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REVIEW: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (107)

June 7, 2011 By 2 Comments

 

The Cover

 

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Pages: 496
ISBN: 978-0062011992
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review

Oh, I love, love love Greek Mythology. I was quite excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley and to be able to fall in love with a new sets of Gods and Goddesses (in this case, Demi-Gods). I had heard rave reviews about Starcrossed – and no wonder as it is the Greek Mythology version of the infamous Twilight series! While Josephine Angelini claims it is a retelling of The Illiad, I think it’s more like a retelling of Twilight but with Gods instead of vamps and weres. While it can be a bad thing to be compared to Twilight ( a series that I loathe with a passion), I do not feel the same way about Starcrossed. I am not quite sure how to feel, to be honest.

In my opinion, Angelini knows what her readers are looking for, what they want, and I give her major props for that. She’s not just beauty, but brains, too! This book will be successful, there is no doubt about it. That being said, it doesn’t mean that the novel will be well received by everyone, myself included.

I am going to start with some positive aspects of the novel. For one, I loved Claire who has been Helen’s best friend forever since they were in diapers. Claire is outgoing and sassy and says what she thinks and acts upon what she feels. Being one of the minorities in Nantucket, Claire (Japanese) really understands Helen in feeling different. You see, Helen has always felt she was different but had no idea why. All she knew was that her stomach cramped up every time she brought attention to herself. Having such debilitating pain caused Helen to be much more of a loner than any teenager wishes to be. Because Helen is so serious and timid, it is nice that she has a friend like Claire who brings out bits and pieces of Helen that no one sees often. Even better than that, Claire has a feeling that Helen is more than just different (in fact she thinks she’s a vampire!) and yet accepts her anyway. (What a great friend!) Still, Helen is quick to avoid Claire when she starts to discover the truth about herself and where she comes from.

I also liked the idea that the Father was in charge of raising his daughter on his own with the non existent Mother; a bit different from general stereotypes of single parent families. Although it felt like the Father was quite absent, for the most part, I admired his willingness to raise his daughter alone.

Angelini twisted myth to fit her story and wove an extravagant tale of two families at war with each other, and the Gods to which they are descended from. Helen and Lucas are on opposing families and when they meet for the first time, Helen (with no feelings other than hatred) attacks Lucas with the urge to kill him. Helen, who has lived in a small town her entire life, doesn’t realize where her hatred comes from but she knows that whenever Lucas is around Helen is haunted by three disheveled women who reach out to her, weeping tears of blood. It’s in Helen’s blood to want to kill the members of the Delos family and Starcrossed is the story of two lovers born of hate who risk their own lives to save each other.

Now as said before, Starcrossed bares an uncanny resemblance to Twilight. Here are some of the similarities:

  • Both Bella and Helen are socially inept high school girls who (regardless of their awkward unsocial behavior) has guys flocking to them.
  • Both girls are being “raised” by their “barely there” fathers. While it’s no doubt their Dad’s love them, the Dad’s in both stories play a background role.
  • The Delos family is very much like the Cullen family — all attractive, many times rude, and keeps to themselves.
  • The “sister” of the opposing families are both psychic.
  • Lucas has to fight the urge to kill Helen, just as Edward had to fight the urge to kill Bella.
  • Both stories mix love with violence against each other.

Those are just to name a few. The reason I disliked Twilight so much was because I believed that it was spreading the wrong message to teenagers about how love should be. So because Starcrossed bares such resemblance I am truly on the fence with how I feel. On one hand, like I’ve said before, I have a weakness for Greek Mythology — but the Mother in me is quite upset and disappointed of how the story unfolded and what it represented to the young impressionable reader.

What kind of stinks right now is that on Twitter there is this whole #YaSaves movement going on because one blogger or reporter insinuated that a lot of teen novels are doing more damage than good by spreading the wrong message. Heck, maybe that person was just talking about Twilight and its message that violence and love can mix. Unfortunately Starcrossed does nothing to eliminate that thought; that love can exist without violence.

Again, I am so conflicted. (Can you tell?)

In regards to the actual writing — I struggled for about a hundred pages or so. Starcrossed was written in third person, which when done correctly, can weave a magical tale that puts us outside the character but within their world. I am not sure Starcrossed really effectively did this. For a while it felt that I was being given half the story but not the entire story with many scenes lacking in descriptive detail. It was as if Angelini trusted the reader too much to know what she was talking about when she wrote the novel. When I read a book, in third person especially, I need the help to visualize. I need someone to paint the picture so I can sit back and admire it. When the picture is half painted, all I can focus on is what is missing and what needs to be done rather than what is right before me. For a while, actually, I kept thinking, “Oh no.. I am going to hate this novel.” because of lack of detail in the scenes and even the character dialogue. The guilt while reading was immense. I wanted to love the novel to its very core but I can’t say that I actually did. While I do not hate Starcrossed, it did not really do it for me.

I rated it a 3 because the concept was there and I did end up finishing it. It was impressionable to have me thinking about it a long while after I finished the novel but not completely engaging to where I couldn’t put it down. To me it was just average and while others will love it, like Twilight, many will not.

If you are a parent and your teenager wants to read the book, I would sit down with them and have a talk about how it is not normal for two people in love to want to inflict pain and death on each other and remind them that it is just a story and that you do not condone romanticizing violence. If you feel your pre-teen/teen can understand the difference between what is real and what has been made up to add interest to the story, then feel free to let them read Starcrossed.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Wherever You Go by Heather Davis (106)

June 7, 2011 By 3 Comments

The Book Cover

 

 

Title: Wherever You Go
Author: Heather Davis
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-0547501512
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

A poignant story about making peace with the past and opening your heart to love. Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. But she has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, trying to get close to Holly—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. As their uncertain new relationship progresses, the past comes back to haunt Holly and Jason. Her Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?

Review

Wherever You Go is told from three different views, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Yes, you’ve heard me right and for the most part, although I admire Heather Davis for trying something new, it just did not work for me. In fact, it hindered my ability to really get into the story.

The first person point of view is told through Holly, a teenager with way too much responsibility for her age and not enough friends (it seems like) to even things out. Her boyfriend, Rob, had just died in the car accident that Holly happened to be in the car with at the time of the collision. His friends seem to blame Holly, for supposedly being drunk at a party, and have given her a hard time since Rob’s death.

The second person point of view is done through Rob, who has died. For some reason he has not been able to move on into the other world and he has no idea why. I think this was my least favorite view point and (in my opinion) should not be used unless you are writing a letter.  We know it is Rob, but it is being told like we are Rob and we are being told what to do. It is also told in present tense. For example “You are doing this.” and I just didn’t really feel for this point of view or the idea that it was in present tense. After all, every writer learns that it is important to pick a point of view and stick to it (same with tenses). During this view point, however, we get a better look at Aldo, Holly’s Grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. When I picked up Wherever You Go, my Mom had just lost her best friend from early onset Alzheimer’s. Needless to say, the topic really touched home on that front.

The third person point of view is about Rob’s friend, Jason. His friend’s grave is barely cold when he swoops in for the kill — er, to sweep Holly off her feet. He also, typically as most “good guys in novels” are, attractive and rich. (Oh and you know Holly lives in a small cluttered apartment with her barely there Mother, her little precocious little sister, and now has to babysit her sick Grandfather. So naturally, Holly needed a rich Prince Charming to sweep her out of her “horrible life”.

My favorite character in the entire novel was Aldo, as he had so much depth. A typical Italian grandfather, it was sad to watch his mind go and that he was aware that his memories were fading to disease. To make sure he would not forget certain things, he made a list and asked that his granddaughter, Holly, help him to remember these particular events in his life. I found that aspect of the story charming and memorable. Holly’s dedication to her Grandfather’s care has much to be admired. If only all teenagers showed that much dedication to family (with little complaint) and much maturity so early on in life.

On the other hand, I felt that Holly lacked in character depth. Her boyfriend, who she was supposedly in love with — just died and she really pushes those feelings deep inside her that I often wondered if it really even affected her. Her apathy to her situation(s) really bugged me. Does she not have huge resentment for having to be so heavily relied on by her mother to take care of the house, her Grandfather, and her little sister? Her Mother also did a great job of throwing out the guilt and playing the victim card that it made me feel sorry for Holly.

I was not a fan of the multiple points of view and tenses, and some things (which will be discussed in the spoiler) bugged me about the characters /situations — but some aspects of the story, such as Aldo dealing with his Alzheimer’s were truly charming. Although I am not a huge fan of the novel, it does have it’s warming moments and I know many other people enjoyed the read tremendously. You just may be one of them!

**Spoiler**: (Do NOT look if you are sensitive to spoilers!) show

Even though I found a few things peculiar about the story, it may hit home to someone else. If the novel sounds interesting to you, then I say — give it a shot.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Wolf Camp by Katie McKy (103)

May 22, 2011 By 4 Comments

Title: Wolf Camp
Author: Katie McKy
Illustrator: Bonnie Leick
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-1933718255
[Rating:3]
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)
In a delightful mix of intrigue and humor, a young girl named Maddie goes to a Wolf Camp and comes back with disturbing new habits–wolf-like habits. Kids will be fascinated with the idea of transformation into an animal, and parents will recognize the sense of change their children undergo at summer camp.

Review

What is there to say? I was not overly impressed. The language was a bit too simple, forced, and awkward. I am not entirely sure what to pinpoint in the writing style but it bugged me.

The lack of detail of the actual trip to Wolf Camp was upsetting. Maddie sees a flyer for Wolf Camp and her parents allow her to go. She writes them a letter on one page and then she’s home. I just thought for a book about Wolf Camp, that there would actually be more details at home.

What made the book semi-interesting was the wonderful illustrations by Bonnie Leick. I know that kids would find the pictures interesting and that, enough, would be able to keep its attention. The rest would be required of the person reading the story to breathe a little life into the words.

While not overly thrilled with Wolf Camp, some may like it. Although it is not one I would personally purchase, I would borrow it from the library.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Children, Genre, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip (100)

May 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

 

The Book Cover

Title: Song of the Silk Road
Author: Mingmei Yip
Pages: 352
ISBN: 978-0758241825
[Rating:3]
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert – its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China’s desolate Taklamakan Desert – and carry out a series of tasks along the way. Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt’s motivations…Powerful and eloquent, “Song of the Silk Road” is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

Review

I love books about the Asian culture.  Seeing as I cannot yet afford to travel to Asia, I rely on books to bring me there in my own imagination. One of my favorite books of all time is Memoirs of a Geisha, a coming of age story. Though Song of the Silk Road focuses on the Chinese culture and history, something I did not know much about but was excited to discover. Needless to say, I was very excited to read Song of the Silk Road. It sounded like it was a mixture of adventure and beautiful Asian scenery. What is not to love?

Lily Lin is an aspiring novelist in NYC. She has lost the inspiration to write and she’s stuck, like many aspiring authors are. When an attorney delivers the news to Lily that an Aunt she never knew she had is leaving her 3 million dollars, she is confused, yet ecstatic to be coming in to some money. But there is a catch. In order for Lily to collect the 3 million, she must travel to China and perform a series of tasks that her Aunt has assigned along the ancient Chinese Silk Road. Needing some inspiration for her novel (and all the money) Lily decides that she will travel alone to China and do what she needs to do to earn her inheritance.

I want to say that I loved the book, but I didn’t love it. Although I did enjoy the read and did finish the book in about a week. There was nothing spectacular about the writing style, unfortunately.  To pinpoint what exactly lacked in the style of writing is hard to say. I believe it was more of the personality and thought process of the character that separated me from the character, making it more difficult to fully engage myself in the story. But that could have easily been overlooked had Lily been a more moral, likeable character.

Lily was involved in an affair with her married professor. Even though she knew this, she still engaged in a “sex-only” relationship with him. He would bring her Chinese food (or cook for her) at her studio apartment and then they would have sex. So when she decides to leave for China, needless to say Chris isn’t all that pleased. But 3 million dollars is more important to her than the guy she says she is in love with so she goes, anyway. After all, money is more important than love, right?

While in China Lily meets this pushy American named Alex Luce. He is so desperate for her company that it is beyond creepy. She must have told him a dozen times that she wanted to be left alone, yet he shows up wherever she is and doesn’t take no for an answer. Being in first person of Lily, you sense no interest whatsoever. Yet somehow along the way she falls in love with her stalker? Alright.. Yet even when she admits to being in love with Alex, I never feel the love. She still acts selfishly and hurts his feelings more times than you can count. With Alex being overbearing and creepy and Lily being without human emotion, it’s impossible to support their relationship, or any of the bedtime lovers she collects along the way.

Lily is so free with the “love” word that I wonder if she even really understood what it meant?

Regardless of this empty character and relationship that I did not like, I really enjoyed reading about China and the various places she encounters. I loved learning the history and the words and about the various superstitions and ceremonies that take place in China. Overall it was an interesting read, although the author leaves much to be desired in the characters themselves.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Genre, Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: #96 Hereafter by Tara Hudson

May 10, 2011 By 3 Comments

Book Cover

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Pages: 416
ISBN: 978-0062026774
[Rating:3]

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com)
Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she’s dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she’s trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their new found happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won’t want to miss.

Review

I had high hopes for this book. Though about a quarter of the way into it, I curled my fingers around my iPad, looked up to the Heavens and exclaimed, “WHY OH WHY?!” Another great idea turned into a instant-love romance that makes me roll my eyes. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a typical Pisces — I love me some sweet things and gestures. But, my God, love is not instant. (And yes, I totally found my true love when I was a teenager, 15 years old to be exact) so I am open to the idea of teenagers knowing love. But to lead kids on to believe that it happens in a blink of an eye is completely misleading. Plus Amelia was completely void of true character.

I feel a rant coming on but I will hold that rant for another day; another entry.

We are introduced to Amelia. Amelia is a ghost who doesn’t know much about her life before except her first name and where and how she died. She knows she drowned by falling off a high-bridge overpass but she, herself, doesn’t know why. Was she murdered? Was it suicide? She certainly doesn’t feel suicidal. But then again, Amelia doesn’t feel much of anything. Amelia is as empty as you can make a lead character. It’s like she died, lost her memories, and forgot how to be interesting.

Amelia is stuck wandering our world trying in vain to get someone alive to talk to her. We understand very quickly just how lonely life after death has made her (oh isn’t that so comforting?) So when Joshua comes along, a drowning boy who also happens to be her age, Amelia is drawn to him. When he awakens to her presence, he’s not scared. Oh no. Even when she tells him she’s a ghost. What does this “normal” 17-18 year old boy do? Why he invites her to go to school with him? Oh gag. Come on! I love the supernatural. I believe in the afterlife, but if my grandfather (who I know and love) were to appear before me, I sure as heck would scream (at least just a little.)

The story was interesting enough to continue reading and wonder what would happen. I wanted to find out who Amelia was and how she died. But as for the little love thing between Joshua and Amelia — eh, I could not have cared less. I didn’t believe it. This wasn’t a believable romance, even in the supernatural sense. Joshua was too perfect; much too perfect for a teenaged boy. I guess I can’t really complain too much about him, as he’s not stalking her in her sleep or giving her a black eye during lovemaking sessions, and he certainly doesn’t want her blood. But, still.

Will it be a popular book in the genre? Sure. It’s hard to go completely wrong in YA paranormal romance. You give the kiddos what they want and this is the kind of stuff they want whether or not it makes love unbelievable. Is it something that will win awards, absolutely not. But I am sure it’ll win the attention of thousands.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: #89 These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

April 10, 2011 By 2 Comments

Title: These Things Hidden
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Pages: 352
ISBN: 0778328791
★★★★★

When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls’ golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It’s Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.

But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.

Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

Review: I am going to start this review with a simple request that no one goes Wacky Jackie on me. To be honest, I am not a die hard fan, here. I found quite a few things with the book that were bothersome. But I am just one person. If you are to look at Amazon reviews or those found on Goodreads you will see that there are hundreds of people who think very highly of the book. I was just not one of the overly impressed.

On the surface, the premise of the book seems amazing. Right away you want to find out what Allison Glenn did that was so horrific that it landed her in prison and estranged from all who once loved her. Golden girl, athletic Allison. What does a little boy have to do with all this? What does Allison’s sister Brynn know? The story is intriguing. There truly was a lot of potential. Not often do I read about women in prison, yet alone women who have such likable personality from the start. So what exactly were my issues?

Various Point of Views: There were too many points of view. It switched from Allison (first person) to Brynn (first person) to Charm (3rd person) and Claire (3rd person). That part was very distracting. I don’t mind being directed to various characters, but my gosh — select a viewpoint. For a story such as this, I would have found it more intense if everyone was directed in a third person point of view, so you never know what the characters are truly thinking, leaving much more of a mystery in the end.

As a reader, I need to know “am I the character?” or am I “reading about the character?” It’s hard to do both first and third in a story (in fact, many people would consider that a literary no-no). It didn’t work for me. I need a point of view and I need to be immersed in it, not jostled around.

Character Voice: All characters had the same voice, with little personality to differentiate between any of them. All characters were drowning in perfect and at times it was too much. Not everyone thinks the same and not every parent is so text book. I felt Claire and Jonathan were very textbook parents; the type of parents who everyone strives to be — but it’s not realistic. It’s very possible for two older parents who have tried so hard to have a baby, be blessed with one, and still not be perfect parents but still be perfect parents for that specific child. The dialogue they shared between each other and their adopted son, Joshua, was too perfect. I don’t mean that it the dialogue was perfectly written but that it was too perfect to be true.

I also felt that Allison may be too perfect. Wouldn’t life behind bars have hardened her but at ALL?! Many times through out the novel she reaches out for her family, her sister specifically only to be ignored or denied. If it were me I would rant and rave and get angry especially the reason Allison was in jail in the first place! Because of Allison’s crime, she is tormented and harshly judged — even by other ex-felons at the half-way house and yet, she cries a little but refuses to confront them. Oh, come on!

The characters were too perfect (oh my gosh — how many times can I use this word??!) and I feel they lacked a separate entity and realism in dialogue and actions.

Writing: The writing, itself, was overly simplistic. I feel it’s the authors job to paint the scene with their words. But in These Things Hidden, I had do a lot of the visualization myself. This is the kind of writing that I consider a “light” read which makes no sense when I describe it to others because the topic itself is so incredibly dark and morbid. But you really do not have to do a lot of thinking to comprehend what you are reading. You can almost just about skim it and still get what is going on.

I struggled to decide if it was an adult novel or a young adult. From a subject stand point, I would put it in an adult category. However from the ease of reading ability, I would put it somewhere in the late middle school, early high school age group. There was nothing written that blew me away and made me write down as a “quote to remember”. When I read that the author is a critically acclaimed, award winning, best-selling author — I kind of scratch my head and go, “Okay, but why?” I really don’t at all mean for that to seem harsh, but it’s truly my thought. I don’t get it the hype. It’s kind of like when I read Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. The concept of the story was great in itself — but the writing was just entirely too simple. This may just be another book that I may fail to see the special spark that is so apparent to others.

Full term skinny woman, pregnant with twins.

Spoiler: Do not read this spoiler if you are bothered by finding out key events in the story before you read them (such as I am). If you continue to read I will assume you have already read the book and/or aren’t bothered by such details. In fact, skip right down to the overall.

 

Allison gave birth secretly to twins, full term might I add. A teenager who is thin and lean and athletic manages to hide a full-term twin pregnancy. Am I the only one here that says that is highly unbelievable? I mean look at Angelina Jolie. She is as thin as thin can be and wearing an expensive muumuu and yet it’s fairly obvious she’s hiding a baby in there. I just do not believe it for the life of me. Heck, I’ve birthed two singletons and I have curves and it was fairly obvious that even I was pregnant. Had Allison given birth to just one then MAYBE just MAYBE I could pass that off as her hiding a pregnancy — but twins? Uhm no way. I mean Gudenkauf is one of six children and has three of her own. I am fairly certain she understands pregnancy — so why this was passed off as plausible is beyond me? What am I missing here?

Overall: I know this review doesn’t sound full of rainbows and dandelions, but it’s still an interesting read. It provides some great information on safe-haven laws and has some good Picoult-like twists to it with a dash of moral lessons. It may not be the #1 best seller in my opinion, but still an interesting read, none-the-less. I definitely recommend renting it from the library or borrowing it from a friend.

If you have an iPad or a Nook, you can download a sample chapter from Barnes and Noble and try it out for yourself. My overall impression was that it was average. It wasn’t bad, by any means, regardless of my personal issues with it but it also wasn’t spectacular. But, heck, it’s still worth a shot.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: #84 Do Princesses Have Best Friends Forever?

December 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Title: Do Princesses Have Best Friends Forever?
Author: Carmela La Vigna Coyle
Illustrated: Mike Gordon and Carl Gordon
ISBN: 1589795423
Pages: 32
★★★★★

Synopsis: (As taken from Amazon.com) In the first new Princesses book in four years, Carmela LaVigna Coyle celebrates friendship as two girls play dress-up, make forts from blankets and sheets, stomp in the mud, and generally do all the things that best friends do. Let’s make two bracelets with a double pink heart/And THEN we can wear them when we’re apart. I wish that our play date would never, ever end/That’s how it feels when you have a best friend.

Review

The book Do Princesses Have Best Friends Forever is not particularly long. It’s the perfect size in length for4-6 year olds. That being said, the length of the book and the adorable graphics illustrated by a father and son team — will surely keep their attention.

The actual story itself is less than desirable. I just didn’t get it. We are introduced to Princess #1 who invites her new friend over. However when we meet her friend (Princess #2) they act as if they have never met. Then the story proceeds to be a series of “how can I make this rhyme” type of story. Yet the rhymes offer no real substance. For example:

Do Princesses sing on the way to the zoo?
Yes! Maybe my mom will sing along, too.

Alright.. sure? What is this really teaching me? How does it really flow with the earlier story? It doesn’t. Another one:

How do zookeepers pick up the poop? The zoo must own a very big scoop.

I mean, really? What does this have to do with Princesses having best friends forever? Because the title of the book is Do Princesses Have Best Friends Forever? I’d like to see it be a book that answers the question. It doesn’t have to rhyme to gain a child’s attention, but if there are rhymes, they need to be clever.

Maybe a story of two princesses butting heads — letting their “royal” titles get in the way of their friendship. The things they do to each other when they are angry to up one another. Maybe someone getting their feelings hurt. Then their making up? I have no idea — but I would like to see it have a moral to the story and/or a real point in regards to the title.

A good story isn’t about the wonderful illustrations or the rhymes, but what the reader walks away from it remembering. What did they learn? Did it teach them a new concept like alphabet or numbers? Or did it teach them how to be polite or social manners of some sort? Is the book meant to be completely comical or satire in some way?

Either way the book falls flat on the actual story. However if you have a young reader, they may enjoy the illustrations, the fact that they are “princesses” (even self-titled) and they may giggle when the author says, “poop”.

Overall: The book is one you should get at the library. Something to borrow, but I wouldn’t purchase it myself.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Children, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW #81: Mockingjay (Hunger Games Trilogy #3)

September 26, 2010 By 8 Comments

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 978-0439023511
Pages: 400
[Rating:3]

** WARNING: SPOILERS ** ** WARNING SPOILERS** **WARNING SPOILERS**

Mockingjay, to say the least, was not my favorite of the three. In fact, I almost wish I hadn’t read it. Mockingjay left me with a sense of disrespect for Katniss, who (over the previous two books) I had come to love and admire. Katniss was a character of passion and strength. But something happened to her.

Maybe life just got to her but she turned into such a weakling. Every turn of the page something happens in which she SHOULD have died, but even the enemy comes to the rescue and all is well again. She whines. She talks about her recovery and then she’s back on the semi-battlefield.

The war, this time, was very disappointing. Although Collins discusses neat futuristic weapons of war, there is something lacking in the “puzzle” that made the fights so enjoyable and stressful to read in Hunger Games and Catching Fire.  This time, Katniss doesn’t really HAVE to use her mind, as there are a bunch of people there helping. Katniss doesn’t HAVE to be strong because it’s not the part she’s playing. Katniss just.. is there.

It was disappointing.

Then don’t even get me started on the whole Gale/Katniss/Peeta love triangle. For some reason, I always invisioned she would end up with Gale. He was her best friend — the one that I always felt in my heart Katniss loved. I also felt that Peeta was a pity love. Peeta kind of reminded me of my college boyfriend — in that he’s a great guy and treats Katniss like a Queen but the spark’s not there. Katniss wants to love him, but it’s a guilt kind of feeling. I never BELIEVED Katniss could love him — so why does she end up in such a depressing marriage with Peeta? (He “convinces” her to have kids?) Oh come on. In Hunger Games & Catching Fire.. no one “convinces” Katniss.

What the HELL happened to her??!

I think Collins sold out on this book. With such a success over the first two — she knew she wouldn’t have to invest a lot of time or thought into the last book because “people would buy it anyway”. I don’t really think that is a sign of a true author — to lesson the quality just because it’ll sell no matter what. I mean, just look at JK Rawling who kept it happening book after book after book. So, Collins, you semi-disappoint.

Katniss should have gone out with a BANG! Instead she went out with a pop!-fizzle. Ppsfffhhh. Well .. at least now I have The Scorch Trials by James Dashner to look forward to. (Please don’t disappoint, Mr. Dashner! I am counting on you!)

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Dystopian, Reviews, Science Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: #58 The Everafter

January 20, 2010 By 3 Comments

Title: The Everafter
Author: Amy Huntley
ISBN: 0061776793
Pages: 256
[Rating:3]

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

Madison Stanton doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can reexperience—and sometimes even change—moments from her life.

Her first kiss.

A trip to Disney World.

Her sister’s wedding.

A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life—and death.

This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments—and the strength of true love even beyond death.

Review:

This novel was short – so immediately I didn’t expect it to be incredibly detailed or even that meaningful. How much of a story can be told in less than 300 pages?

The Everafter was an easy read, although – like I had anticipated, not incredibly deep. Although it had every intention of being an inspirational life-after-death tale, I felt that it didn’t quite capture my reading loyalty. The relationships were semi-flat although it was obvious Huntley had intended for each character to be a meaningful and memorable one.

But truth be told, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve read this book and I can’t remember a single name. So – so much for being memorable.

Basically Madison (who appears to be of teen age in the novel) “wakes up” in an area of supreme nothingness. In my opinion, this is probably the catholic version of limbo. There is nothing here. No scenery. No company. No feeling of love or fear. Though Madison knows that she’s dead.

Before her are a series of random objects that have all been “lost” in life. Much like the butterfly effect, each item played a roll in how her life was shaped. Each time she touches one of the objects, she’s taken back in time to her life where she learns to control the outcome. But what happens when she finds the objects? What in her life changes? Is it for the better?

For me, the objects were pointless other than taking the reader down memory lane to gauge what he life was like before death. There was nothing particularly special about her. Madison was just your typical American teenager. And in doing so, this book was nothing particularly special – just your average, American, young adult read.

While it wasn’t awful – it’d be a good read for a beach day or a rainy day inside. But I wouldn’t expect to walk away with a feeling of a changed life. You may not remember it a week later, anyway.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: #57 Goth Girl Rising

January 14, 2010 By 2 Comments

Title: Goth Girl Rising
Author: Barry Lyga
ISBN: 0547076649
Pages: 400
[Rating:3]

Synopsis: (Taken from the Book)

Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily. After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she’s about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time.

Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who’s ever appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come rushing back. There’s so much to do to people when you’re angry. Kyra’s about to get very busy.

Review:

To be honest, after reading The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl, Goth Girl Rising was a disappointment. In the first Fanboy/Goth Girl book – the writing is so witty and personable and real. I found Goth Girl Rising to be anything but – and it stars a girl! You think I could relate?

Lyga had no issues writing from the point of view as a Fanboy/Geek – because, well– he’s admitted he is! But it wasn’t quite the same feeling of reality seeing him write from the point of view of an emotional, troubled, teenaged, female little girl. While both Fanboy and Goth Girl touch on stereotypes, I felt Goth Girl was overly stereotypical to being down right insulting to the Goth scene. Not all Goths are depressed and obsessed with death.  Not all are involved in drugs and sex.

But what bugged me most of all was Kira’s two-faced un-even personality. One minute she’s writing something so profound and the next she’s acting like a 2 year old. In the Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl -she was a bit out there and emotional, but she wasn’t so .. horrible? I don’t know. I just didn’t feel her in this book. I couldn’t relate. I couldn’t even find myself liking her – even after I realized why she was as messed up in the head as she was.

On a positive note, the book was an easy and quick read. The chapters are short – sometimes just a few pages. The reading style is very simple and non-complex so it’s something you can read just about anywhere. (But I guess that’s also a negative thing?) The writing just wasn’t up to par, although the story and the concept is interesting and  caused me to continue reading.

Will I stop reading Lyga’s work because of Goth Girl Rising? No. He had way too much talent poured into The Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl to judge him on Goth Girl Rising alone. Besides, Lyga is friendly and engaging with his fans and always willing to answer questions that arise. Lyga is a talent that shouldn’t be missed.. but, I would recommend not taking Goth Girl Rising too seriously.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,