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August 17, 2005 4:19 pm
Valiant
by Holly Black
Fantasy | 314pgs
When Val finds her mom and boyfriend togethr, she takes off to New York City, with no plan in mind. There she meets Lolli, Dave, and Luis, kids living in a subway station, and learns from them about the faires who live in the city, in particular, a troll named Ravus whom they make deliveries for. She also learns that those fairies are being murdered. Soon, along with her new friends, she is thrown into the dangerous intrigues of the Realm of Faire, all while finding herself disturbingly attracted to that troll.
I bought the book because I loved Holly Black's previous book Tithe, and it didn't dissapoint. Full of thre dimensional characters, both human and supernatural, this book weaves a thrilling and intricate story encompasing both adventure and emotion. It's well worth the read, even if a look back is occasionally needed to clarify something.
July 10, 2005 1:23 pm
Private Peaceful
by Michael Murpurgo
Historical | 202pgs.
Private Thomas Peaceful is spending the night alone in a barn during World War I, trying to survive, and waiting for something. To keep awake, he recounts his childhood growing up with his older brother Charlie and their friend Molly, and the circumstances that lead to them joining the war, as well as what they have seen and experienced since.
Written so it seems as if Tommo is talking both to himself and to the reader, the simple story draws one in, entangling you in the characters and their lives, keeping you reading untill the surprising end. Touching and meaningful, not a book that will soon be forgoten.
June 28, 2005 3:59 pm
Mortal Engines
by Philip Reeve
Science Fiction | 373pgs.
In an era where cities and towns roam the world consuming eachother in a practice calle Municipal Darwinism, the young apprentice historian Tom saves London's Lord Mayor from an assasin. He expects to be treated as a hero, but instead finds himself left behind on the ground with the assasin, a mysterios girl named Hester Shaw, as London moves on. He only wants to get back home, but he needs Hester in order to survive away from the city, and with her he may learn that his heros aren't as virtous as he thought, and what exacatly the sinister plan they have for London is.
An engaging, easy to read book with an interesting but not overly complicated plot and a wide variety of characters. The point of view switches between a number ot them, givin the reader the whole story as to what's happening in this vividly imagined world.
Sloppy Firsts
by Megan McCaferty
Teen Diary | 280pgs.
Her best friend Hope has just moved away and Jess Darling doesn't know how she's going to survive without her. She has so many things to deal with, such as the superficial Clueless Crew, as she calls the other girls she and Hope hung out with, a variety of family problems, and of course, boys, all of which would be so much easier if her best friend weren't a thousand miles away.
It could have been just another typical teenage girl diary style book, but it's more than that. It's smart and funny and filled with great characters. And oh yah, a boyfriend is not the same as a happy ending. And did I mention that it's smart?
June 21, 2005 1:54 pm
The Witch's Boy
by Michael Gruber
Fairy Tale | 377pgs
Abandoned in a forest, Lump is raised by a witch, a bear, and a demon, sheltered from the world of humans and never realizing how ugly he is until he meets others in the forest and his heard grows cold. With ignorance of the world, and a taste for revenge, there are all kinds of troubles which the boy can cause for himself and his mother, and few ways in which he can fix them.
It takes quite a while for the story to really get moving, but once it does, it's a good one and engaging. A nice touch it the retellings of many traditional fairy tales throughout the story. Basically, starts slow, but ends up being quite good.
June 16, 2005 12:22 pm
So Super Starry
by Rose Wilkins
Teen Life | 230pgs
Octavia goes to a posh private school with kids of othe celebrities and semi-celebrities, but as much as her TV actress mother would like her to be, she's just not into the whole fame thing. She'd rather just live a normal life. But when she meets Alex, Octavia starts doing things for and with the girls she hates for their superficiality in order to stay on his good side. Of course, she and other characters have a few things to learn and some important descisions to make.
As much a story about her mother accepting her as Octavia doing what's right for herself, this is a very well-written book with all kinds of moments. The kind of book that, while not being anything entirely new or brilliant, just feels right.
June 4, 2005 10:40 pm
I'm running out of ideas of how to title these. Oh well.
Uglies
by Scott Westerfeld
Science Fiction | 425pgs.
Tally lives in a world were, when you turn sixteen, you get an opperation to become pretty and enter a life were all you do is party. She can't wait, but when she makes a friend who tells her about a place without pretties, her friend trys to get her to run a way with her. Of course, it's all nonsense to Tally, but when her friend dissapears, she must find her or never be pretty. She starts her search just wanting to be pretty, but what she learns will change her life and the way she sees her society.
The premise is a good one, and the story starts quickly and is easy to read. The characters are pretty good as well, but the whole thing has very few plot turns or surprises. It still somehow keeps you wanting more and, after a clifhanger ending, waiting for the next one. Basically a good quick read but not great literature.
June 1, 2005 5:09 pm
Wormwood
by G P Taylor
Fantasy / Historical | 258pgs.
A "sky-quake" rocks eighteenth century London, as days and nights speed past and midnight becomes dawn. But this is only the begining, for the book Nemorensis tell of a comet which will soon strike the city. In the city's final days, the struggle for this book, for power and the world that will come after, and for life itself, will draw in a serving girl, her rich master, as well as spirits of the dead and fallen angels, among others.
An intricate plot is revealed to the reader only as the characters know what is happening, creating a suspenseful tale ful of danger and mystery. Full of characters driven by the strong forces of desire and duty, even the slow parts draw the reader into this world.
edited by David Levithan
Anthology | 220pgs.
Poems, Stories, Essays and Art from The Best Young Writers in America. Over fifty pieces of writing and over twenty-five pieces of artwork created by middle and high schoolers covering most any topic you could think of: childhood, maturity, love, life, death, and more. There is such variety here that it is hard to write just a short review for the whole book. Virtually every piece has a powerful impact and rings true with one's own experiences. You should also look at the previous volume from this editor and publisher, You Are Here This Is Now. my rating: 5 | amazon.com rating: NONE YET!
Talking in the Dark
by Billy Merrell
Life / Poetry | 136pgs
A poety memoir, tracing the author's life in moments as he remembers childhood, discovering he's gay, dealing with death and disease, and love, being betryaed by it and learingin to trust it again. Many of the poems start with some childhood memory or random observation and move smoothly into a later event or emotion in a way that makes them seem one and the same.
Brilliant. The poems together tell a story that has just the right amount of vaugness and details but any one can stand beautifully on its own. Merrell knows how to craft the words so they just work. My favorite poems included "Aubade to Childhood" and "From Breaking".
May 22, 2005 5:57 pm
Pieces
edited by Stephen Chobsky
Anthology | 155pgs.
A collection of fifteen short stories, covering a variety of topics. From a young girl whose fantasy is being intruded upon by here parents fighting, to a series of chance events and encounters at the Eiffel Tower, to a boy stealing pain pills from his job, each story is unique and has something new to offer.
Nearly all, if not all, of the stories are extremely effective and well done. Whether they are capturing a moment or a longer time, they make you want to savor each one but at the same time see what treasure the next one has to show.
Based on the many reviews at amazon.com, this seems to be pretty much an either you really really like it or hate it book. If you want to see what people were complaining about, click on the amazon.com link, it'll take you to their page on the book.
May 8, 2005 3:56 pm
Mira, Mirror
by Mette Ivie Harrison
Fairy Tale | 314pgs.
When she's a young girl, Mira is traded to a witch as an aprentice, but then betrayed by her new sister and turned into a mirror. Years pass and she finds herself in the company of another young girl, and plans to use her to get the magic she needs to be human again. But as she spends time with the girl, Mira starts to question what she is doing.
The first book I've ever read from the point of view of a mirror, it's a little strange, but fun and touching. Looking at a fairy tale from another way is always fun, and this one even manages to avoid the steryotypical prince-is-most-important-thing, although it is not compleatly devoid of romance.
Saving Francesca
by Melina Marchetta
Teen Life | 243pgs.
Francesca Spinelli starts year eleven at a school whith 750 boys and thirty girls, only three of whom went to her old school. Of course she wouldn't consider any of them to be her friends, but who else is there to hang out with? To top this off, her mother, once an intense activist and motivator, suddenly stops getting out of bed one day. Now Francesca must not only survive school and figure out who she and her friends really are, but try desparately to keep her family, in fact her whole life, together.
This is a book that feels real. Francesca and her mistakes and successes, as well as all the other characters, are all completely concievable, in fact, exactly as you would think they'd be outside the book. There are no cheap plot divices here. The story is very well written, touching and, like life itself, has happy and sad and funny moments and seriousness.
April 27, 2005 8:27 pm
Snow-Walker
by Catherine Fisher
Fantasy | 507pgs.
A collection of three books that were, I think, originally published separately, and are each their own story. In the first Jessa and her cousing are sent to the far north by the witch Gundrun who wrongfully rules the lands they live in. There is where the witch came from, and where her son Kari, her only fear, now is. They are sent there to die, but are determined to drive out the witch from thier lands. In the second and third, Gundrun tries to exact her revenge, and Jessa must help her friends in order to keep the witch from gaining control of that which will give her that much more power.
As I said, it's three separate stories. They don't flow into eachother seemlessly - there's time between them - but are very good on thier own. The world created by the author is unique and fascinating and the characters are for the most part all strong and individual.
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