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13.33–The School for Good and Evil

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I really hate to give y’all two bad reviews in a row, but it can’t be helped.  I finished two bad books in a row.  This one was possibly my biggest disappointment so far this year.  This debut novel had so much potential–SO MUCH–but the author dropped the ball big time.

There is a school where heroes and villains go to be trained for their roles in fairy tale lore.  The School For Good and Evil is divided into two houses: Good and Evil.  Good students are called Evers, and Evil students are called Nevers.  Sophie knows that she is destined to be chosen for the School for Good.  She’s got her beauty routine down.  She helps people (or tries to). She’s prim and proper and delicate and is ready and waiting to be rescued by her Prince.  Agatha is unattractive and unconcerned, a loner and an outcast.  Sophie is sure that Agatha is headed straight for Evil.  So when Sophie goes to Evil and Agatha goes to Good, there is a lot to be said on the issue.

Like I said, there was so much potential for this book.  Unfortunately, the author made a lot of mistakes, and it made the book quite painful to read.

1) It felt so much like it was trying to be a Harry Potter competitor.

They go to school in a castle. There are separate houses.  There a professors and books with funny names.  It’s a school of magic.  It was different enough for someone to publish it without getting sued, but too close to be considered wholly original.  If the author had made more of an attempt to stand on his own, it would have been much better.

2) The author thinks he knows what it’s like to be a girl.

But he doesn’t.  Sophie is over-the-top ultra-feminine super-girly-girl, and it’s ridiculous almost to the point of being insulting.  Agatha is the opposite. Both extremes are way overdone and it got super irritating. Quickly.

3) It went on way too long.

This book had what felt like three climaxes and resolutions.  The book could have ended 100 pages before it did. It should have ended much earlier than it did.  It’s like the author kept thinking of things he could do and tacking them onto the end–like a little kid who doesn’t want to end his story.

The book was just sloppy and poorly done.  I wish a more skillful author had written it, because the idea behind the book is great. Just another example of a fantastic premise ruined by poor follow-through.

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13.32–Her

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I love memoirs.  They read like fiction but they’re true stories.  Something about their being true makes the story incredibly engaging.  It’s almost enough to pull me away from fiction.

Until I read flops like this one and get discouraged from that.  Though it had so much potential (despite the tragedy of it, the author’s life has given her great writing material) this was a terrible memoir for two main reasons:

A: It’s choppy.

There’s no coherence to it.  It’s almost impossible to know in what order the events she’s describing happened. Her story sounds like a drunk person who tries to tell a joke but ruins the punchline because she says it first.  Reading it was not in any way enjoyable.  Perhaps it’s morbid to expect to be entertained by a tragic memoir. Don’t judge me. You all stare at car wrecks, too.

B: It feels fake.

This is supposedly a story about grief.  Christa’s twin, Cara, goes on a downward spiral of drug addiction and self-hatred, and eventually dies of an overdose.  Christa is a mess.  But when she writes about Cara when she’s alive, it’s almost like she can’t stand her. She never has anything flattering to say.  There is very little appearance that they love each other, frankly.  They’re portrayed as close, but it always seems like it’s almost reluctantly–at times, cruel or vindictive. It makes her grief seem embellished and fake.

I was so incredibly frustrated by this book.  Perhaps I’m insensitive. It is, after all, the author’s way of dealing with her grief.  But for a memoir, it lacked the genuineness one would like to expect from a true story.  There are probably hundreds better memoirs you can find.  Pass on this one.


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13.31–A Little Princess

This was one of my favorite movies when I was little.  It seems like such a shame to have taken so long to read it.  Even as an adult, however, I enjoyed the story of brave little Sara Crewe.

In case you haven’t read this classic by Francis Hodgson Burnett, it’s the story of Sara Crewe, a privileged little girl who was raised in India by her father.  When she is old enough, he decides she needs a proper education and returns her to England, enrolling her in a fine girl’s school. He instructs the headmistress to give her whatever she wishes.  Despite her opulent upbringing and her over-indulgent parent, Sara is a hardworking, intelligent student and an angel to all of the girls around her.  She is big-hearted and loving, and is kind even to those who are ugly and resentful to her.  But things take a turn for the tragic, and Sara is left penniless. She becomes a servant in her own school, and her optimistic enthusiasms for life and for people are tested on a daily basis.

It’s another sweet book by the author of The Secret Garden.  In that book, she wrote about horrible children, and she did it very well.  The children in this story are in stark contrast with those, and she made them very agreeable to read about.  Sara is an angel.  She is almost too perfect–humble, generous, sweet, respectful, loving, motherly, poised, and intelligent.  Even when Sara goes from being a wealthy child to a pauper, her sweet spirit is unaffected.  In fact, in the midst of her coldest, dirtiest, hungriest days, she sees others who are colder, dirtier, and hungrier, and seeks to help them before she helps herself.  She is the model of a “little Christian servant,” and she is rewarded for her goodness.

One can very much see how it is at once an entertaining fairy tale and a lesson in good manners and behavior for little children at the time of its creation.   Sara rarely puts a foot wrong, even at her lowest, most difficult point of life, and I can just picture women in neat dresses correcting their children, saying, “Would Sara Crewe behave this way?” She’s a heroine that little girls would admire, certainly, and would be easy to use as a role model.

It’s a simple story that is easy to read, yet it is still enjoyable (classics have that enduring quality, don’t they?).  It does place a large emphasis on wealth, which I feel is a failing of the novel–one does not need to be as extraordinarily wealthy as Sara Crewe to be happy.  But it was a different time, and that can be overlooked or explained away.  Toward the end of the novel it gets rather exciting, with Sara and her rescuers narrowly missing each other time after time.  The reader is aware of the identities of both of them, and it’s hard not to shout, “She’s right there!” at the book.  I recommend reading it, if you haven’t, keeping in mind that it’s a tale for children.  If you have your own children, it might be something nice to read to them and discover simultaneously.


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13.30–The Hidden Summer

This is great book for kids that is set to come out in June 2013.  I was so excited to finish this book.  It had a fresh, unique voice for a young child–one that almost reminded me of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.  She is curious, adventurous, precocious, and humble, with a strong desire to do good.  She was a true pleasure to read.

Nell and Lydia have been best friends for years.  When their mothers have a falling-out, Lydia’s mother forbids the two girls from seeing each other, and they must find a place where they can spend time with each other in secret.  Nell finds the perfect place–an abandoned putt-putt golf course.  Over the course of the summer, the two friends find mysterious symbols that lead them to secrets scattered across the golf course, and make friends in places they never expected.

The novel is very well-written. It’s a little bittersweet because Nell’s family is neglectful, and her need for Lydia’s friendship is acute.  As the summer progresses, Nell discovers a lot about herself, her friendship, and the things she truly wants.  She is a thoughtful girl with a big imagination and a lot of love to give.  The reader can’t help getting wrapped up in her story.

The only thing that bothered me about it, and it’s a tiny detail, is that there are certain mysteries that the author never explained.  They’re fairly important plot points, and it confused me that she didn’t fill the reader in on the full details.  Other than that, it’s a fantastic, worthwhile story.  This is a great summer read for girls, and I think it would make a wonderful addition to middle school libraries!


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13.28 & 13.29–Graphic Novels

I’ve got a combined post this time because I read another two graphic novels back to back. Again, one was for adults and one was for kids. Without further ado…

13.28–Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life

 

All of the geek hype surrounding these books is incredibly spot on.  This GN was hilarious.  I’m talking completely random, out-of-the-blue antics that the reader can’t help but laugh (snigger?) at.  Scott’s life is so off track.  He’s dating a high-schooler, playing in a go-nowhere band, and shares a bed with his gay roommate because he can’t afford furniture (or rent).  But he gets a jolt when a pink-haired girl starts roller-skating through his dreams–a girl that he doesn’t know is real until after he’s dreamed her. He becomes obsessed, and hilarity ensues when A) he has to figure out how to ditch his previous girlfriend and B) he meets the first of pink-hair’s (also known as Ramona) 7 evil ex-boyfriends.

The illustrations in this GN are wonderfully cartoony, which is a perfect compliment to the crazy silliness of the story.  The story itself is unique and fun.  Scott, despite his failings, is just a poor, stuck kid that the reader wants to root for.  It’s a great read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series to find out what happens to Scott and Ramona.

13.29–The Best Shot in the West

This is a fantastic biographical graphic novel for kids about Nat Love, the famous African American cowboy.  The illustrations possess absolutely some of the most beautiful artwork I’ve ever seen.  The illustrator uses unique color combinations to evoke emotion in the reader and promote attachment to the landscape.  His technique varies depending on what he is trying to convey–violence, sorrow, anger, fear–and it comes across extremely well.  The character themselves are all in grey-scale, which surprisingly does not take away from their importance.

In addition to the mind-blowing illustrations, the story is fascinating.  I never knew the story of Nat Love, but he lived an adventurous, extraordinary, sometimes seemingly charmed life.  He was a nature expert with horses, and could break and tame horses that no one else could touch.  He was a fantastic shot, and survived numerous scuffles and Indian attacks.

The story and pictures will captivate kids and adults alike, and I highly recommend picking this title up.  It’s a great addition to libraries and collections. Please read this book!

 

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13.27–Splintered

This book was 80% amazing.

That’s a pretty good percentage.  I felt like the author jumped on the love-triangle-that-includes-at-least-one-bad-boy bandwagon, and the main character felt a little contrived as far as trying to be an edgy rebel teenager who just doesn’t care about social convention or normal-colored hair.  Other than those two things, there is nothing but good that I’d like to say about this novel.

The author came up with a fantastic, unique premise that I enjoyed a lot.  Alyssa is the descendant of Alice Liddel, the girl who inspired Lewis Carrol to write Alice in Wonderland.  However, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, and indeed to Alyssa up to a certain point, Wonderland is real.  It is a warped and twisted version of Lewis Carrol’s version (is that possible?? yes), and Howard’s re-imagining of such things as the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, and the flowers are all fascinatingly dark and fun.  The setting is amazing! Wonderland was just an incredibly magical place, with its own culture and mythology.  Howard did a great job of world-building.  It was believable and beautiful in a really creepy way, and I enjoyed my time “down the rabbit hole.”

I must say that I didn’t love the protagonist.  I, true to my human nature, was unable to resist the sexual tension between the three characters, but when it came down to the emotional indecision of Alyssa, I was a bit irritated.  Authors need to STOP WRITING TEENAGE LOVE TRIANGLES! It is an annoying and overused plot device, and it needs to be put on the shelf for a while. Maybe forever.  Alyssa was fake in her efforts to appear unconcerned and disenchanted with society. She tries to act like she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her, but inside she’s super insecure that they will discover that she, also, is “going mad,” and she overcompensates. Also, what’s up with her frenemy relationship with the popular chick? It seems like there’s a history there but it’s never explained.  Frustrating.  The supporting characters were better, though I got tired of Morpheus near the end.

The novel’s strong points are definitely plot, setting, and premise.  Character was somewhat weak, but somehow I still managed to mostly enjoy them.  Alyssa grew on me as she become more confident and self-aware.  It’s definitely a book worth checking out, though I probably won’t read a sequel (if there is one, which is probably inevitable).


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13.26–Iron Hearted Violet

This novel is a delight to read! Such an unusual, wholly unique fairy tale.  The author has created an entirely new and somewhat strange setting for her story, and her risk-taking is richly rewarded.

Violet is an ugly princess, but she is beloved by her kingdom and rarely has cause to care.  Her curiosity leads her and her friend Demetrius to explore a mysterious room in her castle, where they find a malicious book that plants wicked ideas in her head–including that, because she is not pretty, she is not a real princess.   Soon, the sinister force that is whispering to be released from its prison changes the minds of the people of her kingdom to believe the same, as well as numerous other things about each other and about the royal family.

There are so many things that made this story and this world different. First, the narrator.  He is a storyteller, and as such is very much present in the story.  Rather than being distant, he makes himself known as a character, and often addresses the reader directly, as if we are sitting near a fire after supper and he is recounting this story for our entertainment.  I loved this, and to my mind, can’t recall many stories in which I’ve read something similar.

The dragon lore in this fairy tale is completely new.  And despite the fact that it is very much a fantasy book, it sometimes felt a little science-fiction as well.  The author includes a whole new creation myth for this world, with its mirrored sky and its two suns.  There is a pantheon of thirteen gods, each of which created a world for him- or herself.  The dragons are afraid of their reflections, and therefore are trapped in Violet’s world because of the sky.  It’s all very strange and interesting. I’ve never read anything like it.

I feel like this book deserved a lot more attention than it got.  It’s a sweet, often tragic story about friendship and personal identity, and it’s a wonderful adventure. I highly recommend it to lovers of children’s fiction and, obviously, to children themselves! Good for middle school readers.

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13.25–Beauty Queens

I have to say that I was completely baffled by this book.  It is ridiculously satirical–about as subtle as Jonathan Swift, but done with less style and awesomness.  It is, at times, hilarious, but at others it is incredibly political and therefore irritating.  I wish authors would keep their politics out of their young adult writing. At the very least they could stop at beating us over the head with their beliefs. No one likes it when people do that.

A plane full of beauty pageant contestants is on its way to a remote island for a photo and video shoot.  The contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pageant are vain, frivolous, and over-the-top ridiculous.  The narration seems almost bitter (were you picked on by pretty girls as a kid, Libba?)  So when their plane crashes before they reach their destination, the girls are at a complete loss about what to do to save themselves.  Yet to some of these girls there is more than meets the eye, and leaders emerge.  If it were just the story of girls trying to survive on a deserted island using only evening gowns and lip gloss, it would stop at hilarious.  But Bray adds another element to it by turning the island into a top secret research facility for cosmetics that pack a punch.  Then there’s the childish and morbidly incompetent dictator that reminds one a lot of the lemur from Madagascar.

Overall, there is just too much going on.  It’s like she’s trying to mix action movie, political thriller, and rom com all together.  And when I say political, I mean think of every issue you possibly can, and it’s probably in the novel. Too much.  It was a cacophony of confusing elements, and I disliked it immensely.

It was amusing at times. And I admired the fact that some of the girls had a little bit of depth to them.  But ultimately these traits were not enough to redeem the novel for me.  It felt like it had too much substance and too little substance at the same time. What the heck? I was quite disappointed because I usually love Libba Bray.  I think I’ll stick with her paranormal/fantasy YA work and stay away from the comedic wanderings.

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13.24–Neverwhere

All that really needs to be said about this book is: I was already a Neil Gaiman fan girl, and this book only serves to reinforce those feelings of love, obsession, and worship for him as a writer.  How can one call herself a fan girl if she’s never read Neverwhere? The question is irrelevant because I finally have.  It is, of course, brilliant.  Everything Gaiman writes is magical (and not just in its content, but in its structure and presentation).

When Richard Mayhew stops to aid a bleeding girl he finds on the street, he has no idea that his life is about to be changed forever–and not in any way he is going to like.  The next day he awakes to discover that he does not exist.  No record of his having been born exists, his bank does not recognize his PIN, and neither his girlfriend nor his coworkers have any knowledge of having known him before.  His apartment is rented out to another couple while he is in the bath, and no one in London can see him.  Assisted reluctantly by a girl named Door, he embarks on a journey to restore himself to the world he knows.  But as his journey continues, his regard for the shadowy world of London Below begins to shift, as does his regard for himself, until he emerges as a hero quite unlike the buffoon he was when he stumbled over Door in the street.

I loved London Below.  The idea of a dark, underground, unknown society existing below and simultaneously in London, was brilliant.  The concept reminded me somewhat of the ideas of Heaven and Hell–we tend to think of them as being located above and below, respectively, when it’s really more that they exist in a separate dimension entirely.

Once again, here is a book quite unlike anything I’ve ever read.  Gaiman manages to create, seemingly effortlessly, a wholly unique and unusual world, into whose depths the reader dives both with trepidation and excitement.  The book possesses a cast of characters who deserve to be recognized–Door, the Marquis, Richard, Hunter, and Islington, among the numerous others.  They are each such startling contrasts to each other, such vibrant caricatures, but they work well together to create a story that’s interesting, gripping, and infuriating at intervals.

I definitely recommend this one. It would actually make an excellent introduction to the work of Neil Gaiman (naturally, as it was, I believe, his first novel of the non-graphic variety).  It is dark, dangerous, and frightening without the wickedness and violence that some of his subsequent works possess.  Please, read Neil Gaiman! Your life will change! Your world will be rocked! Promise :)

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13.23–Fuse

Fuse is the sequel to Pure, and is perhaps even more thrilling than the first book. In it, Partridge, Pressia, Bradwell, El Capitan, and Lyda are rocketed on separate quests to save their incredibly flawed world.  More secrets about the evils of the Dome are revealed, and the reader’s hunger for justice grows as it grows within the characters.

There was so much about this book that I loved.  One of the things that stuck out the most to me was the development of the relationships between the characters.  Pressia and Bradwell learn how to navigate their complicated feelings for one another–their love mixed with the fierce desire to protect one another by denying their mutual feelings.  Lyda and Partridge explore the feelings they never got to admit to each other when they were inside the Dome.  Even El Capitan and his brother Helmud start to build a relationship–one that consists of more than mutual hatred for their nearly unbearable situation.  Helmud begins to show a personality of his own, and as twisted as it is, their relationship is a little bit heartwarming.

The plot was strong in this one.  I was constantly kept in the grip of suspense.  Because she did such a good job of establishing relationships between the characters, and of establishing the reader’s affections for those relationships, the strain and danger she puts them through is really emotionally taxing on the reader.  Partridge and Lyda, especially, separated by forces much more powerful than they are, keep the reader guessing about what will happen to their budding love.

Julianna Baggott has created a very strong second novel for her trilogy.  It did not feel like a filler, as second novels often do.  I was very impressed with her ability to make it feel like it’s own story.  That said, I really cannot wait for the third one to come out, though I know it won’t be for a long time.  Her world-building and storytelling are skillful enough that I’m dying to know what happens in the end! Too bad there isn’t even a publication date yet.  The good news is that gives you (the people who haven’t picked up and read both of them yet) the time to get caught up and breathlessly await the conclusion to the series!