Book Review of "Rebel Heart" by Moira Young

Title: Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) 
Author: Moira Young
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian
Source: Bought from Amazon

Overall Grade:

A-

I thought...

This book cured my sequel fatigue.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise. 

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

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My Thoughts:

It took me a little time to get into Rebel Heart. I'll admit that lately, I've had pretty severe sequel fatigue. I'll take one look at the opening page, see the annoying rehash of events in the first book (I'm looking at you, Insurgent,) and will immediately abandon the book right there.

So basically, I'm tired of sequels.

But Rebel Heart seduced me.

Saba's narrative lured me in and even when the plot wasn't strong, even when I was itching for a certain someone to finally show up, she still kept me turning page after page.

From the cataclysmic events of Blood Red Road, it's pretty clear to see that any follow up would need to have some downtime, where the characters address the needs that were ignored during the tumult. Normally, I cringe for these moments, because they are almost always boring and done poorly.

However, I think the author tackled this well in Rebel Heart. Saba's journey throughout the novel was very different from that of Blood Red Road, but it was still compelling.

I especially enjoyed the development of one of the minor characters from Blood Red Road and can't wait to see more of that person in the last book! Saba's story in Rebel Heart was more emotional, more personal, and just as twisty and surprising as the first book in the series.

Seriously, once you get a hundred pages in, you won't be able to stop.

So for all of you guys who might have sequel fatigue like I do, don't let that stop you from starting this book!

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Overall Grade:

A-

I thought...

This book cured my sequel fatigue.

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Book Review of "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian, Paranormal
Source: Bought

Overall Grade:

A+

Would I recommend it?

Read it or die. Read this book now!!

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Summary (from Goodreads):

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

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My Thoughts:

I've waited a pretty long time to write this review. After my first read of the book, (I've read it twice now,) I'll admit, I was pretty... entranced.

Okay, obsessed.

Addicted.

This story really ensnared me. Juliette's story is so compelling, I couldn't help it. After my first read, I was convinced that it was the best book of the year (2011 at the time).

Now that I've had some time to think about it, and some time to re-read it, I think I'm now able to write a more critical review.

Seriously, if I had reviewed this book right after I read it back in 2011, it probably would have looked something like this:

HOLY HOLY HOLY HOLY CRAP THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! READ THIS BOOK. RIGHT NOW. GO BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT RIGHT THIS SECOND!!!!!!!!!! OMG JULIETTE!! OMG--ADAM! KENJI!! WARNERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because really, this book has seriously fangirl-making powers.

While the story of Shatter Me is probably the strongest aspect of the book, the writing is what really sets it apart. The style is almost lyrical to a fault. In Juliette's voice, almost everything is made lyrical. Everything is given significance.

And when you read the story with one eye closed, your critical eye, let's say, the style works. Considering Juliette's hardships, the things she's had to go through, the writing style fits.

But with this type of narrative, when you see the seams in the story, they are incredibly obvious. The hints of foreshadowing, the planting of a recurring or overarching theme, the clumsy inclusion of backstory. These bits seem glaringly obtrusive in a narrative as overtly lyrical as Juliette's.

However. While I have overcome a good deal of my fangirl obsession with this book, there is still no way that I will miss the remaining books in this series. I pre-ordered Unravel Me almost a year ago!

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Overall Grade:

A+

Would I recommend it?

Read it or die. Read this book now!!

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Book Review of "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall  
Author: Lauren Oliver
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from the library

Overall Grade:

C

I thought...

Boring and overrated.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? 

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. 

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

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My Thoughts:

Going into this book, I knew a few things.

A: A lot of people have read and loved this book. 

B: The other book by Lauren Oliver I've read, Delirium, felt stilted and boring to me. 

C: This book would have lots of repetition in it.

And still, I managed to be disappointed.

Unfortunately, like Delirium, Before I Fall was slow-paced and mediocre. And I don't mind a slow read, on the contrary. I really appreciate books where authors take their time. I like the marginalia, even crave it when it's done well.

But I could not stand the asides in this book. The never-ending descriptions of weather, the rehashing of dialogue and descriptions that I literally JUST READ FIVE TIMES WHY ARE YOU MENTIONING IT AGAIN?!

However, for readers who don't mind the repetition, who aren't as easily peeved as I am by meaningless description and flat-out poor pacing, Before I Fall does have something to offer. Sam's character transition, the things she learns throughout her various mistakes and attempts, was well done.

The changes Sam went through were messy and for a good part of the novel, she's unlikeable. However, this felt much more authentic to me than anything else in the book.

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Overall Grade:

C

I thought...

Boring and overrated.

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Book Review of "This is Shyness" by Leanne Hall

Title: This is Shyness
Author: Leanne Hall
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy
Source: Bought

Overall Grade:

A-

I thought...
An endearing little oddity.


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Summary (from Goodreads): 

A guy who howls. A girl on a mission to forget.

In the suburb of Shyness, where the sun doesn’t rise and the border crackles with a strange energy, Wolfboy meets a stranger at the Diabetic Hotel. She tells him her name is Wildgirl, and she dares him to be her guide through the endless night.

But then they are mugged by the sugar-crazed Kidds. And what plays out is moving, reckless...dangerous. There are things that can only be said in the dark. And one long night is time enough to change your life.

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My Thoughts:

Perhaps the only appropriate word for This is Shyness, Leanne Hall's 24 hour dystopian/fantasy, is surreal.

What starts out as a straight-forward girl-meets-boy tale soon turns into a fantastic one-night romp through a city that felt as much of a character as Wildgirl and Wolfboy.

However, the two-part narrative form, where Wildgirl and Wolfboy take turns narrating one chapter each, feels familiar and comfortable, juxtaposing against the strange story and the characters that are never what you expect them to be.

Although the world is strange and the characters are weird and the whole novel feels like walking down a dark alleyway dressed as Edgar Allen Poe, i.e. fitting, but strange all the same, the moments of lyricism seem to vanish as quickly as they come.

In the face of total oddity and suspense, there seems to be a slight lack of depth to some elements of the story: world-building, questions about overarching world plots, etc. Granted, this might be expected of a book that takes place over one crazy night, but This is Shyness could have used a few more moments of enlightenment, in my opinion.

By the end of the story, even the most critical reader is bound to feel a certain sadness at leaving Wildgirl and Wolfboy. These characters are endearing and brave and complicated, without taking themselves too seriously.

Thankfully, a sequel has now been published, Queen of the Night for readers who loved this crazy dark world as much as I did.

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Overall Grade:

A-

Recommended to...
An endearing little oddity.



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Book Review of "Feeling Sorry for Celia" by Jaclyn Moriarty

Title: Feeling Sorry for Celia (Ashbury/Brookfield #1)
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from the library

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is the best book.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else. 

But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon.  

So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter... 

A #1 bestseller in Australia, this fabulous debut is a funny, touching, revealing story written entirely in the form of letters, messages, postcards—and bizarre missives from imaginary organizations like The Cold Hard Truth Association. 

Feeling Sorry for Celia captures, with rare acuity, female friendship and the bonding and parting that occurs as we grow. Jaclyn Moriarty's hilariously candid novel shows that the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is every bit as fun as we remember—and every bit as harrowing.

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My Thoughts:


I loved and appreciated Feeling Sorry for Celia so much that I've decided to write you a letter about it. I know! Lucky you. I know it's exciting to get a letter, but please don't brag about it to your friends or the stranger sitting next to you on the bus, because then they will want a letter too, and I simply don't have enough time to write to them all. Thanks.

Dear Reader: 

You are probably wondering whether or not you should read Feeling Sorry for Celia. I know this about you because you're reading this review of the book, which is supposed to tell you whether or not you should read it. If you think about it, this makes book reviewers pretty arrogant people. 

Like I should know you well enough to know if this book is any good for you. Who am I? A complete stranger. Yes, a slightly clever stranger who reads lots of books, but still a stranger. 

In my opinion, you shouldn't care so much about the opinions of strangers. I know that you care about the opinions of strangers because you're reading the opinion of a stranger right this second. 

See? You're still here. You care! 

But in this case, maybe you should care about what people say about this book. Maybe they'll tell you that this is the best book they've ever read. If they do tell you that, you should buy a copy of the book as soon as possible. Or request it at your local library. If you're bored while waiting for the library to get the book for you, you can think about things that are purple. What are some really purple things? 

Or maybe they'll say that this book is not worth the time, because they thought it was about the circus when they picked it up. I understand why someone might think that because there is a girl on a tightrope on the cover of the book. But it turns out the book is really just about some people named Elizabeth, Celia, Christina (NOT TINA), the mysterious J_____, and Saxton. 

Which is actually kind of boring compared to the circus. 

Then there will be some opinions that gently say that the book is readable and slightly entertaining and those are really no help at all, because why else would the book be published if it wasn't at least slightly entertaining, hmm? 

I think that with any of these options, you're pretty much screwed, because you can never know what you'll think of the book until you actually read it. But you're not reading the book, are you? You're still reading the strangely written review of the book from a complete stranger, which I've already told you, is pretty much useless. 

So go read the book already. 

Sincerely, 

The Society of Why Book Reviews Are Silly, But Sometimes Helpful, But Sometimes Completely Off-Base, and Why Don't You Just Read The Book Yourself Already?!... Oh Yeah, Because You're Still Reading This Review

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is the best book.

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Book Review of "Clockwork Prince" by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Classification: YA Fiction, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Source: Bought from Amazon

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

!!!! fdsfsafhuihjjajefnc,xku=gn !!! 

This is what your brain looks like after reading this book!!

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. 

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them. 

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? 

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

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My Thoughts:


Holy holy holy crap. This book.

If you read this book and do not think that it is FULL OF AWESOME, you are probably an automaton and have been programmed to be immune to the lure of romance and intrigue and kissing and secrets and JEM and Victorian England and FREAKING WILL HERONDALE and general awesomeness and Clary will probably create a rune that kills you soon, so say your last goodbyes.

I'm not going to gloss over the fact that the last two Cassandra Clare books I read (Clockwork Angel, City of Fallen Angels) did not live up to my utter adoration of the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series. I read those three books in as many days, ignoring responsibilities left and right, breathing Jace and Clary and Simon every waking moment.

What I loved about those books came back to me in Clockwork Prince.

Tessa is a fantastic heroine. Her attitude, past experiences, and stoicism remind me of Jane Eyre, one of my all-time favorite characters.

Jem's character is given new dimension in Clockwork Prince. In the first book, we see Jem as merely the foil to Will--the damaged boy with silver hair and eyes who is the only known person on the planet who could be parabatai to Will Herondale. (OH MY GOSH JUST TYPING HIS NAME MADE ME SMILE WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!)

However, in Clockwork Prince, certain events force Jem to show more emotion than he's used to. We see him angry and frustrated. Finally this boy is given a few flaws! It was terribly refreshing.

But most of all, we see Jem being romantic and sexy. Seriously sexy.

Each of the minor characters is also given new depth: Jessamine, Charlotte, Henry, Nathaniel, the Lightwoods, and Sophie. Magnus Bane is awesome as ever, but also fills a role in this book that made me love him even more.

Then there is Will Herondale.

This is Cassandra Clare at her absolute best. (Yes, I know she has a bajillion more books coming out... but I'm going out on a limb here).

Where Jem is developed into a more functional love interest that readers will certainly root for, William Herondale becomes something else entirely: a tragic hero. An obsession of girls everywhere. Jace squared, cubed, quadrupled.

By the end of Clockwork Prince, we see a new side to Will. We finally get something true about the boy that Tessa is trying desperately to get over. Something that changes your mind about him.

But does it change Tessa's mind...?

That's the question to be answered in December's Clockwork Princess, as well as our remaining questions about the state of the London Institute and the elusive Magister.

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

!!!! fdsfsafhuihjjajefnc,xku=gn !!! 

This is what your brain looks like after reading this book!!

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Book Review of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)
Author: Laini Taylor
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: Bought from Amazon

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is what great writing looks like.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.  

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

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My Thoughts:


Magic. Hope. The endless battle of good versus evil. A star-crossed love. A devastating secret.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is an incredible novel. It manages to attack so many classic tropes with ingenuity. Powerful writing (in a 3rd person narrative that is so refreshing) brings its own magic to a story filled with ancient lore, hidden worlds, and creatures that challenge traditional notions of what it means to be human.

Karou is a girl with aquamarine hair whose only known family is a group of grotesque demons who trade human teeth for wishes. She is independent, smart, creative. But she is missing something. She aches for something unknowable, unidentified.

She is lonely.

Karou's journey to rid herself of acute loneliness is intense and the tension is palpable. In many YA novels, the author's desire to withhold a secret from the reader until a pivotal moment in the story is usually annoying and almost never done correctly.

However, Daughter of Smoke and Bone shows that to a talented author like Taylor, no trope or cliché is off-limits. In many ways, reading this novel is to experience the magic of magic and the thrill of other worlds and the truth of a great protagonist for the first time. In this way, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is not only an advocate of societal equality, strength of character, and inner beauty (among other things), but also of the magic and power of storytelling.

Readers with a critical eye and a low-tolerance for poor or lazy writing will be thrilled to find a smart, atmospheric YA series in Daughter of Smoke and Bone! However, readers who are more interested in a palpable, emotional romance and a thrilling story will also be satisfied with Karou's tale!

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is what great writing looks like.

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Book Review of "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner

Title: The Thief (Queen's Thief #1)
Author: Megan Whalen Turner
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Bought a used copy for $.01 on Amazon!

Overall Grade:

A

I thought...

Part adventure, part mythology, part quest, and an all-out fantastic read. 

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

"I can steal anything."  

After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.  

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

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My Thoughts:


The Thief is fantasy at its most successful!

One of the most difficult tasks of reading and writing fantasy is world building. Include too much detail and the reader will get bored and confused, while the plot will come to a screeching halt. Include too little detail and the reader will be frustrated with their growing list of questions, while their reading experience will become sterile.

The world building in The Thief is flawless! The reader is immediately catapulted into a familiar fantasy landscape that changes as Turner includes little details about past wars and other kingdoms. Because the first half of the novel takes place on a journey, this allows Turner to build a rich world around the characters, complete with a rich belief system of creation stories and human-like gods.

However, where The Thief lacks is in its pacing. When Gen and company first begin their journey, it is not clear that this journey will be the bulk of the novel. As a result, the reader continues to flip pages (20, 40, 90) with the hopes of reaching some kind of destination, only to find that they've begun a Tolkien-like adventure that, unfortunately, has no dragons, orcs, or Smeagol along the way to keep things interesting.

While the novel is still very readable, the writing is fresh and Gen is an irreverent, stubborn protagonist, the middle portion of the novel reaches an extreme trough.

However, the ascent from this trough is breathtaking. Turner soon takes Gen and company through a series of unexpected adventures where the stakes are high as high, leaving the reader no choice but to tear through the remaining quarter of the novel with fierce abandon.

In the end, The Thief succeeds in drawing readers into a rich new world with a protagonist they would follow anywhere. They will simply have no choice but to pick up the sequels, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia as soon as possible!


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Overall Grade:

A

I thought...

Part adventure, part mythology, part quest, and an all-out fantastic read. 

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Book Review of "Incarnate" by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate (Newsoul #1)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Classification: YA Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Source: eARC from the publisher

Overall Grade:

B

I thought...

Entertaining and unique: a force to be reckoned with.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

New soul 

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why. 

No soul 

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame? 

Heart 

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

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My Thoughts:

With the large amount of fantasy and paranormal YA books being published today, it's incredibly refreshing to read a debut as interesting and unexpected as Incarnate!

However, while Incarnate has story, characters, plots, and worlds that are breathtaking and unique, the method of delivery is very volatile. At some points in the story, Incarnate seemed to be a work from a novice writer: actions scenes were clunky, dialogue was stilted and inauthentic, descriptions were borderline ridiculous.

At other times, the writing seemed to disappear and the reader floated along with Ana and Sam throughout the story. Then, there were pivotal moments of lyricism that brought raw emotion to the table. This, coupled with the intriguing story and memorable characters, seemed to make a strong statement: Incarnate is a debut novel to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, those lyrical, emotion-wrought moments did not appear enough in the story. Also, Incarnate was filled with many action scenes that were awkward, filled with clunky language and over-explanations, which worked to slow down the narrative flow.

Meadows surprised by including a difficult trope, soul mates, that did not turn overtly tacky throughout the story. However, there were several other plot twists and additions to the story that were not handled so expertly. In these moments, Incarnate read like a run-of-the-mill YA fantasy or paranormal romance, which to many readers may be comforting, but to others is simply annoying.

To the reader who is looking  for a unique thrill-ride, Incarnate is a definite winner. Those searching for an other-worldly, slow-building, and steamy romance will also be satisfied with this debut. However, those readers looking for something lasting and deeply affecting will simply have to settle for being merely entertained by Meadow's debut.

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Overall Grade:

B

I thought...

Entertaining and unique: a force to be reckoned with.

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Book Review of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from the library

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

An entertaining and unflinchingly honest book.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

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My Thoughts:


From the description of this book and the notoriety of the author, one expects The Absolutely True Diary to be heavy--weighed down by societal issues, controversial topics, and generally dense material.

But it's not. Diary is intensely readable. Once you fall into Junior's head, it seems almost effortless to read this book.

But Alexie is so deceiving. He talks about zits and pretty white girls and basketball woes one minute, then throws in a racial slur or two, an unexpected and tragic death, and general heartbreak another minute. But still, the narrative does not slow. Still Junior keeps his composure. Still the book is readable and enjoyable at that.

The characters in Diary seemed doomed to live their lives according to their circumstances: those born poor and Indian will die poor and Indian. Those born rich and white will die rich and white. Those born ignorant will die ignorant.

And just when it seems like one of them managed to escape, (Junior attending Reardan rather than the Rez school, his sister Mary following her true love to Montana), they fall right back into their innate conditions again.

The complications that arise when these characters try to break free from their social circumstances show that Diary is not simply an issue novel, because no issues are solved. The closest that the novel comes to a resolution is with Junior and Rowdy's relationship, but even this is not cut-and-dry.

At some points, the honesty of Diary is exhausting. It's difficult to know what to do when 13 year old Junior says with a straight face:

"It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor," (13). 

"I don't know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some kind of mythical creature," (51). 

"'Just remember this,' my father said. 'Those white people aren't better than you.' But he was so wrong. And he knew he was wrong. He was the Indian father of a loser Indian son living in a world built for winners," (55). 

"There are all kinds of addicts, I guess. We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make that pain go away," (107) 

"I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other. It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part-time job. And it didn't pay very well," (118).

With such constant honesty, it's difficult to take a consistent message from Diary, to know what to glean from the text.

However, perhaps Diary's greatest success is the authenticity of Junior. The reader can never second-guess Junior's narrative, because he doesn't leave anything out. He is a true protagonist and through him, Alexie delivers a true portrait of a modern Native American existence that is as heartbreaking as it is readable.

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

An entertaining and unflinchingly honest book.

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Book Review of "Amplified" by Tara Kelly

Title: Amplified
Author: Tara Kelly
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from the library

Overall Grade:

C+

I thought...

An entertaining cliché of a novel.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .  

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

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My Thoughts:

While there is certainly a lot to like about Amplified, the book fails to offer something new, interesting, or valuable to the genre.

Despite the personal quirks that make Jasmine a successful protagonist, her personal situation is one giant cliché. Privileged daughter of a rich but distant, critical, and disapproving father decides to throw her amazing opportunities to the wolves in order to pursue a dream that seems frivolous and impossible. While there is a slight twist in the story involving Jasmine's mother, the overused plot device is not appreciated.

Jasmine's naive character and extreme self-consciousness are outweighed only by her determination to not give in to her father's expectations, essentially equating her with a petulant three year old who refuses to eat her vegetables just because someone told her to. 

This affects the rest of the novel greatly, as it is difficult to feel compassion for a protagonist who is stubborn simply for the sake of being stubborn. In other words, rather than feeling she is justified for her actions, the reader is forced to view Jasmine's actions as reactions to what is expected of her by others around her.

The plot of Amplified revolves on Jasmine's ability to assimilate into the life she thought she wanted. There is a great pace to this story, with plenty of tension created between Jasmine and the other characters. On the surface, Amplified is a very successful YA contemporary novel: it is entertaining, contains a clear-cut message, and provides memorable characters.

However, where Amplified fails is in its ability to merge all of these elements together in a way that is not plagued by cliché and predictability. Because the premise for the entire novel is a cliché, the book seems to be doomed from the start. 

Despite these rather large pitfalls, the book is carefully written, which prevents it from receiving a far lower rating than it does here.

A note on the setting of the novel: Amplified portrays Santa Cruz in a very balanced, but almost caricatured version of itself. 

I grew up just a half hour from Santa Cruz and spent a large portion of my time there. I have ridden the unnamed rollercoaster at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk that frightens Jasmine to death in the beginning of the novel, the Giant Dipper, and let me tell you: that rollercoaster is just not scary. Even for a ten year old.

Yes, there are a lot of weirdos in Santa Cruz. A lot of eccentric, tattooed musician-types, surfer hippie dudes, and everything in between. But not everyone there is like that, which is what Amplified seems to portray in descriptions of the locals.

For those looking for a very entertaining and quick surface-read, Amplified is a great choice. But for readers who need less cliché and more meaning, their time will be better spent with another book.

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Overall Grade:

C+

I thought...

An entertaining cliché of a novel.

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Book Review of "Froi of the Exiles" by Melina Marchetta

Title: Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles #2)
Author: Melina Marchetta
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: ARC review copy from the publisher

To be published March 13th, 2012

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is me: mind-blown and blubbering.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

From master storyteller Melina Marchetta comes an exhilarating new fantasy springing from her celebrated epic, Finnikin of the Rock. 

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . . . or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen. 

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My Thoughts:


This. Book.

People! This book!

This is me, bug-eyed, mind-blown, trying to do this book justice.

Once again, Melina Marchetta creates a tale of fantasy and adventure and romance and hate and absolution and assassins and curses and she weaves a tale so thick with characters, who you love in all their self-loathing glory, that one wonders if Skuldenore isn't a real place that just hasn't been discovered yet.

The greatest strength of Froi of the Exiles lies in the individual, personal stories being told about each set of characters. While Froi and the half-mad Quintana are the focus of the novel, the other characters that we grew to love in Finnikin of the Rock also have their fair share of page-time: Finnikin, Isaboe, Trevanion, Beatriss, Lucian, Tesadora.

However, Froi of the Exiles is not simply a re-hashed Finnikin. The new characters it introduces to us are many and unforgettable: Quintana, Lirah, Arjuro, Gargarin, Phaedra.

When distilled down to its basic essence, the plot of Froi is quite similar to Finnikin: There is a curse upon the land that only these characters can amend. There is a curse upon the land that both unites and divides a people.

There is a curse upon the land and there is one who has been chosen to end it.

If Finnikin was a demonstration of the power of place, Froi is a tale of absolution. The characters in Froi are an extremely tortured and neurotic bunch. They are constantly faced with the grim reality of facing down their grievous past, sometimes giving into despair, sometimes coming to terms with it, sometimes telling it to back the eff off.

Under a less talented author, the split narrative of Froi would frustrate, but here it works. The deeds of both Charynite and Lumateran characters are given a place here, but let's not forget the stars of the show: Froi and Quintana/The Reginita/The Princess.

Watching the story unfold through Froi's eyes is like sending your child off to preschool for the first time and hoping that he doesn't punch someone in the face--(unless they really really deserve it, then it is condoned and appreciated and cheered)--and finding out that everyone else in his class is neurotic in the deepest sense of the word and realizing that this was going to be a lot more complicated--(and, forgive me, entertaining)--than you ever imagined.

In short: Froi of the Exiles is a wholly original and personal fantasy that will have fans begging for the next book in series, Quintana of Charyn, set for a March 2013 release in the US.

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is me: mind-blown and blubbering.

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