Dejah View Book Review

Holly Black is coming to Seattle!

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Okay, okay, I get it now. It took me a while to appreciate Holly Black's work. I started with her co-written series The Spiderwick Chronicles (which, by the way, I actually listened to as an audio book, read by the ever-amazing Mark Hamill!!—I *highly* recommend it), which admittedly targeted a slightly younger audience than her usual crew. Then I read Tithe, which for some reason I just really didn't get into at the time (I'm tempted to go back and reread it now). So I put Holly Black away on a back shelf for a while and moved on.

Then, I heard that both Holly Black AND Cassandra Clare are coming to Third Place Books in Seattle to promote their newest releases! TWO young adult writers in one night, for free? What?!? So, of course, I answered the call of duty and picked up both Holly Black's White Cat, which is the prequel to her new release Red Glove and Cassandra Clare's City Of Bones, which I actually had read AGES ago and never picked up the sequel. Lucky me, now I can read all the way through her newest release The City Of Fallen Angels without interruption. Hey, sometimes being behind the times is a good thing!!

So let me talk with you about White Cat for the moment. Great book. Late-middle-school and up, if you're curious, due to some party scenes and adult situations. I'd let a 14 year old read it if they seemed mature enough. I love stories that are set solidly in an alternate world, where the magical elements of that world are seamlessly integrated into the over-all story. In this world, people can be "workers", able to manipulate various elements of the human condition from emotions to memories and beyond. Holly Black's strength here is assuming we already know this, but in a way that never borders on confusing. Huh? Yes, of course everyone has to wear gloves because no one can touch each other due to potentially hazardous magical workings. Duh, of course. Old news.

And so, with the alternate world of Holly Black's imagination clearly set, we engage immediately in a story of Cassel, who awakens to find himself on the roof ledge of his boarding school with no memory of getting there. He only recalls dreaming about a white cat. After being sent home, we find he is the youngest brother of three in a family of low-level criminals, all of whom are Curse Workers. His mother is in jail for using her emotion-working powers, and his brothers are both involved in the local cartel of semi-magical thugs. Only Cassel is ungifted and has always been told he is basically a dud——or is he? As he continues to be plagued by a white cat—both in reality and in his dreams—he begins to unravel the mystery surrounding his own potential, his past, and his family.

Red Glove promises to be a stellar second installment in the Curse Workers series. If you're a Seattle local, check out Holly and Cassandra (oh yeah, we're on first-name basis) at Third Place books. Otherwise, you can check out her appearances here to see if she is coming to a bookstore near you!

The Hunger Games

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:36:00 +0000

Suzanne Collin (author of the "Gregor" series) hits it out of the ball park with THe Hunger Games. First in a series of three, this novel has gotten nothing but rave reviews and for good reason: it will hook you in and leave you craving more. In a futuristic post-apocalyptic world (don't the best ones seem to start that way?) there are 13 districts rippling out from the Capitol; and in order to mark the failed uprising of the 13th district, the Capitol holds the immensely popular Hunger Games. Each year two tributes from each District are chosen to compete to the death in a staged arena until only one victor emerges. Did I mention that the tributes are children? But of course. Because how best to perpetually punish a botched rebellion and keep people under the Thumb than by killing off their children? Sick? Totally. Disturbing? Absolutely. WIll you be able to put it down? Not a chance.

Imagine "American Idol" meets "Gladiators". The tributes are cast into a spotlight that echos the bustle of starlets in Hollywood, are filmed at every moment, are watched by every citizen. Main character Katniss is strong and savvy, Peta is kind and constant; both come from the shambles of District 12 and must fight to stay alive in the Hunger Games arena. But the methods they use will have the Capitol panicked and the populace rioting.

Believe the buzz. It's a great read for young adults and grown-ups alike. You'll be reaching for the sequel withint days.

Shiver

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:55:00 +0000

Basic idea: boy turns to wolf every time it gets too cold.

Imagine if Twilight's Jacob character was an emo teen who turned into a regular old wolf (instead of a werewolf) and eventually would get stuck forever as a forest-dwelling howler and you've got Sam, one of two mains characters in Shiver. Grace has watched a certain yellow-eyed wolf roam outside her home ever since she was bitten by a pack of wolves as a child. The affinity she feels for this certain wolf becomes realized when she discovers that he is, in fact, a shape-shifting boy named Sam, and the two develop a plodding smooch-filled teen relationship that largely involves him waiting in Grace's car while she goes to high school. As is my major complaint with most teen books, the parents are conspicuously infantile or absent. In this case, the parents are artistic dingbats who are never home and when they are home tend to do weird things like paint in the nude and forget to make dinner, which makes it very easy for Sam and Grace to develop a lets-play-house relationship. Maybe there really are parents like this. I don't know. Even being raised by a single mom as a teen I wasn't allowed to have my bedroom door closed with my boyfriend over, so maybe it's just outside of my reality.

Anyway, the language is lovely and the first half of the book is especially well-written. It invokes the feel of the stark northern mid-west (think Leif Enger's Peace Like A River>. While not fully developed, the characters are thoughtful and interesting and the premise of the wolf transition is a new take on the ever-popular werewolf theme. If you're on Team Jacob and need some good werewolf filler, go ahead and pick it up!

Upcoming Posts

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Geez, what a slacker I am!!! The problem is, I've been reading so many wonderful YA books way too fast and not catching up on reviewing them. But believe me, there are some seriously STELLAR novels out there that I want you to get your hands on!!!

Here is a list (you can hold me to it!) of upcoming posts:

✔ Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Catching Fire by Susan Collins
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare
Tempted (House of Night Novels) by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Betrayed (book 2 of above)
Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull y
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1) by Richelle Mead
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

NEW ONES:

FIre by Kristin Cashore
Gracelingnby Kristin Cashore
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I feel like there's more, but I'll start there! Hurray for awesome fiction. Check back soon, and thanks for reading!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:16:00 +0000

Zombies + post apocalypse=good stuff. In a futuristic America, there has been a zombie invasion that has reduced the known world to a single clearing of people fenced in by a system of metal gates. The Unconsecrated, as the zombies are called, bang and drone at the gates daily trying to get at the small settlement of humans and can turn a person by biting them. Our story's heroine, Mary, has lost both parents to the Unconsecrated and is forced to live with the Sisters, the religious core of the society. But when a young girl seeks refuge from somewhere outside of the fence, Mary begins to believe the stories she has heard of a world outside of the fence, and of the ocean.

It's a page turner. I read through it in just a few days. I felt a bit disappointed by the ending, and Mary's incessant and sometimes illogical drive bothered me. There's romance, surprisingly—considering it's hard to think of anyone getting hot and bothered with zombies milling about trying to eat people. As with many Young Adult novels, there's the suspension of belief that the only people left to save society are teenagers, but what can you do. Lyrically written, engaging and well-paced, this zombie thriller is a perfect October read.

Click this link to watch a video preview of this book!

So long time...

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Oh, it's been ages since I've posted a book review! In part, it's due to the busy-ness that is the holidays, especially here in Seattle where we got snowed in like we've never gotten snowed in before! But it's also because I've been absolutely HOOKED on the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, which are not what I'd consider kids' lit. They could maybe get by as a good teen read. I think I would have enjoyed them as a teenager, especially if there was already this vampire frenzy stirred up by Twilight. I just finished the last Sookie Stackhouse book and the next one isn't due out until May. What am I to do??!? Does anyone have any suggestions of good reads in the meantime?

SO, in kidlit-dom, I have just picked up Airman by Eoin Colfer, who wrote the very enjoyable Artemis Fowl series. I miss faeries and demons already, but I'm putting faith into Colfer that he will deliver.

I will try much more earnestly to be a more frequent blogger!

Bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:37:00 +0000

I'm making all my Christmas gifts this year. Crazy? Always. Especially since this year, in addition to have a three-month old baby AND a 3-year old toddler, we just all had the plague, otherwise known as the Norwalk virus. Anyway, I've been working on these bookmarks for my bibliophile friends. I culled through various book quote and hand-selected the best of the best. I can post them later, if you would like to repeat this project for your own gift-making.

I've been totally into Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books. I won't officially review them since they are NOT young adult novels, but they are SOOO much fun. If you liked Twilight, you'll like these. It's like if Twilight had some friggin' backbone. HBO has been airing a series called True Blood based on these books. I rented the pilot episode for free from Blockbuster and couldn't stand to be left on such a cliffhanger, so I went out and bough Dead Before Dark the next day!

Sookie is a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana and has what she calls a "disability": she can read minds. Vampires have recently "come out of the closet" and Sookie unexpectedly realized that she can't read a vampire's thoughts, which is a most welcome relief. Soon she finds herself deeply involved in the emerging vampire culture and discovering more than she ever knew about various creatures that go bump in the night. Sexy, mysterious, funny, wicked fun. Little candies.

You'll find a lot of similarities between Twilight and this series, but I'd probably be more comfortable with my teenage daughters (when I have 'em) reading this series than Twilight, oddly enough. There's tons of sex, but it's not dealt with in the weird mormonistic way that Twilight deals with sensuality. What I really like about the books is that Harris has really thought about what it would be like if vampires really did make a sudden appearance on the cultural scene. Special airlines, hotels, bars. Synthetic blood markets. Fang-bangers (humans who get a kick off being bit). Drinkers (human junkies for vampire blood). New rights, laws, and regulations. Very fun for the brain.

I'll post the book quotes soon!

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:49:00 +0000

Welcome to today's guest blog by authors Ethan and Christine Rose! This husband and wife team has co-written their debut novel Rowan of the Wood which I'm about half-way through and it's totally fun. They've interviewed their main character, Cullen, on how it feels to be the the star of a book. Don't forget to check out the Rose's give-away!!! Follow their links and also check the previous post for more information. Christine Rose will be around all today to answer any questions you may have, so please feel free to leave comments! Thanks to the Roses for dropping by and sharing their interview with us, and congrats on your award-winning debut novel!

C&E: We’re here today with Cullen Knight, the hero of our new book Rowan of the Wood. Tell us Cullen, how does it feel to be a main character?
Cullen: Well, to be honest, it kinda sucks. It’s like having your most personal thoughts and most embarrassing moments published by the National Enquirer.
C&E: I guess we don’t give you much privacy.
Cullen: Are you kidding? I’ll be in the bathroom doing, well, you know, and I’ll be wondering if you’re watching and taking notes for your next book!
C&E: Well sure, Cullen, we can see how that might be annoying, but it’s for the good of the book. We have to make you a well-rounded character!
Cullen:
C&E: Okay! Let’s move on. Tell us about becoming a wizard. That must be exciting!
Cullen: Yeah, it must be; but I’m never around to see it… remember?
C&E: Um.
Cullen: Yeah! What’s up with that? I don’t really become a wizard?! I’m just possessed by a wizard!! And whenever I start to spaz out, he takes over my body and turns bullies into mice or something. Thanks for that, btw. As if I wasn’t mocked enough before, now when I’m scared my body is taken over by a wizard! What are you two drinking?
C&E: At the moment, Chocolate Martinis, with a peppermint twist.
Cullen: Okay Trudy. I guess we see where the inspiration for that character came from!
C&E: So! That about does it--
Cullen: You know that Stephanie Meyer lady gave her protagonist a hunky boyfriend. What about me?
C&E: --for our interview with Cullen Knight today.
Cullen: Do I get a girlfriend? What about a romance for me?
C&E: Join us Thursday (12/11) on Midnight Twilight Blog for our interview with Fiana.
Cullen: Her? You’re going to interview that psychopath? You know she’s insane, right?
E to C: Just walk away. Just walk away.

Please follow Christine & Ethan on the rest of their Geekalicious Blog Book Tour. Tomorrow they'll be over at Harmony Book Reviews with a guest blog post entitled After Twilight Comes the Knight. For the complete tour schedule and information about their holiday contests (giving away over $600 in prizes, including a digital camcorder), visit their webpage and sign their visual guestbook while you're there!

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Christine and Ethan Rose are the authors of the new YA fantasy novel
Rowan of the Wood, available wherever books are sold. They
live in Austin, TX with their three dogs and Shadow the Cat.
HREF="http://www.christineandethanrose.com">www.christineandethanrose.com
* www.rowanofthewood.com

Rowan of the Wood Guest blog tour!!!

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:11:00 +0000

Dejah View is excited to host Christine and Ethan Rose, authors of the new, award-winning YA fantasy novel Rowan of the Wood during their Geekalicious Yuletide Blog Book Tour! The authors are stopping by here on Sunday, December 7th to interview their protagonist, Cullen Knight.

An ancient wizard possesses a young boy after a millennium of imprisonment in a magic wand. He emerges from the child in the face of danger and discovers Fiana, his new bride from the past, has somehow survived time and become something evil.

The authors are also hosting a contest on YouTube and giving away a digital camcorder just for following four simple steps. Check it out!

Come back and visit on Sunday, read their blog, and post comments. The authors will be available all day Sunday and Monday to answer your questions. Every comment on this blog is an entry to win a signed, limited edition print of Christine's Green Man II painting. The authors are also giving away autographed books and over $600 in other prizes through their website.

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More cool book-lover gift ideas

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:51:00 +0000

There was a lot of good ju-ju about the "Reading Is Sexy" mug, so I thought I'd pass on some otherway cool holiday gift goodies!

How can you not totally be in love with this kids' shirt?!?! from BuyOlympia.com I also love their "guybrarian" tee-shirt, all by artist Sarah Utter. They have seriously awesome stuff over there...books, mugs, tees, music...and paper goods from my most FAVORITE designer, Jill Bliss! Her journals are so beautiful. I have gone through three of them, and they'd make wonderful gifts for taking notes and reflecting on all those great books for the readers in your life. But, being the financially-challenged DIY mom that I am, I'm leaning towards making gobs of these bookmarks. I love how creative people are! I just get lost in the world of craft blogs. Almost as addicting as clicking through the vast and neat-o world of kidlit blogs. I'll keep my eyes out for other awesome gifts for bookworms!

Peeps

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:08:00 +0000

I am totally in love with Scott Westerfeld's books. This wasn't a strong as the Uglies series, but it still hooked me. The premise is that vampirism is caused by a parasite. Original, huh? Our particular parasite-positive, or "peep", is a guy who got infected on a one-night stand but due to some biological quirk isn't the blood-hungry raving monster that other peeps are. Instead, he helps track down nutty peeps and help them into recovery. But when he goes on a search to track down the peep who infected him, he begins to find a slew of mysteries and oddities that will have you reading way past your bedtime.

Handmade gifts for book lovers

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:39:00 +0000

Sew, Mama, Sew! is blogging its second annual guide to a handmade holidays. It's a terrific site, and if you're into craftiness you should check it out. Today's theme is handmade gifts for book lovers. Be sure to take a peek! While not handmade, per say, the Reading Is Sexy mug is especially cool. It's made out of 100% biodegradable corn plastic and comes from our neighbor to the south, Olympia! I have a button on my purse with this logo and get comments on it all the time.

I just finished three awesome books, so check back soon for some fresh reviews.

Also, in the holiday spirit, don't forget to preorder copies of J.K Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard!!!! You can do that by clicking the image below..

MotherReader: The Comment Challenge: 21 Days To Community

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:27:00 +0000

MotherReader: The Comment Challenge: 21 Days To Community

MotherReader is hosting a Comment Challenge! The goal is to post 100 comments between now (well, really it started November 6th) to November 21st. The idea is to make commenting on fellow kidlit blogs a habit. Commenting builds community and readership, and maybe even links you to your very own book-reading soul mate. It's a great way to explore the awesome world of kidlit blogs, which I'm only just now starting to journey into. If you have a kidlit site, or are a bibliophile, please comment below!!! I'll check out your site and, if we jive, I'll add you to my blogroll.

Movies

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:43:00 +0000

Here are two previews of upcoming YA books that have been made into movies! I can't wait!!

Twilight Trailer in HD

City Of Ember Trailer

Twilight has been especially anticipated up here in the pacific northwest, as much of it was filmed right in Forks, WA, La Push, and Portland, OR. Forks is giving tours now of the town complete with Bella's truck, house, and school. You can watch the short news clip about it by clicking here.

Any other rumors out there about YA books that are going to be made into movies?

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:35:00 +0000

I got this hardcover, if you can believe it, so that I would have a guaranteed good book to read while I was recovering from childbirth. I was not disappointed. I can't say that I fully enjoyed The Lost Colony, but this one renewed my faith in the wonderful Artemis Fowl series. Artemis has to get back in time to stop himself from committing a horrible crime—selling the last animal of soon-to-be extinct species. He has to hurry in order to get a cure for his rapidly ailing mother, who he believes has been infected by a viral strain of fairy plague.

Author: Eoin Colfer

The Secret of Platform 13

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:06:00 +0000

When I first saw this book on the library shelf, I though "What a cheap rip-off of Harry Potter!" referring, of course, to the famous platform 9 and 3/4. Not only that, but the story is about a prince who is stolen away from the mythical wizarding world to live obliviously in the real world, where he is kept as a slave in the basement by a horrid family who dotes on their fat, spoiled son. Believing the fat, spoiled son to be the stolen prince, a group must try to convince the wrong child to come through the magical platform 13 that connects to the magical world where his parents wait desperately for his return. But then I read the publishing date. This book was written years before Harry Potter first graced our shelves. J.K. Rowling wasn't even on the spectrum yet! So no one can really blame Eva Ibbotson of plagiarism of any kind, can they? Once I discovered that, I was able to enjoy the book much more, so now you can know that too in case the idea of copy-catting would otherwise turn you off to this wonderful read. Please check out this quick and fun read!

Author: Eva Ibbotson

Outcast

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:20:00 +0000

I am so in love with this series. It's a cross between Clan of the Cavebear and Mists of Avalon. This is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver; it's set in prehistoric times and is primarily about a young boy named Torak, his pack-brother Wolf (who really is a wolf, that's not just a name), and his best friend Renn. Torak has the ability to communicate with wolves, being as he was raised by them (it's not as Jungle Book as it sounds), and connects in the first book (Wolf Brother) with an abandoned pup. As Torak is also freshly orphaned, the two become "pack-brothers" and go in search of a larger tribe that they can form up with. Torak's abilities mark him as destined for great and dangerous things, and as he goes on his adventures in search of Soul Eaters and evil spirits, he is accompanied by Renn, a mage of the Raven clan. What I personally find most fascinating about these books is the portrayal of Wolf. Normally I really don't go for getting inside the heads of animal characters, but Paver's writing is so well-crafted that I look forward to chapters from Wolf's perspective. Paver completely understands the dog/wolf mentality and behavior, so it is believable as well as engaging. And as in the Clan of the Cavebear series, you can't help but learn a little about the medicinal properties of plants and the secret lives of forest animals.

Author: Michelle Paver
In this book, Torak is outcast (as the title implies). He must constantly be on the run from surrounding clans while trying to find a way to prove he is not a Soul Eater. However, a mysterious enemy has gotten a hold of his name-spirit and is slowly draining the sanity and strength from Torak. Wolf watches helplessly while Torak goes mad, and Renn must find a way to not only track down Torak but to release him from his trance. An underlying plot set us up nicely for the fifth book, Oath Breakerr.

Breaking Dawn

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:57:00 +0000

There, it's done. We know what happens to Bella and Edward, and our love-sick vampires live happily ever after. There was a lot of bad press about this book, which concludes the series that began with Twilight, but I actually thought it was one of the strongest. If you haven't read it and intend to, skip this review because it contains SPOILERS.

First off, I've always felt that these books had a strong pro-abstinence/anti-premarital sex slant to them. It was fun when it created this sexual tension in the first book or two, but then it started getting wearisome. On the one hand I just wanted Bella and Edward to get it done and over with and stop making such a big deal about it; on the other hand I couldn't imagine what would support the story if they did. Breaking Dawn answers the dilemma, but not exactly in the way I envisioned. Yes, Bella and Edward wait until they marry (at 19). Yes, they have sex soon after at Bella's request since she wants to still be human. They conceive a weird half-vampire baby which has to be chewed out of Bella's womb by Edward in a very Rosmary's Baby kind of way. Bella becomes vampire, Jacob falls in love with baby, blah blah blah. By the way, the way Bella treats Jacob is totally sick. She leads him on and acts so pious about it. It's mean. Anyway, all ends well. Against all odds these books are absolute page turners.

So now we have the MOVIE coming out soon! All of us up here in the Pacific Northwest are particularly excited, being as this series is set in Forks, Washington. Parts of the film are filmed up here in our neck of the woods (and in Portland, OR, mainly). What do you think of the casting? I'm not sure what to make of the gigantic pompadour sported by Edward . Despite the Conan hair, all the previews I've seen so far look really promising and I'm going to make absolutely sure to do my YA bibliophile duty and get a babysitter so I can see this in the theaters.
Author: Stephanie Meyer

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:01:00 +0000

This entire novella takes place in the space of one long night. It's a story about the strange and very sophomoric encounter and romance between two high school seniors who meet at a punk club. Nick, recently dumped by his first love, tries to avoid looking pathetic in front of said ex-girlfriend by asking a random girl, Norah, to be his five-minute date. This leads to a long night of give-and-take emotional and sexual episodes between Nick and Norah that are pretentious at best. Written in alternating first-person chapters, this narrative is full of f-this and f-thats, so if you're language sensitive this wouldn't be up your alley.

This book was strange. Norah's exactly who I thought I could be in high school: this hard-outer core chick who was really smart, eccentric, and straight-edge with this inner turmoil but clear mind (none of which was true, by the way). But what I found most strange about the book was that it had pop cultural references to MY generation, which is at least one or two generations older than the age of the characters. Either I'm old enough to have things of my generation becoming retro already, or the authors, who are my peers, are waxing nostalgic and believing that somehow teenagers in high school at this moment relate to My So Called Life and Heathers as cult classics. I dunno. Maybe.

In a nut shell, it's a very teenage book. It's everything I find most annoying about the teenage mindset now that I'm an adult (and a parent), everything I thought was so cool back in school that I'm annoyed with myself now for believing in. It pulls apart the younger me and the older me. Maybe that's why I just had to read it and finish it. In sum, a nostalgic trip for us old fogies, an engaging story for younger readers, and I actually would recommend it (as I do any YA book that is put to movie form).

Books have been read, babies have been born, etc.

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:01:00 +0000

I haven't posted anything on this blog in a long time, namely because for some reason I've had a lot of trouble accessing it on my old computer. But now I have a laptop (!!!) that is able to log onto my site again. The other reason is that I just gave birth to my second daughter! She is beautiful. Luckily the reason is NOT lack of reading material. I've read some good ones, so please check back soon. I may start looking into hosting this blog through typepad.com, so I'll keep you posted. THanks for your patience, and happy reading!

Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:11:00 +0000

I was excited to see a young adult book by Ursula LeGuin, but I was slightly disappointed. A warning: the first chapter seems like it's going to focus the book on a certain character who has run away and joined a new family. It's not. In fact, the rest of the book has nearly nothing to do with this one character. Just so you don't get confused like I did when the rest of the story went on without him. This is a story set in a fantasy medieval land in which certain people have certain powers. These powers, called Gifts, run in the family and perform a specific, subtle task, such as being able to communicate a little with animals or bend wills. The main character (who,again, is not the character introduced in the first chapter) is expected to have the gift of Unmaking (or something...I read this book months ago, sorry) and should be able to kill with just a controlled thought like his father can. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to show any signs of the Gift until he is startled on two different occasions and destroys whatever it is that scared him. Believing his powers to be out of his control, he follows the advice of his father and commits himself to being blindfolded. However, as time goes on, he questions the validity of his self-imposed blindness. This is an interesting story, because in the end it applauds mediocrity and mistrust in one's self. On the other hand, it undercuts the competitive aspect of our culture and questions what is expected of us. The ending strikes me as a metaphor to a gay son coming out to his his homophobic father. Actually, it's very parallel. I only wish the character was a little more confident in himself at the end, just to make it more cathartic.

Author: Ursula LeGuin

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:57:00 +0000

I suppose some nostalgic part of me still loves the idea of mermaids, which is why I borrowed this from the library. It's a good book for a middle school-aged child. The story revolves around a young girl who suddenly discovers that she's a mermaid in the water and human on land, although for some reason she's never experienced the transformation in, say, the shower or bath. It encourages sneaking out at night, keeping secrets from adults, assuming your mother is a moron who needs to be cared for, and being suspicious of authority figures, but if you're okay with that, it's a decent story.

The Sea Trolls

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:14:00 +0000

This Nordic adventure incorporates plenty of familiar tales and names: Odin; Beowulf; Thor, ect. The story actually revolves around a young boy studying to be a Bard and his young sister who are captured by a band of "Beserkers" who strongly resemble Vikings. What I found most interesting about this book was the absence of true villains, with the exception of the half-troll queen. Those that I thought would be so-called evil persons turned out not to be, which was quite refreshing. The wearisome aspects of the novel, however, include overt similarities to Lord of the Rings, including a specially-made cloak given as a gift to conceal the hero from the giant spider. Hum....Still a fast read, interesting themes, historical references subtly interwoven, and a fun trip to Middle Earth. Which is actually the land this novel takes place in. I know, I feel like I've read that name somewhere before, too.

Author: Nancy Farmer

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:13:00 +0000

I think I read this book too fast. I zipped through it while my daughter was taking a nap, which I think was only about an hour. It definitely is worth a re-read. I had just seen Jeff Kinney speak at my local bookstore; this book was hot off the press and inscribed with his John Hancock, and I was so inspired to get through this as quickly as possible. Seeing Jeff talk about his book was a real treat. The audience was full of bused-in children from local schools, all of whom were clutching their copies of Diary of a Wimpy kid close to their chest and raising their hands at every opportunity.

I was not surprised to learn that Jeff (I figured since he wrote "to Dejah" in my book inscription that we must be on a first name basis, see) did not intend to market this book as a children's novel. Instead, he said he wrote it to be of the "nostalgic adult" genre like Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story, but that the publishers instantly saw it as a terrific read for younger children. It is most popular now, as I think I mentioned in my review of the first book, with so-called "reluctant readers". Awesome. With both books on the New York Time's best-seller's list, I doubt he's complaining.

The second book absolutely lived up to my expectations. There were no cheap punches or short-cuts taken that tried to cash-in on the first book's success; instead, the sequel took it to the next level and I felt I got to know Greg even better (and perhaps see why he is the way he is).

So, bravo, Jeff ol' pal. You rule!

Author: Jeff Kinney

Love, Stargirl

noreply@blogger.com (DejahView) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Stargirl still works her magic, even when she's pining over her lost love.

This follow-up to Stargirl is written in letter/diary format by Stargirl herself, and it's interesting to see what goes on in her head. I loved getting glimpses into what appear to be totally normal trains of thought and actions, until you step back and realize that the actions are so very Stargirl, meaning eccentric and slightly bizzare. This novel is filled with love and compassion, the occasional melancholy and love-wisting, and an overall sense of creating community through random acts of kindness. I see so many elements of people I love in Stargirl, and I will keep these books on my shelf for a yearly re-reading.

Author: Jerry Spinelli