Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a book I've been meaning to read 'for real' since my senior year in high school. It is the one of only two books I have ever been assigned and not read completely. (The other is A Diary of Anne Frank and I feel horribly guilty over that one)
So, I started Heart of Darkness for my AP English class, like I was supposed to, and then got bogged down in Conrad's endless description. So, I skimmed the rest, asked my English teacher for 'help' because I, 'didn't understand' the message, wrote my thesis paper, and got an A.:) No one ever knew.
But, I always felt like I hadn't been fair to Mr. Conrad's book. I owned my AP copy, it's not even 80 pages, and I figured I could just read it and mark it off my slate of unfinished (shameful) reads. I even hoped that if I gave it another chance I wouldn't hate it so much the second time.
Although it will never be one of my favorite books, I will say that Heart of Darkness was improved the second time around. I liked it much more this time (although that isn't saying much, since I loathed it the first). One of my earliest concerns with this book is the narrative voice. The narrator and the storyteller are two different people. People are sitting around a fire, listening to a man tell a story about his trip through the heart of the African Congo, and one of the men around the fire is telling it to us. It's weird, and it makes the descriptions and language that much stranger, because really... Even back then, who talks like that around a campfire?! I don't really see the point, and I thought it made the story more stilted than it needed to be.
I also felt that a lot of the book was superfluous, which in a 78 page book is a problem. Nothing really happens until the end of the book. Now, I'm perfectly willing to admit my part in this. I know that I read this book faster than I should have, and that I missed some of the important parts to the story. But, I don't care. I still found a lot of it dull, meandering and pointless.
There is a surprising amount of depth to this story. I missed it entirely the first time, because I was intentionally blocking out any meaning to the story, and I think I barely touched it this time, but I was impressed by what Conrad is able to convey in just 80 or so pages (closer to 40 or 50 if you consider that I felt the first half mostly irrelevant). But, once Kurtz becomes an important and active part of the story, I think you can learn a lot. Although I didn't love this book, and I doubt I ever will, I'd like to read it at least once more to try and glean more because I think there is more that this book could teach me.
* Disclaimer: I read this book through 1 ARC Tours.
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin is the first book I think I've read where fairies play a predominant role. At least it's the first book that I can remember. So, I was pretty open minded about this one, the cover is attractive (I am especially fond of the way her hair looks, although it's harder to see online) and I'd heard some good things about the author and the book. So, I was excited for the chance to read this one. All in all though, I can't say I was thrilled with what I got.
This book is about Phoebe Rothschild and her unfortunate run ins with the Fey. The book begins with an aura of secrecy. In the beginning, all we know is that the fairies have sent someone to pretend to be human in order to gain contact with Phoebe, but their intention, although sinister in tone, is, as yet, unknown.
Phoebe ends up befriending Mallory, the fairy in disguise. (That makes me want to sing Elvis... You're the devil in disguise, oh yes you are...) And, I don't think Elvis is too far off. Although Mallory does seem to genuinely like Phoebe, it's obvious that ultimately, whatever evil plot the fey have cooked up with triumph.
I liked the idea of this book and the writing was stunning. There is no doubt that Werlin is a great writer. Emotions are clearly conveyed from the characters to the reader, and Werlin is able to give a great deal of insight into the motivation of characters with just a few words. I will be reading more by Werlin because I loved the clarity and beauty of her writing.
However, I felt that the words ordinary and extraordinary were incredibly overused. After a while, I felt like I was being beaten with extraordinary. Nothing like beating a dead horse. Seriously. No one I've ever met uses those words to describe themselves in everyday conversation, especially not like these characters do. I know people with incredibly high self esteem, over-inflated egos etc and none of them call themselves extraordinary, or talk about how awful it would be to be ordinary. They say things like amazing, awesome, cool, better than you, etc. I understand the significance of the word, because I've read the book, and there's no doubt it's important, but I feel like they could have arrived at exactly the same place by occasionally substituting ordinary with other words or phrases. Constantly reading about being ordinary vs. extraordinary was awkward and unnatural.
I also had a hard time relating to Phoebe. Part of it was this obsession with whether or not she is ordinary or could maybe be extraordinary, but most of it came from her interactions with Ryland; her secret boyfriend and Mallory's brother (fey and human.) He is the epitome of an abusive boyfriend and although he wasn't doing it because he is a crazy psycho, he was doing it deliberately to emotionally destroy Phoebe, which I kind of think is worse. Each scene involving the two of them made me incredulous that someone with so many loving relationships would allow herself to be locked into such an abusive relationship (although it does explain that she doesn't really have a choice, them being magic and all...) but they also made me sick to my stomach. No one should have to endure what Phoebe does and it severely limited my enjoyment of the story.
I can easily see where and why this book could become a favorite, but it wasn't one for me. I enjoyed it, loved the writing and will definitely be reading more by Werlin, but I didn't love the story itself.
Pegasus by Robin McKinley was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2010. I've mentioned before that I love Robin McKinley. She is the author I credit with teaching me that fantasy can be a great genre to read. I was so excited when I noticed a new McKinley book that I'm pretty sure I made those embarrassing 'sqeeish' noises.
When the book came in the mail, I was beyond excited. And then, I started reading... End of excitement. The entire book was a struggle for me to get through. The beginning of the book is really vague, with the readers jumping into the middle of our 12 year old princess' history lesson and the narration doesn't really clear up much after that. I felt like I was reading the story told many years later by someone who kept forgetting the order things happened. It was full of flashbacks and flashforwards that would go on for pages, before the narration would pick up again in the present. I'm normally okay with this in books, but I like a little warning first. These flashes would just happen, and I'd find myself wondering where we were, and when we left the present tense.
I also regularly found myself bored with all the description. McKinley is a fantastic world builder and has a great imagination. I am amazed that she is able to come up with such beautiful and vivid descriptions for this magical world, but I got tired of hearing about them over and over again. It felt too much like a really boring teacher's desperate attempt to make a history lesson interesting to a group of students who couldn't care less. (ie: fail).
The story does definitely pick up once Ebon enters the picture and the story is no longer solely about Sylvi. Ebon was a fun character and I found myself truly enjoying his blunt and honest interior commentary. But this too was over used.
I must also admit that I was seriously upset, disappointed and annoyed when I realized that this book was actually going to have a sequel. I thought that McKinley could easily have cut the book down by 100 or so pages, removing the repetitious and redundant descriptions, and smoothing out the timeline, and then I find out she's going to follow it up with a second book?! Sigh. That was a bit of a bummer. And, of course I need to read the sequel because this book has one of the worst endings I've ever read. It ends, quite literally, in the middle of a scene. Nothing is resolved, everyone seems doomed, and all we have to go on are questions, assumptions and vague references to history.
I know that this review is predominantly negative, which makes me sad, and is not entirely what I was going for. The writing is, as always, beautiful and very well done. Sylvi and Ebon were a great character team, and their friendship is almost palpable. Their connection has enriched their lives, and I'm very interested to see what they will be able to accomplish in the future.
And although I was quite annoyed that this story ends in the middle of the scene, I must admit that I am incredibly interested in watching what Sylvi's father does with this new information, and how it will change their lives.
Overall, this is a beautiful story that just happens to be a little difficult to get through. But, I'd still recommend it for McKinley fans. Just, don't get your hopes too high.
* Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill received a Printz Honor award in 2008, and Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson won a Newbery Honor in 2002.
Both books are biographies written in verse. When I first heard about this idea, I was intrigued. Although I don't always love it, I do enjoy poetry and I've found that I really, really enjoy novels written in free verse (like Ellen Hopkins). I was very interested to see how reading a poetic biography would turn out, and I'm sorry to say that I was quite disappointed.
I read Carver first and I really expected to enjoy myself. By the time I got around to Sylvia, I was no longer expecting much. Some of the poems were thoughtful and insightful and made for interesting reading, but I never felt like I was really gaining that much knowledge about the lives of either GW Carver or Sylvia Plath. I would have much read an actual biography of each individual that then had these poems interspersed throughout the pages. In each book, there were brief notes offering a little additional insight into the person or time period the poem addressed, and I feel like I learned more about their lives, thoughts, and emotions from these tiny blurbs than from the poems, which I doubt was how I'm supposed to feel.
I feel like I'm missing a lot of essential information that is important for a biography to offer. I don't really feel like I know much more about these two people than I did before picking up the books.
Although I didn't particularly enjoy reading either 'biography' I believe I can understand why both the Printz board and the Newbery board decided to award these books an Honor. It is a unique idea that changes the way we view and understand historical figures. But, I don't think they did their subjects justice. Instead of being more interested in the story of their lives, or coming away more knowledgeable than I was before, I merely felt annoyed.
I don't know of any other biographies written in this style, but I believe I'm safe in saying, I won't be reading them.
WARNING: I think this review contains some mild spoilers. The main spoilerish thing I give away is something I had mostly figured out from the synopsis, but if you don't like anything to be spoiled, you might want to wait.
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton could have been a great read. I mean, really. The heroine is a (supposedly) normal girl, who fights evil demon reaper things in another dimension, and happens to be the only being on the planet capable of wielding angelfire. How cool is that?! The synopsis of the book sounded good, so I was quite excited to read the book. Every once in a while I like to go for those kick butt heroines who definitely do not need the love interest to save the day. He's just there to look pretty.;) (ahem...) But really. I get a little tired of the supposedly strong female constantly in need of rescue by a conveniently placed attractive male. I get that often people do need help in dangerous situations, but the 'damsel in distress' routine is getting a little old.
So, when I got the chance to read about Ellie, who sounds totally and completely hard core, I was really excited. So, I think you can imagine my disappointment when the first and second time these reapers show up, Ellie freezes/has no idea what to do when (bum ba ba ba!!) Will 'appears' to the rescue. He touches her head, a light flashes and suddenly Ellie just knows she can take this thing. Bam. I was a little bummed, but was willing to go with it, because it's a reincarnation thing, and she's spent the last 17 years thinking she's completely normal. Okay, fine. But, she never really changes. Will always needs to be there in order for Ellie to remember that she not only knows how to walk, but she can also will flaming swords to appear from no where.
Which actually reminds me of my second complaint with the story... While sometimes the writing worked well, others the words and phrases chosen were trite and clichéd. Like Ellie having swords 'appear out of thin air.' That's the only example I wrote down, but it happened frequently. I found myself rolling my eyes a little too often.
But, even with those two complaints I was really enjoying the story, and I was able to overlook them (besides the occasional (esq.) eye roll. I understood that Ellie needed to grow into her abilities. Just because her past lives have been doing this for thousands of years doesn't mean that a 17 year old isn't going to be a little weirded out. So fine. I enjoyed watching Ellie learn about herself too. There were moments when she would learn how to harness a particular power or ability and it was awesome being inside her head, because she was so excited about it.
I also liked that Will wasn't love at first site for Ellie, even though he has been a part of her past lives. She feels a weird tingle of recognition, that she brushes off because she knows she wouldn't have forgotten a boy that hot and that's pretty much it. He talks to her, she thinks he's totally hot, but a little weird and she continues to skirt around him, deciding whether he's nuts or not. It's only later, after she's been around him a bit more and has spent more time getting to know him (again) that she realizes she's in love with him. Which, I was more than okay with. Love at first site just doesn't really work for me...
I did have mixed feeling about Will. He has the potential to be a really great character, and there was a lot I liked about him. I actually liked most things about him, but he has the tendency to play the martyr... A lot, which got old really fast.
I enjoyed Moulton's idea of the Grim dimension, and the reapers that live within, feasting off human souls. Although there were a few flaws, I mostly enjoyed the characters, especially because I watched them grow over the course of the novel, and Moulton left them a lot of room to grow in the later books.
But, and this is THE big but, I didn't like the book, because I disagree strongly with some major parts of Moulton's logic, reasoning, and angelic philosophies... First, there is the idea that the reapers snatch your soul to build the armies of evil. But, I'm a believer in agency and choice, not fate. And, I have a really hard time believing that just because you had the bad luck to be mauled by the soul snatcher that you are now destined to march alongside the devil in a battle against heaven. If we are talking about what sends you to heaven or hell, I'm going to have to go with personal choices every single time. I don't believe that a truly good person who has done all they can to follow what they believe to be right is going to go warring against heaven just because a reaper snatched their soul.
I also really did not like the major reveal at the end of the book. We kind of start to get an idea of who Ellie really is, and why she is actually able to do what she does. But, I don't buy it. At all. I won't tell you why, because that is a major Major spoiler, far bigger than anything I've let slip thus far. But, suffice it say, unless Moulton means something totally different from what happened at the end of the book — I do not like it. And, if you aren't a fan of the deus ex machina endings, you are probably not going to like this one either.
I don't mean to sound harsh in this review, although I have a feeling it's going to come across that way, because for most of the book, I was enjoying myself. I was able to overlook the things that bothered me about the story, and just enjoy it for what it was. It wasn't until the very end of the book that I just really couldn't enjoy it anymore.
This is a book that had a lot of potential, but just didn't manage to do it for me.
* Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.
This is my review, and BTW, I'm totally going to spoil the ending... You have been warned.
Liam the Leprechaun by Charles A. Wilkinson is a short book, only 46 pages, with pictures placed throughout. I accepted this book for review because it looked like a fun, cute story that I could sit down and read with my nephews (ages barely 3 and almost 5) who already love books. (Yay! Big smile). When I received the book, I was excited, but quickly realized my nephews probably wouldn't enjoy the story. There are full pages of text with only a few pictures placed in between (7 pictures total). I was a little disappointed it wasn't going to work to read with the boys, but excited to read it nonetheless because I'm not too old to admit that I still like a good picture book.
But, I didn't really like it. I feel bad saying that, because most of the story was fun. It's a little bit wordy and repetitive, but overall, that wasn't too much of a problem. I think the writing is on the level of those I-Can-Read-Books, designed for kids who are just beginning to read on their own. So, the writing wasn't a problem for me, but the story itself, was.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book. Liam was a sweet little guy, who desperately wanted to fit in with the rest of the leprechauns. But his problem? He's short... Even for a leprechaun and no one notices him. Watching Liam attempt to find his place within the leprechaun society was endearing and he finally decides to seek out the wise, almost mystical O'Hoolihan to figure out what he can do to make a place for himself.
He takes 'Hooley's' advice, and begins to see an improvement. He's given a job finding lost things that are too small for normal sized leprechauns to see. I thought this was a great solution to his problem and was excited for the resolution, where Liam is so happy to be himself, because no one can contribute what he can and all that great stuff. But, that didn't happen.
Liam helps the department he works for find the missing emerald of Mzzzzzz. GloccaMoora McShaughnessy, daughter of the local judge, and a dumpy, screaming harpy/feminist. I'm not making this up. In two pages, she's described as having a rusty voice, screaming eyes, a voice like a worse than a Banshee, a terror, beady eyes and more. And on and on and on. But wait! Liam finds her missing emerald. Moora's daddy, the judge decides to reward him for ending the horridness that is Moora displeased, and has Moora give him a gold coin. And then, MAGIC!
Liam magically grows 8 inches taller, and Moora drops 20 lbs, and with another coin — 8 more inches and 20 more lbs. Somehow, this also makes her less shrewish and she becomes all sugary sweetness, and she and Liam are able to live happily ever after (or so it implies). So what lesson can we take from this people? No matter how useful you are, who you are isn't good enough if you don't fit the 'norm' and women who believe that men trying to put them in their "place" because we are "only a lass" and try to develop a "sense of themselves" as women are going to be labeled 'banshee' link or something otherwise horribly degrading and will never be able to find a husband, so you'd better get nice fast. (quoted from pg. 27)
I'm sure I'm reading more into their 'transformation' than was meant, but seriously. What else are you supposed to think?! It annoyed me that a book meant to teach you about accepting yourself and trusting in your heart instead teaches that you can't truly be great until you have changed who you are.
There will be people who enjoy this book, who really like and appreciate it, I'm sure, but I'm not one of them. I'll look for my moralistic stories in Stephen Cosgrove's Serendipity books (a favorite from childhood).
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante was a sweet story. Looking back over the notes I wrote while reading this book, and just after, 'sweet' is the word that kept popping up.
Dellie is struggling with grief and guilt after the death of her younger brother. He died in an accident that she blames herself for. It's been a year since his death and her family is struggling. Her mom won't let her leave the house, except to go to school and then she insists on having Dellie's dad walk with her, to keep her safe.
Dellie struggles with this, but accepts this and watches the activities outside from her bedroom window. One day, a little boy knocks on Dellie's door, asking for food. His mother is neglectful and more interested in her boyfriend and (we assume) doing drugs that giving the 5 year old the care he needs. Corey reminds Dellie of her brother, and she tries to take care of him.
I loved Corey. He was my favorite character in this whole story. He's just the cutest little boy, and my heart broke a little watching the way his mother treated him and observing the pain he goes through daily. He attaches himself to Dellie quickly, and although she is scared to have someone depend on her again for fear she'll let them down, she loves him too.
Dellie learns a lot from her interactions with Corey, and those lessons become cemented in her mind and life with the help of Miss Shirley, the Jamaican woman who just moved into their apartment complex.
Although I rather liked Miss Shirley, I didn't love her inclusion in the story. She just happened to be the solution to every problem the characters faced, and I found myself watching instance after instance of 'Shirley ex machina', and it got a little old. It got to the point that I just waited for the characters to bump into Miss Shirley, because I knew it just had to be coming.
I also wish the story had a little more depth to it. It's a really big deal to be 13 and believe that you are the reason your brother is dead, and in the beginning of the story, Dellie comments that sometimes she wonders if her parents blame her but, we never hear about it again. That is a very important conversation to have. I don't think Dellie can forgive herself, even if she comes to realize it wasn't her fault if she wonders whether or not her parents blame her. It wasn't addressed as well or as thoroughly as I would have liked/thought was necessary.
There was also surprisingly little depth to most of the characters. I felt like we only got to see one side of each character and that was all we were given. Even the moments we caught a glimpse of something more within the characters, the author moved past the scene without expounding on anything. I felt that the story was too rushed, too quick for the story it told. This is a story I felt deserved more. It could have been great, but too much was glossed over or left entirely unexplored.
I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this book to someone, but I also wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.
*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.
Torment by Lauren Kate is the sequel to Fallen. (review here.)
I wanted to read these books because I think the covers are beautiful. I did enjoy Fallen, and I expected to like Torment about equally. But, I did not. I have to say, I'm rather annoyed by this book.
Daniel and Luce are the main characters, and I did not like either one of them in this story, but I especially hated their relationship. Daniel can't get over the past enough to realize that this incarnation of Luce is different (obviously, because she didn't go up in flames when you kissed her) and he refuses to talk to her about anything. When he sees her, he tells her what she has to do (sort of), kisses her, fights with her, maybe flies with her, and then leaves without actually giving her any useful information. Luce is wildly in love with Daniel when they are making out, or when she thinks about how wonderful he is, and how fabulous their pasts were, but I got really tired, really fast of the 'I love you when you first show up, and while we are kissing, but the second our lips separate, I can no longer remember why I'm supposed to love you, and I'm doubting everything about our relationship'. BTW, in case everyone else missed this — that is not true love. That's hormones, aka — lust. They were in love in the past, they might really love each other in the future, but what Luce is talking about (I'm disgusted with you when I'm not around you, but when you touch me, I get all fuzzy headed/weak in the knees) is not love. Seriously.
Also, I have a hard time believing that Daniel truly loves her. I totally believe that he wants to be with her, and that he feels his life is tied to hers/completely dependent on hers. But, I believe that part of being in love is putting the other person ahead of your own needs. And, I don't see how kissing/killing her in incarnations spanning centuries is really saying, "I love you". He kills her, and puts all of her family members through agony. How is this love? The more Luce learned about her past, the less I wanted the two of them to actually end up together. That's not to say I want her with someone else, but I just do not like Daniel.
I do get that Daniel wants to protect her, but he really is a lot controlling. I don't blame Luce at all for being continuously frustrated with him, because he leaves her in the dark about everything. But, I also thought Luce was stupid about her anger. She put herself in danger over and over again because she needed to prove to herself and Daniel that he doesn't own me, and I can make my own choices, so there. Except, all her own choices were juvenille and destructive. I felt like she was sticking her tounge out at Daniel, almost a Na Na na Na na moment.
It really bothered me that no one would explain anything to Luce, because it's her life that's on the line. She's someone important, and it's pretty obvious that she's going to have a big role to play in the future, but no one thinks she needs any information about it. They brush off her concerns, refuse to help her understand, and dictate her life for her, because it's safer that way.
About the only characters I liked in this book were Miles and Shelby, and even they felt a little stiff/forced at times. I really liked Arriane in the first book, so I was excited when she reappears her. Except, she acts just like everyone else. She lost the parts of her personality that made her so much fun in Fallen, and became just another angel, trying to control the future. I also didn't like the two teachers. I never felt comfortable when they were around, and again, I got annoyed that Luce was supposed to be at this school to gain more of an understanding of the world she now finds herself within, but they refused to help her access the information she needed. Everyone just assumes that they can arbitrarily tell Luce what she can and can't do with absolutely no explanation beyond, 'Because I said so' and she'd just going to go along with it.
I just didn't feel like there was a lot of positive about this book. I wasn't a huge fan, and that makes me sad. I wish that much of it this book had been done differently, because I still like the basic premise. About halfway through this book, I was undecided if I would keep reading the series or not. I have a pretty good idea about where/how the book is going to end (a few main points anyway) and an exploration of Luce and Daniel's previous incarnations didn't really appeal to me, which is what the third book, Passion, is purportedly about.
However, the best and most believable part about this book was the ending. I actually really enjoyed the ending, and felt that it's the first time every character acted according to their natures. And, it's made me very interested in seeing how the third book will play out. I'm definitely going to be picking up a copy now, and I just hope that the author lets up on some of the more ridiculously angsty moments.
*Disclaimer: I received this book through We Love YA! Tours.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is narrated alternately by both Nick and Norah.
For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. It haven't read many books written by two different authors, but I was thrilled by how this book turned out. Both Nick and Norah were great characters, and their voices were incredibly unique. They were very developed as individuals, and I really enjoyed getting their separate interpretations of the night's events.
But, really, I kind of expected them to be strongly individual, because they were written by different authors, so it makes sense that they would sound different. What I thought was even better than Nick and Norah's characterization was the secondary characters, and the story arc. They both remained consistent throughout the whole story, regardless of who was actually narrating. The story didn't feel like it was being told in two different ways, like it often does when you have two people trying to tell the same story. It flowed and moved well, and read like one fluid story with two main characters/narrators. And, the secondary characters were each individual and unique, even when they didn't have a lot of face time.
It was a really fun story, if a little improbable. I had a hard time believing some of the things they went through would actually have happened, but once I got over that, I did enjoy the story. A lot of their silly antics made me chuckle a little to my self, or smile and there is just enough reality in the story to make it (almost) relateable. I enjoyed their reactions, thoughts and emotions, and thought the story had an almost whimsical quality that made it really fun to read. Except-
I probably would have given the story 4 stars (a pretty awesome rating) if it wasn't for the over use of the f-word. I hate that word. However, I understand that it's used fairly regularly by a lot of people. Even though I don't like the word, I understand it's used, and therefore can read/enjoy a story that uses that word. But, when it's written on almost every page, often multiple times per page, I find that I have a difficult time enjoying the story. I don't know anyone who uses any word that often. It's a little bit like it jolts me out of the story every time I read it. I can usually ignore it, but not when it's used that many times. And, I've felt this way before about certain other authors overuse of other words too. The fact that it's the f-word just makes it worse. So, both authors' prolific use of the f-word really got on my nerves. It made it really hard to enjoy the story, because I kept wishing they would use a different word. Seriously, I don't think it's really that hard to find a different (read-better) adjective/adverb/noun/verb than that one. Mix it up a little!
John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth, a Photobiography by Elizabeth Partridge is not a book I would have chosen to read on my own. I read it because I want to read every Printz Honor and Award, and this book won the Honor in 2006.
I've never been interested in the personal lives of celebrities. I just don't care. So, I wasn't expecting to love this book. And I didn't. But, that was probably more because I wasn't particularly fond of the subject matter than because of the writing or presentation of Partridge. The book is presented as a photobiography, which I generally enjoy. But, John Lennon was not really a person to admire, and I find it hard to enjoy reading any biography if I don't much care for the subject.
I really enjoy the music of The Beatles. I grew up listening to their music with my dad, and my favorites are always able to bring a smile to my face or call up a fond memory. And, there is no doubt about the fact that they changed the face and future of music. But, liking their music doesn't mean I'm terribly interested in their personal histories.
And really, John Lennon is not a person who made it easy to like him. I felt like most of the information related about Lennon was negative. He was moody, felt a huge sense of entitlement, just knew he was so misunderstood, and felt that he was above normal standards of conduct, even before they became super famous. It just got worse after. He wasn't terribly loyal, and turned away from the people who loved him most. He's not a person to look up to or aspire to be like. I find that I respect his music, but have very little, if any, respect for who he was.
Maybe that makes me a bad person, or maybe I'm just another one of those who misunderstands, but I don't really care. He wasn't a nice person, and I don't feel like I have to respect that.
I've decided that awards committees really like the photobiography. There are several photobiographies on the Newbery list, both winners and honors, and then this. The book is well written, well researched, and the information was presented well, but I don't know why it would be widely read, unless you are a huge Beatles or Lennon fan, or are like me and trying to read the whole list.
*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers is another one of those books that is enjoyable while you are reading it, and you think it's great... Until you start talking about it with friends, or thinking about it later. Then, it sorta, kinda, maybe falls apart a little bit.
I don't mean to make it sound like I didn't enjoy this book, because I did. It's just that it tried to be too many things. I don't want to completely spoil the book, so I won't go into too many details but I'll list a few of the things I thought a little... much. So, we have main character Frannie, whose real name is (no lie) Mary Francis. There are 5 girls in her family, and all five of them share the first name Mary. Then, enter the demon boy — Luc Cain. Except, that his name is really Lucifer. Lucifer Cain. Seriously?! But wait! The angel shows up next. And his name is Gabriel. Each are sent by their respective bosses to make sure that Frannie comes to bat for their team. But, Frannie is so awesome that both boys fall in love with her, and seem willing to risk eternal damnation to be with her.
The book is a split narration between Frannie and Luc. We get to hear different parts of the story from each of them, and I loved it! I thought it was a great way to tell the story and I loved listening to Luc! Their voices were different enough that I was usually able to tell which character was speaking, even without the names at the top of each narrative shift. Mostly I was able to tell because I really liked Luc. His narrative was hilarious. There's just something really funny about a 5,000 year old spawn of Satan born in seething fire and brimstone figuring out that he cares about what happens to a person. He's pretty snarky sometimes too, which I thought was great. (ie:(I'm paraphrasing here, because I don't have the book with me but:) Something bad happens, and a character says "Oh my God!" Luc's response? "Ya, like he had anything to do with it.")
One thing I loved about this book is that Frannie is kind of hard core. She is a 6th degree Judo blackbelt, and has no qualms about using that to defend/protect herself. But, like everything else, it kind of gets repetitive and cliché. Every time she uses her Judo training, it's either a breathing exercise to calm herself down, or it's to flip a male over her head. But, I have to say, I totally wish I could do that!:)
I love reading books with characters that show a genuine, marked improvement or growth. It's so rewarding to be there as this 'person' grows and learns about life. There is growth in each of the main characters, but it felt forced. I didn't feel like any of the changes the characters went through was a result of internal maturation and development. Each change the characters went through felt like the result of circumstance, or someone else sitting there, walking them through everything and saying This is who/how you are supposed to be, so maybe you should get there, like... Now. It's not how people are supposed to learn, and when you learn like that, very little of it actually changes who you are. Instead, it just alters how you act around that person.
I also must say, that I fervently wish that this book was not the beginning of yet another YA series. Although it's clear where the characters can go in future books, I don't feel like any of it is necessary. Each character is given a 'resting point', where we are comfortable with their ending. We don't know everything about their futures, but we know enough to be easy about letting these characters go. And, honestly, some of the questions or ideas that will come up in future books I would prefer be left alone, left to the reader to decide. I haven't decided yet if I'll be reading the sequels or not. I don't feel like it's necessary, and I really feel like it's okay to leave these characters alone, and just let them rest where I have them in my mind.
This is definitely a book that will easily be someone's favorite. It just wasn't mine.
*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler is a story about Lisabeth, a young anorexic girl who is chosen by Death, the Pale Rider, to become Famine, the Black Rider, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.
This sounds like an amazing concept. I was so interested in this storyline when I first heard about it, and I jumped at the chance to read it. When I finished it, I have to say I was more than a little disappointed. None of the characters seemed to be given very much depth. I was surprised at how shallow I found each character and each situation.
Before I say anything else, I want to mention that this book is less about Lisabeth becoming a horseman of the apocalypse, and more about her struggles with anorexia. If I had known this before I picked up the book, I think I would have enjoyed it more. However, I also felt that making Lisabeth one of the four riders was nothing more than a really neat plot trick, and it almost came across as a gimmick. I won't say more, because I want to avoid real spoilers, but I thought I'd put that out there.
I also think that the book was too short. Maybe the author ran out of things to say, but at only 180 pages, I felt like the author really rushed things, and left a lot underdeveloped. There were so many interesting ideas that I wish had been explored a little more, and we rarely got to see any of the other riders. We see Death several times, but never very long, and he isn't really developed. Most of the character development and the relationships in the story were told to us. We didn't see anything really happening, most of it was just what the author told us. I didn't feel like anything important happened until the last time Lisabeth rides as Famine in this story. That is the only time I felt any of the characters grew or learned anything at all.
Other than the lack of good character development, the writing was good and engaging. I was interested in the story, although I didn't like how it ended (and actually think it was inconsistent with what the author had previously laid out for us). Anyway, I will probably be reading Rage when it's released, and I look forward to how this story line will advance. However, if Rage feels the same as Hunger, I will probably pass up the remaining two. It will be interesting to see how the storyline develops.
I almost feel bad including this, but I also feel like I should... If you are reading this book even in part to gain an understanding about anorexia and what it's like for the people who suffer from it, I strongly recommend Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is one of the most powerful and moving books I've ever read, and I feel like it gives an accurate portrayal of what life is like for an anorexic teen. (My review here)
I'm ducking my head in shame as I say this but... I liked the movie more than the book. And the movie wasn't even all the great (although I did enjoy it). And they changed a lot. But, I know why I preferred the movie, and I'll include that in my review.
What story am I talking about you ask? The Invisible by Mats Wahl. I'll talk about the book first...
The story itself had a lot of potential. The book starts with Hilmer going to class. It doesn't take him long to realize that no one seems able to see him. Then, a police officer comes into the classroom to announce that Hilmer has disappeared, and anyone with information should come forward. Hilmer is confused and concerned. He decides to follow the officer to determine anything he can about what is going on. He panics as he realizes that he can't remember anything from the day he disappeared. After that, other than a few disjointed, awkward paragraphs, we are no longer listening to Hilmer, and are instead following the police officer, Detective Fors, and it's his thoughts we hear.
Once we switch narrators, the book loses whatever momentum and appeal it had. There is absolutely no sense of urgency to the story. Everything meanders calmly from one place to another. This tempo is fine in certain stories, and at times, it can actually enhance the reading experience. But no one wants to read a meandering story about a boy who has disappeared and it is assumed that someone made him disappear. Every interview was the same — You are looking for the boy? — Yes, do you know anything? — No, can't say that I do. — Let me know if you think of anything. — Ok. — (SHORT TIME LATER, same person) You knew about this--seriously important piece of information--before?! — Umm, Yes... — Why didn't you tell me?! — I didn't know if it was important, and I didn't want to bring it up... It could cause unnecessary trouble, ya know? Don't make a big deal about it... It could be nothing. Wouldn't want to cause concern now and make the tourists think we were a bad sort, ya know?
None of the townspeople seem to care about this missing boy. Other than Fors, none of the police officers seemed overly concerned about it either, which is shocking because they suspect that someone killed him. It took forever for them to get the dog out to track the scent, and they made a big deal about sending anyone else out there to help. It just seemed ridiculous and bla. No one wants to read how unconcerned a town is when a local boy shows up missing, especially when all the information they have makes it pretty clear that it is very unlikely he would have chosen to leave on his own.
The book was dull, unimaginative and mostly a waste of time. It was originally written in Swedish, and some of the pacing problems I noticed could have come from the translation, but I'll never know and it just wasn't a great read. It wasn't horrible, there just isn't much to recommend the book. It's a great idea, with great potential but the book did nothing with either. This is probably the only time I will say this, but do yourself a favor and just watch the movie instead... (Lightning is now going to strike me down in my hypocracy, but seriously... It's worth it this time...)
I know that this is going to make me sounds ethnocentric, but I liked the movie better because they made it more American, and more something that I could relate to. The movie also focuses more on the missing boy, and we follow him as he desperately tries to figure out what happened to him, where his body is, why no one can see him, and what he could possibly do to save himself. They changed the actual motivation behind the attack as well as the reaction of his assailant, and they fixed the pacing problems. We actually care about Nick as a person (they changed his name.) and not just as Detective Fors' current assignment. Nick still can't remember what happens and is really confused. At first, he thinks he is dead and it takes him a little while to realize that he is still alive, somewhere. The scene with the bird when Nick realizes his body is still alive is one of my most favorites.
The movie really is quite a bit different from the book, but I can't help but think that each change is an improvement. I know I just committed like, the cardinal sin of being a reader/book lover, but I had a really hard time relating and being drawn into the book, but the movie was quite good, rather suspenseful and definitely kept my attention the whole time.
Have any of you read the book or seen the movie? Or both? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! (And please, don't hate me! I always prefer the book to the movie. I'm allowed this one time, right?!)
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
**Warning: This review contains more spoilers than normal. Most of the spoilers listed happen within the first 60 pages or so, but it does give a lot more information than the blurb.**
The Thyssen Affair by Mozelle Richardson is a spy thriller set in 1980. Our hero is Canyon (Cane) Eliot, a retired CIA agent in his late 50s who owns a ranch in Colorado. Peter, a surrogate son, and active member of the CIA contacts him with a job. The Russians have dug up the skull of an unimportant major buried in a WWII POW cemetery in Oklahoma and 'we' don't know why. The CIA was able to intercept the package before it reached Zurich, and now they are trying to determine the importance of the skull, and keep it away from the Russians.
At first, Cane refuses. He is retired, comfortable, and has no desire to reenter the job at his age. Peter manages to convince him he is a necessary part of this picture and the only one capable of completing it. Cane's family roots are German, and he spent a lot of time growing up in Germany. As a result, Cane speaks flawless German, looks German, and knows his way around much of Germany. They need Cane to go to Germany, posing as a German soldier to contact the widow of 'the skull' to find any clue as to why the Russians want it bad enough to dig it up after 30+ years in the ground. Add to this an assortment of Russian spies, a legendary Israeli spy and a huge Nazi conspiracy and we've got ourselves a thriller.
I generally really enjoy the thriller/suspense/conspiracy genre. I love reading a book that makes my pulse rate jump, my adrenaline flow and keeps me awake at night because I'm so invested in the story. This book didn't deliver any of that. It's supposed to be suspenseful and intense but I spent more time being bored or disbelieving than captivated. Now let me tell you why.
For starters, the bad guys were the Russians and the Nazis. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting awfully tired of the bad guys always being Russian. You see it all the time in books, movies and television. I almost feel like every time I turn around, it's another Russian. I do understand that this book takes place in 1980, which is during the Cold War. So, it makes sense that the CIA's attitude is (and I quote) "... if the Russians want it then by God so do we!" But still. Really? It just felt a little bit ridiculous to me. And seriously... Does it always have to be the Russians?! But wait! Even better than Russians, we also have a secret underground Nazi organization devoted to helping former SS agents return to Germany and start new lives. How do they do this? By using the millions and millions of dollars worth of stolen Jewish treasure.
The Russians know that the skull does not truly belong to Major Von Stober, but really Otto Thyssen, BFF to Hitler himself. (Hitler was best man at his wedding.) So, it makes sense that Hitler left Thyssen in control of the finances. He was in charge of, and responsible for a large portion of the treasures stolen from the Jews. He had an Italian dentist plant a micro-dot treasure map in his tooth. Let me interject here briefly, because I have a few problems with this idea. First, I don't know how accurate the idea of a 1940s micro anything technology is. Was there really the technology to do this back then? Even if this technology was possible, I don't know that. All I know is that micro technology is supposed to be relatively new tech. But more importantly, if Thyssen knew where the treasure was headed, or had put it there himself, why on earth would he bother planting a chip into the bones in his skull?! Seriously! He already knew where he needed to go! It just felt illogical to me and, considering that this is the basis for the story, I was a little leery.
Then, you have the spies. So many spies! Seriously! We have the ex-CIA agent. He's in his late 50s and continually remarks that he's just too old for this stuff, and yet... he somehow manages to outsmart, out fight and just plain out do every one, every time. Next, we have Anya. She's a beautiful KGB agent, pretty high up the chain. She's important. But, she isn't very good... Oh, and you can catch where this connection is headed within the first few chapters. Cane's reaction to meeting her makes it pretty obvious. Anya also have several friends that we meet throughout the duration of the novel, there to help and/or protect Anya. I won't tell you who they are, or what real role they take, because I don't want to spoil too much of the story, we also have the undercover Nazis. They make several appearances as well. But, as if that isn't enough right there, we also have a super hard core Israeli tailing Cane who is also interested in the treasure. But, he wants to reclaim it for the people (the Jews) that it was stolen from. In case you missed it, that's a lot of spies in one story.
Overall, this book wasn't awful, but it wasn't amazing either. I'm not sorry that I read it but I doubt I will be picking it up again. Have you read it? What did you think?
* Disclaimer — I received an unbound copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair an unbiased review.
Thumbing Through Thoreau is an illustrated collection of quotations from Henry David Thoreau, compiled by Kenny Luck. According to the introduction, Kenny Luck is an avid fan of Thoreau. In Luck's words, Thoreau is his "literary and intellectual soul mate." This book is his chance to gather the best of Thoreau's writings, ideas, and philosophies into one place and make it accessible for everyone.
Before I go into my review of this book specifically, I need to make clear my opinion of Thoreau generally. I read Civil Disobedience in high school and rather enjoyed it. We also spent sometime discussing several major quotations from Walden and discussing those short passages and individual quotations. I found them interesting and thought provoking. I read Walden last year in it's entirety, and had none of the positive feelings for Thoreau I experienced in high school. I found his writings to be pompous, pretentious, and demonstrative of an over inflated sense of self and self importance, not to mention a little self-righteous. So knowing that I don't particularly love Thoreau, why would I accept a book of Thoreau's writing for review? Because I recalled those positive emotions from high school reading small excerpts and individual quotations, which is exactly what this book is! Complete with illustrations!
I decided I would read the book, because I prefer reading Thoreau as individual quotations, and I also liked the idea of the illustrations. The illustrations were lovely. The illustrations were produced by two different artists, with all of Jay Luke's illustrations on the even-numbered pages, and all the odd-numbered pages illustrated by Ren Adams. Each picture is simple but striking. More often than not, the illustrations have very little, if anything, to do with the actual quotation on the page, but instead depict a natural setting. Some are nothing more than the branch of a tree, or an individual flower. Others are more complex landscapes showing trees near bodies of water or rather detailed trees. Although, I am going to admit that when I read several quotations in a row, the illustrations did begin to blend together. Taken individually, the illustrations are each wonderful. When you begin to group them all together, they also start to run together.
However, the main complaint I had with this book was the font. (Feel free to use the 'search inside' feature on amazon.com to see what I mean. in my blog.) The quotations are printed using different sized font for the various words, as well as different shades of gray or black. I imagine the bolded words are those that Luck believed to be of more importance, and requiring emphasis. However, I like to think that I can figure out the important words on my own. I'm rather of the mind that the type of people who would be interested in piking up and reading this book already know how to determine which words are more important in a quotation. It was especially annoying on those occasions where I found myself disagreeing with the words he chose to tell me were more important. **Edit: I was just informed by the publisher (see the comments section) that the bolded words were not actually chosen by the author, and were instead included for purely aesthetic purposes. It makes me smile more fondly on the author, for not supposing he knows better than anyone else which words are more important (sorry about that Kenny...) but I still don't like the shifting font types. I think it detracts from the reading and changes the way you internalize the quotations. ** End of Edit.
I do very much appreciate the idea behind this book. I believe that it makes Thoreau more accessible to people. He isn't an easy man to read for everyone. I know some people who adored Walden and Thoreau and others who can't abide him. I think that this book would be a great addition to anyone's bookshelf. It makes Thoreau easier to approach and the illustrations were lovely. This book would be perfect as a 'coffee table book.' You know, the books that sit on the table waiting for people to glance through, and making the host/hostess look very well-versed. I can see myself picking up a bound copy of this book in the future, and having it displayed somewhere in my home. Very few people decide to sit down and read an entire book of quotations, but this is the perfect type book to take slowly, reading only a few at a time, and to flip through when you don't have the time to sit down and read from your book, but would still like to be reading.
If you like Thoreau, want to like Thoreau, or are interested in getting a glimpse of Thoreau's ideals before you invest in his complete writings, this is a great book to look into. Luck did an amazing amount of research before compiling these quotations and he has a wide variety of sources, including personal letters, and Thoreau's journals in addition to his published works.
If you would like more information about the book, or about Kenny Luck (who did participate in the 69th Annual Thoreau Society Gathering at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts in July, 2010) you can visit the website for the book, http://www.thumbingthroughthoreau.com. Here you can find photos from the above mentioned Thoreau Society Gathering, additional information about the author and illustrators as well as samples of the illustrations. Head on over, check it out, and let me know what you think!
When Shlemiel went to Warsaw and Zlateh the Goat are both collections of short stories awarded a Newbery Honor in 1969 and 1967 respectively. They were written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Jewish author well known for his short stories, who received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Literature.
These two collections included several stories that I really enjoyed and many that I didn't much like. Several stories in each book took place in the city of Chelm and mentioned the 7 City Elders (described by the author as fools). One of the residents of that city is Shlemiel, who appears in several stories and is also, undeniably, a fool. Although I like to think I have a sense of humor, and I enjoy a good taste of the ridiculous every now and again, sometimes, it's just a little too much. The two collections contained just a few too many stories dealing with the utter foolishness of these people for me to truly enjoy the reading. To give a quick example, a short story from Zlateh the Goat entitled The Snow in Chelm begins like this:
Chelm was a village of fools, fools young and old. One night someone spied the moon reflected in a barrel of water. The people of Chelm imagined it had fallen in. They sealed the barrel so that the moon would not escape. When the barrel was opened in the morning and the moon wasn't there, the villagers decided it had been stolen. They sent for the police, and when the thief couldn't be found, the fools of Chelm cried and moaned.
For some, I'm sure these stories would be very enjoyable and amusing tales. However, reading story after story involving more and more absurdities became just a little too much for me. Between the two books, almost half the stories dealt in some way with the preposterous happenings of the residents of Chelm.
However, I generally found the stories that did not mention Shlemiel or the Elders (and people) of Chelm to be very entertaining, and often delightful. I especially enjoyed the stories, Rabbi Leib & the Witch Cunegunde, and Shrewd Todie & Lyzer the Miser and the message of Utzel & His Daughter Poverty from Warsaw. My favorites from Zlateh were the stories Fool's Paradise, and Zlateh the Goat. These stories are all clever and well written, often with a warm moral, subtly teaching the reader ways to improve and become better without beating you over the head with the moral.
For the most part, I enjoyed reading these stories. It's always nice to get a new look at a culture I know very little about. In the foreward to Warsaw, Singer mentions that while each are retold using his own language and ideas, several of the stories within came from legends and stories told by his mother and grandmother. I love the different folk tales from various cultures, so that was fun. I did enjoy reading these short stories, and am glad I picked them up.
I want to like Shel Silverstein. Really, I do. I feel like I failed a part of childhood because I've never been much a fan. I read a few books when I was younger (or had them read to me) and I didn't much care for them then (The Missing Piece, The Giving Tree) although everyone else seemed to love them. The Missing Piece was repetitive, dull and completely pointless by the end, and The Giving Tree is about a horribly selfish little boy who thinks he can talk to a tree... I guess I just missed how it's more about unconditional love, because I don't think love should inspire selfishness.
Anyway, in the last little while, I've tried again to read Silverstein because everyone I know loves him. So, I read my nephews' favorite, Don't Bump the Glump, my brother-in-law's favorite, Where the Sidewalk Ends, my friend's favorite, The Giving Tree (tried it again, still didn't care for it) and a few others just for good measure. I read Falling Up, A Light in the Attic, and Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book. I genuinely enjoyed A Light in the Attic and I thought Uncle Shelby's Adult Primer was morbidly funny but was not at all impressed with any of the others. Each book does contain some poems that I really enjoyed, but as a whole, I felt that there were better things I could be doing with my time.
I do enjoy reading these books with young kids, because they just seem to love them, but reading them by myself is boring. I think perhaps the utterly and absurdly ridiculous is wasted on me. I like a little ridiculous in my life, but these just seem to much, almost like they are trying so hard to be funny. Some of them are legitimately great but most of them just don't do it for me.
So tell me — what am I missing? What is it about Shel Silverstein that everyone loves but I just can't seem to get?! Can any one fill me in here? I'm at a loss.
(Not to mention his pictures igg me out... I can't decide if he's a lumberjack or a creepy old man...)
WARNING: This review contains more spoilers than normal.
When I first picked up this book, I, like most readers, had heard that this is a true story. Go Ask Alice is marketed as the true diary of a 15 year old girl detailing the destruction of her life after becoming involved with drugs. (Not true, but, more on that later.) In high school, I kept a journal. A very detailed journal. (I filled 9 large notebooks in 2 years...) Although absolutely nothing in my life relates to or compares to what Alice experienced, I did keep a journal during the same age bracket Alice was writing. Reading this book as if it were her diary was interesting for me, because I did not recognize this as an actual diary of a young teenage girl. Very little of the book focused on typical teenaged drama. She touches on major crushes, glosses over losing her virginity and gives an intensely colorful and detailed description of the wonderful colors and feelings experienced while high on acid... Hmm... The writer of this 'journal' rarely felt 15 to me. Her writing was too advanced and cohesive to be the true ramblings and musings of a lost (and generally high) 15 year old trying to sort out her problems and her life. It just wasn't realistic. The few times the narrator felt 15 were after being ostracized from her peer groups. She expresses feelings of confusion and loneliness that range true but even those passages were so short as to almost be an afterthought. I read this believing it to be true, but was confused more than once and had to really stop to think about it. No 15 year old I know writes or talks like this. (I am about to SPOIL the ENDING. You have been warned.) Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this novel was the ending. It leaves you with a feeling of hopelessness. Rather than being a triumphal story about a young girl overcoming her addictions, or a cautionary tale about a life of excess, it is a tale to those addicted to drugs that there is no hope for you. The end will never come, and you will be a user until you die no matter how hard you try to get away from it. Alice has got her life back on track. She is clean, living with her parents and she even has a new boyfriend who knows her past and accepts her for who and how she is. Everything seems to be going so well for her. It seems so hopeful and wonderful. So what happens? In an 'afternote' we are told that 3 weeks after Alice wrote the last page in her diary (remember, she's clean now) she ODs and DIES! Really?! She cleans herself up so that she can die in the end?! Sigh... Okay. Now that I've told you why I didn't love this book, I should tell you that I did like it. It made me sad. It broke my heart. Although it wasn't always delivered in a perfectly believable manner, the situations Alice discovered herself in were traumatic and portrayed quite well. If nothing else, this book made me feel. For the most part, I was able to ignore the parts of the story that didn't ring perfectly true until I had finished the read. It's a short book, and one that I would say is definitely worth the read. Even though some of the descriptions and the writing itself isn't always on the level a 15 year old would use, the language of emotion was. When Alice did speak about her emotions, I found myself easily believing the sincerity of the narrator's emotions, especially when feeling lost, lonely and homesick. So, although overall I DID enjoy this book, and I DO recommend it, I am going to warn you now — This book is a work of fiction, no matter what you have heard otherwise. Check out snopes.com for the specifics about this book. And, read the copyright page! It clearly states that this book is a work of fiction. My recommendation to you — Read this book knowing that it is NOT really the anonymous diary of a teenager addicted to drugs and is instead someone's story of what could happen to you if you find yourself mixed up with drugs. It's a horrifying tale that doesn't need to be marketed as non-fiction to accomplish it's goal. I would have enjoyed this book much more had I know beforehand that it wasn't really true.
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White is one of those books I've been hearing about my whole life, and everyone who has ever read this has loved and told me that I have to read it because it is just so amazing. I read Charlotte's Web as a kid and really enjoyed it, so I fully expected to love this book.
I bought a really nice copy of it on impulse a couple years ago, because I just knew it would be awesome, and pretty copies of awesome books are great, right? I had a feeling it was going to be a while before I would get to it, so when Adam over at Roof Beam Reader started his 2011 TBR Reading Challenge, I thought it would be a great excuse to read this book.
So, I read the book. And, I didn't like it. I mean, it was okay, I guess. I actually really enjoyed the first couple of chapters, when the boy is our main character and the story is told by him and from his perspective. He goes camping in the wilds of Canada with his dad, and stumbles across a nesting pair of Trumpeter Swans, which are big, loud and beautiful. Being a nature and animal enthusiast, he does what he can to observe them and share a little part of their world. He's quiet and doesn't move as he observes the swans, because he doesn't want to alarm them, both because he doesn't want to threaten the home they have created for them and their eggs, but also because swans get downright nasty and you do NOT want to be on the receiving end of their territorial attacks.
And then we get a section from the swans point of view about this strange human boy who has invaded their space. But, it's kind of all right, because he just sits there, quietly, never moving. Just watching. So the swans get used to him. And then, a fox tries to attack the Mrs. and the boy saves her. So, they like the boy and allow him into their world, and when their chicks hatch, he is part of their lives also, at least for a few weeks.
If that was the only time we heard from the swans themselves, I would have been just fine. But it's not. The entire rest of the book becomes narrated by the swans and I didn't like it. They are ridiculous and far too human for me to believe any of it. And their understanding of the world is far too advanced for an animal. Like the son who cannot speak. He goes to school and learns to read and write on a little chalk board that hangs around his next. The teacher, of a first grade classroom, allowed a giant bird, notorious for its mean streak, into a classroom full of small children so it could learn to read, and it does.
And then even more craziness ensues, including the aforementioned swan learning how to play a magnificently beautiful trumpet, that more than makes up for the fact that he cannot 'trumpet' himself. Something has been wrong with his vocal cords since birth. But here's the things guys. I have played a trumpet. I know how they work. I know how hard you have to work to play one. And, if you don't have a working set of lips, you ain't getting any sound out of that thing. And if you can't depress the keys with your fingers, which takes more effort that the feathers on a wing could manage, you are vastly more limited in the notes you are able to play. So I didn't buy it.
I will admit right from the start that I want nothing but contemporary from my contemporary and realistic novels. I do not think there is any room for the abstract or unimaginable when I'm reading a book that I fully expect to be a realistic contemporary. If my book has impossibilities mixed in with it, I'm automatically more inclined to dislike it, and I didn't believe a single thing in this book after the swans took over the narration. And, it doesn't help that the father swan was one of the absolute most annoying characters I have ever read. He's full of ridiculous bluster, rambling pretension, and thoughts of inflated self, while his lady swan was very down to earth, practical and calm.
I feel bad that I didn't like this book, and I recognize there is a good chance I would have liked it a lot more if I had read it as a kid. But, I didn't. I read it now, and I didn't like it. The only thing that would possibly motivate me to read it again would be reading it aloud to my future kids someday.
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher sounded awesome. Set in a dystopic future where there isn't enough water for everyone, and only the truly rich and powerful are even able to obtain pure water, the book sounded like an awesome read. I love dystopian fiction and thought the idea of a world without enough water was plausible enough to truly be scary. However, the reality of the story didn't live up to my expectations.
Don't get me wrong. There was a lot to like about the story. But the most important aspects of the story, the relationships between the characters and how they interact within their world never felt fully realistic, or solid to me.
One day while waiting for the school bus, Vera meets Kai and sees him wasting a few drops of what is obviously fresh water. It's pretty obvious he's from a wealthy family, but he becomes friends with Vera and her brother Will anyway. We are told that they chat at the bus stop nearly every day, and that when possible, they hang out. Then, one day, Kai vanishes and Vera is certain he's been kidnapped. Given that his apartment (which they snuck into) has been ransacked, and the insulin for his diabetes was left behind, they have a pretty solid reason to suspect something sinister. Their narrow escape from the evil guys in suits who enter Kai's apartment was a little too easy, and they make off with the meticulous (although slightly coded) notes of Kai's father, a water driller. Seeing something in the papers, they set out to find Kai.
Although there are some parts of the story that don't really work for me (ahem... Vera and Kai's first kiss. Lamest first kiss ever, which definitely did not fit into the proper flow of the story) but up to this point, I'm willing to believe it. I can definitely understand wanting to find your friend, and could have seen a younger me go off searching. But, once they realize that Kai is not where the only lead they have takes them, Will is ready to go home, but Vera is adamant that they keep searching. And, I didn't buy it. They have very little food or money, their transportation just fell apart, meaning they have no idea how to get home across the scorching desert, let alone keep going, and I really didn't feel like they spent enough time with Kai, even with Vera's kiss, to warrant that extreme of a reaction within Vera.
And then, none of the characters that come later are at all believable. Some are around for such a small amount of time that I seriously wondered why they were included at all. The 'villian' was a rude jerk to whom the author added 'fangs and claws', kind of like little kids who put in those fake vampire teeth and think they are scary. We were supposed to believe he was this hard-core bad nasty, but I just thought he was kind of a jerk. Definitely not someone to inspire too much fear.
I also thought that the pacing of the novel was off. There were no segues, no real transitions. We went from this, to that, to this, to this, and on and on. There was never anything to bridge the distances and I found myself rolling my eyes more times than is good in a novel supposed to instill fear of the future.
Ultimately, I felt no connection to the characters or their predicament. And then, when the ending is revealed, and all is understood I felt a little cheated. It was not explained well enough, and the conflict was resolve far too easily. Without giving away the ending, I'm just going to say that there is no way the main bad guys would have given up so easily.
I really wanted to love this book, but there were just too many things missing. However, I do think this was an enjoyable read. I don't regret it at all, and will probably read any follow ups Stracher releases. (I'm assuming there will be more, because there always are). Stracher has a lot of potential as a writer. The idea here was solid, but the execution needs a little more work.
*Disclaimer: Received through Around the World Tours.
