I'm going with a 5 even though I had some problems with the ending.
If Hazel's take on life, life with cancer and how cancer is a byproduct...moreI'm going with a 5 even though I had some problems with the ending.
If Hazel's take on life, life with cancer and how cancer is a byproduct of dying doesn't bring you to tears and laughter, well, there's something wrong with you. At times she's preternaturally wise, but most of the time she's one of those intelligent, loves words teenagers who has spent three years living with "really sucky lungs" and battling for most of her breaths. Why didn't she just give up? Because despite her parents urging her to do so, she overheard her mother saying "I won't be a mom anymore" and (I think) just couldn't let go.
And it's lucky she didn't, because then she wouldn't have met Augustus, her apparent soul mate. Together they play rather violent video games, watch "V for Vendetta", go on picnics and fall in love. They even share Augustus' Wish (it's really Hazel's) and go to Amsterdam to meet the author of Hazel's favorite book. And here's where the book failed me: Peter Van Houten was supposed to hold the answers to Hazel's questions about An Imperial Affliction but turns out to be a mean alcoholic. Too cliche for me.
Ditto when Van Houten comes to Indianapolis, and at the very end, when his former assistant Lidewij goes to his home to see if she can find Augustus' writing. That the book didn't actually end the way I thought it might was a wonderful relief (I like being surprised). The writing and the humor make what could be an otherwise maudlin book a wonderfully upbeat read.(less)
Between the reviews and the tweets coming from the conversation about this book at ALA Midwinter, I thought this would be an interesting read. It was,...moreBetween the reviews and the tweets coming from the conversation about this book at ALA Midwinter, I thought this would be an interesting read. It was, particularly the beginning when the author talks about our shift from a Culture of Character to one of Personality and the rise of the extroverted ideal. Her look at Harvard Business School's model and the world of Tony Robbins and the Saddleback Church were also interesting, but I did wonder why she didn't look at other business schools (ones that aren't as aggressively driven towards "extroversion = success") and smaller churches - the comparison could have illustrated her points a little more successfully.
The last part of the book lost me, when the book turns into a semi self-help manual. It was great to have her explaining how introverts can negotiate time alone/apart, or how to navigate social experiences but the converse was missing: how can extroverts learn to relate better to introverts? For example, there are examples of how to help introverted students do better/feel better in school, but none of how to help introverted teachers relate to extroverted students.
One of the bigger take-aways for me was the ways in which our schools are stressing collaboration and social learning, possibly at the expense of creativity and certainly to the detriment of the more introverted students. Something to ponder as we move forward with so-called 21st century skills/learning.(less)
The subtitle is a bit confusing: this is a novel as much as it is a mystery (and this goes back to the question I've been asking for the past year or ...moreThe subtitle is a bit confusing: this is a novel as much as it is a mystery (and this goes back to the question I've been asking for the past year or so - why are we using "a novel" as a subtitle? is there the risk we can't tell fact from fiction?).
There are two intertwined questions here, the first being "who killed the two little girls, and how is this related to the assaults on Grace and Evangeline years ago?" and "is Sir Owain insane?". Our hero is, of course, concerned that perhaps the answers to one lead to the other. Sebastian Becker works for the Crown in the role of Visitor in Lunacy, helping determine whether someone is capable of handling his (or her) affairs or needs to be put in "Bethlam" (aka "St. Mary Bethlehem Hospital" or Bedlam). His previous training, however, was as a Pinkerton detective, and he uses this to help Steven Reed figure out what's happening in Arnmouth.
The two questions do appear to be related, and Sebastian's investigation leads to some interesting characters, including the aforementioned Evangeline, now a suffragette working in the Inns of Court. The two, along with Sebastian's son Robert (whom I thought had Down's Syndrome, given the name of his doctors, but it's more ASD-like) try to determine the truth of the ill-fated Amazon trip that Sir Owain led, and whether he is now mad as a result.
The ending is a little rushed yet nonetheless satisfying. The questions are answered and were not telegraphed way in advance - always nice in a mystery. The descriptions of the Amazon, medicine 100 years ago and the suffrage movement make add to the atmosphere in an organic way (in other words, they don't feel tacked on to the mystery to give it a setting).
Like Far From Here, this is told in a combination of first and third person; the first person episodes are either a diary entry or conversation betwee...moreLike Far From Here, this is told in a combination of first and third person; the first person episodes are either a diary entry or conversation between Alice and her husband Claudio, who disappeared shortly after their son died. Set in Tuscany during the waning days of World War II, the title has several meanings - the restoration of the villa and farms at San Martino, the restoration work Kristin does on paintings, the restoration of peace, and possibly the restoration of Alice's life to something closer to normal.
The pacing is rather slow, with the tension coming from the war and from Alice's relationship with her husband, their friend Pritchett and her lover. Kristin's life in Iceland and Italy also plays into this as her employer/lover, Marshall, is selling art to the Germans, including a "Caravaggio" she "repaired". Overall there's little surprise here, and I didn't feel as though this was really an Italian novel but rather set there by happenstance. The parts about painting restoration and techniques were interesting, and had there been more of that or more of Alice's relationship with her husband and dead son, I would have found the book more compelling.
Esther is a recent college graduate with no real plan except to get some sort of disease that entitles her not to work but to receive benefits. Obvio...moreEsther is a recent college graduate with no real plan except to get some sort of disease that entitles her not to work but to receive benefits. Obviously that's not the easiest thing to achieve, so she's currently drifting. Then one day her mother arranges for her to take a babysitting job: May is four, her mother Amy needs someone to watch May while she goes back to her art, and there was another daughter who died a few months earlier. As the days pass, Esther becomes very attached to May and builds a relationship with Amy while also falling for Nate, Amy's husband.
This isn't terribly plot-driven, and Esther is one of those aimless depressives, but (probably due to the author's age) her voice will be familiar to any recent graduates also trying to figure out "what's next".
One can only guess that this is being marketed as an adult book because the publisher hopes it will become a cross-over hit - I hope that's the case. ...moreOne can only guess that this is being marketed as an adult book because the publisher hopes it will become a cross-over hit - I hope that's the case. That this is about a girl in middle school may turn adults off, however.
We're in the proximate future when - no one explains why - the earth's rotation starts to slow. First a few minutes, then hours; ultimately a day could be as long as 41 hours, with nights equally long. What this does to Julia's friends and family is a little predictable: the hoarding, the "end is coming" fears, the questioning of those who were always a little different but who now choose to live in 'real' not 'clock' time. The book also talks about what happens to nature when these changes take place, like birds being affected by the increased gravity and plants by the changes in light and dark.
Unlike the dystopian or post-apocalyptic books, this presents a real world that could exist. There are many discussion possibilities here, chiefly how can we adapt to this world? Can we? Should we?
Did you like Libba Bray's Beauty Queens? I confess, the satire was a little too heavy for me, so it only rated a 3. This book? Solid 5 for me.
...moreDid you like Libba Bray's Beauty Queens? I confess, the satire was a little too heavy for me, so it only rated a 3. This book? Solid 5 for me.
Apparently this is based on a true event in Thailand in the '70s: several girls on a camping trip get stranded on a deserted island in the Thai archipelago and have to survive for quite a long time before they get rescued. Sounds like Lord of the Flies, too, doesn't it? In this version (called Koh Tabu in England, where it won the Manchester Book Award in 2011), it's group of girls whose fathers are involved with the Vietnamese War effort. This cadet group (sort of Girl Scout-esque) is minus their longstanding leader, although they're thrilled that Layla Campbell, a very glamorous younger woman, will be there with them. At the last moment, Bonnie's mother withdraws as well.
A storm makes it impossible for them to land on the island they'd planned to spend three days camping on, and the boatman somehow gets them to semi-safety on another island (which he calls Koh Tabu) that has abundant fresh water. The storm worsens and in the morning they realize that one of the girls died. Then the boatman, whom they'd assumed was going to return in three days, turns up dead.
Of course there are moments of courage as well as moments of hideously selfish behavior. The island has secrets, some of which the girls find and some that are hinted at. Layla's glamor wears off quickly for most of the girls, and her leadership abilities are completely lacking. Their survival, and rescue, seems bleak.
While much of this seems like a re-tread of Golding, it's more than merely that. The girls reactions to their situations all feel completely real, and there were moments when I knew/hoped I'd have acted in a similar fashion.
Sigh. This was fun to read, particularly the parts when Sage is defying Connor and yet making alliances with Imogene and Mott and yet it was so predi...moreSigh. This was fun to read, particularly the parts when Sage is defying Connor and yet making alliances with Imogene and Mott and yet it was so predictable.
Sage is one of three orphans bought by Lord Connor; Connor's idea is that since the royal family is all dead (the King, Queen and Heir recently murdered, Prince Jaron died four years previously in a pirate attack on his ship), he can gain power and stabilize the kingdom by producing "Prince Jaron". Sage, Tobias and Redon will have two weeks to prove that they are the most prince-worthy (it's pretty clear that the losers will be killed so as not to give away the plot).
Can anyone else guess what happens? Yeah, thought so. Still, the writing is engaging and younger readers will probably not be as familiar with this story, so will not mind.
This book isn't about zombies in the sense that one might assume: the characters are a bit like zombies, and Jeremy is a huge fan of the zombie movie ...moreThis book isn't about zombies in the sense that one might assume: the characters are a bit like zombies, and Jeremy is a huge fan of the zombie movie genre, but there are no reborn, flesh-eating monsters here.
Jeremy's father is a Vietman-era Marine-turned-real estate agent, who disappears every night and doesn't really pay attention to his son. Mom is a pill-popping Catholic who has moved in with another man. Older brother Jackson is a sexoholic who prefers nudity and not working. And Jeremy is starting his freshman year at a Christian Brothers school, Byron Hall, a school filled with bullies and semi-sanctioned violence against new kids. He hopes his adherence to the Zombie Survival Code will get him through, but of course that doesn't work. Things spiral out of control regarding his father and those nighttime jaunts, and Jeremy does his best correct what appear to be great wrongs.
All of that might have led to a great book, but the language seemed to be a little too rough - I know that more conservative schools won't put this on their shelves. It was a little difficult for me to read, which should say something.
I'm vacillating between "it was ok" and "I liked it", but decided to be generous.
Haven Terra (yes, the name has impo...moreI'm vacillating between "it was ok" and "I liked it", but decided to be generous.
Haven Terra (yes, the name has import) was abandoned as a child - found bruised, bleeding and alone at the side of the road when she was five, with no memory of her past. Taken in and raised by Joan, she's one of the top students in her class and firmly focused on the future. One day she and her BFF, Dante (and why is it that the male BFF is always gay? seriously, it's bugging me that we can't show boys and girls just being friends without one having a same-sex orientation) learn that they've been chosen to participate in an exciting internship, assisting with the opening and running of a new luxe hotel in Chicago.
Once there she feels outclassed by the gorgeous, glamorous members of The Outfit (named after Al Capone's gang) but is made to feel like a critical member of the team by Aurelia, the owner and her mentor. Her assignment seems normal at first, but slowly she realizes that something is not quite right - and her friendship with Dante is starting to loosen. Luckily, there's Lucian to romance her, and Lance to pick up where Dante's friendship has left off. There's also a mysterious book blank book that gives her instructions and orders via writing that appears.
Sounds familiar? Yep, I thought so, too. Without going into spoilers, let's just say that this is paranormal romance/suspense and there's nothing really surprising here. At times the writing was a little florid and a good editing would have helped. Yes, there's a huge Capone component (the hotel is where the Valentine's Day Massacre took place, and there's even a minor mention of Geraldo's ill-fated opening of the hidden vault) but the history is glossed over - it's there for atmosphere and nothing more.
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