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March 27, 2005 2:03 pm
Cobwebs
by Karen Romano Young
Mystery / Fantasy | 388 pgs.
When Nancy walks up to a boy balancing on the rail of the Brooklyn Bridge, she can't know the series of events that talking to the Ghost Boy, as she thinks of him because he has shaved his hair and eyebrows, will lead to. Though they don't know it, their families already know eachother, and aren't on the best of terms. Thier meeting spins a tale of angels, spiders, healers, love, and secrets, both being revealed and being kept.
With wonderful characters set against the back drop of New York City, where you can find all kinds of people, this book is a delight to read as you are invited into thier world with them as they learn more about it themselves. By the end, you won't want to leave.
Confessions of a Not It Girl
by Melissa Kantor
Teen Life | 247 pgs.
Jan Miller is the best friend of a New York City "It Girl", but her life is definatley not "It". This is her story of friendship, her struggle against her gigantic butt, and her quest tho win the heart of Josh, the boy she likes who just moved from Seattle. Of course, things are never as easy as they could be, and unexpected complications pop up all over the place.
Pretty much a standard teenage girl, first-person, happy ending book, but it's well written and easy to read. The characters are likeable and plausable as well.
March 13, 2005 2:53 pm
and yes, we have a review!
Paper Mage
by Leah R. Cutter
Fantasy/Historical | 340pgs.
Xiao Yen has been training to become a paper mage, one who creates magic using paper folding, for years. Now she has graduatied and is taking on a commision to protect two foriegner brothers as they lead horses across the Middle Kingdom (China) to sell on the coast. Following a meeting with a goddes, her mission changes a bit, but the choice she has to make between her magic and the normal life she has always envied remains the same.
Told in chapters which alternate between Xiao Yen's training and her journey, the book has a strong plot and characters that are believable. They all have stories which we are given glimpses of, resulting in there being very little pure good or pure evil in the story. It's not exceptional, but still very good.
March 8, 2005 6:24 pm
yes, finally, another review
Like We Care
by Tom Matthews
Teen Life / "Issues" | 261pgs.
It starts with two high school kids wo decide that they're tired of everything the corporations are doing to get their money - and they're going to simply stop buying it. What starts as a protest among their friends in this small town grows accross the country, by means of the internet and the coverage it recieves from a popular music TV station. The young dissilusiioned executive from this starion, and a lonely but passionate Social Studies teacher are drawn into the phenomenon that will affect so many more people than the boys would ever have imagined
This book is something compleatly new. It's funny and engaging, really makes you care about the characters and their mission, and can really make you look at things in a new way. A must read for anyone who lives with the constant stream of advertising that we have in this modern world.
February 24, 2005 11:58 am
Better than Running at Night
by Hillary Frank
Romance/"Coming of Age" | 263 pgs.
Ellie Yelinksky leaves for New England College of Art and Design with plans to reinvent herself and her morbid art. Her first day, she goes to a costume party and meets a boy dressed like the devil, and they like eachother. Life however, is more than costume parties, and when Ellie finds out this boy may not be as perfect as she would like, Ellie doesn't know what to do. Choosing between two paths when niether one is really what you want can be oh so difficult, and finding the better one even more so.
The situation is pretty simple, but the author avoids giving any easy answers, which makes it feel that much more like real life. Also, the book is filled with a wide variety of wonderfully developed characters, who really enrich the story. A book that, unlike so many, really feels true.
Once Upon A Marigold
by Jean Ferris
Fairy-tale | 266 pgs.
Having grown up in a cabe with a troll as a foster father, Christian knows about some things. Love, however is not one of them. When he watches the Princess Marigold through a telescope, starts exchanging messages with her, and then leaves home to get a job at the castle, he doesn't know what to think about what he's feeling. And then of course there's the not-so-simple matter of the queen wanting to kill her own daughter so she can rule...
Funny and engaging, Christian's naivety charms, and the story keeps you turning pages and laughing out loud. The reading leval is a little lower than most of the other things I've reviewed, but this is still a book anyone would enjoy.
Have you read either of these books? Or any that I've reviewed, for that matter? If so, please, leave a comment with the appropriate entry telling what you thought.
February 13, 2005 6:50 pm
The Flip Side
by Andrew Matthews
Teen Angst | 147pgs.
A disscusion in English class ends up with Robert Hunt having to dress as a girl and act a scene from Shakespeare's As You Like It opposite his crush Milena, who is playing the boy's part. Milena agrees to go out with him, but niether of them can forget Rosalind and they are forced to question who they really are and what they really want.
The story itself starts out good, but takes a rather dissapointing direction (I'm not saying anymore as I absolutely hate spoilers). However, the book has some very interesting observations on life and society, and, considering how short it is, may be worth reading just for that.
Dragon's Gate
by Laurence Yep
Historical Ficiton | 272pgs.
Otter lives a privaliged life in the village of Three Willows in China, but he has always dreamed of being a guest in America, the Land of the Golden Mountain. His father and uncle have told many wonderful tales of that land, and the technology it has which will free China from the Manchus. However, when Otter is forced to leave home, the reality he finds in America, working on the transcontinental railroad is vastly different from what he has been told.
A well-written and easy to read account of the Chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad, this story is inspiring, even if it may be different in some ways from the typical worker's experience.
February 6, 2005 7:51 pm
Sorry this took so long...
Trickster's Queen
by Tamora Pierce
Fantasy | 444pgs (467 w/extras*)
In this sequel toTrickster's Choice, Aly, daughter of Tortall's spymaster, is posing as a maid in the Copper Isles while also acting as spymaster and one of the main organizers of the raka rebellion. The native raka people are trying to overthrow the oppressive laurin rulers, and place a prophesied "twice-royal" queen on the throne. Aly must gather allies, both raka and laurin, and carefully plot the downfall of the Crown in order to bring this about. She is helped by Kyprioth, the Trickster and patron god of the raka, and her friends.
Well written and engaging with an unusuall main character, fans of Tamora Pierce will definatly recognize it as her work, yet this book (and Trickster's Choice) is noticably differnt from her privious books, and it's all for the better. For lovers of fantasy and strong female heros, this is a must read. (but if you havn't done so, read Trickster's Choice first)
*Cast of Characters, Glossary
Remember, if you've read any of the books I review, or even if you do so after the review is posted, leave a comment telling what you thought it. More opinions can only be a better thing.
January 22, 2005 6:10 pm
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
by Michael Chabon
Historical Fiction | 636 pgs.
The story of Sammy Clay and his cousin Joe Kavalier(who has escaped from Nazi-occupied Prauge)as they dream up the superhero the Escapist, and go on to achieve great success in the comic bussiness. But this is far from just a story of thier carrer, it encompases all aspects of their lives: love, friendship, work, joy, dissapointment, and more, and follows them as thier paths diverge, and meet again. This is a story of two young dreamers, with the talent to make their dream come true, how it comes true, and what happens when it runs out.
This book is extraordinary. At times funny, sad, joyfull, longing, sentimental, nostalgic, and so much more. The author really brings the characters to life and makes us feel almost like we know them, and exactly what they're feeling. It is not so much a story as a beautifully painted portrait of their lives and the world around them, at times it seems it could even be non-fiction. Very much deserving of the Pulitzer Prize it won, this book was simply amazing.
(Seriously though, I have NO IDEA how that happened - it is so much higher than a 4. I think the main complaint was that it was too long and used big words. Bah! Read it anyways)
January 13, 2005 9:39 pm
Rush Hour volume 2: Bad Boys
edited by Michael Cart
Anthology | 206pgs
A collection of works by eighteen different authors and artists about bad boys, these pieces feature a variety of characters, all percieved to be "bad" in different ways and by different people. Included is an essay on "Surviving Jock Culture", a poem called "Boys from Mars", and other works of fiction, non-fiction, and a few illustrations.
The pieces vary in quality, just as they do in topic, but overall are mostly well-written and enough to make you think a little after you finish them. A rewarding set of works on a single theme that still show a great deal of variety.
my rating: 4 | amazon.com rating: 4
Sorry about the delay, computer problems are becoming all to frequent. Thank you to everyone who is taking the time to visit and leave a message, it is really appreciated.
January 6, 2005 4:52 pm
Fire Logic
by Laurie J. Marks
Fantasy | 335pgs
Fifteen years since the fall of the House of Lilterwess, the Sainnites still occupy Shaftal, and the resistance is slowly being worn down. The fate of the land is left in the hands of a few: Zaja, the sole survivor of the massacre of a tribal people, Emil, the Palidin commander who would much rather be a scholar, and Karis, the smoke-addicted smith who holds secrets, some of which she herself does not even know. What they do in this year will lead either to salvation or destruction. They just have to keep moving forward, trust thier hearts, and hope what they are doing is right.
A fantasy novel with a very detailed and well-written plot, and very developed characters. It is set in a time of warfare, but battles don't dominate the scene, and there is a healthy dose of romance, both heterosexual and homosexual (this seems to be an accepted norm in this world). All in all, a very good book.
Yay, second review up! As always, leave comments. Oh, and any suggestions as to how to title my entries would be nice.
January 2, 2005 6:41 pm
Born Confused
by Tanuja Desai Hidier
Teen Angst / Romance | 500 pages
Dimple Lala is a 17 year old Indian-American who can't figure out where she belongs. Her best friend Gwen is blonde and gorgeous and has always overshadowed her, but she hasn't really cared, until now. When her parents decide to try and arrange a marrige with a sutible Indian boy, she is determined not to cooperate, and even tells Gwen that she can't stand him. But things aren't always as they seem, and soon it looks like she might have been wrong, but what she's said isn't simply going to go away. The summer before senior year is one she's going to spend finding herself, and a whole lot more.
Touching and funny, this is a well-written book that was hard to put down. It goes far beyond the average teen girl diary (meaning anything told in first person) book.
Well, there it is, my first review. I should have another one up soon. Meanwhile, if you've read this book, feel free to comment on it, and if you have anything you'd like to see here, please tell me.
Oh, btw, if you click on "amazon.com" above, it'll take you to their page on this book.
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