This review will be short and sweet – I was very disappointed with this book as I have read and enjoyed Dante’s Inferno. I listened to it as an audiobook and stopped listening halfway through as I found the book to be too tedious to continue. Life is too short to read/listen to a book I don’t like anymore! PS – In my estimation Angels and Demons was his best book!
I took part in the Summer Reading program at the library this summer and one of the choices to be made was because we liked a book cover and I picked this book up. This was a really pleasant surprise to me as I’m fairly new to YA books. It was cool to me that there were illustrations interspersed through the book adding to the enjoyment. The main character is a genius and a full 2 years younger than most of his classmates, making his days somewhat challenging. However, he’s a great rugby player and gains the respect of the boys on his team for the prowess he shows on the field. it follows him through school and sports and his budding relationship with a girl he really likes. He also becomes friends with a boy on his team who is gay and gains quite a bit of insight into what his days are like as well. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to the YA crowd as well as Adults.
Tom always wished that he was special enough to be a Chosen One who would get whisked off to an alternate reality in which he was the only one who could save the day. The way he saw it, though, he just wasn’t “unspecial” enough… Until the night someone named Gark showed up and told him he WAS foretold in a prophecy and that he needed to enter a portal to another world to help save a kingdom! Although it initially seemed like a dream come true, it soon became apparent that the unnamed kingdom [which Tom dubbed “Crap Kingdom”] was full of pessimistic people who couldn’t really care less about whether or not Tom saved them. And Gark, who was the only one actually excited about Tom’s arrival, kept calling him “Tim.” Yeah. Being the chosen one wasn’t necessarily so great after all.
Despite the fact that this is a fantasy book, a great deal of it takes place on Earth and could easily be mistaken for contemporary fiction. Original, funny, and well-written. What’s not to like?!? I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers who want a break from books that require a glossary and pronunciation guide and/or fans of humorous books who wouldn’t mind a little reality bending. People who enjoyed The True Meaning of Smekday should probably pick this one up, too!
NOS4A2 tells the story of Vic, a girl who has a special ability to find lost things using her red bicycle and a covered bridge that leads her to whatever’s lost. Her gift works great until she encounters a man with a similar ability, Charles Manx, who uses his “gift” to kidnap children.
Vic was the only child ever to escape from Manx and his Wraith, the car he uses to travel to his own special realm, an awful place called Christmasland. As an adult, she puts aside the whole awful memory of what happened with Manx until her own son is in danger.
I loved this book. I thought it was very well written. Not only was there great character development, but the plot reeled me in from the very beginning. What an amazing concept, that these characters are able to travel to a realm beyond our own. Hill creates quite the villain with Charles Manx. Whenever I see one of those classic cars that Manx drives, I get a little bit of a chill. Vic is a spunky, loveable and at times stubborn protagonist. I also have to note that Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. I think he definitely inherited his father’s talent.
Dracula: The audiobook! Recommended by reviewers for its cast (every audiobook should probably be read by a man and a woman together). Susan Adams and Alexander Spencer bring this old story to life. If you have seen the newer movies and tv shows of Dracula, you will not recognize the story, so much has been changed from the original tale (1897).
Jonathan Harker’s travels and experiences in Transylvania and at the castle create a growing horror as you tiptoe down dark hallways with him and see specks of light moving and growing into mysterious figures. When Jonathan finally realizes the danger he is in, the listener will root for his seemingly impossible escape. Our heroes are a likeable group of characters and the evil Count is suitably terrifying.
The book is a famous classic and the audiobook is just that much more thrilling in audio. The story loses none of its edge and is superior to many of its modern incarnations. Highly recommended!
When Tamsin was born, her grandmother predicted that she would be one of the most Talented witches in their family. Now that she is 17 years old, it seems pretty clear that Tamsin has no Talent and her grandmother must have been mistaken. She is really embarrassed by her lack of Talent and frequently wishes to be more like her older, more beautiful, and extremely Talented sister, Rowena. While working for her family’s bookstore/magic shop, Tamsin is approached by a handsome young professor who would like help locating a family heirloom cuckoo clock. Unfortunately, Tamsin has no idea that locating this clock could upset the balance of good and evil. So, when he mistakenly calls her Rowena [who is fairly well known for her ability to locate lost items], she chooses not to correct him and, instead, tries to use this as an opportunity to prove herself.
To say that Josie Moraine has a very unusual life would be an understatement and a half! Though she is only in high school, she already lives on her own and works two jobs — as a clerk at a local bookstore and as a maid of sorts for the brothel where her mother works. That’s right… Josie’s mother is a prostitute. Not to mention a cold, calculating, unloving woman who only ever seems to think of herself. And, as if that isn’t bad enough, Josie’s mother also happens to be in love with an abusive gangster-type. So, when her mom disappears from the French Quarter the very same morning that a man turns up dead, Josie isn’t sure what to do or what to believe. She has never wanted anything so much as a chance to get out of the “Big Easy” and to get a good education, but her mother and her mother’s foolishness always seem to get in the way.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this story was how the entire cast of characters was so well fleshed-out. I get annoyed when authors skimp on developing the supporting characters, but Sepetys did not disappoint! My favorite was Willie — the brothel madam who knew Josie was bound for bigger and better things, regardless of the fact that many people assumed/hoped she would simply follow in her mother’s footsteps. I loved that Willie did her best to support Josie and to encourage her to want more from life instead of being upset that Josie didn’t want to join the [ahem] family business. If you like historical fiction and/or mysteries, this is a book you won’t want to miss.
This has got to be one of the funniest audiobooks I have ever listened to. Seriously! Adam Rex wrote a hilarious story and Bahni Turpin’s narration was absolutely fantastic. It’s no wonder this book received the Odyssey Award! My son and I listened to it together, and we loved it so much that we harassed my husband until he agreed to listen to it too. After we all finished listening, we started talking to each other like the Boov (alien) named J. Lo — and it’s gone on long enough that even my 3-year-old has talks like a Boov! I’m pretty sure it won’t matter how many times I hear it; I will always laugh when I hear my son shout, “SHOOT FORTH THE LASERS … FROM MY EYEBALLS!” Priceless family bonding. 😉
You may be wondering, “What’s this story about?” Well… When an alien race [the Boov] took over Earth and claimed it as their own planet, they renamed Christmas as Smekday and forced all the humans in North America to relocate to Florida. Later, after the Boov were vanquished, students across the US were given the chance to explain the true meaning of Smekday in an essay. This story is Gratuity “Tip” Tucci’s story/essay.
P.S. Random House has an excerpt on their website if you want to check it out for yourself — http://www.randomhouse.com/book/202129/the-true-meaning-of-smekday-by-adam-rex
Let me just start off by saying that I can’t imagine not loving anything written by Sara Zarr. All of her stories [see also Story of a Girl, Sweethearts, and How to Save a Life] are just so compelling, and her characters so realistic that I become very quickly attached. Finishing one of her books always makes me feel like a friend moved away; very bitter-sweet. One of the reasons I thought this particular book was so great is because it was still completely accessible even though I don’t know a ton about classical music or playing piano [so you shouldn’t let that stand in your way if you’re not well versed either].
In this story, we meet Lucy Beck-Moreau — musical prodigy and former concert pianist. She used to be a pretty big deal. I’m talking traveling the world, recording songs with symphonies, and hearing herself on the radio big… But then, she suddenly stopped performing. Everyone has a theory about what happened, but no one knows the real story. Now that Lucy’s younger brother has a new teacher — because the former teacher dropped dead in the middle of a lesson — Lucy is starting to deal with her feelings about the whole situation, partly in hopes that she can help her brother avoid the burnout she experienced.
I am so grateful that someone let Susan Beth Pfeffer in on the “secret definition of trilogy” [as Scott Westerfeld put it when he wrote the dedication for Extras]. I was not OK with leaving the Moon Crash Trilogy as it ended in This World We Live In… I needed to know what happened next! Luckily, Susan Beth Pfeffer listened to her fans and kept writing even when her publisher wasn’t [initially] interested in a fourth Moon Crash book.
Miranda’s younger brother, Jon, is now 16 years old. As the baby of the family, he has gotten used to a life of relative privilege. Even when food was extremely scarce, people made sure he was fed. When work needed to be done, others worked harder so he didn’t have to. And when Alex had only 3 slips to get into an enclave — which would provide more safety, food, and educational opportunities for the people within — everyone agreed that those slips should go to Jon, his stepmother, Lisa, and her baby, Gabe. Many clavers got in simply because of the money and power they had before the moon crash, so Jon’s so-called friends often remind him that he’s a “slip” and could be kicked out if he doesn’t play along/act the part of a claver well enough. Since his “job” is playing soccer and his status as a claver gets him as much food, booze, and trouble-free mischief as he wants, though, Jon is often all too happy to play along.
People in White Birch, including some of Jon’s own family members [Miranda, Alex, and his mom], are known as grubs and often work for clavers in the capacity of domestic servants, drivers, and greenhouse workers. I was extremely uncomfortable with Jon’s hateful attitude toward grubs and how cavalierly he acted despite his family’s position, but I could see how easily a teenager might dissociate for the sake of fitting in and surviving in such a harsh reality. As much as I hated Jon and the things he did, it made all too much sense that a spoiled kid raised in a post-apocalyptic world would turn out this way. Luckily, Jon experienced some decent character development and the ending left me feeling like there was hope for Jon and his family… and maybe even a fifth Moon Crash book! 😉
Sarah Dessen is a fantastic writer. And, if you like one of her books, chances are good that you will like them all. I was especially pleased with the fact that this book features cameos of both people and places from other Dessen novels, like some of the characters (and even the beach town of Colby) from Along for the Ride and the website UMe.com [very much like Facebook] from Lock and Key. But, just in case simply knowing that Sarah Dessen wrote this novel is not enough for you, I supposed I can spend some time explaining what it’s about!
Luke and Emaline are high school sweethearts. Even though she doesn’t quite understand what Luke sees in her, she loves just about everything about him — he’s nice, fun to hang out with, and also quite good looking. Even though her life isn’t perfect, she is perfectly content. Then, Theo shows up. Other than the fact that he is also good looking, he is practically Luke’s polar opposite – he’s serious more often than not, prefers fine dining to hanging out with friend at a burger joint, and he’s extremely driven rather than laid back. Nearly everything Theo does is in an effort to be the BEST EVER. It doesn’t make sense, but Emaline finds herself drawn to Theo and soon begins questioning everything about her life. I recommend this book to people who enjoy their romance with a side order of deep thoughts.
This film supposedly takes place in Schenectady, NY and follows parallel lives of two characters, a tattooed carnival stunt motorcycle driver played by Ryan Gosling and a young honest cop played by Bradley Cooper. Their lives cross when Cooper chases down and kills Gosling’s character after he robs a bank trying to provide for the infant son from a one night stand with a waitress played by Eva Mendes. This act of violence causes others to call him a hero and we’re then immersed in a world of crooked police officers and life-changing moral dilemmas. The film then jumps ahead 15 years when the two teenage sons’ paths cross and cause us to see what went before in a whole different way. It’s a very intense film with great characters who are just trying to get through each day to support and provide for their family.
The long-awaited sequel to the Shining has arrived! This novel follows an adult Danny Torrance (now known as Dan) as he navigates through life battling alcoholism while working at various hospitals and hospices around the country. He still has a bit of the Shine, which he uses to help others. Along the way, he meets a young girl named Abra who has the same Shining that he does, only her abilities are much more powerful than Dan’s ever were.
Dan and Abra encounter a group called the True Knot who attempt to harness the power of children who have the shining.
The book doesn’t pack quite the punch of the original as far as scariness goes, but it is a well-written book. What I enjoyed was following up on Dan, who experienced all these horrors when he was a child. I’ve often wondered about these fictional characters who have experienced these horrible things. What becomes of them after? Do these events impact their lives? This book answers those questions.
If you read the Shining, I recommend this book. However, if you haven’t, it is still an enjoyable read. There is nothing in this book that requires knowledge from the first book to understand.
I almost always enjoy Stephen King novels, and Doctor Sleep is no exception.
This book reads like a blockbuster movie — and it’s not exactly a surprise, considering Chris Columbus [the director of the Harry Potter movies] is one of the authors! (You may also recognize the name Ned Vizzini because of his hilarious book-turned-movie It’s Kind of a Funny Story.) The short chapters and high action make this a great selection for reading aloud and/or for reluctant readers. My son and I absolutely LOVED House of Secrets and thought the only “bad” thing about it is that we don’t know how it ends, since it’s the first of a trilogy and the other two books don’t even have publication dates yet!
Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker, like many siblings, don’t exactly get along. Unlike most kids, though, they get magicked away by an evil witch and have to learn to work together if they ever want to return home and see their parents again. How did this all happen? It began when their father lost his job as a surgeon after a mysterious incident that lead to a major lawsuit against the hospital he worked for. Dr. Walker was having a difficult time finding a new job, which left him unable to afford the house they owned, and the Walkers stumbled upon a too-good-to-be-true Victorian home just outside of San Francisco. The former owner was famous author Denver Kristoff, and the evil witch was actually his daughter, so the people and places Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia encounter are actually born of Kristoff’s imagination. A fantastic story in both senses of the word.
Seraphina’s father, a high ranking official, was extremely overprotective and wished to keep her hidden away as much as possible. She assumed it was because her mother had died in childbirth and somewhat forgave his overbearing nature, but that didn’t mean she was pleased with his strict rules — especially the rule forbidding her from playing music. When she found her mother’s old flute, she taught herself how to play and then played in front of some party guests to force his hand with music lessons. Serafina did not understand why this caused him to become so enraged and to fear for her safety, but she was pleased that he at last conceded to let her study music with tutor named Orma [a dragon in human form]. The lessons improved her skill so much that she eventually became apprentice to a famous musician and then even became a tutor for the princess. When Seraphina discovered the secret that drove her father’s fear, she began to understand that working with such high-ranking people put her in grave danger, but it was too late. At that point, she could only hope to keep safe and to protect the people she cared about.
