tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40016151431028334462024-02-18T19:28:24.096-08:00George's Backlogged Book ReviewsGeorge Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-21697458545146099302019-01-31T10:22:00.002-08:002019-01-31T10:22:29.023-08:00Review of The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina UssWelcome to my first book review in a long time. I am debating what to do with this section of my blog, but I just finished a book today that I had to blog about called The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss. So here goes...<br />
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Title: The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle<br />
Author: Christina Uss<br />
Publication Date: June 5, 2018<br />
Target Age Group: Middle Grade<br />
My Rating: 5 out of 5<br />
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Book Description (from back cover):<br />
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Twelve-year-old Bicycle has lived at the Mostly Silent Monastery in Washington, D.C., for as long as she can remember, surrounded, mostly, by silence. Every time she meets other children she's astonished by how noisy they are - and can't stop herself from pedaling away from them on her trusty bike, Clunk. Her guardian, Sister Wanda, decides to fix this friendship problem by sending Bicycle to a camp where she's guaranteed to make three friends. But Bicycle decides that if she must make a friend, she'll do it her own way. Without telling Sister Wanda, she sets off with Clunk on a journey across the United States to attend the San Francisco Blessing of the Bicycles. There, she will be able to meet her idol, a famous cyclist, who she hopes will become her first and best friend.<br />
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Bicycle has no way of knowing that she'll end up with a friendly ghost haunting her handlebars and have to contend with a bike-loving horse, bike-hating dogs, bike-crushing pigs, and a bike-stealing bandit. Over the uphills and downhills of her journey, she discovers that friends are not such a bad thing to have after all, and that a dozen cookies really can solve most problems.<br />
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My Review:<br />
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<table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="readable reviewText" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><span id="freeTextreview2697055616">I cannot say enough good things about this book. As a (slightly lapsed) bicycle rider, I can relate to this book so much. I've always wanted to ride cross-country by bicycle, which is what the main character does. The descriptions of the scenery are amazing and vivid, and I can easily picture it in my mind, having done some (much smaller - most I've bicycled is through 5 states in 2 days) bicycle tours. The thrill of seeing new things, crossing state and town lines, the highs and lows of the physical feat of riding such a long distance, and meeting new people all comes through in this book.<br /><br />The best part of the story is that it's surreal and whimsical. In addition to the normal experiences Bicycle has riding cross-country, she also has the craziest, most unrealistic adventures. At one point in the story, her bicycle is actually haunted by a ghost. I love the fact that Christina Uss pulls NO punches. When she sets out to tell a tall tale, she goes from "Wow, that's strange." to "I can't believe this is really happening!". I love books like this that mix the normal every day with the strange and unreal.<br /><br />Above all, Bicycle learns important lessons on how to make friends, and they are good lessons for everyone. If only everyone would follow such simple advice, the world would be a much better place. The lessons are not heavy handed but told in a fun, suspenseful, and uplifting tale that I would highly recommend.</span> </span></td></tr>
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George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-52794931939988167302016-10-26T06:52:00.000-07:002016-10-26T06:52:07.202-07:00Review: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Welcome to Night Vale (audiobook version)</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: October 20, 2015</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Adult</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 5 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Back Cover)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Welcome to Night Vale... a friendly desert community where mysterious lights pass overhead. In this ordinary little town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are commonplace parts of everyday life, the lives or two women, with two mysteries, are about to converge.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Like all of Night Vale, pawn shop proprietor Jackie Fierro abides by routine. But a crack appears when a mysterious man gives her a slip of paper marked by two words: KING CITY. Everything about the man unsettles her, especially the paper that she cannot remove from her hand. Yet when Jackie searches for the man, no one who meets him can seem to remember anything about him.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Diane Crayton's fifteen-year-old son, Josh, is moody and a shape shifter. Lately, Diane has started to see the boy's father everywhere she goes, looking the same as he did the day he left. Josh is growing ever more curious about his estranged father - leading to a disaster Diane can see coming but is helpless to prevent.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Propelled by two words - KING CITY - Diane's search to reconnect with her son and Jackie's search to reclaim her routine life draw them increasingly closer to one another, and to this place that may hold the key to their mysteries and their futures... if they can ever find it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">It is not often that I give a book 5 stars, so when a book like this come along that completely blows me away, I have no choice but to do so. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">There are 3 reasons why this book made such an impression on me.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><b>First</b>, the storytelling and the voice are perfect.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">In order for you to understand the essence of this book, picture the following:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">* the short, punchy, quirky language and the amazing blend of the real with the absurd of Kelly Link</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">* the omni narration, humor, satire, and word-building of Douglas Adams</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">* the creepiness and off-putting horror of Stephen King</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Here is an excerpt illustrating the style I outlined above:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">"Imagine teaching a fifteen-year-old how to drive a car with manual transmission. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">First, you have to press down the clutch. Then, you have to whisper a secret into one of the cup holders. In Diane's case, this was easy, as she was not a very social or public person and most any mundane thing in her life could be a secret.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">In Josh's case, this was hard, because for teenagers, most every mundane thing in their lives is a secret that they do not like sharing in front of their parents.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Then, after the clutch and the secret, the driver has to grab the stick shift, which is a splintered wood stake wedged into the dashboard, and shake it until something happens. Anything really. And then simultaneously type a series of code numbers into a keyboard on the steering wheel.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">All this while sunglasses-wearing agents from a vague yet menacing government agency sit in a heavily tinted black sedan across the street, taking pictures and occasionally waving.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">This is a lot of pressure on a first-time driver."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">This one passage alone shows the humor of the story, the way the strange and the normal blend together, a little piece of the world the characters live in and how seemingly simply described yet detailed it is, and just a touch of creepiness around the edges. I particularly love how the difficulty of a first-time driver driving a stick shift car is captured by exaggerating just how difficult it is. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><b>Second</b>, the story is about real people with real problems that you can relate to, who coexist with the strangeness of the world in which they liv<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sto<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ry is really about three people with three ve<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ry real problems: </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">J<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ackie <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fier<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ro, an eternally 19 year old w<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">om<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">an who is kind of lost in her life<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. She's that in-bet<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">we<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">en age whe<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">re she's <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">not a child but she<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'s</span> not quite an adult, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">she's str<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">u<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ggling to find meaning in her life. S<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he has literally chosen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to re<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">main a 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">9-year-old for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a long time<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. It'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s u<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nclear just how long, but the len<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">gth of time isn't important. The fa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ct that she's chosen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> remain fro<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">zen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> at that age is important,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> because let's face it. When you were that age, did you really want to grow up and go out into the world to find your way? <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you were anything like me, proba<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ly not. Y<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ou were content to just be, to fall into your routine, wh<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">atever that might've b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">een at the time<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and hope that adult<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hood could be dela<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">yed as long as possib<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">le.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Josh Crayton, a fifteen-<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">year-<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">old b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oy<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> who is struggling with his identity. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a great me<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">aphor applied to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Josh in this story, where he <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lit<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">erally changes physical form every day<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to re<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">flect his ever changing life. Teens tend to try on this personali<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ty and that perso<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ality, not knowing exactly who there are or where they fit in the world. They can <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">also be different <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">people depending on <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">who they're around. Josh tends to be one thing in front of his mother but something else entirely in fro<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nt of someone<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> el<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">se. Part of Josh's <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">se<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ar<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ch fo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r his identity extends to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his search<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> for his father, who disappeared<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> when<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> he was <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">youn<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ger.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally, you <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">have Diane Cray<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ton, a sin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">le mother to Josh<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">who is struggling to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">discover and rediscover her rel<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">atio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nship with he<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r ever changing (<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lit<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">erally<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and figurat<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ively) son</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> She captures the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> pain of parenthood <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">duri<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ng a child'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s teenaged years perfectly. She <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ies </span></span>to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mainta<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in tha<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t mother-son bond at <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the same time she</span></span></span></span></span></span> has to<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">begin to let her son go as he approaches adult<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hood. She also <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tru<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ggles with protectin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g he<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r son from <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">being exposed to his father, like most single parents <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">probably do when the other parent<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">chooses to be a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bsent in <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a child'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s life. Another great metaphor - in the story, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">more and more versions of Josh's father show up, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">making it increasingly difficult for Diane to stop the inevitable meeting</span> between Josh and his father.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Just as an aside, this line in the story<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> summari<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ze<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s bea<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">utifully the love be<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tween mother and son<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and it's heartfelt and in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sight<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ful </span></span>lines like t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the book th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at amaze me and make me realize there is a lot more going on here than just a strange, absurd r<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">omp through the world of Night Val<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">"Josh loved his mother, but he did not know why. Diane loved her son, and she did not care why."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><b>Finally</b>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the boo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">k is a perfect complement to the bi-monthly <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">podcast Welcome to Night Vale, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">also written by Joseph <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">k and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jeffrey <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cranor. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While it is not necessary to listen to the podcast to enjoy<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> this <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">book, I was thr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">illed to be able to explo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">re aspects of the town of Night Vale through this <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">book that <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as a listener of the podcast I <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">don't <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">get to see. Pla<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ces l<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ike the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Night <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vale Public Lib<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rary <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(and the malevolent librari<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ans ther<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ein), Old Woman<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jos<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ie's house<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> out by the old car lot (and the angels ther<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ein, which really<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>exist, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">even though it is <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">illegal to admit they do), and Carlos's science lab. They<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'re all written in v<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ivid detail. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an ex<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tra <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">onus, becaus<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e I listen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed to the audio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> book, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o hear the story narrated by <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> voice of the Welco<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">me to </span>Night Vale po<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dcasts, Cecil Baldwin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, who plays the ch<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">aracter of Cecil Palmer, the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Night Value public radio announcer in the podcasts and the nov<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">el</span></span></span></span>. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Welcome to Night Vale podcasts <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- how to descr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ibe them? Picture listening to a public com<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">munity </span>radio program, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but hearing about t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">strange goings<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">on of a town where every crackpot conspi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">racy theory you'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ve ever heard is true and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">co<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">exist. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Y<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ou'll hear<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> news reports about <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">strange lights that pas<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s overhead, ghosts, aliens, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">angels, agents from a vague yet menacing government agency<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">five-headed dragons running for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">town mayor.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">those are just the more normal topics I could pick off the top of my head.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to the narration - Cecil Bald<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">win </span></span>does such an incredible job narrating the radio podcast<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> that I couldn't imagine any<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">one else ever narrating the book,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> so<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> as soon as I discovered he <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ud<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">io book nar<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ra<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tor</span></span></span></span></span></span>, there was no other option for me <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but to exper<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ience the audio book as opposed to reading the hard <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cover. The<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> story <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the novel </span>is <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">periodically interr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">upted by excerpts of radio broadcas<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ts from the Welcome to Night <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vale radio show, so it was li<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ke having <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">some extra podcast l<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">istening experie<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nces </span>thrown in.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And there you have it. 5 star book. Hands down. Go <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">read it. You<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> won<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'t reg<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ret i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t!</span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-57204037618158395082015-09-02T14:27:00.001-07:002015-09-02T14:28:10.650-07:00Review: The Man with the Glass Heart by Shelly Reuben<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: The Man with the Glass Heart</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Shelly Reuben</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: December 1, 2012</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Adult</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not since The Little Prince fell in love with a rose has a book captured
the magic of a world where love longs for what it cannot have, recovers
what it has lost, and the unimaginable flutters with luminescent wings
out of crystal caves. Panache, an exuberant road gypsy, is on her way
to the mountains. Benjamin Pencil, The Man With The Glass Heart, has no
use for mountains. But their paths cross, their lives intertwine, and
Benjamin follows her up, up, up, to where hills are smothered in poppies
and a man can reach out and write his name in the sky. As they travel,
they first encounter the beautiful but predatory Woman with the
Breeding, a collector of hearts who tries to add Benjamin's exquisite
heart to her pitiable hoard; the malicious Man who Laughs, who lives
only to create fear and kill dreams; and unpredictably Panache's
iconoclastic, unreliable, and utterly irresistible father. Papa plays
his saxophone with the same wild abandon with which he lives his life,
and cautions Panache that if the mountains are in a man, he will go
there ... and that mountains are in the man with the glass heart. It is
in those mountains that they meet the melodious laughing bird. Melody,
with her irresistible song and aquamarine eyes, lures Benjamin to an
Arabian Nights world where hypnotizing creatures dance and sing late
into the night. At what peril does Benjamin Pencil follow the melodious
laughing bird? To what end? Can real hearts be broken? Is a shattered
heart the end of all love? Or can it be a new beginning?</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This
book was acquired from Book Expo America 2013. Many thanks
to BEA and to the author for the opportunity to review it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This
book is toted as an adult fable. And it's easy to see tons of symbolism in the story. But the story itself, before going into that symbolism, exists well enough on its own. Shelly Reuben has created a very vividly imagined story of a kind of fantasy world, with modern touches. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The story has a very medieval feel to it, with characters traversing the landscape on foot, majestic mountain landscapes, and small towns that feel like something right out of J. R. Tolkien's works. There is also magic involved. There is a character who is a collector of hearts, where the hearts are physically taken from their owners. There is also another character who appears and disappears like some type of magician and a harbinger of doom, as well as the Melodious Bird" which is almost human in its mannerisms. This is, of course, because these characters are symbols purposefully created by the author, but ignoring that, they give the story a fantasy element.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">And yet there are characters, such as the main character Panache's father, who is an obviously modern musician who plays the saxophone. It is a testament to the skill of the author who successfully marries these modern touches with the old-school landscape to make it all work together.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">On the surface, the story is about Panache, who wants nothing more than to explore the world around her like her gypsy father, who comes and goes as he pleases, playing his music with reckless abandon. Then she meets Benjamin Pencil, the Man with the Glass Heart, and for all intents and purposes, even though she doesn't know it at the time, she falls in love with him, with his innocence and genuine nature. The story is a journey that these two embark on together, where they come across many physical challenges and grow closer together, then apart, and ultimately... well, no spoilers, right? Lol.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">But there is another layer to this story. Because this is really an allegory, where the different characters represent many of the trials and tribulations of the person (in this case, Benjamin Pencil) who starts off with an innocent and "good" heart. There are those who would seek to keep that heart for themselves, not to cherish it but to add to their "collection" of claimed hearts. Like trophy boyfriends/husbands, if you will. There is the perilous mountain climb Benjamin Pencil makes with his glass heart in his little wagon, representative of the cruel world out there that would do his heart harm... or not, depending on how well he protects his true nature. And so on. (I don't want to give away all the symbolism, after all. I do have my theories about the character of the Melodious Bird that I'd love to discuss with the author someday.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Both of these aspects of the story are woven together to create a magical tale that I feel people can relate to if they wish to look below the surface. Or readers can just enjoy a magical story about a woman who falls in love with the impossible Man with the Glass Heart and how their relationship fares while traversing the fantastical and sometimes treacherous world in which they live, and how the two of them change in the process. Can Benjamin Pencil grow to be more daring even while still protecting his glass heart? Can Panache grow to let go of some of her own freedom to care for someone else? Can they both survive those who would do them ill will?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">My recommendation? Read this story and find out for yourself! :-) </span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-59932947834652472062015-09-01T09:48:00.000-07:002015-09-08T09:19:09.823-07:00Review: Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Watch the Sky</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Kirsten Hubbard</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: April 7, 2015</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: MG</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from inside cover)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>Jory's stepfather, Caleb, says: Red leaves in the springtime. Pages torn from a library book. All the fish in an aquarium facing the same way. A cracked egg with twin yolks. Everywhere and anywhere. And because of them Jory's life is far from ordinary. He must follow a very specific set of rules: don't trust anyone outside the family, have your work boots at the ready just in case, and always, always watch out for the signs. The end is coming, and they must be prepared.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">School is Jory's only escape from Caleb's tight grasp, and with the help of new friends Jory begins to explore a world beyond his family's farm. As Jory's friendships grow, Caleb notifies Jory's mother and siblings that the time has come for final preparations.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They begin and exhausting schedule, digging a mysterious tunnel in anticipation of the disaster. But as the hole gets deeper, so does the family's doubt about whether Caleb's prophesy is true. When the stark reality of his stepfather's plans becomes clear, Jory must choose between living his own life or following Caleb, shutting his eyes to the bright world he's just begun to see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This
book was acquired from Book Expo America 2015. Many thanks
to BEA and to the author for the opportunity to review it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book was endlessly fascinating to read. The feeling I got while reading it was probably much similar to Jory's as the story progresses. Jory's family is digging a shelter to survive some coming catastrophe his stepfather insists is coming, and yet I felt much like Jory did - claustrophobic. Especially because, in contrast to what Caleb suggests is the best practice, to keep to themselves, not attract attention, and to trust no one, Jory begins to reach out to others and discovers that the rest of the world is not as scary as Caleb portrays it to be. Jory begins to LIVE for the first time in his life, and it makes his life at home (and my feelings as a reader) even more claustrophobic as the "end" that Caleb describes comes closer. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This story is more like a psychological suspense/thriller than anything else, which I don't see often in MG fiction. It's not necessarily the crisis that's the main issue in this book, although it's the dark cloud that hangs over Jory's head that makes up part of the actual conflict. It took me a while to realize this: The theme of "Is it really worth living your life in fear and to be safe than it is to live your life to the fullest?" that's the main conflict in the story. It's the battle in Jory's brain - live in fear or live your life. The physical manifestation of the "live in fear and be safe" is Caleb, and on the other side are Jory's new school friends, who are the "live your life to the fullest" manifestations.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The wild card in the story is Jory's sister Kit, who I find most fascinating of all the characters in the story. She represents both sides of Jory's internal struggle. Her appearance is very mysterious. She appeared one day out of nowhere in the family pumpkin patch. Her very existence suggests that Caleb's views may be true - there are truly signs that warn of some coming disaster. And yet, Kit is different than everyone else in the family. She enjoys life to the fullest, even inside the artificial boundaries of Caleb's artificial world he's built around the family. She challenges Jory to see outside that world as well, and I'd venture that she's really the first catalyst that pushes Jory to realize there's a whole life out there to live outside his current life of fear and preparation. One of Caleb's warnings - to watch the sky for trouble - Kit takes and turns on its head. She makes Jory see the wonders in the sky, so that Jory both simultaneous fears AND is fascinated by them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">My recommendation: Excellent read. Highly recommended. </span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-2823489398555315192015-06-23T08:58:00.003-07:002015-06-25T05:53:10.545-07:00Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Paige McKenzie, Nick Hagen, and Alyssa Sheinmel</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: March 24, 2015</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: YA</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 5 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Sunshine Griffith and her mother, Kat, move from sunny Austin, Texas, to the rain-drenched town of Ridgemont, Washington. Though Sunshine is adopted, she and her mother have always been close, sharing a special bond filled with laughter and inside jokes. But from the moment they arrive, Sunshine feels her world darken with an eeriness she cannot place. And even if Kat doesn't recognize it, Sunshine knows that something about their new house is just... creepy.<b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On their first night in Ridgemont, Sunshine is awakened by the sound of footsteps coming from above, followed by a child's ghostly laughter. In the days that follow, things just get more frightening. But Kat seems oblivious to the terror, insisting that Sunshine's imagination is getting the best of her. Determined to prove her mother wrong, Sunshine begins taking photographs, desperate to catch evidence of the supernatural presence. At her new school, Sunshine meets Nolan Porter, a cute - if slightly bookish - classmate. Nolan also has a passion for photography - and, more importantly, for ghosts. He offers to help Sunshine figure out exactly what's going on.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What they uncover is a story that's much bigger and runs deeper than they could have imagined. She can hardly believe it, but as the spirits haunting her house become stranger - and it becomes clear that Kat is in danger - Sunshine learns that everything she thought she knew about her past has been wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a newly acquired book from Book Expo America 2015 book. Many thanks to BEA and to the authors for the opportunity to review it before its release.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">First, before I get into the book review, I just wanted to say it was awesome meeting Paige McKenzie at BEA 2015 this year, not only because she's co-written an amazing story - with Alyssa Sheinmel and Nick Hagen - but she was probably the most enthusiastic new writer I've ever seen at BEA. I wish her loads more success in her career.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book is yet another great, creepy story I've acquired at BEA this year. For that reason alone, I love this book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">At first glance, this book may seem like another run-of-the-mill ghost story. And on the surface, it is. Girl moves into a house, house is haunted, girl can see ghosts. Probably been done loads of times. Yet, it hasn't. This book seems to take these old tropes and create something new with it. A new mythology involving ghosts and their goings-on after they've left the land of the living. Paige McKenzie and company have created a bunch of rules for this particular ghost world, and they're pretty cool. They've also created a new mythology for the main character, Sunshine, and her ghostly powers that involve communicating with, and assisting, the dead.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">One of the biggest stand-out features of this book is the use of water. Sunshine moves from sunny Austin, Texas, to the gloomy climate of Ridgemont, Washington, where it always seems to be raining. As events get stranger and more menacing for Sunshine in her new home, the water level in her life starts to figuratively, and literally, rise. Great symbolism, since water can be symbolic of death, or of formless things (i.e. ghosts). </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Water may also symbolize change, which is another recurring theme of the story. Sunshine's life is in the midst of change. Everything she knows about her life is turned on its head by the end of the story. She's suddenly unsure about her relationship with her mother, her surroundings, her history, and even who to trust around her, whether living or dead. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">To me (and maybe I'm reading too much into this), this story also seems to be a great analogy of a child and a parent and how they can lose their way during a child's teenaged years. Kat, Sunshine's mother, begins to act strangely after they've moved into their new house, and yes, there's a supernatural element behind all of it, but it also illustrates how teenagers and their parents often seem to get disconnected. For that reason, this book is also a great coming-of-age type of story, in its own weird, spooky way. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I could go on, but I'll let you readers see for yourselves how great this book is. Pick this one up, especially all you lovers of supernatural YA. You won't regret it!</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-46232449991137637502015-06-11T09:44:00.001-07:002015-06-11T09:44:43.381-07:00Review: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: The Nest</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Kenneth Oppel</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: October 6, 2015</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: YA</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 5 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Steve just wants to save his baby brother—but what will he lose in the bargain? This is a haunting gothic tale for fans of <i>Coraline</i>, from acclaimed author Kenneth Oppel (<i>Silverwing</i>, <i>The Boundless</i>) with illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.<br /><br />For
some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, it’s
just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby
brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are
struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp’s nest looming ominously
from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams,
offering to “fix” the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered.<br /> <br />All
he has to do is say “Yes.” But “yes” is a powerful word. It is also a
dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back?<br /> <br />Celebrated
author Kenneth Oppel creates an eerie masterpiece in this compelling
story that explores disability and diversity, fears and dreams, and what
ultimately makes a family. Includes illustrations from celebrated
artist Jon Klassen.<b><br /></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a newly acquired book from Book Expo America 2015 book. Many thanks to BEA and to Kenneth Oppel for the opportunity to review it before its release.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I have a weakness for really creepy books that crawl right into your mind and haunt it. This, dear readers, is just that type of book.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Steve's new baby brother is very sick, and all he wants is for him to get better. Not only because it's his brother, but for other selfish reasons. Steve is portrayed as a very real boy with real emotions concerning a very real problem. His parents are spending all their time with the baby and not enough on him. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Then some very cool, unreal elements come into the story. "Angels" appear and say they can make the baby all better, and Steve agrees to let them help. Who wouldn't jump at that opportunity? The angels appeal to Steve, not only because they will help his baby brother, but also because they can help him as well. Steve's parents will be able to spend more time with him instead of worrying about the baby. And, oh by the way, they can make Steve better too, because he's a very anxious boy with OCD. He's "broken", like the baby, but the angels say they can fix him too.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">At the same time all this is going on, there's a giant wasp nest growing outside Steve's house, and as it gets closer to the time the angels promise the baby will be all "fixed", the nest grows and grows. And the truth of what these angels have in mind grows more and more apparent, and frightening. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Not only is this a really cool and creepy story, but there are a lot of very complex, philosophical questions addressed in this book concerning both physical and mental illnesses and how they should be handled. The book works on different levels for this reason. I guarantee both those philosophical questions and the creepiness will take up residence in your head by the end of the story.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I highly recommend reading this book.</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-6171661207340196592015-06-02T13:30:00.000-07:002015-06-02T13:30:05.287-07:00Review: Call Me Amy by Marcia Strykowski<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Call Me Amy</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Marcia Strykowski</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: May 1, 2013</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Middle Grade</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">For Amy Henderson, </span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1973 has been a lonely year of so many awkward moments she's actually
lost count. Things turn around quickly when she assists in the rescue of
an injured seal pup. To help save Pup, she forms an unlikely alliance
with a questionable boy in a worn-out army jacket, as well as a peculiar
older woman the kids in town refer to as "Old Coot."<br /><br />Amy soon
finds that people aren't always what they seem, as she nurtures Pup back
to health with the help of her two new companions, Craig and Miss
Cogshell. Unexpected detours occur as an ill-intentioned harbormaster
hunts down Pup and a group of nosy popular girls set their affections on
Craig. <br /><br />As if these weren't obstacles enough, an even graver
challenge presents itself soon thereafter, threatening the future of the
entire town--and Amy's life as well.</span></span></span><b><br /></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a Book Expo America 2013 book. Many thanks!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book tricked me. First, I wasn't sure if I'd even be interested in it based on its description. Anyone who knows me knows it's not my typical reading fare. Also, when I first started reading it, I found very common themes about the main character's sister who was the popular one and the one who the parents doted on while the main character was all but invisible. Also, there was lots of what I considered over the top description and dropped references to let the reader know what time period the story took place in. Craig didn't seem very developed, and neither did Miss Cogshell, although she was very vividly drawn.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">And then something changed.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">As the three characters came together in the midst of taking care of an injured seal pup, suddenly they all became alive in my mind. The interactions between the three of them caused each of them to open up to the others, and suddenly I began really caring about these characters. I learned each had a history of their own, that each had their own problems, and that each could help the others cope with theirs. By the end of the book, I was totally invested in all of them, especially during tragic events that I of course can't reveal (spoilers you know). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">For those people looking for an action-filled adventure, there's very little of that to be found in this book. For those that like a slow build, however, and a warm-hearted story, then this may be the right book for you. It turns out it was the right one for me as well.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I would definitely recommend this one.</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-35117945002844664022015-05-19T10:04:00.003-07:002015-05-19T11:32:37.447-07:00Review: Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Fortunately, the Milk</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Neil Gaiman</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: September 17, 2013</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Middle Grade</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 5 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from back cover)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">Jason When a father run out to buy milk for his childrens' breakfast cereal, the last thing he expects is to be abducted by aliens. He soon finds himself transported through time and space on an extraordinary adventure where the fate of the universe depends on him, a time-traveling Stegosaurus (in a balloon), and, fortunately, the milk.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">This is quite possibly the most exciting adventure ever to be written about milk since Tolstoy's epic novel War and Milk. Also it has aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, and wumpires in it (but not the handsome, misunderstood kind), not to mention a Volcano God.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a Book Expo America 2013 book. Many thanks!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">I have no clue what I could possibly say that you can't already gather in the description above. This is a purely fun romp and pays homage to all those dads out there who are being heroes to their kids, whether their families believe it or not, and whether they're simply buying milk for their kids' milk or out thwarting aliens bent on taking over our world. *wink wink* </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I love how the story starts out crazy - the dad gets accosted by aliens - and then gets crazier and crazier as the story goes on. I also love how the kids interject throughout the story, trying to call him out, and then he gets creative and adds a new twist into the story. The craziness reminds me of a Douglas Adams story.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I should also mention the illustrator - Skottie Young. I love the illustrations, which capture the fantastical images the dad relates to the kids perfectly. Some of the illustrations have a kind of Dr. Seuss look to them, if Dr. Seuss was haunted by nightmares of aliens, pirates, wumpires, and deadly piranhas. There's actually a seemingly explicit reference to Dr. Seuss in an image of a pony with a star on its side.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">There are also a few other fun references in the book. For example, there was a reference to Twilight when the girl in the story asks if the wumpires were "nice, misunderstood" wumpires. Also, there are some fun timey-wimey loops in the story, which seem even funnier when you see that the dad is dressed in what is clearly the 4th doctor's scarf (from Doctor Who, for those who don't know what I'm referring to... is there such a person?).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Oh, and let's not forget the brilliant move of making milk a key plot element in the story!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Very fun book. Check it out!</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-65603397817721474142015-05-15T18:39:00.000-07:002015-05-19T11:32:25.333-07:00Review: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Brandon Mull</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: February 14, 2012</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Middle Grade</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">Jason Walker has only wished </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;">his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;" /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;">In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This
is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013, so thank you, thank you, to BEA and the author.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">First of all, I loved this book. For starters, it has to have one of the most unique ways a character has ever been transported to another world in all the books I've ever read. That gets bonus points from me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Second, this book is an epic quest, which is also high on my list of favorite types of books to read. Jason and Rachel enter this strange world of Lyrian unwillingly, and are only interested in returning home. However, they are drawn into a quest to find a magic word that will destroy Maldor, an evil wizard who rules over this broken land. At first, they both embark on the quest in order for it to lead to their way back to our world, but the more people they meet who are dedicate to the cause of destroying the evil wizard, the more involved they become. In contrast, coming across the many un-hero-like people in Lyrian also cause them to strengthen their resolve. Lyrian needs heroes, and Jason and Rachel step up nicely as the story progresses.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Third, keeping with the epic theme for a moment, the scope of the world of Lyrian is epic as well. Reading this book reminded me of playing a computer game called Myst. For those who have never seen this game, it's an amazingly detailed game where you navigate a fantasy world, solving puzzles along the way. I felt this book was very similar in that Jason and Rachel had to solve puzzles in order to find the pieces of the magic word that would destroy Maldor. Plus, Brandon Mull's skills at world-building made this book as vivid as that game was. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Fourth... twist ending! Which I won't give away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Fifth, there is lots of action, and many supporting characters whose alliances are always in question, which makes for interesting reading.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I could go on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Why didn't I rate this a 5? I was very close. There was one thing that kept nagging at me, so I had to dock a few decimal points. I did notice there was some filler in this book, much of which involved either traveling from place to place, eating, or going to sleep or waking from sleep. Some of that probably could've been trimmed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Other than that, a very satisfying read, and one I recommend to everyone who likes fantasy, adventure, and mystery. This book is part of a series, so I can't wait read more! The copy I have has a small section of book two, which definitely piqued my interest.</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-57638609896272648762015-05-08T09:48:00.001-07:002015-05-19T11:32:03.343-07:00Review: Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit by Octavia Spencer<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Octavia Spencer</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: October 15, 2013</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Middle Grade</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 5 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from back cover)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">When Randi Rhodes moves to sleepy Deer Creek, she certainly isn't expecting the kinds of adventures she had in New York City. In the city she used her detective (and ninja) skills to solve mysteries. Nothing can compare to that.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">But she finds that the small town's only hope for survival is the success of their Founders' Day Festival. And the time capsule that many people believe holds the town's treasure has gone missing.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">So, along with her new best friend, D.C., Randi is determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating in haunted cabins and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, prime suspect. The future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able to save the day?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013, so once again, many many thanks to Ms. Spencer and BEA for the opportunity to review it. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">First, a little about my experience at BEA 2013 as it relates to this book. Ms. Spencer had the most awesome marketing campaign. Send a bunch of women out on the floors of the convention hall dressed as ninjas, and get people walking by to don their own ninja masks and take pictures. Brilliant!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">But my 5/5 rating is not based on this experience, however fun it was. It's based on the fact that this is a really great, satisfying book for middle grade kids! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The main character, Miranda "Randi" Rhodes, is someone you can care about. She has lost her mother, she thinks her father just doesn't understand her, and she's moving from New York City to a tiny town somewhere in Tennessee. She also happens to be a junior detective and a black belt in karate, which is kind of a fun combination. If you can't relate to her, I'm sure girls wish that they could be LIKE her. I also love the fact that, unbeknownst to her dad, she's been fighting crime and solving mysteries at her old home in New York City, all on her own.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">If she didn't have enough trouble, when she arrives at her new town (a town she has visited often as a kid), she has to deal with a snotty girl who seems to have it in for her. Not a way to feel welcome in your new home, that's for sure. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">So there is lots of internal conflict for Randi in this story.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">As for external conflict: not long after Randi arrives, she attends the Founders' Day Festival, where a time capsule, buried by the town's founders, is about to be opened. Legend has it that whatever is inside will save the town from it's slow decline. However, during a distraction at the opening ceremony, the time capsule is stolen. There is no shortage of suspects in this story. The ancestors of the founders don't get along with each other, so they have motives for taking the time capsule. There are also suspicious newcomers to the town.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The mystery part of the story is amazing. It's well-plotted. There are lots of red herrings. There are also lots of clues scattered about that, once you reach the end, fit together well enough that you could solve the mystery on your own (although I've never really been good at that myself). I also like the fact that Randi DOESN'T have all the answers, even though she is pretty bright and observant, and goes down the wrong path a few times in solving the case. She also has help from a cast of characters who are very well-developed and you wind up liking by the end, even the ones who appear to be suspects. She even gets to show off her ninja skills during the course of the story. There's plenty of action, a little spookiness, some real danger for Randi and her friends, and humor. And, some nice, heart-felt moments between Randi and her dad.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">As an extra bonus, there are footnotes throughout the story linking it to Randi's "ninja tasks" (including how to cast footprints and how to conduct a stakeout), which is a fun way of bringing the reader into the story. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">In short, this book has it all for middle graders (and for this kid at heart). :-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Very highly recommended.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Now go out, find this book, read it, and give in to your inner ninja detective!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">(Yes, that's me, the ninja detective wannabe in the middle of this picture.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-22445755412353085162015-05-01T03:06:00.000-07:002015-05-01T11:04:24.998-07:00Review: Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: Make Good Art</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Neil Gaiman</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: May 14, 2013</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Adult</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (on inside cover)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">In May 2012, bestselling author Neil Gaiman stood at a podium at Philadelphia's University of the Arts to deliver the commencement address. For the next nineteen minutes he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength; he encouraged the students before him to break rules and think outside the box. Most of all, he urged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers, and dreamers to MAKE GOOD ART. This book, designed by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, contains the full text of Gaiman's inspiring speech. Whether bestowed upon a young artist beginning his or her creative journey, or given as a token of gratitude to an admired mentor, or acquired as a gift to oneself, this volume is a fitting offering for anyone who strives to MAKE GOOD ART.</span><b style="line-height: 18.2px;"> </b></span><b><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /></b><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013. Thank you to Mr. Gaiman (whom I had the pleasure to listen to while I was there) and BEA for the opportunity to review it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I wish there were a way I could rate this book using two different ratings, one for the text and message of the book, and one for its presentation, but I'm not about to break my rating system to do so. So let me explain my only negative points right off the bat as they all relate to the book's presentation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">While I do commend the graphic artist's creativity and ability, I did have two distinct problems with the way the book was presented:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> * the white text on light blue background combination that was periodically used in</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> the book made the text difficult to read</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> * in some cases, the presentation of the text on the page (such as writing one line of text </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> both upside down and backward while everything else was written normally) was </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"> distracting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">To give him credit, however, there were other cases where I thought the creative layout of the page worked very well. I especially loved the page where Mr. Gaiman's positive message, "Make Good Art", is juxtaposed on top of text describing negative things that you might be experiencing in your life. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">As for the text and message of the book, I cannot say enough good things about it. Mr. Gaiman shares little tidbits of his own personal journey in a way that is sure to inspire anyone about to embark on, or is currently engaged in, a career in the creative arts. In his own unique way, he tells people it's OK to not have a plan, to break the rules, to make mistakes, and to emulate others yet have your own style. In fact, he has engaged in all of these things on his own career path and attributes all of these to his own success. Above all, he encourages people to enjoy the journey itself and to MAKE GOOD ART.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">A highly recommended little book when you need a little creative inspiration.</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-45590537877670900542015-04-30T09:34:00.000-07:002015-04-30T10:06:14.628-07:00Review: Saint Odd by Dean Koontz<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Title: Saint Odd</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Dean Koontz</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: January 13, 2015</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Adult</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: #666666;">Odd Thomas is back where it all started . . . because the time has come
to finish it. Since he left his simple life in the small town of Pico
Mundo, California, his journey has taken him to places strange and
wonderful, mysterious and terrifying. Across the land, in the company of
mortals and spirits alike, he has known kindness and cruelty, felt love
and loss, saved lives and taken them—as he’s borne witness to
humanity’s greatest good and darkest evil. Again and again, he has gone
where he must and done what he had to do—for better or worse—with his
courage and devotion sorely tested, and his soul forever changed. Every
triumph has been hard won. Each sacrifice has taken its toll.<br /> <br />
Now, whatever destiny drives him has finally steered his steps home,
where those he cares for most surround him, the memory of his tragically
lost true love haunts him, and one last challenge—vast and
dreadful—awaits him. For Odd Thomas, born to serve a purpose far greater
than himself, the wandering is done. Only the reckoning remains.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This book was very bittersweet for me, because I've grown to love Odd Thomas as a character. At the beginning of the series, he was as pure a character as you could find. Resisting violence, but wanting to do good by the dead that came into his life seeking his help. He kept his life simple - he worked as a fry cook in a small diner - and his relationship with his girlfriend was enviable. Unfortunately, throughout the series, all that changed. He lost the love of his life, gunned down by a crazed cult bent on bringing about the end of the world, and had increasingly been placed into situations where he had to dispense violence to combat violence. By the time I had reached this book, I really felt sorry for him and felt he had lost much of the innocence that was appealing in book one, and I hoped he could find peace.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which brings me to this book. This story could easily be any other story in the saga of Odd Thomas's life. It's set up pretty much the same way as book one, as a matter of fact, especially because it takes place in the same setting as book one and dealing with the same group of villains. Seeing all of Odd's old friends from book one was the author's and the reader's chance to say goodbye to everyone I suppose. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What caused me not to rate this book a 5 out of 5 (which I was prepared to do) was, even though all the elements were here of a typical Odd Thomas book (his unique, somewhat still innocent view of the world; the strangeness; the uniqueness of characters; the humor, although admittedly less of it in this book), by the end I was dissatisfied with many questions that were presented throughout the series that were never answered. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One such thread, and noticeably missing from this book, involves the bodachs, those creepy, shadowy creatures which seem to appear and feast on catastrophic future events to come. In book one, Odd had a theory of who, or what, these beings might be, but by the end of the last book, the reader still doesn't really know. Were they really time travelers coming back in a strange form to revel in chaos and death? (This was what Odd's theory was, anyway). Or were they something else entirely? It would've been easy for Mr. Koontz to offer up this explanation. After all, there is definitely a strong element of time travel in some of the other books. But he never does. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You also never really learn who Annamaria really is, you never really learn who Edie is, and the big reveal about Stormy (which I'll omit for those who haven't read yet) is underwhelming because, well, there just aren't enough details to explain why it's important. Among other unanswered mysteries.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All in all, though, it's an Odd Thomas book, and I can't give it a low rating because it's written in a similar flying by the seat of your pants way as all the other Odd Thomas books and has some of my favorite fictional character in it. Plus, I loved the ending. It could only end one way, and in that sense, I was satisfied. I wish there were more to come, but I suppose it was time for Mr. Koontz to give Odd a rest. I would highly recommend it to Odd Thomas fans, and to those who haven't read any of them yet, what are you waiting for? Go back to book one and dig in!</span></span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-85238310933859582372015-03-31T16:26:00.001-07:002015-05-01T11:05:02.811-07:00Review: The 7th of London by Beau Schemery<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Title: The 7th of London</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Author: Beau Schemery</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>Publication Date: November 29, 2012</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Young Adult</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 3 out of 5</b></span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from Amazon)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">After his parents and family die, Seven escapes his factory job. By wits and will alone, he survives in a London divided </span><span style="background-color: white;">into the affluent Fairside and the squalor of London’s industrial Blackside, where many struggle to eke their existence out of despair. But Seven has to fight for more than just food and shelter.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">All over Blackside, a secret cabal of prominent citizens and the mysterious Mr. Kettlebent are snatching children. Rumor has it a wizard is controlling the queen, and the country’s most notorious villain is the only one who wants to stop him. Seven is determined to find out why. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hired by the criminal Jack Midnight to steal the evil wizard’s spellbook, Seven soon discovers the mystery runs deeper than he suspected. But events spiral out of control, and it isn’t long before the intrigue sweeps Seven into its deadly current.</span><b style="line-height: 18.2px;"> </b></span><b><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /></b><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;" /><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013, so as always, many many thanks to Mr. Schemery and BEA for the opportunity to review it. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">First off, I love steampunk books. This one definitely fits comfortably in that category, and yet has some other unique elements to it - like some magic and alternate history to add some flavor. Plus, the main character is gay, which is a great book in an arena where there is currently a desire for diverse books.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The world building in this book is amazing. You're thrown into a divided Victorian London - the Fairside and the Blackside. Just the names alone will give you an idea what they look like, but they are both very well described in the book. There are other "set pieces" that I can't even discuss without ruining some of the mystery of the story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Characters are also very three-dimensional. Sometimes they suffer a little from being caricatures of themselves - the main character, Seven, has this accent that kinda grates on you after a while - but otherwise they are all interesting and realistically drawn, with some exceptions, which I'll discuss below.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Which brings me to a few negatives that caused me not to rate this one higher.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">First off, the story could've used a little more editing. Being a writer myself, I pick up on language that to me sounds weak, and there is quite a bit of it in this book. Again, some editing would've solved that problem I think.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Second, at the very beginning of the book, there are a lot of what I call "info dumps", I guess to bring the reader up to speed on the main character and the setting of the story. Again, editing would've resolved this. Info dumps tend to throw me out of the story when reading, and it initially caused me to consider putting the book down. Fortunately, I was willing to overlook them, and I was glad I did so.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Third - and I'm attempting to convey this without spoiling anything - the relationship between Seven and another boy in the book (I won't mention names because it'll kinda spoil certain plot reveals in the book), while most of the time seemed very natural, was very difficult to believe at the point where the characters first met, and at another point toward the end of the book. I would think conflicts and suspicion in any relationship would give pause and question the relationship, but I didn't see any of that, which also made it difficult to buy into the relationship. (How's that for an attempt at no spoilers? Sounds a bit vague I know, but if you read the book I think you'll know what two events I'm referring to.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">One final note - and it's always customary to leave on a high note - is that this book was plotted extremely well. Events flowed naturally, there was plenty of suspense, twists and turns, and real goals for characters to strive for. The scope of the story was a lot more epic than I thought it would be, and to its benefit. The stakes for Seven were high, and the stakes for the world itself and the other characters populating it were even higher. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">All in all, this is a book I would recommend. Ignore the rough spots and enjoy the ride.</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-80377961455870068512015-02-25T10:12:00.001-08:002015-02-25T10:12:27.055-08:00Review: Get in Trouble by Kelly Link<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Title: Get in Trouble</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Kelly Link</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: February 3, 2015</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Adult</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Book Description (from inside cover)</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">She has been hailed by Michael Chabon as "the most darkly playful voice in American fiction" and by Neil Gaiman as "a national treasure." Now Kelly Link's eagerly awaited new collection - her first for adult readers in a decade - proves indelibly that this bewitchingly original writer is among the finest we have.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Hurricanes, astronauts, evil twins, bootleggers, Ouija boards, iguanas, The Wizard of Oz, superheroes, the Pyramids... These are just some of the talismans of an imagination as capacious and as full of wonder as that of any writer today. But as fantastical as these stories can be, they are always grounded by sly humor and an innate generosity of feeling for the frailty - and the hidden strengths - of human beings. In Get in Trouble, this one-of-a-kind talent expands the boundaries of what short fiction can do.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Review</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What can I say about this book? A collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors. Why do I like her so much? Because she writes amazing stories about people who may be quirky but have real problems deep down, placed in the most surreal, and many times totally unreal, settings. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One recurring theme in most of these stories has to do with people who are in strained relationships - whether it be with spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends, friends, and in one case, a sort of caregiver/client relationship. Another common theme involves people who make rash decisions with harsh consequences and how they try to rise above those decisions. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These serious problems are set against what are arguably some of the most bizarre backdrops ever imagined in short fiction, and it's the juxtaposition of these two elements that provides much of the dark humor in these stories. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, her story ideas are just plain the coolest that I only wish I could've come up with myself. I mean, where else can you read about:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- a jealous girl who tries to steal her best friend's animated doll-like Boyfriend? ("The New Boyfriend")</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- a group of space travelers who tell each other ghost stories, and who have their spaceship, who knows a secret ghost story of her own, place the travelers in the stories' settings? ("Two Houses")</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- a girl who meets someone on the internet and goes to a secret rendezvous at a hotel that is simultaneously hosting superhero and dentist conventions? ("Secret Identity")</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- a girl, caretaker of the mysterious visitors inhabiting the cottage behind her house, who is grooming her replacement? ("The Summer People")</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My only reason for not giving this book a 5 out of 5 is because I've read some of the stories before, and a couple of them I don't find to be quite as strong as the others. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My recommendation, in a nutshell: Read these stories. Be amazed at the directions Kelly Link's stories will take you. You're in for a very wild ride.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-81124195929009220542015-02-10T09:29:00.001-08:002015-02-13T07:24:58.590-08:00Review: The Slippage by Ben Greenman *** MILD SPOILERS ***<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Title: The Slippage</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Ben Greenman</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: April 23, 2013</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: Adult</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Slippage</i> is a wry, wistful tale of marriage, lust, and disconnection from Ben Greenman, the critically acclaimed author of <i>What He’s Poised to Do</i>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">William
Day must confront some uncomfortable truths about his life and his
future when his wife Louisa asks him to build her house. The
take-it-or-leave-it demand becomes all the more difficult to swallow
when he finds himself grappling with a past recklessness, an
ex-girlfriend’s son he considers his own, and his own wants for what
lies ahead.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure to appeal to everyone who has ever been in love and had their heart broken, <i>The Slippage</i> shares uncanny truths about intimacy and modern relationships.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My Review:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">***NOTE: In this review, I feel there may be mild spoilers, especially some thematic ones, so reader beware. ***</span> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, I want to mention this is another book I obtained at Book Expo America in 2013, so thanks again to them and to the author, Ben Greenman.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second, this book is not my typical reading material.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third, in light of that, this book was a pleasant surprise. In general, one way I judge books as being good ones if they stick with you long after you've read them. This book is definitely one of those books.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I was reading this book, I thought it was a bit slow. Which is my usual reaction to literary fiction. Then I realized, yes, I'm reading about William Day's life, but I'm also reading about life in general. This is a book of themes, which are the things that stick with you when the book is finished. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is a definition, right from one of the characters in the book. Slippage - "the moment when you start to lose your footing." When we first are introduced to William in the book, the slippage has already started to happen to him. As we read further, his reckless behavior with regards to his relationship with his wife and his job causes him to slip even further.The question is: why? Why the reckless behavior? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At first, you can't really sympathize with him. He's the cause of his own misery. Some people might be able to relate to him, but you can't like him. Maybe because, were you in the same situation, you couldn't like yourself. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then I started to think about one of the elements of the "human condition". Like how people build layers upon layers of "things" - feverishly working long hours at a job, climbing the career ladder, building a new home or addition, going on a vacation, settling into the humdrum existence of suburban life - to hide from what is truly troubling to them. For some, these "things" can be much more reckless.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another great line, from Louisa, William's wife - "We make a pact with another person to follow as far as they go, but we do not really mean it. We mean that we will follow so long as we do not start to feel lost. Love, or what passes for it, is about believing that we are never truly lost." This is a powerful theme that sticks with me after reading the book, because here lies the cause of many problems in relationships, the fear to go where the relationship takes them, no matter where that might be.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are other positive things I'd love to say about this story - one such thing is about Louisa's brother, Tom, and his "graph" art, which are funny but thoughtful asides in and of themselves - but I think this review has already gotten longer than I expected. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Check out the book. It's thought-provoking, a little slow and melancholy, but an interesting read. </span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-37368819496751421842015-02-03T16:12:00.002-08:002015-02-03T16:12:27.444-08:00Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Title: The School for Good and Evil</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Author: Soman Chainani</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: May 14, 2013</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: YA</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are . . . ?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>The School for Good and Evil</em> is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Review: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is another book I acquired at Book Expo America 2013, so again I'd like to thank BEA and Mr. Chainani for the opportunity to read it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, I love twisted fairy tale type books. In the past I've read books like The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer and the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The reasons why I loved those books is because of the new fresh life they breathed into well-known classic fairy tales, plus a generous helping of humor thrown in. This book fits both criteria rather well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although some of the plot of the book I guessed right off the bat, what makes it surprising are the characters. You think the two main characters, Sophie and Agatha, are going to act one way, and then they surprise you. The reason why they do this is that these are real people, and even though students in this story are taught that their personalities place them squarely into either a school for good and a school for evil, who do you know who is totally good or totally evil? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The supporting characters are also real people. I love their personality traits and their talents. Dot, one of the School for Evil students, can turn anything she wants into chocolate, and she is constantly eating. At one point she even turns her textbooks into chocolate. Tedros, son of King Arthur, is a student in the School for Good, but he's not like other princes. He's not looking to simply ride his father's coattails, and he's not into the whole "princesses swooning over him" thing. He wants a princess with personality. And so on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, I like how this book has created its own mythology, loosely based on the fairy tales we all know and love, but unique in that here is a whole new cast of fairy tale characters whose stories we can follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, a highly recommended book. I can't wait to read more in this series.</span></div>
George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-66112505830553987582015-02-03T10:04:00.000-08:002015-02-03T10:04:21.060-08:00Review: Hauntings, ed. by Ellen Datlow<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Title: Hauntings</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Editor: Ellen Datlow</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: March 12, 2013</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 3 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This ghastly anthology, compiled by the horror genre's most acclaimed editor, drags you into the twisted minds of modern literary masters, including Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Connie Willis, and Peter Straub, at their fiendish best. Visionary storytellers fill this collection of twenty-four tales, lyrical and strange, monstrous and exhilarating, horrific and transformative. Here you'll find a sweetly vengeful voice on the radio who calls a young soldier out to join a phantom patrol; a hotel maid who throws her newborn child from a fourth-story window, then lingering in an interminable state; an intern in a paranormal research facility who delves deeply into the unexplained deaths of two staff members; and a serial killer who plans his ultimate artistic achievement: the unveiling of an extremely special instrument in a very private concert. At once familiar and shocking, these riveting stories will haunt you long after you put down your book and turn out the light.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My Review: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is one of the books I acquired at Book Expo America 2013, so I'd like to first thank them and also Ellen Datlow for giving me the opportunity to read this book and autographing it for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Before I go into my review, I just wanted to list all the authors whose stories are included in this anthology so they receive proper recognition:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pat Cadigan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dale Bailey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">E. Michael Lewis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lucius Shepard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">David Morrell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Caitlin R. Kiernan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Joyce Carol Oates</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Elizabeth Hand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Neil Gaiman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">F. Paul Wilson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jonathan Carroll</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Terry Dowling</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Paul Walther</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Simon Kurt Unsworth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Connie Willis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Stephen Gallagher</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Michael Marshall Smith</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Richard Bowes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">James P. Blaylock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jeffrey Ford</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Gemma Files</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kelly Link</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Adam L. G. Nevill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Peter Straub</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Every so often, I return to my roots for reading material: horror. I love a good horror story. They're very difficult to find these days, as my tastes in horror have gotten very picky over the years. I'm always on the look out for stories that don't just offer cheap thrills but really haunt my very soul. Also, I have to care about the main character. I'm not that thrilled with the whole "innocent victim gets terrorized by the killer/monster/etc for no apparent reason" anymore. Nor am I drawn toward the "mean person gets what's coming to him" type of story. Nor am I thrilled with stories that aren't really stories but more like incidents. Of course, there are always exceptions, if the story is unique enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Using these criteria, Hauntings is a mixed bag for me. Every short story in the book is written extremely well, in the very capable hands of all the authors included in the anthology. However, in some cases, either the stories are not really "stories" - in the sense that there is a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end and there is some type of character growth involved - or they are of the type where the evil main character gets his "reward". There are some stories that definitely break the rules I mentioned above that are so unique they stand out. There are others that also break the rules that are just "meh".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A few stand-out stories for me and why they stood out:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- "Anna" by F. Paul Wilson. A revenge story that was very unique, so I loved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- "Two Houses" by Kelly Link. VERY unique ghost story, set in space, that haunts me still.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- "Hunger, an Introduction" by Peter Straub. This is one of the only stories in the anthology that I would consider a complete story, AND unique, and very well told.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Having said that, I'd invite everyone who loves a good ghost story to check out this anthology and these talented authors. I think there is something here for everyone. Don't just go by my own picky tastes. My rating is purely based on personal preference but in no way is a reflection on the talent and storytelling abilities of the authors.</span></div>
George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-66209672960248662292014-12-17T09:50:00.001-08:002014-12-17T09:50:26.578-08:00Review: Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Title: Blackfin Sky</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Author: Kat Ellis</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: September 30, 2014</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Target Age Group: YA</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Skylar Rousseau is no stranger to the strange. After all, she lives in the town of Blackfin, where the weathervane will follow your movement instead of the wind.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Even so, being told that she has been believed to be dead for three months when she has experienced life as usual is... odd. And strange dreams leading her to a dusty circus in the middle of the dark, foreboding woods only makes the situation more curious. Yet Sky will need to unravel both the present and the past to solve the mystery of her own existence.</span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My Review: </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, this book has everything I could ever want in a book. It's creepy, mysterious, filled with memorable characters, written very well, and is just downright strange. All reasons why I loved it and rated it as high as I did. It's hard to believe this is a debut book by this author. If her first book is right out of the gate is this good, I can't wait to read more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right off the bat in the story, we learn the weathervane is inhabited by a spirit named Silas, who observes the main character, Sky Rousseau, running toward home even though she had died three months before. This sets the tone for the entire novel. The presence of the strange alongside the everyday. This is one of the coolest qualities of this book. Everything in this story seems to be alive, including the house, known as Blood House, that the main character Sky lives in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every character is also fleshed out very well. They all have their own personalities, and they all act the way they should act when someone who has been dead for three months comes back. They're elated, and scared, and confused, and even grossed out, all at the same time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story is structured like a mystery. Sky spends the entire book trying to figure out what happened to her - how she died, and why and how she could be back from the dead. When the mystery is resolved, it makes senses in its weird logic. The reader should be satisfied with the answer even if they can't fully grasp it. Most of the questions the reader may have are answered. (It seems like there's more to the story that needs to be told though. Sequel maybe?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While there is not a time constraint on her finding the answers like in most mysteries, there IS a growing sense of foreboding and danger to Sky. As she gets closer to finding answers, she also gets closer to forces who are a threat to her. In this sense, the story is structured very well. There are a few slow parts here and there, but for the most part the story moves forward and ramps up the tension as it goes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is also a great sense of humor peppered into the story, placed in appropriate places to relieve tension and provide unique character traits. It made the characters likable and believable and the story fun to read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, although the climax of the story comes quickly and suddenly at the end, it's satisfying, along with the conclusion. All the important answers are known, and things that are still left unknown are left over... for a sequel? (Hint hint, Ms. Ellis!) This tells me the book is well plotted and intentional.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, anyone who likes the strange and creepy but also a light and fun read, I would highly recommend this book.</span></div>
George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-27743526533807678792014-11-10T17:06:00.000-08:002014-11-10T17:06:12.583-08:00Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Holly Black</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: September 3, 2013</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Target Age Group: YA</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: 3 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Book Jacket Blurb:</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.</span><br />
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One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.</div>
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<i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown </i>is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.<br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My Review:</b><br />
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This is another book I've had the good fortune to receive from Holly Black and Book Expo America 2013, so thank you again to both.<br />
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First of all, I want to start by saying I hate writing anything negative in reviews, but I also have to be brutally honest when I give them. Thát's what I'll preface this one with.<br />
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I'll start off with the things that were great about this book.<br />
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First off, Holly Black's writing is always incredible. She writes well. Her language, dialogue, world-building, etc. are always masterfully done, and this book is no exception. The concept of vampirism as a disease, which is not a new concept, is well executed. You can easily substitute vampirism with some other type of disease and see how quarantines would be set up around the world to prevent the spread. A very realistic approach to a fictional infliction.<br />
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Also, the "coldtowns", as these quarantine zones are called, are like mini test tube societies, and it's a realistic look into how one of these towns would operate. Again, well done.<br />
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One of the characters who is Tana's (the main character) companion through much of this book is the vampire Gavriel. I found this character, and his history and interactions with another character in the book (who shall remain nameless to avoid accidentally giving anything important away), to be fascinating to me. The story involving these two characters is filled with loyalty, betrayal, camaraderie, hatred, suspense, and surprises. In short, the story of these two characters is the perfect story.<br />
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Which brings me to the things that weren't so great about this book.<br />
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Namely, Tana, the main character. Contrary to the two characters I just mentioned, Tana is not very sympathetic. She's boring, reckless, and she likes to wallow in her own guilt. None of these character traits change during the course of the book. The only thing I found interesting about Tana is when her path crossed with either (or both) of the other two characters I mentioned above. It's almost like she's not the main character at all but just a POV character, along for the ride to give us glimpses of real stories that are going on around her. Her infatuation (and I'd really call it that and not a relationship) with Gavriel is not enough to carry the story either in my opinion.<br />
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So, this one is mixed bag for me. Someone else may feel differently about the main character, so I'd check it out and form your own opinion. And it is a very interesting premise and breathes a little life into the dying idea of vampire stories.</div>
George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-67110090790419438462014-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:002014-09-17T10:14:01.618-07:00Review: Altered by Gennifer Albin<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Title: Altered</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Gennifer Albin</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: October 29, 2013</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Target Age Group: YA</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<i>Life. Possibility. Choice. </i>All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.</div>
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But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.</div>
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<i>Altered </i>is Gennifer Albin's thrilling sequel to <i>Crewel</i>. Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was lucky enough to receive this book at Book Expo America 2013, and I am just now getting around to reviewing it. I finished it some time ago. Thanks to Gennifer Albin and BEA for their generosity!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Altered is the second book in Gennifer Albin's Crewel World series. I've been very impressed with "seconds" in book series lately, and Altered is definitely no exception. It has action, continued character development for Adelice, suspense, and tension, and those are good enough reasons to read the book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But the biggest thing I was impressed with is that the book has ANSWERS. While many books, movies, and TV shows (Lost comes to mind) like to pile more questions on top of the questions already posed, Altered does a great job in revealing the mysteries presented in books 1 and the new ones in this book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For instance, you learn:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1. The true nature of Adelice's abilities, as well as the abilities of those in charge of Arras</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 2. What the condition of Earth is and who is living there</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 3. What the relationship is between Arras and Earth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 4. Some interesting facts about Adelice's family and past</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 5. Who created Arras, why it was created, how it was created, and when.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I promise you, you'll be blown away by ALL of these answers. This book is very well thought out and presents a very exciting mythology for this world Gennifer has created. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above all, you're in good hands with Gennifer's capable writing skills. The pace is quick when it needs to be, slow in other places where it needs to be, and everything written seems to have a purpose. In fact, it seems to be knit as tightly as Arras is. When the story does slow down in a few places in the middle (which is one of the only things I could possibly find to pick on), it's mainly because things are being revealed to Adelice (and the reader), but believe me, you WANT to hear these reveals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, for those fans of romance, you finally find out who Adelice chooses - Jost or Erik? I grow weary of the love triangles in some YA fiction I've read, but I like the fact that Adelice, Jost, and Erik have to make a lot of complicated choices, and they're not just three love-crazed teens. Their relationships are just as complex as the world in which they live. Ultimately, Adelice went with the best choice for her and didn't waffle or flip-flop. That, and the one Adelice winds up with seems to connect with her in a meaningful way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Overall, I highly recommend this book and, especially after another cliffhanger ending, can't wait to read the third book!</span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-28167885910549048702014-07-30T09:28:00.000-07:002014-07-30T09:28:12.440-07:00Review: Thumbprint by Joe Hill<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Title: Thumbprint</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, Vic Malhotra (illustrator)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publication Date: 2013</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Book Jacket Blurb:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Private Mallory Grennan had done terrible things as an Abu Ghraib prison
worker. After being discharged from the army, Mal thought she was
leaving her sins behind to start a new life back home. But some things
can't be left behind - some things don't want to be left behind!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My Review:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thumbprint is a graphic novel adaptation of Joe Hill's short story of the same name, published in 2007. The version I read is a hard-bound collection of all the Thumbprint issues, which also includes the original short story as well as another of Joe Hill's graphic novels, Kodiak.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My review is based on this particular hardbound version and all the stories included inside.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First, I have to say I find it interesting to see the graphic novel interpretation of the short story "Thumbprint". The way it has been interpreted makes it a VERY different story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both have the same essential plot. Mal is ex-army and involved in terrible goings on while working at the Abu Ghraib prison. Now that she is home and trying to resume a more normal life, she begins receiving mysterious letters in the mail containing only a single thumbprint. She, and the reader, quickly realize the threatening nature of these letters and the fact that someone knows about her checkered past. The ratcheting up of the tension in these stories is done very well. I also especially love the grittiness of the artwork in the graphic novel version.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The major difference between the two, however, and the main reason for my strange grading of this book above, is the way Mal is portrayed in both versions. In the short story version, Mal is NOT a very sympathetic character. You can tell she is a cold person, even before she enlists in the army, and her character doesn't change throughout the story. In the graphic novel version, however, you get the sense that deep down Mal is a good person, but something snapped in her during her time in the arm and she's now a haunted person trying to resume a normal life but unable to. This version of the story is much better in my opinion. I can get emotionally behind her, whereas I couldn't in the original short story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, the very brief graphic novel excerpt Kodiak is an interesting short, unrelated epilogue to this book. The story's theme is a simple one, about how you shouldn't judge by appearances, about the nature of relaying stories about real-life events, and about how they can sensationalize and blow the truth way out of proportion. Two boys hang around the home of a man, Dominico, who's been scarred, and they speculate about the nature of these scars and of the man himself. Then you find out his story, which is told compellingly through both story and images, about his confrontation with a giant bear. I wish there were more of this story and these characters, but it does seem to be complete in and of itself. It sounds like what's included in this book is simply an excerpt, but I'm not sure. In any case, I was happy with its inclusion.</span></span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-70423316642417277562014-06-18T08:57:00.001-07:002014-06-18T08:57:48.406-07:00Review: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Title: Mr. Mercedes</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Author: Stephen King</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Publication Date: </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Target Age Group: Adult</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5</span></b><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Book Jacket Blurb:</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most
unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a
lone killer from blowing up thousands.<br /><br />In the frigid pre-dawn
hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed
folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone
driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the
innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed;
fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.<br /> <br />In another part of
town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by
the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who
self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical
attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement,
hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.<br /> <br />Brady Hartsfield lives
with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the
feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush
again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can
apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to
lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim
thousands.<br /> <br /><i>Mr. Mercedes</i> is a war between good and evil,
from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this
obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">My Review:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Although this book has many elements of a classic detective story, there is one main noticeable difference: you already know who the killer is at the beginning of the story. So why would you want to spend time reading this book?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">First of all, this is the master, Stephen King, and he weaves a tale like no other. This book being no exception. He knows how to string us along, keep us entertained, keep on ratcheting up the suspense, and keep us guessing. And yes, there's plenty to guess about, even though the killer is known right up front.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Second, this is a THRILLER, as opposed to a MYSTERY, novel. And, as I've alluded to above, the thrills start from page one and don't let up until the VERY last page... and beyond. (I hear there will be two more books featuring Detective Hodges.) Watching this cat-and-mouse game between Detective Hodges and the killer as each tries to outwit, and psych out, the other is fascinating.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Third, the characters in the story, as in all of Stephen King's work, are very well developed. The heroes are your every day, average people, with their own flaws and idiosyncrasies, trying to stop a deranged killer from escalating the violence he already started right at the beginning of the book. Even the villain is well-developed. It's hard to feel sorry for someone so hell-bent on mass killing, and yet Stephen King allows the reader inside the killer's mind and life, and you almost feel sorry for him at certain points in the story. Almost.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Fourth, Stephen King takes the well-known tropes of the classic mystery story and turns them on their heads. Detective Hodges is your typical hard-boiled old-school detective, yet what makes the story really interesting are his side-kicks Jerome and Holly. Their methods are less formulaic, more chaotic, more modern. And the three of them together make an awesome team. My only beef I have is that I wish they played more of a role right up front, but I do like how Stephen King ushers them to center stage in the story. (I won't give away the point in the story where this happens, but you'll definitely know it when you see it. Keep an eye out for "the hat".)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I purposely didn't provide many details because I didn't want to spoil a thing. I wish I could go into more specifics to sell you on this book. Just take my word for it. It's one of Stephen King's better works, and it's a damn good thriller story in general. Go check it out!</span>George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-64610717504701639512014-06-03T09:58:00.004-07:002014-06-03T10:38:07.541-07:00Review: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Title: Indelible</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Author: Dawn Metcalf</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Publication Date: July 30, 2013</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Target Age Group: YA</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">My Rating: 4 out of 5</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Book Jacket Blurb:</span></span><br />
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Some things are permanent. Indelible. And they cannot be changed back. </div>
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Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. </div>
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Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep and a life that will never be the same. </div>
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Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink's chosen one—his helper, his love, his <i>something</i> for the foreseeable future…and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. </div>
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Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes. </div>
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Somewhere between reality and myth lies… </div>
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THE TWIXT</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">My Review:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">This book I received from Dawn at Book Expo America 2013 and, unfortunately, am now just getting to the review of it, even though I read it last year. So what did I think? Excellent! I read her debut book prior to this, Luminous, and I have to say that her storytelling is improving as she goes along. One of the things I love most about this book is that she's created an entire world - the world of the Folk, which is a kind of re-imagining of traditional faeries - and somehow, seamlessly, this world exists alongside ours and she makes that perfectly believable. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">The Folk have existed for a long time, and their purpose is to "mark" humans that they feel are important. The mark, or signatura, signifies that a human "belongs" to one of the fae. Indelible Ink and Invisible Inq are beings who have been created to place such marks on humans.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Enter our heroine, Joy Malone, who, while out dancing one night with her friends, catches sight of Indelible Ink. Humans are not supposed to be able to see the fae, so Indelible Ink stabs her eye in order to remove her sight. However, instead of blinding her, he accidentally marks her as belonging to him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">That's when things get crazy for Joy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Because now that she has been marked as Ink's assistant, others from the Folk come calling, wanting Ink to do jobs for them and asking Joy to pass messages to him. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">And here I'll stop with my own synopsis, because this covers two things I absolutely love about the book. (Also, I don't want to give too many details away. This is a great ride of a book which should be experienced.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">First, the book is creepy, and creepy, as anyone who knows me, is right up my alley. Just the opening scenario of Joy catching a glimpse of this strange boy with black eyes who doesn't seem to exist in the real world, and who attacks her, basically. Then all manner of strange beings appear and disappear, notes and threats start appearing wherever she goes, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Second, the world of the Folk is both Alice-in-Wonderland-loopy and yet also has a strange internal logic to it all. There are rules in this other world, which may be strange to the reader but do hold together and are passed out to the reader as you delve deeper into the book. Yet you also get the sense any number of strange things can happen in this world, and any number of stories exist within it (apparently, as book 2, Invisible, will be coming out in September 2014).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">In addition to these more atmospheric qualities, the main character is refreshing because she actually plays an active role in the story, unlike other books I've read in this genre. I also love how she has "real-world" problems typical of any teenager, and she has "fantastical" problems related to her role in this new world of the Folk. And that she learns things along the way to actively solve her problems.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">If I had to complain about anything (which explains why I didn't rate it 5 stars), it's this: I find it a stretch as to how accepting Joy is of being attacked by Ink and how their relationship seems to progress rapidly from there. It's a bit of a stretch for me. I don't know if I'd be that accepting.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Aside from that, however, this book gets a great recommendation from me, especially in light of the fact that book 2 will be coming out soon. Hurry up and grab this one while you still have time.</span></div>
<br />George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-82337984902549712482013-10-17T03:22:00.000-07:002013-10-17T03:22:01.830-07:00Review: Perfection by J. L. SpelbringTitle: Perfection<br />
Author: J. L. Spelbring<br />
Publication Date: July 16, 2013<br />
Target Age Group: YA<br />
My Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
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Book Jacket Blurb:<br />
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The personification of Aryan purity, Ellyssa's spent her whole life under her creator's strict training and guidance; her purpose is to eradicate inferior beings. She was genetically engineered to be the perfect soldier: strong, intelligent, unemotional, and telepathic.<br />
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Only Ellyssa isn't perfect.<br />
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Ellyssa feels emotions--a fact she's spent her life concealing. Until she encounters the epitome of inferiority: a dark-haired boy raised among renegades hiding since the Nazis won the war a century ago. He speaks to her telepathically, pushing thoughts into her mind, despite the impossibility of such a substandard person having psychic abilities.<br />
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But he does.<br />
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His unspoken words and visions of a place she's never visited make Ellyssa question her creator. Confused and afraid her secret will be discovered, Ellyssa runs away, embarking on a journey where she discovers there is more to her than perfection.<br />
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My Review:<br />
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I cannot say enough good things about this book. This one blew me away in terms of the characters, the setting, and also the eerie believability of the events portrayed in this book, as fantastic as they are. <br />
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It's hard to put a classification on this one. <br />
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1. It's part historical fantasy. It envisions a world where Hitler succeeded in his horrible plan of world domination and selective purging of the population.<br />
2. It's part science fiction. It deals with topics of genetic selection and development of telepathic and other superhuman traits.<br />
3. It's part fantasy. If you don't believe in superhuman abilities as natural, this could be categorized as fantasy. Also, the series seems like it could go in an almost superhero kind of direction. For those who HAVE read the book, you might understand what I'm getting at here. It's very apparent to me at the end.<br />
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From the very beginning of the book, Ellyssa's conflict is very clear. Everything she knows about her world (which is very twisted mind you due to her "father"'s world views having been pushed upon her) collapses when she meets a prisoner - someone who is not among the "perfect race" - who has the same telepathic ability as she does. This, along with learning the true nature of what she was created for, causes her to question her father and everything about the bubble she lives in. So she escapes the compound where she has lived her entire life. <br />
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The book hits the ground running at this point, only providing the background above as necessary. I love the action at the beginning of this story. Ellyssa is on the run, running away from the people who raised her and running toward some understanding of the conflicting views she has. I love her interaction with the world outside, especially the people. I love how the people are portrayed as ordinary people, who are twisted by the morals put upon them by Hitler's regime, but still ordinary people just the same. It shows the effects of propaganda and faulty values in upbringing very well through the storytelling. <br />
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The book then enters another stage, where the action almost slows to a crawl, but this is where Ellyssa's emotional conflicts begin. When captured by the renegades, the people she has always associated with inferiority and as the enemies, she realizes these people are no different than the "perfect race" her creator has been teaching her about. She becomes herself in this stage of the book, and I think it's executed brilliantly. <br />
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Here, unfortunately, is where I have to dock a few points from my scale, because I find this section is very similar to the middle of the book The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. Seeing as though I also enjoyed that book, I can't take TOO many points off though. And, the outcome of this section is very different in this book than it was in The Host, because whereas Melanie Stryder in The Host took a more passive approach to solving her problem, befitting of her character, Ellyssa takes a more active, kick-butt approach in J. L. Spelbring's book, which is befitting of HER character. Because once Ellyssa's discovers herself, she brings her knowledge and wisdom back to her father to deal with him. I won't say how the book ends, but the ending is very, very action packed and a cool setup for what I'm hoping will be a sequel to this book.<br />
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The only other place I would say is a bit of a disappointment is with the character development for the detective who is in charge of hunting her down and bringing her back home throughout the book. I was kinda hoping for some redeeming quality for this character, and it ALMOST seemed like that would happen, but it never came to fruition. Unlike the same type of character in The Host, who at the end you can almost feel sorry for her. <br />
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Finally, there is the romance element between Ellyssa and Rein. The two are from very different backgrounds. They learn about each other and move toward the center regarding their understanding of each other as the story progresses. I felt their connection was a little too strong by the end, however, given all they had to overcome. But other than that, I felt the romance was done very well. It's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet, with a much happier ending, at least for Ellyssa and Rein. <br />
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The book has definitely been left open for a sequel, which I will wait for impatiently.<br />
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I would highly recommend this book.George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001615143102833446.post-53703033741908742432013-09-27T09:50:00.001-07:002013-09-27T09:53:23.504-07:00Review: The Listeners by Harrison DemchickTitle: The Listeners<br />
Author: Harrison Demchick<br />
Publication Date: December 17, 2012<br />
Target Age Group: Adult<br />
My Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Book Jacket Blurb:<br />
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It's a bit long to put the entire blurb here, so here's the beginning and end of it:<br />
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Before the plague, and the quarantine, fourteen-year-old Daniel Raymond had only heard of the Listeners. They were a gang, maybe even a cult, or at least that's what his best friend Katie's police officer father had said. They were criminals, thieves, monsters - deadly men clearly identifiable by the removal of their right ears.<br />
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That's what Daniel had heard. But he didn't know.<br />
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...<br />
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Daniel's mother went out for toilet paper. She never came back. He hasn't heard from Katie since the phones went dead. And with his real family gone and surrogate family unreachable, Daniel, scared and alone, has nothing except the walls of his apartment, the window shattered, the poisonous air seeping in.<br />
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That's when the Listeners arrive. Derek, the one-eared man with the big, soulful eyes, promises protection, and hope, and the choice not to sit alone and wait to die in some horrific way. He offers a brotherhood under the watch of their leader, the prophet Adam. He offers a place in the world to come.<br />
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My Review:<br />
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This book is called a literary horror novel, which is interesting in light of a recent post I put up regarding plot-based vs. character-based novels, or genre vs. literary novels. This book seems to work well on both sides of the fence. You get to know Daniel, his personality and his world, but then there's movement in this novel as well. Daniel travels down literal roads, moving from the instability of his own apartment into the care of the Listeners and then out into this apocalyptic world that Harrison Demchick has created, but Daniel also travels down a road in his head toward a grim understanding of himself and how he fits in this new world and the consequences of the choices he makes throughout the novel. This balance is brilliantly executed in this novel.<br />
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I love how the plague and the walking-dead-like people it's left in its wake is simply the vehicle in which to place Daniel, his family and friends, this group of people known as the Listeners, and the police in this lawless microcosm. It's very reminiscent of Stephen King's Under the Dome, which is another book I enjoyed that explores these same themes. <br />
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If I have to say anything negative about the book, it would have to be the places where the novel strays from Daniel's point of view. Harrison Demchick doesn't spend nearly enough time letting us get to know the other characters for us to have a vested interest in them. This fact ALMOST caused me to rate this a 3 or a 3.5 out of 5, but because the writing is so well done and the rest of the book is so well executed - even the appearance of these other characters reminds me of a Pulp Fiction kind of plot where characters have intertwined stories - that I feel more comfortable rating it a 4 out of 5. <br />
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If you're looking for a horror novel that is less horrifying because of the traditional horrors of a plague and walking dead (which this book does have as its backdrop) but more horrifying because of the experiences of a teenage boy trying to survive in a lawless, dangerous environment where nothing is quite as it seems and the truth of his situation is elusive and truly horrifying when finally known, then this is the perfect book for you.George Anthony Kulzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09838407573681387537noreply@blogger.com1