Pass the Chiclets

review: The Way We Fall

2012-03-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

by Megan Crewe
Disney/Hyperion, January 24, 2012
young adult sci-fi

Summary:

Kaelyn’s back in a town, alone with her only friend Leo far away in NYC, and everything seems more estranged than ever. But her social pariah state become the least of her worries when a virus sets in. It isn’t your ordinary bug. The normal cold symptoms give way to hallucinations and low social inhibitions, and worse, it’s spreading—and leaving death in its wake. As the government quarantines the island and rebellious feelings grow, even the best resources in the hospital won’t be enough.

The cover:

We seriously need more colours in yellow. I’m a big fan of solid colours and type masks together, and though the image behind the title is a little too shadowy, this cover still is lovely. Snazzy font, too.

The book:

I went into this extremely curious. Megan Crewe’s debut Give Up the Ghost was paranormal, on the short side and pretty darn wonderful. The Way We Fall, on the other hand, is sci-fi (ish?), 300+ pages and…potentially wonderful. Well, now I can say for sure it is wonderful.

Kaelyn’s introduction is perfect. Though it’s her writing letters to Leo in a journal, we see enough of her own actions through what she writes to like her right off the bat: her efforts to become a “new Kaelyn” and work through her tumultuous history of moving about endear her to us with ease.

The concept of family structure is explored subtly (unintentionally?) through characters like Meredith, Kaelyn’s realistically portrayed younger cousin, and Tessa, Leo’s girlfriend. The latter plays a surprisingly prominent role in Kaelyn’s survival plans, and even in Kaelyn’s character development.

And Gav. I’m giving this guy a paragraph to himself because his full name is… I won’t give it away, so you can have the pleasure of discovering it yourself, but my God. If a name can be swoonworthy, Gav’s is. Oh yeah, and he’s a pretty cool love interest too—nobleness is underrated. ;)

Usually, letter or journal style I hate. (Dear Canada and Love, Stargirl were the banes of my elementary English class days.) Yet somehow Crewe mashes the two and make them work in a way that is far more engaging than weird. It’s almost as if Kaelyn is speaking to herself, and the mix of present and past tense is handled deftly as well.

It’s enough to keep you reading through the plot, which isn’t breakneck—it’s more of a bell curve. And that, combined with all the other elements, was enough to keep me reading until I’d finished this in one day. And man, that ending. Not precisely cliffhanger in the “WTF? I can’t believe this” sense; more like “Whoaaaa. What’ll happen next?”

Good things, mes amies. Good things.

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

guys. we're so effin' beauteous now, yo.

2012-03-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

Why hello there. *beams* Take your time. Feast your eyes. Wonder how PtC got exactly this good-looking.

Of course, there's only one person who could've brought about this beauteousness:

Linna, from 21 Pages, and her LJ Design Studio.

Just check out her stuff, guys. Her portfolio is mindblowing, and -- well, you have the proof in front of your eyes. the entire header is her work. So is the fabulously detailed little sidebar image that says "the name's Eden", as is the colour scheme. I have awesome snazzy blockquote formatting now, too. Heehee. :D

Anyways, PtC is getting back to your regular programming. While we get revved up, be sure to take a peek at Linna's portfolio. The prettiness is just incredible. Cross my heart and hope to die.

<3
-Eden

picture books are awesome.

2012-03-04T12:50:00.001-05:00

I’m pretty sure that picture books are the only age category of children’s that I can blanket-label as awesome in general. Just saying.

Flotsam
by David Wiesner
Clarion Books, September 2006
magical realism

Summary:

Told entirely in illustration, Flotsam documents the unique finding of a boy along a beach one day. A waterproof camera offers wondrous glimpses of an undiscovered water world… and a way to pass on the gift to the next lucky person.

Review:

At first, I wasn’t sure how much appeal the pictures-only style would hold, especially since the beginning features repetitive panels of the beach detailing each action undertaken by our young male protagonist. The grasp on our attention tightens as larger scenes start to fill the pages, wide-angle shots providing plenty to pore over. A series of illustrations focusing in on the boy’s expression set up our launch into the discovery of an underwater world.

And what a world it is! Wiesner combines imagination and deft skill with gorgeous watercolours to make for awe-inspiring pictures: a robotic fish within a school of similar animals; giant starfish rising like skyscrapers out of the water to form beaches upon which miniscule trees and brush can be seen; upon a turtle’s shell, a veritable castle. These illustrations are a must-see. Finally, the story’s turning point: a photo of a child with a photo of a child with a photo of a child with a photo of… you get the idea. Being a child himself, our protag knows just what to do. And the waterproof camera is launched back through the waves, through unreal worlds, until the next child finds it…

Rating: 4.2 out of 5

I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen
Candlewick, September 2011
anthropomorphism

Summary:

Told entirely in dialogue, a bear sets off in search of his hat. Questioning every animal that crosses his path, the bear slowly loses hope until a conversation with a deer sparks his memory: he has seen his hat…

Review:

Um. Best. Book. Ever.

Okay, maybe not the best book ever. (I’m not ready to assign that title to any one book yet.) But holy eff, I’m seriously thinking about buying this one.

Similar to The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog in that only dialogue occurs, I Want My Hat Back differs in the fact that conversations comprise the plot line—and that there is a distinct lack of emotion (or change at all, really) in the simple but beautiful Chinese brush drawings of the animals. Somehow, this serves to accentuate the despondence of the bear even more. I swear, your heart will go out to the bear as he lies sadly on the ground and says:

My poor hat. I miss it so much.

The dialogue is more than adequate to carry the story. With hilarious responses from various animals, including a sweet moment as the bear helps out a turtle, the suspiciously lengthy speech from the culprit will delight readers. And when the bear figures it out and commences a staredown (and more… no spoilers here, hee), the repeat of the wordy denial is flat-out fabulous. Seriously. $18 CAD? Take my money!

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

not to put y'all on hold, but--

2012-02-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

Changes are happening! (I'm not just fishing, yo.)

<3
-Eden

review: The Disenchantments

2012-02-13T20:19:00.000-05:00

by Nina LaCour
Dutton Juvenile, February 16, 2012
contemporary young adult
ARC received from publisher (thank you!)

Summary:

Colby's after high school graduation plans have always been in place: tour with Bev's girl band through the US, then jet off to Europe for a year. College is nowhere in the picture -- until Bev announces right after the tour's started that she's attending university in the fall. Colby is, in effect, ditched. As he struggles with the new rift in their relationship, The Disenchantments make their way through the Pacific Northwest in a journey for music, love and the answer to the question: what's next?

The cover:

I'm a sucker for sunlight, and this cover gives off an old-school vibe for some reason, which makes it even better. The sunglasses add the right summery feel, too. The only thing is that no boy is going to pick this up. And it's a male protagonist, too. *facepalm*

The book:

Thinking about it, I get the feeling that Colby's perspective, while male, is really written for girls. Though he has his own problems, so much of his interior development involves Bev, Meg and Alexa that I can't imagine any guy picking this up. It makes it less realistic, yes, but at least it doesn't detract at all from my enjoying the story, as a girl.

Colby's head is a thoroughly comfortable place to be. He has his tantrum-y moments, and he also has his insightful moments that make you go, Yes. That's what discovery and creation are about. Meg and Alexa's sisterly bond provides an excellent foil for the rocky relationship between Colby and Bev (if relationships can be foils, hehe), and the individuals themselves also shine with their own character arcs. One can almost forgive Bev's unsavoury behaviour by the end... but not quite. Which is a bad thing, but also a good thing, as LaCour manages to keep our sympathies with Colby.

I didn't know what to expect from this road trip story, but if all road trips novels are like this (Antony John, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip, anyone? *goes off into squeeing fits*) then I'm all for them. There weren't a multitude of forgettable side characters, as I feared; in fact, I'd say Jasper was my favourite out of all of them. (Him and his tattoos and his big-world dreams! <3) All of the secondary characters are completely winning with their own back stories.

The themes of music and love are intertwined in fascinating ways, though it's difficult to explain here without giving away too much. The Disenchantments may be the worst girl band ever, but LaCour manages to work in a solid thread of music history through Colby's family. The questions on love Colby and the girls raise are as deep as the sculptures Bev creates and the street art Colby makes. Alexa's notebook of jobs (apparently they rack up to the 400s) is an interesting twist on the careers question.

This, most definitely, is a real feel-good self-discovery novel. Who doesn't love those warm fuzzy feelings at the end of a book?

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

review: My Beating Teenage Heart

2012-02-10T10:43:00.003-05:00

by C K Kelly Martin
Random House BFYR, September 2011
contemporary young adult

Summary:

Ashlyn is suspended—metaphorically and literally. She has no substance; she’s attached to a boy named Breckon Cody with no memories of her own, watching as this boy falls to pieces, watching as he destroys the life she longs to regain for reasons more serious than anyone could know… reasons as dire as the cause of her own death.

The cover:

The font—oh, I dig it. The red is a lovely contrast against the image’s neutral grayness, and of course the hand-formed heart is a picturesque representation of the title and book. However, it would’ve been nice if the body were a little more distinct. Otherwise, it looks like a smog of nothingness with arms coming from nowhere.

The book:

If I were to describe the atmosphere, tone and mood of this book in one colour, it would be gray. With plenty of time spent in introspection, flashbacks and ponderings in general, this books is nowhere near suffused with colour. That doesn’t make it bad; in fact, one could say the navel-gazing is necessary, as it provides the only counterbalance against the waves of negativity Breckon seems to produce automatically with his actions.

Ah, Breckon. It’s not hard to see where he’s coming from, as guilt is one of the most common emotions experienced after a tragedy of any sort. His decisions are therefore made slightly more palatable, but only to the extent that the reader will tolerate him, never truly rooting for him as a hero. Ashlyn is a much lovelier gal to hang out with as she tries to navigate Breckon onto better roads. However, her chronicle is almost more depressing than his. The injustice of her death keeps the story from being fully satisfying, leaving a saddened, helpless feeling behind.

The mechanics of Ashlyn’s caught-between-life-and-death floatation powers aren’t fully explained, something to be expected from this novel classified as contemporary. However, while we might be willing to accept Ashlyn’s existence, another character’s floatational (okay, that’s not a word) entry is just plain boggling. Not to mention it makes the ending that much cheesier. But My Beating Teenage Heart is pretty enough in its soul-searching and meditation aspects to warrant a read. With its shorter length, it won’t be a waste of time.

Rating: 3.3 out of 5

In My Mailbox

2012-02-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to enter the Canada/US giveaway for an ARC of The Disenchantments, Darkest Light or DJ Rising!

***

From the library:

From top:

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Remote Control by Jack Heath (I loved this one enough to borrow it again <3)
Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King
Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison (I actually enjoyed this paranormal. 0_o)
Rip Tide by Kat Falls
Empty by Suzanne Weyn
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (*eyes warily*)

Why yes, I am a library junkie. Why do you ask?

review: DJ Rising

2012-02-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

(This is not the cover I'm commenting on.)

by Love Maia
Little, Brown and Co., February 6, 2012
contemporary young adult
ARC received from publisher (thank you!)

Summary:

Marley doesn’t have a lot going for him. As a scholarship student at a rich-kid school, keeping his grades up and busing tables is the only way Marley can keep going to school—especially with his heroin-addicted mother. But the thing that keeps him going is the music, the incredible power of being behind the turntables. When an honest-to-goodness DJ job comes up, Marley leaps for it… until a tragedy hits close to home and takes him down with it.

The cover:

[Note: I got sent this cover, while Goodreads has up this one in the post. My comments are for the one I received.] The neon writing is definitely evocative of a club, and the overall colour and tone of the cover matches the novel’s. However, beyond the writing, there’s really not much of an image. Perhaps it’s to keep the details from being distracting, but it ends up looking plain.

The book:

This novel stands out from the rest of the YA music-centred pack with several distinctions: a male protagonist, a focus on mixing music rather than purely creating it, and a slightly grittier, more urban setting than, say, Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez or Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly. It’s easy to feel the heart poured into this story; it’s an ode to music.

Marley has voice and humour going for him. Even before we’re informed he’s Puerto Rican and black, the narrative lets us into his bubble of perspective. It’s also fabulous to see friends who are at once flippant and supportive, and to watch the repartee between Marley’s circle and the “Haves”; although the rich-poor line is a bit too thick to feel realistic, it makes for hilarious banter:

I eye him warily as he [Todd Bitherman] places a hand on Justin’s shoulder and leers at me. “I thought you said his name was DJ Ice. What a completely idiotic name.”
I pull away my headphones and lean forward. “Well, I was thinking of going with the name DJ Todd, but I didn’t want anyone to mix us up and think I’m the one who’s the total asshole."

Oh Marley. :D

The plot is a steady, straightforward one, allowing the characters and the beautiful scenes in the clubs to take precedence. And the DJing scenes are sublime. It’s where Love Maia’s prose flows best; it spills a passion for music across the pages while offering a descriptive look behind the scenes—or rather, behind the turntables.

Otherwise, however, DJ Rising does not shine in the writing department. Characters often info-dump in conversation, and a menacing number of exclamation marks litter each chapter, accentuating the often-used clichés. Speaking of clichés, the romance definitely is one. Though the longing Marley feels for Lea Hall is realistic, the ease of their relationship is not. It grows too quickly into the dream of a perfect relationship, reminiscent of Take Me There by Carolee Dean.

Oh, but the last paragraph. It’s so lovely it makes up for the entire last summarizing chapter. (You know those summarizing paragraphs... they say "oh, I ended up with her, and my mom finally called me, and my friends all came back!") I want to quote it, but also don’t want to ruin the surprise. So… yes, I would say go ahead and read this one.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

review: Darkest Light

2012-01-31T08:59:00.000-05:00

by Hiromi Goto
Razorbill, January 31, 2012
young adult fantasy
ARC received from publisher (thank you!)

Summary:

Gee knows he’s not the same as his peers. He looks nothing like anyone else—and as far as he knows, nobody else has swells of dark emotion that urge him to act evilly. When Gee’s past in Half World is revealed to him, he thinks it could be his chance to find his parents, find his past. Barely staying out of monsters’ arms, Gee ventures into Half World with a sulky cat and an unstable Goth girl named Cracker, where it will be up to him to fall back into the vicious Half Life cycle… or break out of the vicious circle and prove his humanity.

The cover:

The illustration style is so, so lovely, but I have to say that I really dislike the pose they’ve captured Gee in. I’m partial to active covers, and this could’ve been such an awesome one, especially with the eel in the mix. But yeah. :/

The book:

With both a prologue and an introduction, the first chapter’s frontloaded backstory—however succinct—bogs the reader even further down. Add to that the fact that Gee isn’t the most likeable hero, and we have a slow start to this sequel to Half World (Razorbill, 2010). Of course, there is a reason why Gee isn’t likeable. His struggles with his inner self are realistic, but also prevent any kind of smooth character development; the instant that Gee starts feeling more human, his evil voice will speak up, or vice versa, and they’ll be back at square one.

Cracker, the Goth girl, is spastic, prone to mood swings and occasionally irrational. The only thing that makes her identifiable as a Goth is her attire. Thus Cracker is not a stereotype, but she also doesn’t seem like a real person. The emotion that leaks through in Half World thanks to her sister’s death goes a ways to making her seem genuine, but it’s only when she shows her guts against Gee in the climax that we start to like her. White Cat is, unfortunately, a stereotype—the condescending animal companion who only has advice to sling around in the form of insults. However, he provides excellent and timely comic relief when not playing his role.

The plot moves smoothly, thank goodness. A few bends and kinks illustrate the depth of Hiromi Goto’s creative Half World, but not so many as to tire us with the amount of misery. The suffering in the story balances neatly with the theme of redemption. It’s the ending where Goto’s writing shines best, flowery-eloquent. Her ability to write an Oriental language as English is also excellent; Ming Wei’s maternal speeches are Chinese if I ever heard it before: “And no more swearing! Wahhhh! Such a mouth on this one! …She has too much heat. Yin deficiency. She needs a soup. And lessons in manners.”

Rating: 2.9 out of 5

mind your manners.

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-05:00

Never ever attack the author.
Not only will it provoke a counterattack, it is completely irrelevant to your purpose as a book blogger, which is to review the book. A writer's sexuality, hair colour or parentage will not affect how they write. It may influence what they write -- but you can choose what you read, no?
If your review is less than complimentary, do not go out of your way to send the review to the author.
Refrain from @ tagging the author in Twitter. Don't leave a link on their Goodreads profile. Give your marketing contact a heads-up when you send your review to them so they know not to tweet it to the world (if, you know, they're not the type to actually read your reviews). Or else you're just asking for a reaction.
Write reasonable reviews.

"OMG this book sucks. I can't believe I wasted my time reading, I can't believe the author spent a year writing it, I can't believe the publisher even published it at all."
No.

"It's difficult to find a redeeming quality in this novel. With a constantly indecisive protagonist, a two-dimensional love interest and pacing that wavers like the new Dyson fan, it falls to the worldbuilding to hold the story up... and the worldbuilding fails to deliver."
Better, yes?

This, of course, is in response to the massive blow-ups authors have been having over negative reviews. And with this list, we can keep our names as book bloggers clean. I firmly believe that keeping the blame off our backs is the way to move forward.

May the book blogosphere live on, friends. <3

review: Shatter Me

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-05:00

by Tahereh Mafi
HarperCollins, November 15, 2011
young adult dystopian

Summary:

Juliette's touch is lethal. The Reestablishment wants to use her as a weapon. Adam, the ~~blast from her past~~ boy who is her destiny, knows she is not a monster, even though Juliette herself isn't sure. To figure out who she is, what she is, Juliette must look to herself while on the run to find out what she will become.

Sorry. That's got to be the wussiest summary ever. I definitely wouldn't pick that up off the shelf. But a summary is only what the plotline makes it, yes?

The cover:

A water sprinkler disguised as a Kardashian. Though these were two separate ideas I found on the Internet, they totally fit my idea of the cover. The light effects are snazzy, yes, but the girl-in-the-dress is a tired, tired trend. Unless they're trying to come up with a new trend -- girl-in-the-bunched-dress? Makes me sad, because from what I heard Harper sunk a tonne of time and money into this cover.

The book:

Foreword: I am so relieved I didn't intensely hate this one.

Shatter Me's main draw is the writing. For the first four-sevenths of the novel, Juliette tells her story in strikethroughs and fragments, imitating a stream of consciousness. The reader is up close and personal with Juliette, leaving it a great relief that our protagonist isn't unlikeable. However much Juliette cries, she stays on our good side thanks to her strength against Warner and her (reputed) kindness.

The uniqueness of the writing fades, becomes more like your average writing after the halfway point. That's also when the typical running-away-from the bad-guy scenes begin. The requisite thrills and chills are present, but there's nothing original about them. Oddly enough, there's a distinct lack of violence; beyond two gunshots and one example of Juliette's ability, the proportion of actual gore isn't representative of the brutal force the Reestablishment is made out to be.

The romance between Juliette and Adam is a True Love relationship, we're told right off the bat. Though it won't convince discerning readers, thanks to Adam's 2Dness, it's a normal enough romance (e.g. no lechery, no pedophilism) that you can safely ignore it without feeling uncomfortable. However, what isn't possible to ignore are pieces of imagery like the one below:

Hate looks just like everybody else until it smiles. Until it spins around and lies with lips and teeth carved into the semblance of something too passive to punch.

What the heck does that mean? While most of the time Mafi's writing enhances, there are moments when her imagery goes too far, as shown here.

Overall: not too bad of a book. One can most definitely see why people are singing its praises. Suitably fitting for the Year of Dystopia (aka 2011).

Rating: 3 out of 5

review: Variant

2012-01-17T14:19:00.002-05:00

by Robison Wells
HarperTeen, October 2011
young adult sci-fi

Summary:

Maxwell Academy was supposed to be Benson Fisher’s ticket out of his crummy foster homes and low-grade public schools. What he didn’t count on was not being able to get out once he was in. Forced to join one of three gangs, Society, Havoc or Variant, Benson struggles with a schooling program with paintball as a sport, zero adults around and cameras in every corner of the building. When a secret behind the school unpeels, it becomes clear that if they want to survive, they’ll have to escape. The problem? Everyone who has tried to escape before wound up dead.

The cover:

The translucent blue hue over top the image with the shaded title is pleasing, especially since it reminds me of another excellent cover, Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones. The two figures are indistinct, so the running away vibe that (I think) they’re supposed to be giving off isn’t quite achieved, but overall not a bad cover.

The book:

*This review was originally intended for my newspaper column, but the paper closed at the end of 2011. :( So the review is written in a rather pompously professional style. Put up with me, please. :P

Robison Wells’s young adult debut is immaculately paced with an engaging lead and enough different elements from previous ideas to render it believably unique. Though the no-adults concept is straight-up Lord of the Flies, instead of the degeneration of civilization, we see a haphazard society set up for a very 21st-century purpose, which is revealed through an intriguing, if not wholly original, twist.

Benson comes off as a practical, level-headed protagonist, thanks to his continued focus on escaping without bowing to the plentiful peer pressure. The little angst focused on his worse-than-dreary past and the even mix between teen-hormone-fuelled romantic relationships and non-repetitive planning for escape all add to the sensible, trust-worthy impression received by the reader.

Within any kind of educational environment, a distinct hierarchy of the students exists, and Variant successfully highlights this. It serves as both a smooth method of developing side characters and leaves the true enemies in ambiguity. The plot moves along at a well-managed clip: after a particularly horrific and revealing event, Wells shifts to speculation through Benson to help stack the mystery around the school ever higher, followed by a smaller incident that serves to up the stakes yet another notch lest the reader falter.

Though Variant finishes in a cliffhanger, there will be little hair-pulling done on the reader’s part as the end opens up a new venue of possibilities rather than teasing the reader with crucial information. This is a promising start to what foreshadows to be an addictive series.

Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Friday's Finest

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-05:00

a meme hosted by Justine @ A Bookful of Thoughts

***

A second FF featuring Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John, because O Dieu I love this book. And this excerpt is fabulous in showcasing all the different characters, in Piper's oh-so-awesome voice.

Piper's Manifesto:

Problem: Josh is an asshole. Solution: Suck it up as long as the band makes money.
Problem: Tash is bad for morale. Solution: (gulp) Stand up to her.
Problem: It's not entirely clear that Will even has a pulse. Solution: That's a problem?
Problem: Kallie can't play guitar for crap. Solution: Get Finn to help her--he owes you.
Problem: Ed doesn't think I know what I'm doing. Solution: Prove him wrong.
Problem: Dumb can't do soft [rock]. Solution: Make them hard [rock] again.
Problem: Mom and Dad suck. Solution: Wait until next summer, then join a commune.
(p. 142-143)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

review: A Monster Calls

2012-01-07T01:30:00.000-05:00

by Patrick Ness, inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd; illustrations by Jim Kay
Candlewick Press, September 27, 2011
young adult magic realism

Summary:

Thirteen-year-old Conor has been waiting for the monster ever since the nightmare started at the beginning of his mother’s sickness. Only this one is far too old, far too wise and far too intimidating for comfort. Once it starts its three tales of truth, there’s no going back for Conor until he’s told the monster his own story. His own true story.

The cover:

WOW. It might just be the illustration style, but this is such an artistic cover. The silhouette of the monster is the highlight; it draws our eye towards the path it travels, towards the house that is its inevitable destination. It sparks thrilling anticipation and sets the mood perfectly.

The book:

Oh, sigh. Guys. This book. It’s pure loveliness. Everything from the idea itself to the writing style to the ending—I’m pretty sure my heart broke, oh, a couple dozen times during A Monster Calls.

It’s difficult to believe Patrick Ness has no prior middle-grade books. With the smallest details, Ness captures a thirteen-year-old’s voice shatteringly perfectly. For example, Conor describes cereal that “tasted as unhappy as it looked”, instead of saying something like “it tasted as gross as it looked.” It’s part of that perspective middle-graders have, and it wins the reader over to Conor’s side, despite the intended audience being teens.

One could argue this book has no plotline. Instead, the author devotes each short chapter to developing character: Conor’s, his father’s, the bullies’ at school. The grandmother comes off especially realistic, somehow splitting our favours to both her and Conor when it comes to a face-off between them. The estranged American father adds yet another troublesome touch in addition to Conor’s problems at school. In fact, one could say there’s too much trouble: Harry the bully’s development arc seems abruptly cut off, never giving the reader a full reason for his torment of Conor.

The stories the monster tells are little jewels in themselves. As Conor finds out, there’s no black and white: the prince murders the princess to overthrow the witch queen; the good preacher’s house is thrashed while the corrupt pharmacist gets off scotch-free; there are worse things than being invisible. The illustrations within are the perfect accompaniment to these multi-layered stories, and they give such an excellent sense of dimension, in terms of physical size and metaphorical grandness. And the ending—excuse me, I’m going to have to lose all professionalism here—

I swear I wasn’t crying until the very last two pages. I was, in fact, awaiting an answer as to why Conor’s mother knows about the yew tree as well. But then the monster says, “Not yet… not just yet.” And then the time 12:07 comes into play. And I break down. So. Yeah. You should read this book.

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

review: Legend

2012-01-05T01:30:00.000-05:00

by Marie Lu
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, November 29, 2011
young adult dystopian

Summary:

June Iparis is fifteen years old, a military marvel and dedicated to helping her country, the Republic, defeat its neighbouring enemy, the Colonies. Day is fifteen years old, the country’s most wanted criminal and committed to keeping his family from the Republic’s clutches. When June’s brother Metias is murdered and Day becomes the primary suspect, their lives twine irrevocably; as Day’s execution date draws near, June’s struggles to find the reason behind Metias’s murder leads them to treacherous conspiracies… conspiracies that the Republic would kill to keep secret.

The cover:

Ehh. The symbol is good and all, but what does it represent? As well, the bevel/emboss Photoshop effect, which is already used far too often, is applied to everything on this cover, ironically making it look flat; the 3D effect is only achieved when there’s variation to the depth of objects, and applying bevel/emboss to everything does not give you variation. Also—silver and gold, only? Can we say duochromatic?

The book:

The fact that this novel is written in two perspectives would’ve been enough to render Legend distinct from other dystopians. As it is, Marie Lu wields both Day’s and June’s voices remarkably well, giving the reader a fabulous view of both sides of the story. This comes as an immense relief after dystopians like Wither and The Hunger Games, where the leading lady seemed to have all the characterization and all the issues, too.

Day is instantly likeable, what with his concern for his family, and the touch of the average teenage boy’s playboy side ensures he stays realistic. The time spent on flashbacks to his family also provide a solid look at what low-income living looks like in Lu’s world. It’s difficult to imagine Day is truly capable of all the previous crimes he’s noted for, considering we don’t get to see much action from him, though it may be due to June’s bad-ass-ness. With June, it’s her unruly side peeking through occasionally that wins us to her side (side note: can you believe the jacket copy called her “obedient”?!), as well as her open-minded view towards Day; there’s no stupid, infuriating misunderstanding that’s the only thing standing in the way here. Their interactions, going from a rough yet sweet start to a confusion that slowly sorts itself out, are a pleasure to read.

Of the secondary characters, Metias and Tess, who support June and Day respectively, play essential roles in that they help bring out both the protagonists’ vulnerable sides. The loving, if skewed with fear, relationship between June and Metias helps us to see June as more than a headstrong girl looking for the answers. Meanwhile, Tess shines more as herself than Metias does, rather than a supporting character; with her own small but unique skills, she promises to play an important role in future books.

Where Legend shines is its pacing. The action never feels repetitive, thanks to the various settings throughout the book; a Skiv fight sets us into the heart of poor, rural community while the code cracking in June’s apartment offers edge-of-your-seat high-tech suspense. However, predictability rises at the end with the mandatory gory gotta-get-away battle and the whole running away from the government scene to finish off. Please, no more running away from the government scenes. Please.

Oh, and there’s the romance. But really, since romance shouldn’t be a requisite in YA fiction (look at Plain Kate by Erin Bow), I’ll stick with saying this is a novel that’ll win you over with its protagonists and high-stakes action.

Rating: 4.3 out of 5

comparing covers: the transition from hardcover to paperback.

2012-01-03T14:33:00.002-05:00

No intro needed; the title says it all.

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

Both those covers make you go "WOW." The first one for its menacing and mysterious look -- that fog wrapping around the title is beautiful, and those eyes must be the best face I've seen on a cover. (It's shiny in real life, too!) The second one for its style -- the quirkiness of the illustration, plus the awesome tagline placing. And did you notice the trees (so important) and the little city there?

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Excuse me while I sob.

WHAT happened to the ARC cover, that first one there? We go from "Interesting, a girl in a simple dress (for once!) with a lovely background" to "Okaaay, bright turquoise...?" to "Whoopdeedoo. Another close-up of a girl face". Yaaaaaay.

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

The first one, the hardcover, is most definitely evocative of the novel's tone and lush atmosphere. The second one may turn off less foreigner-phobic non-Asians. And the third is neither -- it's the Indonesian edition. :D Isn't it lovely?

giveaway: FEVER by Lauren DeStefano

2011-12-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be absent from the blog for the rest of the holidays, so as an early gift...

Yes, I recently received an ARC of Lauren DeStefano's much-anticipated Fever, and I'm passing it onto one of you! (Seeing how I didn't exactly enjoy Wither, I'm surprised S&S still sent me on, but maybe they're just aiming for maximum exposure.)

This holiday giveaway runs from December 14 to December 24 (Christmas Eve ;D) and is open to US and Canadian residents. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter, and happy holidays! <3
a Rafflecopter giveaway

review: Wintertown

2011-12-12T03:30:00.000-05:00

by Stephen Edmond
Little, Brown BFYR, December 5, 2011
contemporary young adult
ARC received from publisher (thank you!)

Summary:

Eric and Lucy have always spent their holidays together. But one year, Lucy comes back with a complete punk makeover, from her hair to her attitude. Eric’s sure he can uncover the old Lucy if he looks hard enough… but with his parents always on his case about university and Lucy with her own family troubles, these two friends will have to search hard to find their way back to each other.

The cover:

Matches the winter theme, yes, and the white silhouette (instead of a black one) complements the navy blue as a nice change. However, the snow as hole-punches seems random. Like, why? Are we going for a stationery theme here or what?

The book:

Let’s say this upfront—the illustrations are fab. The loose, casual comic drawings are probably the only kind of cartoon that would work exceptionally well with YA besides manga, and in black and white they look even more stylish. The fact that there’s a mini and charming storyline within makes them an excellent source of dramatic relief (to use some playwright lingo).

Otherwise? Not much to talk about. Voice—Stephen Edmond does not capture it. The writing is there, always in the way for you to spot and occasionally trip over; there’s no sense of style (in contrast to the illustrations, which makes sense if Edmond was originally an illustrator). Sure, maybe Eric has school and parental figure problems, but without anything to endear him to the reader, we really don’t give a fig.

Same with Lucy. TTtT (to tell the truth), when her perspective came around, I was put off even more. With her “he doesn’t know what happened to me” pout and her wild urges (e.g. graffiti on walls, break Eric’s heart [WTH?]) that are obvious stereotypes, Lucy seems more like a stock character whose bleak and cynical outlook combine with her druggie boyfriend and overblown homefront problems to prevent the reader from liking her at all.

It’s awful to say this, but even the ‘rents are stereotypes. Eric’s father is the pressuring, get-into-an-Ivy-League-uni dad, while Lucy’s parents are used to explain away her newfound issues. And the plot: after the expected almost-romance and fight, the two go their separate ways, and the only light comes when they chance to see each other on the streets of Brooklyn. I mean, way to wrap up a downward-spiraling story. Tacking on an extra ray of hope doesn’t make this novel inspiring.

Rating: 2 out of 5

In My Mailbox

2011-12-11T03:30:00.000-05:00

a meme hosted by The Story Siren

***

From the library:

Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore & The White Assassin by Hilary Wagner: YAY for middle-grade! I'm getting my MG fantasy fix this weekend, all right. <3

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King: Yes, I'm finally reading some legit adult fiction, and OMG this mystery is so good. Features Mary Russell and her partner, Sherlock Holmes. ;)

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson & Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor: So I'm REALLY looking forward to the first, and NOT looking forward to the second. LOL.

Literally in the mail (thanks, Penguin!):

Time Snatchers by Richard Ungar: Middle-grade sci-fi! But this is a debut, so I'm wary.
Darkest Light by Hiromi Goto: I enjoyed her Half World reasonably; we'll see how this goes.
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour: High-ish expectations for this one.

may I introduce my new bosom friends?

2011-12-08T04:30:00.000-05:00

in their own words:

Aleeza Rauf
aleeza lives in remote new zealand with sheepy friends and writes bestselling how-to-handle sheep guidebooks.

Rida @ Raindrop Reflections
rida lives in south america and has siestas until her hot spanish bf arrives.

Nafiza @ Bibliophilic Monologues
Nafiza, an element not found on the periodic table. Easily flammable and sometimes green. Beware.

And me, Eden @ PtC (courtesy of Nafiza):
Eden, a product of Fiji, has aspirations to be a pineapple and uses books instead of money.

Please visit them all and give them some love! (Why wouldn't you, after reading their awesome bios, anyways?) <3

review: Graceling

2011-12-06T14:17:00.000-05:00

by Kristin Cashore
Harcourt, 2008
young adult fantasy

Summary:

In a world where having a Grace marks you from the minute your eyes change colour, Katsa’s Grace for killing has moulded her into the king’s ultimate weapon. But the stirrings of rebellion within are fanned when the Lienid prince Po enlists her in a quest to find out how his grandfather's kidnapping relates to the enigmatic king of Monsea. As Katsa discovers the depths of her Grace and of her emotions, she and Po race to stop one man’s malice from wielding a Grace none have ever seen the like of before.

I am so proud of that blurb it's ridiculous. I should be hired as a copywriter now, don't you think, Penguin, Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette? Yeah? Hmm? ;)

The cover:

While it certainly exudes the fantasy aspect of the novel, the font’s calligraphic style, Oriental decorative background and the plain knife make the cover seem too standstill; it’s not representative of the journey which is the storyline. The face certainly is interesting, though. (IMO, though, the paperback is fabulous.)

The book:

Though horrifically late to this bandwagon, I’m now glad I didn’t have to wait for the release of Bitterblue. (Okay, so maybe I still have to wait another six months, but that’s nowhere near three years.) I can also see just why this novel got so many starred reviews (and a debut, too!), because it’s this kind of novel that makes me hope fervently for a comeback in YA fantasy.

We starts in medias res, with a fine overview of Katsa’s kill skills (*giggles immaturely at the rhyme*) and providing the structure for the main plotline to follow. As the heroes make good their rescue, the action is interspersed carefully with such choice tidbits as Katsa’s upbringing, the Council’s formation or the seven kingdoms’ kings. This well-blended beginning allows the reader to land firmly on their feet in Katsa’s world.

And indeed, the world’s intrigue starts from the first description of the kingdoms; corruptions and rivalries set the tone for palace plots and schemes, while foreshadowing the antagonist’s role in the book. Though ballgowns and banquets have their proper place in the beginning, as befitting a castle setting, the true adventure starts with the arrival of Po and his cryptic Graceling. The developing relationship between Po and Katsa is a genuine highlight of the entire book, almost beating out the actual mission they go on. (Though once they started having sex, they couldn’t stop. But as Rida said, that was probably just hormonal.)

Speaking of the mission: Graceling consists of one of the best missions I’ve read of. Most fantasy novels either have twisted, convoluted, come-together-at-the-end plots, or they have straightforward let’s-get-to-the-end plots. This novel hits the middle ground: there’s an unexpected bend in the middle of the plot that shifts the focus off the original objective, but both legs of the plot—before and after the twist—are fairly straightforward. The two sections’ difference is startlingly refreshing. (Or maybe I’ve just read too many similar novels.)

Graceling is a magnificent fantasy. Period. (Except for the sex.) (Sorry. I can’t let it go.)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

review: Holes

2011-11-30T14:44:00.001-05:00

by Louis Sachar
Scholastic, 1998
contemporary middle-grade

Summary:

Stanley Yelnats didn't steal baseball star Clyde Livingston's shoes -- they fell out of the sky onto his head. Of course, that doesn't fly in court, and Stanley's given two options: jail, or Camp Green Lake. He chooses the latter, and off he goes to dig holes. The reason why the Warden there wants them digging in a dried-up lakebed lies in the twisted history of the ancestors of Stanley and Zero, the best hole-digger at the camp. Past injustices will tangle with present-day consequences until the truth forces its way out.

(Sorry about that awkward last logline; this book's too quirky, too original, too frakkin' fabulous to sum up in a less-than-cheesy way.)

The cover:

Considering this was published in the 90s, the abstract concept is achieved fairly well. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what that red thing plus the eye beneath was, but now I totally understand: it's an upside-down hat on a boy's head, drawn in a somewhat Picasso-style. Or maybe not. Yeah. I'll just be quiet now.

The book:

I finally went back and read this, and... stupendous. The fashion in which Louis Sachar unfolds his three stories -- four, if you count Zero's separately -- is pure wonder, 100% not from concentrate straight from the spring of genius. This is probably the only classic in elementary schools that I fully support. <3

While Stanley is the protagonist (and good thing too -- he's the one who the reader will feel closest, too), the novel really belongs to a cast of characters spanning countries and generations. Elya Yelnats is probably the least complicated of the whole cast, while Katherine (or Kissin' Kate) is all the empowered female we need in this male-dominated novel.

Where Holes shines is the tying together of the stories. Short snippets that, at the start, make no sense lend events later on gravity and impact and the "holy guacamole!" feeling, like the unveiling of Zero's real name (Madame Zeroni, anyone?), plus the Sploosh (Kate and her spiced peaches!), plus the yellow-spotted lizards and why they didn't kill Stanley and Zero. (You caught that flashback passage right afterward, right? Where Sam explains how they don't like onion blood? OMG. *__*)

Yeah. I don't think I can say anything coherent beyond the fact that Holes is now my top-rated book. It's miraculous.

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

books I couldn't finish.

2011-11-26T12:57:00.001-05:00

There are always a few things that need to be present in a book for me to keep reading. Then, there are the few things that will make me stop reading even if the other aspects are all fine. Take a look:

XVI by Julia Karr

All right: voice. I really don't know what makes it work, but this one didn't. It felt like I had to stumble over every sentence, trying to find out what kind of person Nina was through her words and actions. Before, I hadn't experienced the trouble other book bloggers have described in not "getting" the protag, but XVI cleared that right up for me.

That's not a good thing.

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

This, I'm pretty sure, is a case of adult fiction writers turning to the children's market. Sometimes people can pull it off with aplomb (just look at Jane Smiley's The Georges and the Jewels). And sometimes they can't. For example, Meloy would say a term most probably unfamiliar to today's kids, like viscount, and follow it up with, "I now know that viscount is a..." blah blah blah, basically interrupting her narrative to explain what it was. 0_o Did no one tell her that the first rule in MG is that you DO NOT talk down to your readers?

Shark Wars by E. J. Altbacker

Okay, I received this as an ARC, but let me tell you: it had the WORST repeated typo in the history of ARCs. Every time a word was supposed to contain the letters "ost", instead they were replaced with "East", so I was reading "lEast" and "mEast". My God. ANNOYING. Yes, annoying enough to make me drop it. Plus, the anthropomorphism wasn't working for me. But the typos...! Unbelievable. *holds head*

(PS: It was a hardcover ARC. Stranger and stranger.)

What makes or breaks a book for you?

review: Marcelo in the Real World

2011-11-21T04:30:00.000-05:00

by Franciso X. Stork
Scholastic Press, 2010
contemporary young adult
received from publisher (thank you!)

Summary:

Thanks to an autism-like condition, Marcelo Sandoval hears music that sets him in his own world. But his father doesn't truly believe in his son's deficiency, and challenges Marcelo to spend a summer working at his law office and getting to know the real world. There, Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising co-worker, and Wendell, a competing partner's son; he'll also learn about the bewildering dynamics a relationship can have and about the injustice and suffering the world can hold.

The cover:

The way the title text is fit into a neat rectangle with different colours is pleasingly stylish, and silhouettes have always worked well on covers; here it makes for a gorgeous scene. Aspects of the cover don't ring true when compared with the book, but it's definitely eye-catching in a subtle way.

The book:

The hype surrounding this title seemed like the ideal amount: mentioned a few times in literary publications, a starred review in Publishers Weekly, winner of a somewhat-obscure book award. (Huh. My idea of "ideal hype" doesn't involve any raving book blog reviews. It'd be interesting to examine that idea further.) But it looks like my expectations still ended up a wee bit too high.

Let's start with Marcelo. He's introduced to the reader in a variety of situations in which he's comfortable, allowing us time to get used to his unique viewpoint. There are pages solid with passages of his narration that are, not if exactly likeable, certainly thought-provoking. And perhaps in that Stork has accomplished the most impressive feat of capturing the true voice of a teen with Asperger's; an ordinary person wouldn't ever comprehend the way he or she thinks.

One strike against this book is the side characters. Oh, they're all intricately layered, but none are quite all the way on Marcelo's side. Therefore, the feeling that we're in over our heads never goes away, which makes the 300 pages a little uncomfortable. Rabbi Heschel is a spout of wit and wisdom; in contrast, Wendell is cruel pond scum and Arturo (Marcelo's father) isn't worthy of his son. Even Jasmine stays a bit too enigmatic for my taste.

(Goodness. At this rate, I'll probably end up nominating Namu as my favourite side character.)

The first fifteen or so chapters are paced on the slow side, with Stork laying down the groundwork through Marcelo's observations of his workplace. What the groundwork was for soon becomes apparent, and it's that particular mystery that rings true the most (and also picks up the pace). Instead of facing touchy issues like lust, competition and hate, injustice is at the heart of this plotline, making it much easier for the reader to side with Marcelo.

Okay, I'm just going to drop all remaining vestiges of professionalism here and say Marcelo in the Real World didn't ring a chord, though I felt like it had the potential to. It's definitely still worth a read, because I can see the good parts of it. It's just not for me, I guess.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

review: Standing Up to Mr. O

2011-11-19T12:51:00.001-05:00

by Claudia Mills
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1998
contemporary middle-grade-cross-young adult

Summary:

Maggie's always loved to impress her favourite teacher, Mr. O... until he starts lab dissections in their course. To Maggie, the killing of defenceless animals just for scientific observation isn't worth getting an A and a special smile. Apaprently, bad boy Jake Dycus thinks so too. His father left him just like Maggie's did, and soon she's struggling to balance this double-edged connection to Jake with the moral obstacles her very viewpoint on life.

The cover:

Okay, so maybe it's not fabulous, but lord it's so much better than the original hardcover. (*shields eyes*) Her stand-off-ish pose is nice, but the coloured tone seems wholly unnecessary.

The book:

This book gave me the guts to walk out of my high school frog dissection. I'm not kidding. Granted, I didn't get an F for it because my teacher let me watch a virtual dissection, but my eyes were opened to this moral issue in middle school thanks to Standing Up to Mr. O.

The writing style is quite different; it's firmly 20th-century writing, without that close contact with the protagonist that we're used to nowadays even in third-person limited. Somehow, Maggie still sounds like a close friend, thanks to all the problems she works through. Her growth through the moral questions and problematic relationships will endear her to readers.

Jake. The ultimate and most realistic bad boy I've yet to read about. (Pardon the fragment; he just needs that kind of emphasis.) He genuinely likes Maggie, but he likes his trouble more; he isn't just a brooding, looks-like-he-might-be-dangerous guy. He does cause trouble, unlike other so-called "bad boys". Matt: the good guy, but not a doormat (thank God!). He's high-handed and arrogant, which makes his developing relationship with Maggie all the more sweet. I could never pick between them. <3

BFF Alycia provides an interesting foil to Maggie, as does Maggie's mother; even Alycia's parents are briefly but well sketched out. As for Mr. O -- well, it might be just the paranoid little girl in me, but I viewed his relationship with Maggie as almost pedophilistic, and that hasn't changed upon re-reading it. Thank goodness the book doesn't totally centre around that.

With a plot that moves itself and genuine characters populating it Standing Up to Mr. O is a throwback to the 20st century with a modern topic that shouldn't be missed.

Rating: 4 out of 5