The Lost Hero (MG)

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (#1 Heroes of Olympus) 2010. Hyperion. 576 pages.


Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day.

I had my doubts. Even though it's Rick Riordan, I had my doubts. How could The Lost Hero hope to compete with The Lightning Thief. It could be good, it could even be really good. But how could it really compare with such a great book?! For me, that was THE best book, the one that was the best of them all. Yes, the series as a whole was a good adventure, but the first one? Well it was OH-SO-MAGICAL!

I was surprised by how much I loved this one. I thought it was a great read. Compelling, exciting, and magical!!! It has multiple narrators. Now practically every book with multiple narrators has me sharing with you how much I really don't like that element in books, but with this one it WORKED and worked well. It didn't feel awkward or silly like it does in Rick Riordan's other series--The Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire.

Our narrators, our heroes and heroines, are Jason, Piper, and Leo. Two have been under the protection of Coach Hedge, the third appears out of nowhere on a school field trip. The mist effecting everyone's memories--even Piper and Leo. (Piper just KNOWS that Jason has been her boyfriend for weeks. She can almost remember every moment they've ever shared.) But trouble is coming and the three will have to fight to survive long enough to reach the safety of Camp Half-blood. To complicate matters, Jason has NO MEMORY at all of who he is or where he came from.

So the book does feature a quest, and it is EXCITING. I won't go into the details of this one. Chances are if you're familiar with Percy Jackson and his series, then you'll want to read this new series anyway. And if you haven't read Percy Jackson yet, if you've yet to discover the joys of The Lightning Thief, then this is NOT the place to start your journey with Rick Riordan.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , book I bought , Greek Mythology , Mythology , Rick Riordan , series , YA Action , YA Adventure , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

This Dark Endeavour (YA)

This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. Kenneth Oppel. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 304 pages.

We found the monster on a rocky ledge high above the lake. For three dark days my brother and I had tracked it through the maze of caves to its lair on the mountain's summit.

What if Victor Frankenstein had a twin? A dying twin desperately in need of a cure. What if Victor Frankenstein's passion for "science" was the result of his desire to save his brother--no matter the cost. Is it that simple? What do you think? This is VICTOR Frankenstein after all!

This is a prequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Is it perfect? Or should I say a perfect-perfect match to Shelley's original novel? No, I can't say that it is. Perhaps because the original does not take the time to TRULY develop the Frankenstein family. Yes, we get a very, very, very strong idea of who Victor is--or was--but as for his immediate family, do we really get to know them in the original novel? Get to know them in a meaningful way? I don't know that we ever do. Is Elizabeth anything more than a picture or a symbol of a beautiful, innocent woman tragically sacrificed? And his brothers, well, we know their names essentially. Henry Clerval, well, we get a little more--but we get it through the eyes of Victor. And CAN WE REALLY TRUST ANYTHING AT ALL HE SAYS ABOUT ANYONE? (Not that I have opinions.) Anyway, this novel is a chance to meet the characters--or one author's idea of those characters.

Don't expect the details to match Shelley's story. Just don't. But if you can take it for what it is--a good adventure story with plenty of action and suspense--then you may just find yourself enjoying it.

Do I like Oppel's Frankenstein more than Shelley's? I can't say that I did. For even at a young age he seems a bit mad, a bit dark, a bit evil. Not in an oh-so-obvious way perhaps. It's just that his feelings for his brother...and his feelings for Elizabeth...are obviously complex. The way his brother loves, loves, loves Elizabeth, and the way she loves, loves, loves him in return. Well, Victor can't STAND that for a moment.

I am very glad I read this one. I was very curious about it. And I am thrilled to see an adaptation of Frankenstein. I wouldn't say that this one wowed me or that I thought it was the best book ever. But it certainly gave me something to think about. Mainly that Elizabeth was one very strong, very strong-willed, very spunky character. She has faith--it's true--and she's essentially good. But she's a FIGHTER. And she's not afraid to speak her mind. The Elizabeth of this novel cannot easily be reconciled with Shelley's original.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Historical Fiction , YA Science Fiction

Into the Parallel (YA)

Into the Parallel. Robin Brande. 2011. Ryer Publishing. 392 pages.

They said it couldn't be done.
Well, that's not exactly true.
They said it couldn't be done by a 17-year-old girl sitting alone in her bedroom on a Saturday morning.
Well, that's not exactly true, either, since it's not like there's some physicist out there who specifically made that prediction--"A seventeen-year-old girl in her pajamas? Never!"--but the point is, no one is going to believe me even if I can prove what happened, which I'm not really sure I can. 
But I know I did it. I was there. I didn't imagine it or dream it or go into some sort of altered state that confused me. I felt the wind. I smelled the dog's breath. I saw our mother. I drank some tea. It all happened. 
So if she's real--and I know she is--I just have to prove it. Go there again and this time bring something back. Like a strand of her hair or a piece of her fingernail.
Something with her DNA on it. To prove that she is me. 

Audie Masters, our heroine, dreams big. She wants to prove that parallel universes exist. She wants to be accepted into Columbia. She wants her best friend's brother, Will. Of course, all three have seemed impossible--at one point or another. But one day one of her dreams does come true.

She travels to a parallel universe. She meets her alternate-self, Halli. And the two become friends--good friends. They like meeting one another. They like comparing and contrasting their realities. It seems that while some things remain the same, there are many, many differences. There are some things about Halli's world that sound really appealing. Then again, there are a few things that seem a little off.

Audie can't help becoming a little obsessed with her discovery, can't help wanting to spend all her free time in this parallel universe, sacrificing sleep and homework. (Not that it is really a sacrifice to her to sacrifice homework!)

But some secrets are too good to keep to yourself, and she contacts a physicist, Professor Whitfield, and she shares her discovery with him, her excitement with him. He is just as thrilled as she is. Especially when he sees her video. But he has some reservations about experimenting too much with travel between worlds (or universes or realities or whatever you want to call it). But isn't that a little too much to expect?

So the novel is about Audie's adventures in both universes, how she balances her two lives. This is the first in the series.

I'm not so sure my review is doing this one justice. I can only say that the characters were well-developed, and the premise was fascinating. This book is easy to spend an afternoon with! Robin Brande is a talented writer. She creates characters that you care about, characters that you feel like you know. It never takes me long to get hooked on one of her books, and Into the Parallel was no exception.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , review copy , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

No Passengers Beyond This Point (MG)

No Passengers Beyond This Point. Gennifer Choldenko. 2011. Penguin. 256 pages.

My mom says worry is like a leaky faucet--every drip makes you imagine something bad on the way...trouble...trouble...trouble...do something...do something...do something. But when you're twelve and the only guy in the house, you're responsible for an awful lot. It isn't just the heavy lifting and taking out the garbage either. You've got to be aware.

India, Finn, and Mouse are three children on their way--by plane--to their Uncle Red's house. They're not going on vacation, this won't be a short stay. No, the three will be there to stay. Their mom has every intention of joining them when the school year is through, but for now, they'll need to stick together and take care of one another. This move is sudden and not-so-sudden. It's definitely a surprise to the three kids. To the mom? Well, she's been fighting to save her home from foreclosure for the past six months. And then the fight is over, and she's lost. Now she has to tell her kids they'll be going to stay with Uncle Red in Colorado, they'll be leaving the next day. No time to say goodbye to their friends. No time to pack up their belongings properly. No, one suitcase a piece is all they'll be taking with them. This move seems so crazy, so weird. Yet it's the sanest part of the book, perhaps?!

After the first fifty pages, well, No Passengers Beyond This Point reads like an episode of The Twilight Zone. For those that love realistic fiction--and only realistic fiction--this may be an unpleasant surprise. For those that love a bit of fantasy and mystery, well, this change may be quite welcomed. (Is it a difficult mystery to solve? I'm not a good judge of that. I certainly began putting the pieces together early on, BUT that doesn't mean it won't be suspenseful to kids. And even though I had a good idea on where this one was going, it didn't take the fun out of reading it.)

No Passengers Beyond This Point is narrated by Finn (middle child), India (oldest child), and Mouse (youngest child). And I don't always love appreciate it when authors do this. Multiple narrators can be a big disappointment at times. They can keep me from connecting with a book. They can keep me from getting to know any of the characters well enough. BUT. I didn't have a problem with it in No Passengers Beyond This Point. In fact, it was one of the novel's greatest strengths. Which narrator would I want to give up??? NONE OF THEM!!! I just loved and adored Mouse and her invisible friend, Bing. I loved seeing the world through her eyes. I loved her observations. And Finn, well, he was responsible--though worried--and was able to think things through without giving into panic. I definitely think he's a good brother for these two to have! And India, well, I might have struggled to like her at first. (Though I wouldn't say I see her exactly the same way Mouse does...) But her chapters--especially towards the end--are so INTENSE and compelling. And when it comes down to it, ALL the narrators are so important to the story itself.

So I definitely enjoyed No Passengers Beyond This Point. I loved the characters. I loved the family dynamics. I thought Choldenko did a great job with developing relationships between siblings. And, for me, the atmosphere, the setting--strange as it was--worked very well. I can't say that every reader will love it. But then again, the same is true for ANY book I review!

Some of my favorite Mouse observations:

Ever since I found out they kicked Pluto out of the planets, I have not been feeling so sure about a lot of things. If they can decide Pluto is not a planet all of a sudden like that, things are not being run the right way up top. Pluto is a planet in My Solar System on page one, page six, and all of chapter three.
My brother, Finn, who has no pimples, says that's because Pluto is a dwarf star, but Finn is wrong about this. Finn is wrong about a lot of things, but I keep quiet about how many. He is a nice big brother and I don't want to ruin him.
My sister, India, is fourteen and she's only nice when Mommy makes her. (26-27)

I do not like being way back here with Bing and Marvin. What is Marvin going to ask? I try to think of every answer I know.
"Name?" Marvin asks.
"Geneva Tompkins, but everybody calls me Mouse on account of I'm good at squeaking. Want to hear?"
Marvin shakes his head. "You're traveling with your mother."
"No," I say. "We've used up all our money. Mommy has to work because that's how she gets more. Is that how you get more, Marvin?"
Marvin writes this down on his clipboard. "Who exactly are you traveling with?"
"My sister, India, and my brother, Finn. India, Geneva, and Finland. Two countries and a city. That's me." I raise my hand. "My mother wanted to travel, but instead she had kids."
This is my grown-up joke. I got it from India. Marvin doesn't laugh.
"And your father?" Marvin asks.
"He died when I was in Mommy's tummy. I couldn't see him on account of there was skin in the way. But Bing saw him. He took a picture for me."
"Who is Bing?"
"He's my friend."
"Did you pack your own suitcase?"
"My mom and India did, only I made a few corrections."
"Which means?"
"I added the explosives," I whisper.
His face looks suddenly the color of my snot when Mommy says I have to stay home from school. "Explosives?"
"Have you ever seen mints explode? You put them in soda and Pfffffff." I make my best explosion noise, but it's not as good as Finn's.
"This is some kind of science experiment?" His voice squeaks.
"Oh, no. I don't have science yet. Not until third grade."
Marvin shakes his head and makes grunting noises. "Do you understand you aren't allowed to bring liquids on the plane? Liquids like vinegar, liquids like soda."
"I would have understood if Finn let me read the whole sign, but he said we had to--"
"You stay here," he snaps before I even finish explaining.
When Marvin comes back, Mommy, Finn, and India are with him. Marvin hands me my suitcase. It's very light. He's taken all the good stuff out. (31-32)

Now I have to go to the bathroom. But I don't want to go in a strange bathroom, so I hold it like at school. I will hold it until we get back from Uncle Red's. I only like the toilet paper at home. (42)

I'm used to knowing more than everyone else on account of Bing. He has in some knee-a, you know. You can find out a lot of things when you're awake at night. In the morning, Bing tells me everything he found out the night before. (86)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , J Fantasy , J Fiction , Penguin USA , review copy , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

Possession (YA)

Possession. Elana Johnson. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 416 pages.

Good girls don't walk with boys. Even if they're good boys--and Zenn is the best. 

Possession seems like the kind of book a dystopian-lover would love. But this one proved disappointing to me. The more I read, the more that disappointment grew. I'll try to explain.

It's one thing for a dystopian novel to throw the readers into a foreign world where they're unsure of the rules of the society and culture. But to leave readers confused for over 400 pages? To leave readers struggling to even make sense of the basic story structure? That's a big disappointment. As I said, it's one thing if there are a few missing pieces of the puzzle. The author could have done that on purpose, after all. The reader's confusion could be intentional. But I don't know if I believe that an author would intentionally confuse readers for hundreds of pages. (Well, yes, there's James Joyce and T.S. Eliot. But that's a different story.)

I believe that when you read a book, you should be able to turn the pages and know whose head your inside--who is doing the narrating, whose perspective you're seeing. Call me silly, but, that's just the way I am.

Violet, our heroine, has not been quite as obedient as she should have been. She has a way of unplugging from the messages the authorities send--to everybody--messages that tell them how to live, behave, conform, etc. The voices that 'manage' them. But even if she's not brainwashed--she's still capable of thinking for herself, for the most part, she's not extremely rebellious. She's not out to start a revolution, she's not out to break down the powers that be. She just wants to take a little walk with her match and best friend, Zenn. She just wants to have a little alone time now and then. Of course, that breaks the rules. But it hardly seems fair that such offenses would lead to prison either. But that is just what happens to Vi. In prison she meets another boy, Jag, and if labels are to be believed, he is "bad." But this 'bad boy' has a certain appeal and these two seem to share a common destiny, a common enemy. Once these two team up....well, that's when things get started.

The novel has an interesting premise: a mind-controlling government. And the novel has romance potential. Readers know from the start that Vi will at one point or another be called to choose between the boy from her past (Zenn) and the boy of the moment (Jag). Readers--for better or worse--know more about Jag than Zenn. But that isn't necessarily a horrible thing. Zenn is present for the novel, just not in a romantic, heroic way. And Jag, well, even though he's got hero potential. Well, he's not going to go out of his way to act like a ROMANTIC hero when bigger things are at stake. (I actually like that).

While I didn't fall for Jag myself, that is, I didn't find him swoon-worthy, I can see that Vi and Jag belong together. I think they deserve each other. Jag can get under Vi's skin and drive her crazy. And she can get under his skin and drive him crazy. The things she accuses Jag of, she's guilty of doing herself. And the things Jag accuses Vi of, well, he's just as guilty. If either were with a more honest person, there could be trouble. When these two fight--and they do fight--it's impossible to take sides. Because they're the pot and the kettle.

The ending. What can I say? Am I really more disappointed by the ending than I was the middle? It's not fair to say. I do think it's a bit open, a bit of a cliffhanger. If it is truly 'the end.' It is a LOT more open than most YA novels I read. (Which wouldn't be a bad thing.) If it's just trying to build up suspense for a book two, it's a bit annoying, but what else is to be expected these days? 

I didn't hate Vi. I didn't hate Jag. I didn't hate Zenn. I didn't hate the world Elana Johnson created. I really didn't feel strongly enough about it to hate it. Hate requires passion and energy. It's just that I didn't connect with them enough to "like" the novel. Readers are different. Some people love plot-driven or premise-driven novels. I tend to care more about the characters, to want a story to be character-driven. So there's a chance you might appreciate Possession more than I did.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , dystopia , Simon and Schuster , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Romance , YA Science Fiction

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem (MG)

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. Vivian Vande Velde. 2000. Houghton Mifflin. 116 pages.

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem is a collection of short stories. Each short story puts a twist on the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. In the author's note, Vivian Vande Velde picks apart all the problems with the original story, alerts readers of all the holes in logic, argues that the story is obviously incomplete! She plays around with this in her stories, proving that there are many sides to a story, many ways to interpret a story. Some are clever. Some are amusing. All are well-crafted, in my opinion.

If I had to choose just one as a favorite, it would be Straw into Gold.

The six short stories are:

A Fairy Tale in Bad Taste

Once upon a time, before pizzerias or Taco Bells, there was a troll named Rumpelstiltskin who began to wonder what a human baby would taste like.

Straw Into Gold

Once upon a time, in the days before Social Security or insurance companies, there lived a miller and his daughter, Della, who were fairly well-off and reasonably happy until the day their mill burned down.

The Domovoi

Once upon a time, before home security systems and trained guard dogs, if you lived in Russia the way to keep your home safe and happy was to have a domovoi living beneath your basement. 

Papa Rumpelstiltskin

Once upon a time, before bread was plastic-wrapped and sold in supermarkets, there lived a miller named Otto and his daughter, Christina.

Ms. Rumpelstiltskin

Once upon a time, before eyelash curlers and lip liner, there lived a very plain girl by the name of Rumpelstiltskin.

As Good As Gold

Once upon a time, before movie stars or rock singers or professional athletes, the people everybody most wanted to meet were kings and queens.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2000 , fairy tales , Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , J Fantasy , J Fiction , library book , short stories , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic (MG)

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. Jennifer Trafton. With illustrations by Brett Helquist. 2010. Penguin. 352 pages.

From the prologue: There is a very good possibility that you will not believe a word I say. Alas, it is the risk all historians take. The truest things are often the most unbelievable.
There is an island in the world, a small but lovely piece of earth, which its inhabitants call (rightly or wrongly) the Island at the Center of Everything. On the day before my story begins, it was as nearly perfect a place as an island in the world could reasonably expect to be.

From the first chapter: On a dark night in a dense forest while the great wide wonder of the stormy sky threatened to burst through the trees and swallow her up, a girl lost her hat.
This would not be an event worth recording in the annals of history, except that the girl not only lost her hat, she lost her head. Which is to say, she panicked. When a gust of wind swept off her hat and sent it flying above the trees, she left the path she had been so carefully following to run after the vanishing blue speck. It is not surprising that when she finally recovered her head and sat down to think, she realized that she had now lost both her hat and her way home. 

I loved The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic. I just LOVED it. For me, at least, it falls into the practically-perfect-in-every-way category of books. The kind of book that you read and instantly fall in love with. The kind of book that you want to reread again and again. The kind of book that you want EVERYONE to know about so they can read it themselves and discover how wonderful it is.

Persimmony Smudge, our heroine, lost her hat and thus saved the world. For if she hadn't lost her hat, she wouldn't have gotten lost. And if she hadn't gotten lost, she wouldn't have been chased. And if she hadn't been chased, she wouldn't have sought refuge in a hollow tree. And if she hadn't been hiding in that tree, she wouldn't have heard the conspirators talking about digging for the king's gold. And if she hadn't heard about the gold, she wouldn't have known to warn the King. And if she hadn't warned the King, she would have never been sent on her quest. And that quest turned out to be oh-so-important. To the king, it was a joke. But some dangers shouldn't be laughed at! Especially when that danger is...

Well, of course, I'm NOT going to tell you!!!

This book is delightful. It's just a JOY to read this one! Great story! Great writing! Great characters! I loved Persimmony. I loved the characters she meets along the way. Some, of course, are friendly. Others not so much. King Lucas the Loftier, for example, is SUCH a brat when we first meet him. I liked Worvil the Worrier--he reminded me of Puddleglum from The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. And then there is the King's adviser, Professor Quibble. I loved the world she created. I enjoyed getting to know the different inhabitants of the island: the Leafeaters, the Rumblebumps, and the humans (Sunspitters).

It's a fantasy novel and adventure story--complete with quest. It also has a fairy tale feel to it.

A broom. A hat. A girl. A hole. Such small things in a big world. But without the small things, there would be no story to tell, and--most importantly--I would not still be alive to tell it. (14)

"I need more pepper. I can't live without pepper! Don't you know that my thirteenth birthday is less than two weeks away? How can I have a birthday party without any pepper to serve my guests? It would be...It would be...It would be extremely discumbersomebubblating."
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I believe you mean discombobulating."
"How dare you tell me what I mean, Nubbins?"
"Of course, of course, forgive me! I did not hear you correctly at first. I often feel discumbersomebubblated myself."
"You do not. No one can feel discumbersomebubblated except a king." (18)

"Why don't you just build another house in a tree that stays put?"
"You mean move again?" he groaned.
"Well, anyway, that was brave of you, jumping onto a moving tree like that," she said, trying to make him feel better.
Worvil sat up quickly. "Brave? Was that brave? Oh, no! I'll never do it again, I promise."
"But someday you might--"
"DON'T! Don't say that word!"
"What word? I didn't even get a chance to finish!"
"You said might!" Worvil covered his face with his hands. "Of all the words that have ever been invented, that is the worst. All of the terror in the world hangs on the word might. The Leafeaters might kidnap me and keep me locked up underground forever. They might tie me to a tree and leave me to be eaten by poison-tongued jumping tortoises. A hurricane might flood the Willow Woods and both of us drown.."
"Well, there certainly isn't much chance of that happening!" said Persimmony. "The sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky."
"But it might. Anything might happen."
"Right. You might find your house again and live happily ever after."
"But I might not."
Persimmony stared at Worvil and discovered that she liked him. He was a coward, certainly, but he had Imagination. She liked people with Imagination. (42-43)

Life is a mess and a miracle. So pick up a broom and dance. (328)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , library book , YA Adventure , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

Rage (YA)

Rage. Jackie Morse Kessler. 2011. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 228 pages.

The day Melissa Miller killed her cat, she met the Angel of Death. Except he was no angel--and he wasn't there for the cat. 

Rage is a follow up book to Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler. While Hunger was about a teen girl with an eating disorder becoming Famine, Rage is about a troubled young woman, Melissa Miller--or Missy, becoming War.

Missy Walker cuts. Very few people in her life know about her cutting--her self-mutilation--but that number is about to become a lot larger. For her ex-boyfriend, Adam, has either placed a bet--or accepted a bet--that he can get Missy naked at the party to reveal all her scars for the crowd at Kevin's party that Friday night. (Either way, Adam shows there is a good reason he's an ex.)

Missy hasn't really felt comfortable partying--at least not lately. But with encouragement from Erica, an old friend that she's distanced herself from, and Adam, who is reaching out to her saying how much he misses her since their break up, well, in a moment of weakness she decides to go. (Of course, if she'd stayed home, the novel would be much shorter!)

After Missy is deeply humiliated, she returns home--ashamed and angry, overwhelmed with emotion--and she decides to cut herself. She takes out her blade and begins hoping that it will help her be able to breathe again, that the emotional pain will lessen as the physical pain begins. But before she even knows it, it's all too much. There is too much blood, she wasn't careful enough. She's dying and knows it will look like suicide.

But Death hasn't been watching her the past few days without good reason. He steps in, if you will, and offers her a choice. Die or become one of the four riders of the apocalypse. To be more precise, become War, and take up War's Sword.

Will Missy learn to deal with her darker emotions. Will having control of the Sword help Missy conquer her own demons, her own darkness? Will she learn to use those dark emotions responsibly? Or will they conquer her?

For the most part, I thought Rage was well written. The blend between real life and fantasy is intriguing, I must say. The writing is strong and powerful. While I still had a few questions--when did Missy begin cutting herself, does she know why she does it--the novel works for me most of the time. I do wish, however, that the epilogue would have been handled differently. (Not necessarily the content. But the style. How the novel itself only covers four days, but the epilogue covers two months. How the novel does a great job of showing and not telling. But the epilogue was too telling, if that makes sense. The narration of it was just off for me. I understand that people want a hopeful ending, an ending that leaves no doubts or questions, but it just felt too much to me.)

Have you read this one? What did you think?

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , review copy , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Paranormal , YA realistic fiction

A Monster Calls (MG/YA)

A Monster Calls. Patrick Ness. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd. 2011. September 2011. Candlewick Press. 224 pages.

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.
Conor was awake when it came.
He'd had a nightmare. Well, not a nightmare. The nightmare.
The one he'd been having a lot lately. The one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. The one with the hands slipping from his grasp, no matter how hard he tried to hold on. The one that always ended with--

There's a part of me that doesn't want to tell you anything at all about this book. The part that says that there is nothing I could say that would do it justice. The part that says this one is best discovered by readers in the moment. That knowing even the littlest things about it--the things the reader can conclude from the second or third chapter--would be knowing too much.

So I could simply tell you that it is beautiful and haunting and emotional and original. I could ask you just to trust me that it's worth a read. But would you believe me?

Conor, our hero, has been having nightmares. But it's the monster he meets shortly after midnight--on more than one occasion--that intrigues him the most. For it is this monster that he's brave enough to face. This monster that he's brave enough to speak with face to face. And if the monster is to believed, this is the monster that the boy called himself. This is the monster that both promises and threatens. He's got three stories--three tales--to share with the boy. But in return, he asks the boy to tell him a true story, his true story. And it is the threat of having to speak the truth out loud that causes Conor anxiety.

I could say more. I could mention the things going on in Conor's life--his daily life in his home and at school. But I really do think this is one you need to read for yourself, to experience for yourself.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , bullies , bullying , Candlewick , Death and Dying , grief , review copy , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction

The Land of the Silver Apples (MG/YA)

The Land of the Silver Apples. Nancy Farmer. 2007. Simon & Schuster. 512 pages.

It was the middle of the night when the rooster crowed.

The Land of the Silver Apples is the sequel to Nancy Farmer's The Sea of Trolls. And I must admit that I loved it. I just loved, loved, loved it! Even more than the first book. Perhaps because I already loved our hero Jack! Perhaps because I already cared for Thorgil, Brother Aiden, and the Bard (Dragon Tongue to some.) Perhaps because I really, really came to care for the new characters we're introduced to in this second novel! Or maybe it was just perfect timing--the right book at the right time! Lucy, Jack's younger sister, Jack's all-too-spoiled younger sister, has been acting very, very, very strange! Turns out there is a good reason! For their father has been keeping a HUGE secret from the family. A secret about Lucy. But this secret is forced into the open, as a new quest begins, a new adventure begins.

In The Land of Silver Apples, readers journey along with Jack into dangerous new worlds. We'll encounter hobgoblins (including the Hobgoblin king, Bugaboo) and elves (beware, beware!) and that's just the beginning.

If you enjoy a blending of mythology and fantasy, then you should definitely read these books! They're good fun. Plenty of action and adventure. Some humor. And I love the writing! It's just a satisfying novel!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2007 , library book , Mythology , Simon and Schuster , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

The Ropemaker (MG/YA)

The Ropemaker. Peter Dickinson. 2001. Random House. 384 pages.

It had snowed in the night. Tilja knew this before she woke, and waking she remembered how she knew. Somewhere between dream and dream a hand had shaken her shoulder and she'd heard Ma's whisper.

The Ropemaker reminded me of all the reasons I love reading fantasy. Did I love it? I didn't want it to end! I wanted to savor every moment of it. Why? Well, because I loved not only the characters, not only the story, but the world Peter Dickinson created! My favorite character happens to be our heroine, Tilja.

Tilja's valley has almost always--twenty generations--been protected by magic. Protected from its neighbors--those who would love to tax, tax, tax in the name of "providing protection" and those who would invade and plunder and conquer. There is a story passed down through the generations--a story some scarcely believe these days--about how the valley came to be protected. A story about two people on a quest for a magician named Asarta. We learn this story in chapter two. Here is how it starts:

There was time in the Valley, of course--how could there not be? But there was no history. In all the rich farmland between the northern mountains and the forest there were no wars, or reports of wars, only days, seasons, generations. No kings or other rulers, only parents, grandparents, ancestors. For eighteen generations nothing had happened in the Valley that anyone would have thought worth putting in a book, or setting up a memorial stone to record. So, no history. Only time. And the story of Asarta. (17)

Did I mention I love the writing?! Well, I did!!! Anyway, Tilja, our unlikely heroine, joins three others on a quest to "save" the magic that protects them. For they know the magic is fading, that soon unwelcome guests might invade--when they realize the truth. So Tilja and her grandmother, Meena, and Tahl, and his grandfather, Alnor, set out on a dangerous and uncertain journey. Their quest is to find the magician, Faheel, the magician who first helped the Valley all those generations ago. Is he still alive? Can he be found? Does he want to be found? Will he help them? Can he help them? Has his powers grown stronger or weaker through the years?

The Ropemaker is about their journey, their quest, as they face countless dangers, as they meet many, many people along the way. This journey will require them to be wise and courageous and diligent. To protect the Valley, to protect their families, their homes, their villages, they may have to risk it all.

I enjoyed this one very much! I'd definitely recommend it.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2001 , J Fantasy , library book , Quest , Random House , YA Adventure , YA Fantasy

The Spellcoats (MG)

The Spellcoats. Diana Wynne Jones. (The Dalemark Quartet). 1979. HarperCollins. 280 pages.

I want to tell of our journey down the River. We are five. The eldest is my sister Robin. Next is my brother, Gull, and then my brother Hern. I come fourth, and I am called Tanaqui, which is a name from the scented rushes that line the River. This makes me the odd one out in names, because my youngest brother is Mallard--only we always call him Duck.

Did I love it? I'm not sure that I did. Did I like it? Definitely! What I liked most about this one was the setting, the tone. There is something about the way Diana Wynne Jones tells a story. There is something about how she draws readers in slowly but surely. Not that this one has a slow-pace. (Though I wouldn't say the pace is ever thrilling.) It has action, adventure, mystery. All the things you'd expect to find in a fantasy novel, but it's uniquely told, in my opinion. Our heroine, Tanaqui, is weaving this story into two coats--two spellcoats. And there is a richness in the details, in the setting, in the telling. If you're in the right mood, then I think it has great potential. If you're expecting a light, fun, humor-oriented fantasy like Wee Free Men or The Amulet of Samarkand, then you might be disappointed.

My review of Cart and Cwidder.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 1979 , HarperCollins , library book , war , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

Clockwork Angel (YA)

 Clockwork Angel. (Internal Devices #1) Cassandra Clare. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 479 pages.

The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.

After her aunt's death, Tessa Gray comes to England hoping to start a new life with her older brother, Nate. She expected him to have met her when she arrived. Instead, she was met by the Dark Sisters and was imprisoned for many weeks as she was "trained" to take her 'rightful' place by their master, the Magister. For though Tessa didn't know it, she was a Downworlder, a warlock without the markings of a warlock. A warlock with special shape-shifting abilities. Tessa may not know much about magic, but she knows that the Dark Sisters are evil. And anyone they serve? Well, he'd have to be evil too. The fact that he wants to marry her?! It's all a little too creepy for her. To hold her brother--supposedly--hostage so she'll cooperate herself into a marriage?!
Tessa was already planning to try to escape when two Shadowhunters enter the scene. Will and Jem. They take her to the Institute, a hidden, protected place of the Shadowhunters, of the Nephilim. And that's just the beginning, for as the weeks go by she meets some very interesting people--only a few of which are fully human.

Tessa Gray may not have wanted this action-packed life, this dangerous adventure. But she may find that living a "normal" life is impossible now that she knows the truth. It is hard to know who to trust...and who to love. For she definitely finds herself falling in love with someone at the Institute.

I liked this one. It's historical fantasy. It's set in (an alternate) Victorian London. It's the first in a new series by Cassandra Clare. (Clare's previous trilogy--set in contemporary times--includes: The City of Bones, The City of Ashes, and The City of Glass.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in YA Action , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Paranormal , YA Romance

Pathfinder (YA)

Pathfinder. Orson Scott Card. 2010. November 2010. Simon & Schuster. 662 pages.

Saving the human race is a frantic business. Or a tedious one. It all depends on what stage of the process you're taking part in.

I loved Pathfinder. I just LOVED it. Why did I love it? Great premise. Great world-building. Great characters. Now, it is the first in a series, I believe, so I think the characters and story will be developed even more in the next one. But. I have no complaints on how they were developed in the first novel.

Pathfinder has two stories to tell. The heart of the story focuses on Rigg, a young boy, who is well-educated for a trapper's son. His father has taken him along on all his adventures, and he's known a very rugged life. Turns out his father has been preparing him for something BIG all along. Something he'd have to face all on his own. But. He's not all on his own. Not for long. For he joins up with Umbo, a childhood friend who has in recent times been less than friendly, but a boy who has a secret destiny of his own. He's been "prepared" by Rigg's father too.

Rigg can see the paths of every human and animal that has ever walked the earth. He can see all paths but for one--his father. Umbo's gift, well, it's a bit harder to define. He can manipulate time--though whether he's slowing or speeding up time is anyone's guess. By working together--and this is found through chance--they can change the past. (And when they do change the past, they often find themselves the stuff of legend.)

Rigg's journey--his quest--is to travel to find his mother and sister. The focus being on the sister. Before his father's death--which occurred just a day or two before--he'd not known his mother was alive or that he even had a sister. But now he has something to do--find his sister, Param--and something to take with him--a legacy of nineteen stones. This journey will be full of danger, but working together they may just survive. Their chances for survival improve even more when they're joined by Loaf, a former soldier turned innkeeper.

Rigg's relationship with Umbo is complicated at best. Because not only did Umbo accuse (publicly) Rigg of murdering his younger brother, the two seem to be in competition when it comes to who-has-the-greatest-gift, and who-should-be-in-charge. Umbo does not want to be taken for granted. He does not want Rigg telling him when to use his gift, how to use his gift, etc. And then there's the fact that Rigg and Param are from the royal family--they may not sit on the throne; they may live surrounded by guards; they may legally 'own' nothing not even the clothes on their backs--but royalty nonetheless.

The second story is equally interesting. It is revealed in the first few paragraphs of each chapter. This story concerns a human captain of a colony ship and a mechanical 'expendable.' Ram Odin is the only human awake for this journey. He's told that he will be the one who determines if the ship makes the jump into the fold so they can travel faster than light to the new planet they hope to colonize. But things don't go according to plan--his plan at least. These portions are SO compelling. I was fascinated by this story. And I couldn't wait for these two stories to start blending together.  

I loved Pathfinder. I loved reading this one. It reminded me of everything I loved in Pastwatch and The Worthing Saga. It was so wonderful to be spending time with Orson Scott Card again. I would definitely recommend this one!



© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in library book , Simon and Schuster , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Science Fiction

Entice (YA)

Entice. Carrie Jones. 2010. [December 2010] Bloomsbury. 272 pages.

"Am I really not allowed to complain about being here?" I ask as we enter Bedford High School about an hour late for the winter ball.

Entice is the third novel in Carrie Jones pixie series. The first two are Need and Captivate. This series would be great for fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr. (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity immediately come to mind.) I'm sure there are other authors I could mention. (After all, were-creatures, faeries, and such are still exceedingly popular at the moment. Though pixies are not that prevalent, so Jones is unique in that.) So these books are assured an audience.

I enjoyed Entice. I did. I liked it better than Captivate. And perhaps even more than Need. Though it's been so long since reading the first novel, I can't say that with certainty. If there was a time I liked Nick, I don't remember. One thing I do know is that I like Astley. I do. He is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed Entice so much! (The mythology would be a second reason.)

Almost everything I say about Entice would spoil Need and Captivate. I could talk about the danger Zara and her friends face. I could talk about the tough decision she's been "forced" to make in the name of love. I could talk about how confusing this all is for our young heroine, Zara. I could talk about how great it is that Zara has such a supportive team of friends. She's facing a lot--but she's not alone. But. I think the less you know going into it, the better it will be.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , Bloomsbury USA , pixies , review copy , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Paranormal , YA Romance

My Fair Godmother

My Fair Godmother. Janette Rallison. 2009. Walker. 320 pages. 

Here's my definition of a bad day: your boyfriend of four months--who until twelve seconds ago, you thought was the most perfect guy to set foot on earth--breaks up with you. My definition of a truly horrible day: the aforementioned boy dumps you for none other than your sister. The definition of my life: he does all of this right after you inform him that you blew your last dollar buying your dream prom dress. He asks if you can get a refund. It turns out he'll be asking your sister. 

Chrysanthemum (Chrissy) Everstar, who is just a "fair" godmother, has been assigned to the Delano family. She's not exactly told which sister is her assignment, but after observing these sisters in crisis, she makes her decision. Savannah, the "cheated" younger sister, will get three wishes. But, as you can imagine, Savannah's three wishes do not go according to plan.

For her "fair" godmother, is a little too literal for the imprecise wishing of a confused teen girl. For Savannah does not truly want to be Cinderella. Or Snow White. She does not want to be in the Middle Ages at all. She soon learns that she's not the only one affected by her wishing. For Chrissy has sent Tristan, a guy who is semi-interested in Savannah, to the Middle Ages as well, in an attempt to make Savannah's prom date a prince. These wishes will test Savannah. Challenge her to examine herself, her choices, her priorities. By feeling responsible for Tristan, Savannah learns a little something about love and life. Can she "save" her would-be prince?

She lowered her wand and sent me a condescending look. "You know, even for a mortal, you're really ungrateful."
"Ungrateful for what? To be here? A cyclops tried to eat me not long ago."
She brushed off my comment with one perfectly manicured hand. "Did you think wishes were like kittens, that all they were going to do was purr and cuddle with you?" She shook her head benevolently. "Those types of wishes have no power. The only wishes that will ever change you are the kind that may, at any moment, eat you whole. But in the end, they are the only wishes that matter." (243)

I enjoyed My Fair Godmother. I enjoyed the light romance. I enjoyed the humor. (I loved the time Savannah spent as Snow White. I loved the seven dwarves.) Yes, some of it was at Savannah's expense. But still, even though these situations were painful for Savannah, they helped change her for the better.

See also: Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2009 , fairy tales , review copy , Walker Books , wish fulfillment , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Romance

The Boy From Ilysies (YA)

The Boy From Ilysies. Pearl North. 2010. Tom Doherty Associates. 320 pages.

Po had offended the Princess of Ilysies. 

I didn't enjoy The Boy from Ilysies as much as I enjoyed the first novel, Libyrinth. Perhaps because this novel is told from a different perspective. I found Haly's "gift" of reading books to be charming. I loved reading all the bookish quotes. I particularly enjoyed how The Diary of A Young Girl was incorporated into the plot. It was just an interesting premise, an interesting world--a complex world peopled with many cultures.

The Boy From Ilysies occurs after "the redemption." Po, our narrator, isn't the only Ilysian who has chosen to remain in the new community of Libyrinth, but he is the only male. He struggles (to put it mildly) to find a place within the community. He has a way of easily offending others, and a way of being easily offended by others. Po is a sensitive guy who cries and cries and cries...but at the same time, a guy who can't resist a fight. There are many who just don't understand him. At all. How he can be weak and strong at the same time.

Part of this is culture clash. Readers are told about how Ilysian males are trained to be consorts. They're trained to serve women, to fulfill women's needs and desires. Women are to be respected, honored, admired, loved, served, etc. So Po sees many invitations--some intended, some not--in small things. (If a woman says she's tired and going to go take a bath, then that's an "invite" for company.) He's NOT in Ilysia anymore. And he's not learned enough about the world to really survive or function.

This novel is more about politics, gender roles, culture clashes, sexuality, etc., than the first novel. The community is still being threatened by various groups--including the Queen of Ilysia. Not all are happy about this so-called "Redemption." So there are still adventures to be had, and dangers to be faced.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , dystopia , library book , Tor , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Science Fiction

Enchanted Glass (MG/YA)

Enchanted Glass. Diana Wynne Jones. 2010. HarperCollins. 292 pages.

When Jocelyn Brandon died--at a great old age, as magicians tend to do--he left his house and his field-of-care to his grandson, Andrew Brandon Hope. Andrew himself was in his thirties. The house, Melstone House, was a simple matter of making a Will. But it had been old Jocelyn's intention to pass the field-of-care on in the proper way, personally. 

I am NOT a fan of this cover! If I wasn't already a fan of Diana Wynne Jones, if I didn't already know that she can tell some great stories, then I'm not sure I would have ever given this one a try. (What do you think? Do you like the cover? Isn't the UK cover a thousand times better?!)

I enjoyed so many things about Enchanted Glass. I liked "Professor" Hope. I liked Mr. Stock. And Mrs. Stock. (Oh how these two hate each other. One is the gardener, the other the housekeeper. BOTH of course have minds of their own. And think that they always, always know best. This gets quite comical.) I liked Aidan too. Who is he?! Well, that's a good question. One that Andrew eventually gets around to asking. You see, this young boy turns up one day--on a Monday--asking, in a way, for sanctuary. He's being stalked by evil creatures, you see, and his grandmother (who's recently died) always told him to see help at Melstone House if ever he was in trouble. He's just one of three visitors that turned up on that busy, busy Monday. And "Professor" Hope allows them all to stay--in one way or another. He hires an assistant (secretary) despite not really wanting one. He grants her a one month trial period. He hires an assistant groundskeeper, too, though this time on a week's trial. He likes to please people. But don't assume that he doesn't have his own tricks. He can manipulate people as well.

The story centers on Andrew Hope and Aidan Cain. And all the strange people (some human, others not quite) in their lives. Melstone House and its surrounding woods has an interesting history. There's something almost magical about the place. Something that Andrew will need to learn all about...he'll need to... if he hopes to protect those close to him.

I really enjoyed it. I just LOVED the first half. (I found it amusing and charming and lovely). The second half wasn't--in my opinion--as wonderful as the beginning. (Though I suppose you could say most of the action occurs in the second half. The confrontation between good and evil and such.) I didn't like the ending. There was something about it--which, of course, I can't say without spoiling it--that I didn't like at all.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , borrowed book , faeries , HarperCollins , J Adventure , J Fantasy , J Fiction , YA Adventure , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction

Libyrinth (MG/YA)

Libyrinth. Pearl North. 2009. Tor. 336 pages.

The wind howled and the flames roared, but the books, as they died, merely fell silent.

I enjoyed Pearl North's Libyrinth. Haly, one of our two heroines, is a young girl with a great gift--a secret gift. The books talk to her. Without opening a book, she can "read" the pages within--the words on the page being a voice in her mind. Haly is a Libyrarian--or on her way to becoming one at any rate. Clauda, our second heroine, is a servant who sees and hears much. Some might even call her a gossip. But she brings word to both Haly and Selene of the danger to come. The threat that the Eradicants--the book burners--pose.

Haly is about to get a chance to know the Eradicants well. For she is captured, but even as a prisoner she holds some power over her captors. But this is one you should read on your own. I'm afraid of saying too much.

I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the world the author created. The different cultures. Their strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed the style--how Pearl North incorporates books within her work. Her use of quotes was fun!

After the burning, Haly fled to the maze of bookshelves beneath the Libyrinth, to the books that had not been burned. "Two houses, both alike in dignity"; "He was just a country boy"; "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." The multitude of familiar voices comforted her even as she grieved those she'd lost. (13)  

She does provide readers with a list of books she quoted throughout the novel. I liked the characterization too. I didn't quite love it--but I'd definitely still recommend it!

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2009 , review copy , Tor , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction , YA Science Fiction

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (MG/YA)

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Terry Pratchett. 2001. HarperCollins. 242 pages.

Rats! 
They fought the dogs and killed the cats, and--
But there was more to it than that. As the Amazing Maurice said, it was just a story about people and rats. And the difficult part of it was deciding who the people were, and who were the rats.
But Malicia Grim said it was a story about stories.
It began--part of it began--on the mail coach that came over the mountains from the distant cities of the plain.

I loved The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. I just LOVED it. I loved the characters. Maurice, the cat, and many of the rats--including Hamnpork, Dangerous Beans, Peaches, Darktan, Sardines, etc. And the humans, Keith and Malicia. I loved seeing these characters interact with one another. I loved the story too! It was such a great adventure story. And the writing--of course--I just loved it! Terry Pratchett is a new favorite of mine!!!

What is this one about? Maurice has a scheme to get rich. He travels with a human piper, Keith, and 'his' educated rodents (rats). (Both the rats and the cat can talk.) They go from town to town--or village to village--though never in places too close together. First, they'll be an outbreak of rats. Then Keith will appear as a rat piper to save the day and lead the rats away. For a fee, of course. They split the money between them.

Readers see their "last" adventure in the town of Bad Blintz. All does not go according to plan...

One of my favorite things about this one is Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. These rats LOVE the book Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. And many of the chapters begin with a quote from this book.

One day, when he was naughty, Mr. Bunnsy looked over the hedge into Farmer Fred's field and saw it was full of fresh green lettuces. Mr. Bunnsy, however, was not full of lettuces. This did not seem fair. (1)

Mr. Bunnsy had a lot of friends in Furry Bottom. But what Mr. Bunnsy was friendly with more than anything else was food. (20)

The important thing about adventures, thought Mr. Bunnsy, was that they should not be so long as to make you miss mealtimes. (49)

There were big adventures and small adventures, Mr. Bunnsy knew. You didn't get told what size they were going to be before you started. Sometimes you could have a big adventure even when you were standing still. (79)

I would definitely recommend this one!


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2001 , animals , HarperCollins , library book , YA Fantasy , YA Fiction