledge and technology to elevate his position to Sir Boss.

I actually listened to an audio version of this story and it took me almost two months to finish it, mostly because I kept getting interrupted. This was a riot of a story, filled to the brim with Twain's sarcastic humor and social commentary on the way of life back in King Arthur's day. While meeting familiar characters from the round table era, Hank Morgan, aka Sir Boss, interacts and often clashes with their archaic way of life to hilarious conclusions.


RATINGS:
s-factor: !
A couple scattered throughout.

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
Not terribly graphic, but some violence (you know, knights)

Overall rating: ***