Category Archives: Books

Breadcrumbs

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Book: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Pages: 313 (Hardcover)

A Review: Breadcrumbs is about Jack and Hazel, 2 best friends from Minnesota.  One day, Jack stops talking to Hazel, and she knows something is wrong.  His heart is frozen by the White Witch, and is taken to her palace in the woods.  Hazel goes looking for him, and finds that the forest is nothing like what she imagined.  When they come out, they are completely different than when they went in.

I really liked Breadcrumbs.  There was something very magical and enchanting about the book, and the first half of the book had a lot of references to Narnia and Hogwarts that I just loved. 

The ending felt a little rushed and ended more abruptly than I thought it would.  Quite honestly, I expected something a little better, especially since it was obvious that Ursu put a lot of thought into the rest of the book.  Ending aside, it was enjoyable, and I loved seeing Hazel’s quirks, insecurities, and her sense of wonder and awe.  It really is a lovely story of growing up and growing apart from friends. 

I loved Hazel, who is a very imaginative, smart girl who doesn’t fit in.  There was a certain innocence about her, and while she had to step out of the fairy-tale world she loves to save Jack, I hope it’s something she doesn’t lose. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.  I really liked it, and there’s certainly something very enchanting and lovely about this book.

Whistling In The Dark

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Book: Whistling In The Dark: A Novel by Lesley Kagen

Pages: 320 (Paperback)

A Review: Whistling In The Dark is about Troo and Sally O’Malley, and their summer in Milwaukee in 1959.  Their mother is in the hospital, and are left in the care of their older sister Nell and their stepfather Hall.  The 2 girls, 9 year-old Troo and 10 year-old Sally, are left to their own devices as their sister cares more about her boyfriend and their stepfather turns to drinking.  While all of this is going on a murderer/child molester is on the loose.

It was just okay for me.  I found that Troo and Sally were very unbelievable as kids who are 9 and 10 respectively.  For most of the book, I completely forgot how old they really were.  They acted far older than the ages mentioned in the book- I kept thinking Sally was in her teens as opposed to being 10.  As for the other characters…well, the entire book for that matter…I found it all too unbelievable.  On one street, in 1959, you have a molester/murderer, a gay priest, teenage pregnancy, and 2 neglected children?  It is possible, but I don’t know…it’s like Kagen just threw all these random people onto one street.  The kids just didn’t seem like kids.  They seemed more like adults in kids bodies.  It was hard to believe that all of the secrets and events happened on one street in the span of 3 months or so.

And how did no one notice 2 girls who were running wild on the streets?  The way Sally narrated it, Troo and herself were rarely at home, even at night.  They seemed to stay with neighbors more often than not.  And 2 girls, who are 9 and 10 visited their mother once or twice in the 3 months or so their mom was in the hospital.  At the end of it, I wondered what the whole point of the novel was.  It moved too slow, and had too many characters and issues crammed into one book.

Another issue I had was all of the characters she introduced.  I’ll be honest, the murderer on the loose isn’t who I thought it was, and I didn’t see it coming.  So in that sense, it really was a mystery.  But it was hard to keep up with the characters, who weren’t really developed, except on a very superficial level.  I couldn’t relate to the other characters, and the number of times their race/ethnicity came up was annoying.

And the ending!  Everything wrapped up a little too nicely for my tastes.  It started to pick up a little at the end, but at that point, it was too late.  I just didn’t care what happened to the characters in the end.

Rating: The only reason why I am giving this book a 2 out of 5 is because a few of the characters could have been interesting had there been less of them.  And some of the issues that popped up could have been interesting and had more of an impact if there hadn’t been so many of them.

City Of Bones

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Book: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 485 (Hardcover)

Review: City of Bones is about Clary Fray, who witnesses a strange murder at Pandemonium Club.  She can’t go to the police because the body disappears into thin air.  Her mother disappears and Clary is attacked by a demon, and needs the help of Shadowhunters in order to find her mother.

It’s a really interesting book, a mundane girl who can suddenly see demons and shadow hunters.  And there are some really interesting ideas, like the stele, and using runes to fight and all.  But that was really underdeveloped, since I wasn’t quite sure what a stele was at the end of the book.  And the runes thing was fully explained either.  The characters were okay, and Clary was likeable enough…but I didn’t find them particularly interesting.  There was something about them that fell a little flat for me.

The Jace and Clary are siblings storyline was a bit obvious, and his father turning out to be the evil Valentine was also a little obvious.  It was also reminiscent of Star Wars.  “Luke, I am your father.”  Sorry, I just had to go there.  The big revelations weren’t that surprising.

The writing was just okay.  It was fast-paced, and the action starts right off the bat.  There were times when I wished Clare had slowed down the pace and explained a few things a little more.  They might be explained in the other books in the series, but if they weren’t, I would not be surprised.

I did like the history of the Shadowhunters, and how they came to be.  Clare clearly put some thought into it, and I liked the world she created.  It’s interesting, and there are all kinds of creatures and groups.  It was hard to keep track of them, though, and who was good and bad.  But still, the idea that there’s a whole world that “regular” people, or mundanes as they’re called in the book, don’t know about.  People that they can’t see, and a country that they don’t know exists.

I enjoyed the book, but I don’t know if I want to finish the series.  I have a lot of other books I’d like to read, so it’s not high up on my priority list.

Rating: 3 out of 5.  I liked it, and I liked the concept but it wasn’t spectactular or anything.

Love You Hate You Miss You

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Book: Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Pages: 176 (Hardcover)

Review: Love You Hate You Miss You is about Amy and her life after her best friend Julia dies.

While it’s not completely light and fluffy, which I needed after reading Hate List, it’s just light and fluffy enough.  I really liked it.  I loved the structure of it- her daily life after leaving Pinewood and letters to friend Julia.  It worked really well for the book, and everything unfolds at a really nice pace.

I really like how she goes through the different aspects of the title.  She doesn’t want to believe anything bad about Julia, then she experiences hatred towards Julia for leaving her (amongst other things) and then comes to peace with herself and with Julia’s death.

I found Amy very relatable, and her experiences were easy to relate to as well.  Something I found interesting was the fact that she was an accident- her parents never meant to have her.  It seemed like they tended to ignore her and were more interested in their relationship than raising a child…until the car accident that killed her best friend.  As Amy put it, it was her parents with a child tacked on.  It definitely explains some of the issues Amy had and tried to work on throughout the book.

I thought it was pretty realistic, and it was nice to see a character who struggled with issues come from a relatively “normal” home, with parents still together and in love.  There were some issues with her parents, like I said, but I could see how Amy could have gotten from Point A to Point B.

Rating: 3 out of 5.  It was enjoyable, and I liked it, but the fact that I read it right after Hate List may be coloring my judgement a little.

The River Between Us

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Book: The River Between Us by Richard Peck

Pages: 164 (Hardcover)

Review: The River Between Us is about 18-year-old Tilly, who lives along the Mississippi River.  Her mother takes in 2 strangers who come into town off a steamboat from New Orleans.  It’s also set during the Civil War.

I didn’t like it.  I felt like it was lacking details, and while the Civil War fascinates me, I wasn’t fascinated with this book.  Just when I started to get interested in the book, it was over.  Honestly, it should have been longer, especially since there are so many directions Peck could have gone in for the novel. 

There wasn’t anything really interesting, but some of the traditions that Delphine (one of the strangers from New Orleans) talks about at the end was the most fascinating.  I was bored and there wasn’t anything to really hold my interest.  The length is probably the only reason why I kept reading.

The first chapter and the last chapter…I don’t get why they’re even included.  I felt like they were just tacked on to wordpad- and not only that, but it was a terrible attempt at setting up the story and then telling us what happened to the characters. 

I just couldn’t care about the characters, but Delphine and Calinda were somewhat interesting.  Maybe the story would have been better if they were the narrators. 

Rating: 1 out of 5.  It just wasn’t good.

Hate List: A Novel

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Book: Hate List: A Novel by Jennifer Brown

Pages: 405 (Hardcover)

My Review: Hate List is about a school shooting and the resulting aftermath.  Valerie and her boyfriend had a “hate list,” which was written in a notebook about everyone they hated. 

I…wow.  There are two books that had me sobbing by the end.  The first one is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the other one…is Hate List.  I had to put it down several times just to give myself a break. 

It is a heavy, intense read, and very realistic.  I could picture everything in my mind so well- the descriptions were so vivid.  I felt like I was Valerie, and I found myself getting angry at so many of the people around her, and hoping they would give her a chance.  I get why people ignored her and didn’t want her around, as she helped create the list and was indirectly involved with the school shooting.  But at the same time, she didn’t pull the trigger.  She went running after her boyfriend, and jumped in front of another student to stop it from getting worse. 

I don’t even know where to start.  It’s such an emotional book, and one that could happen anywhere, anytime.  I certainly commend Brown for tackling school shootings.  But it’s not just about school shootings.  It’s also about how words can hurt, and how something that people don’t think matters, can.  It’s about moving on, and struggling with a world in which everything is falling apart. 

Even now, some time after finishing the book, I feel emotional.  Brown did such a good job of portraying everyone and their points of view.  And I really liked how the book was set up.  There are news articles about each of the victims and the events that took place at the high school.  Each chapter number is in a drop of blood- which is weird but cool.  And it jumps around a bit before settling into the present time.  It goes back and forth between present time and the actual shooting.  It was unsettling to watch things unfold…it really felt like it was happening.  I hope no one has a drinking game going for how many times I’m going to say “it felt like it was happening.”  That might come up a lot! 

But it all seriousness, it was a great book.  Definitely powerful, and EVERYONE needs to read this book.  Go get it.  Now.  I don’t think you’ll regret it.  I feel so strongly about this book that I’m posting this review shortly after finishing the book.   

Rating: 5 out of 5.  There are no words to describe how much I liked this book.  It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but it is so worth it!

Fablehaven

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Book: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Pages: 351 (Hardcover)

Review: Fablehaven is a hidden refuge where any mythical creatures you can think of gather.  This sanctuary helps to preserve fairies, naiads, and satyrs, among other creatures.  However, on Midsummer Night’s Eve, Seth ignores his grandfather’s rules to stay in his bed all night, and helsp unleash evil.  Kendra helps save Fablehaven and her family.

I loved the premise of the book, but the execution was terrible.  I didn’t find any of the main characters likeable, and the writing was somewhat amateur-ish.  Seth was selfish, stupid and bratty, and Kendra was a know-it-all who doesn’t get into trouble.  A lot of the things that happen in the book are the result of Seth being stupid and not listening and Kendra seems to go along for the ride.  Their relationship with each other was not that great either.  A lot of times, they were downright mean to each other.  Their grandfather was fairly irresponsible, and most of the things that happen in the book happen because he isn’t upfront with the kids, wanting them to discover things on their own.  Either he doesn’t trust them or he thinks things are on a need-to-know basis.  He even says that what they don’t know can hurt them, and yet he doesn’t bother to fill them in on anything.

That being said, I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next, especially the last 4 or 5 chapters.  I have no idea why, since there doesn’t seem to be any main conflict.  Where’s the tension and what are they trying to accomplish?  There are small conflicts which usually consist of Seth wanting to do something and doing it even after Kendra tells him not to.  At the end, Kendra, Seth and their grandmother try to stop this really evil creature from destroying Fablehaven.  So while there is some build-up to this, and it was pretty the book was going towards that ending, it was still annoying.

I found that the magical preserve was just a dumping ground for whatever magical creatures popped into Mull’s head.  And instead of being about caring for the different creatures taking refuge there, it was about kids breaking the rules and almost destroying the sanctuary.

I think the main reason why I kept reading was because I liked the idea of the story more than the actual story.  I can see kids really liking it, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Rating: 2 out of 5.  It’s another case of good idea but bad execution.

Guenevere, Queen Of The Summer Country

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Book: Guenevere, Queen Of The Summer Country by Rosalind Miles

Pages: 544 (Paperback)

Review: Guenevere, Queen Of The Summer Country is about Queen Guenevere.  She’s the last of a long line of queens who ruled the Summer Country, but when her mother dies, the only way to claim her mother’s throne is to marry King Arthur.

The only book about Arthurian legend was The Mists Of Avalon, which is one of my favorite books of all-time.  I was expecting something very similar to The Mists Of Avalon, so I suppose I was disappointed when this book didn’t live up to what I thought it would be.

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I thought I would- in fact, I didn’t like it all.  While I like the fact that the book focused on Guenevere, I found her to be such an unsympathetic character.  It was clear that we were supposed to like her, and that she was this amazing, perfect woman, when, in fact, I thought her to be moody, naive, petty, and at times, desperate.

The characters were so different from what I expected.  Merlin was this crazy, sex-obsessed man, and I couldn’t figure out if he was a Druid or a Christian.  Arthur was weak, somewhat easy to manipulate, and had trouble making a decision without Merlin.  The way she painted some of the characters…they’re so very different from the actual legends.

The characters fell flat, and were pretty stereotypical/one-dimensional, and the storyline was fairly typical.  That being said, there wasn’t anything to really hold my interest.  Seriously, the most memorable parts of the book were the sex scenes, which made the book a little more smutty than I expected.  It’s classified as historical fiction, but nothing really felt historical- it seemed more like a really boring romance than anything remotely historical.  The pacing was awfully slow and I was really bored reading it.

Rating: 1 out of 5.  I just didn’t like it, and I’m not at all interested in reading the other 2 books in the trilogy.

Just Like Beauty

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Book: Just Like Beauty: A Novel by Lisa Lerner

Pages: 272 (Hardcover)

The Review: This book was odd- I’ll even go so far as to say that this is one of the oddest books I’ve read in a long time.

The best way to describe this book is: a coming-of-age story set in the dystopic suburban near-future.  The book is about 14-year-old Edie, who is training for her town’s annual Feminine Woman of Conscience Pageant.  The girls compete in…erotic and other womanly arts.  There were a few tasks that jumped out at me- Mysterious Powders, which Edie was really good at, a task where she had to train a rabbit and then kill it to make something out of it’s fur, and another task that involves simulating sex with a plastic dummy.  That last task I mentioned?  It’s how the book opens, with Edie practicing for that portion of the Pageant.

The town is really futuristic, with restaurants like Just Like Meat Planet, and products like Just Like Beans.

I liked the premise of the novel, but I felt like it started in the middle of the story.  There was a lot missing-  basic details about how this town got to be so futuristic, what the pageant is really all about, and critical parts of the story weren’t explained very well, and that’s if they were explained at all.  Edie’s first love, her relationship with her parents, and why her mother was the way she was weren’t really developed.

The book does make you think, and I have all kinds of questions.  Why is society is okay with their teenage daughter performing sex acts on a plastic dummy?  Why are teen boys allowed to run amok?  Why are there people “torching” the girls in the pageant?

Rating: 2 out of 5.  She had the wrong kind of details- she went on too long about how futuristic the society was but glossed over the back story of how this town came to be and why things were the way they were.

Mistress Of The Art Of Death

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Book: Mistress Of The Art Of Death by Ariana Franklin

Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

My Review: Mistress Of The Art Of Death is about a woman named Adelia, and her 2 companions (Simon and Mansur) travel to England to solve the mysterious deaths of 4 children.  The community blames it on the Jewish population, who are hidden the king’s castle to keep them save from the rioting mob.

The two things that jumped out at me were the title and the cover, but the book was just okay for me.  It takes place in 12th century England, and while I don’t expect historical fiction to be completely accurate (being fiction and all), I just couldn’t get over the fact that a world dominated by men would be so accepting of a woman from a foreign country investigating the deaths of 4 children.  She was just too independent and confident for someone from 1170, and she felt too out of place, like she didn’t belong.  She was just a little *too* unrealistic for my tastes.

She seemed genuinely surprised by the few people who didn’t want her investigating the murders- you’d think that she’d be used to it, since woman doctors were (most likely) very rare in that time.

As for the plot, it wasn’t as interesting as I hoped.  I was hoping for more suspense, but the book didn’t deliver on that, and sometimes the plot just moved along really slow.  There was something off about this book, and I can’t quite place my finger on it.  I couldn’t even tell you most of what happened in the book- it wasn’t very memorable.  A lot of what I do remember (like the murders of the children and the ending), I felt like she threw in just because she could.

Rating: 2 out of 5.  The book had a lot of promise, and could have been really good.  Maybe if Adelia wasn’t so completely out of place, and if Franklin had left out some of the grisly details, I would have liked it better.