"And just like Eve, she was curious, not a becoming trait for a woman. What hubris it was to think for herself, to wonder, to do contrary to what she...more"And just like Eve, she was curious, not a becoming trait for a woman. What hubris it was to think for herself, to wonder, to do contrary to what she was told; what a crime to want to know what was in that famous box. In a moment of defiance, she opened it, releasing all the evil into the world. It spilled over the land like storm clouds; it darkened the sky black. The acrid smoke seeped into every pore of every soul, infecting mankind with a filth that could never be washed off.
This is what made her famous: her illicit box; that dirty, forbidden thing.
But no one ever talks about what was at the bottom of the box, hidden under layers upon layers of suffering. With the storm clouds thrashing in the sky grabbing all the attention, no one noticed the tiny pearl of light that remained at the bottom, the little crumb of hope like a lonely afterthought.
But shame is stronger than hope and of course the first woman invested that, too."
Amy Reed's latest novel comes with everything readers who have been fans of Reed have come to expect: compelling characters, a strong back story to all of those characters, fluid and strong writing, and a story line that keeps you going through to the end, never wanting to set the book down. What Over You adds that takes this book from being a really good one to an outstanding one is how it goes from being a story about a friendship -- an unhealthy one -- to being a story about independence and, at heart, about feminism.
Sadie's been kicked out of her house by her father for drinking too much, and she's being sent to live with her mother Lark on her farm in rural Nebraska. Sadie, unable to do anything alone or for herself, begs her friend Max to join her on the trip. She agrees, and the story begins as both wait at a bus stop to be picked up by Sadie's mother's boyfriend/stepfather/romantic partner.
Max is the one telling the story. Max lives for Sadie and would follow her anywhere. They're best friends; they love each other; they're connected at the hip. There have been times when Sadie's been Max's romantic interest, too, where the lines between best friend and romantic interest and the feelings therein have blurred a bit, and Sadie's allowed Max to indulge in those feelings.
Allowed.
But once the two girls get to the farm and find they're going to be housed together in a small trailer on a farm where sustainability and intentional living are the keys to success and happiness, Sadie contracts an illness that forces her to quarantine. Max can't handle it -- she can't be away from Sadie, can't be away from the girl who helped her find her way in the world. It's especially distressing at the farm, since this is the place where Max didn't necessarily want to fit in. Didn't necessarily want to be separated from Sadie because Sadie is her best friend and the person who helps direct the course of her life.
Of course, that forced separation is what Max needs to realize that Sadie is no friend. Sadie is the kind of girl who needs to have power in a situation. Who needs to be doted upon. And Max realizes this when Sadie's illness means that Max is good for nothing BUT giving into Sadie's demands and wishes. Sadie doesn't love her; Sadie uses her.
There's another element to this story, and that comes in the form of Dylan. He's the boy Sadie had her eyes on when they first got to the farm, and he's the boy who Max finds herself spending a lot of time with now, as Sadie's taken sick. Slowly, Max finds herself falling for Dylan. He's mysterious and dark and aloof -- all of the things that Max found so compelling about Sadie.
He's her replacement, which means...he's not going to be good for Max either. (view spoiler)[ Though I saw it coming from miles away, he goes as far as Sadie does in abusing Max's good nature and good will -- but his advances are physical, are taunting in a very sexual and horrific manner. (hide spoiler)]
So what's the point when Max says enough is enough? Well. That's the farm. The point of the farm. It's the state of Nebraska. It's Max remembering her own passion for mythology. It's the entire idea of the phoenix, destroying herself and then rebuilding herself from the ashes.
Reed's method of doing this is spectacular. It's almost exceedingly simple and yet, it's perfect -- (view spoiler)[ the first part of the book, where Max is Sadie's shadow, the entire section is Max narrating Sadie's story for her. It's told through the "you," over and over. But when part two begins, we see the shift from Max narrating for Sadie to instead beginning to narrate for herself. It's the I. It's when she does the acting and the living and the action falls upon her entirely. It's when she embraces life on the farm. When she embraces LIFE (quite literally). And part three, while Max struggles with what it is she and Sadie are, as well as what it is she and Dylan are, she's rising from the ashes.
It's the phoenix. (hide spoiler)] There are chapters interspersing the narrative which are tales of the different Greek myths -- like the section quoted above -- and the writing in them is downright spectacular. It's literary and engrossing and so perfectly captures Max's struggle and her passion all at once.
One of the strongest elements of this story (I mean, besides all of it) is that Max is bisexual. But this is never, ever the defining feature of the story. And where it would be so easy for the narrative to shift toward that, especially as Sadie herself blurts this out at a barn party in the middle of no where Nebraska (where you as a midwesterner bristle, worried about the reaction), you remember that teenagers are teenagers and that means sometimes their reactions to such heavy news about a person is no reaction at all because it is truly not a big deal. But (view spoiler)[ of course, this is what Dylan uses against Max in a disturbing, painful scene near the end of the book. It is, though, Max's decision to take ownership of her body, her decisions, her relationships, and her lifestyle back from any and everyone else. When she does that, even Dylan's sickening abuse of her sexuality against her is not a big deal. (hide spoiler)] It's handled with such care.
Max is one of my favorite YA characters in a long time. I loved experiencing the world through her eyes, and there were many times I completely related to a lot of her struggle about identity and what it means to be a good person, what it means to love and express that, and what it means to be a good friend. It's not about narrating someone's story for them; it's about narrating your own. She also has a strong back story, which is one we don't get to know at all until (view spoiler)[ we finally get to see the world through her eyes. It takes her a long time to open it up, and when she does, things only snap further into place. (hide spoiler)]
Reed is truly a gem in contemporary ya. This is the kind of book I can see teens I work with loving, especially as it's set in the midwest, as it's infused with life on a farm/in a small town, and yet it doesn't fall into the easy trappings or stereotypes of those sorts of teen lives at all.
Longer review to come, but this book is out-of-this-world good. (less)
It's 1986 and Eleanor has just moved. She's the new girl, and she's got to sit somewhere on the bus. Park prays it's no...moreThis book was perfect. PERFECT.
It's 1986 and Eleanor has just moved. She's the new girl, and she's got to sit somewhere on the bus. Park prays it's not next to him. She's weird looking. She has long red hair. He's gotta stay under the radar so that Steve leaves him along. Steve who always loves to torment the person who gives him too much attention . . .
Eleanor sits on the same bus seat with Park. They don't talk. Day after day, they resent their situation. Until one day, they don't. Until one day, Park notes that Eleanor is looking at the comics he's reading. Until he realizes she's someone he wants to talk to. Until one day they talk.
Until one day they realize they are mad for one another. Except it's not one day. It's the accumulation of days and hours and moments together (and more, the moments apart) when they realize just how much they need one another.
Rowell's YA debut is phenomenal. Park and Eleanor are two fully-realized characters who are both dealing with tremendously tough things in their lives. Park lives with a demanding -- and at times, demeaning -- father who finds him a disappointment to his family and his culture (he's Asian), but ultimately, Park just wants to get through life. He's a nice guy and he doesn't want that reputation marred. Eleanor, on the other hand, has it rough and that's the only way to say it. (view spoiler)[ Eleanor's step father is insanely abusive but in subtle and horrific ways. He makes and effort to make existing as uncomfortable and painful for her as possible through little things that aren't really little. Their bathroom in their tiny home has no door. Her clothes are never clean. She has no where to put anything except her bed. Eleanor has absolutely no safety or security in her own home (hide spoiler)]. She's not a romantic, not an optimist, not hopeful for anything because she's never had a reason to be.
These characters are real and they are aching. You want them to succeed, and you want them to have the ultimate outcome. I'm not a fan of romances, but the truth is, neither is Eleanor. She's tough as hell and she has no reason to believe anyone could ever give her the sorts of things she needs and deserves emotionally (and physically). Rowell has a knack for getting to these characters and their insecurities and allowing those things to be what brings them together. Their relationship is strained and cautious, and in that caution, there is tremendous tenderness. Those moments are searing. My heart grew and burst then grew again as they interacted.
I related so hard to Eleanor on many, many levels. Aside from sharing a lot of her feelings when it comes to love and romance, I (view spoiler)[ also related intensely to the relationship she had with her stepfather. It made me so uncomfortable because much of it was my experience with a step parent, as well. I just wanted to give the girl a hug and then tell her that she was worth a hell of a lot more than what she was being given. Ugh that girl, that girl, that GIRL. (hide spoiler)]. Park was sweet without ever being unrealistic. He doesn't save Eleanor, and this isn't a story about where a girl gives into that sort of trope. And in fact, I believe the ending of the book said it all. This was a story of Eleanor being the hero of her own journey. She was just lucky (view spoiler)[ to have had the time with Park that she did and what they had -- it could never, ever be taken away from her or from him. (hide spoiler)].
This book will be well-loved by teen readers looking for a mature story and I definitely see nice adult reader appeal too. It's never mature in a sexual way but in an emotional way -- in fact, there's virtually nothing sexual here at all. It's much more about emotional intimacy with moments of raw physical ache (vs. sex as sex). It reminded me at times of Natalie Standiford's How to Say Goodbye in Robot.
Yes, this story is set in the 80s, which is usually a huge turn off for me, but it's so timeless that the setting doesn't matter at all. The only thing giving it that time flavor are some of the (few) pop culture references.
And damn if that ending wasn't everything perfect and right for the story, for the characters, and for this reader. Definitely going to be one of my all-time favorite reads. I had a good, long cry more than once during this read. Both for good things and not-so-good things.
I've watched Battle Royale countless times, but I never picked up the novel. Much as I want to be mad I put it off, I'm GLAD I did because it was real...moreI've watched Battle Royale countless times, but I never picked up the novel. Much as I want to be mad I put it off, I'm GLAD I did because it was really what I needed to read right now.
This is brutal and heart breaking and fast paced and high stakes and straight up torture to read, but all of those come in the right possible ways. It's a story about the lengths you'll go to survive and a story about how making choices of trust and instinct and whether you're really all on your own or you're a part of something bigger.
I enjoyed every second of reading this, as it balances the action with emotion, while never feeling overwhelming (on either of those nor the fact there are so many characters -- that doesn't matter much in the long run). It's a commentary on society and government without trying too hard to be. There's excellent character development, and there's enough tension in building these characters that you can't always be sure of motivation. It's gold, and it works so well in the end for the reader.
Inevitably, The Hunger Games is compared to this one, and I have to say, Battle Royale wins out on the whole, but really, they're not about the same thing. They have a similar premise and readers who liked one will likely enjoy the other, but they cover different territory. I have to say I appreciate the fact Takami kept everything in one volume, rather than splitting up the story. For me, it made the tension higher overall, and it made the stakes that much higher. I didn't have to wait at some pivotal point for more. It just happened.
This was the right book to kick off 2012. 600+ pages flew by. Now to go watch the movie again. (less)
This book has one of the strongest voices I've read, coupled with a pitch perfect midwestern small-town setting. Morgan is pa...moreA damn near perfect book.
This book has one of the strongest voices I've read, coupled with a pitch perfect midwestern small-town setting. Morgan is passionate, driven, and a dreamer still firmly rooted to the ground (by choice and by force). She's witty without being sarcastic. She's truthful and insightful without being too smart for 17, too.
It gets everything right about everything there is to get right here.
This book got so many things right, I don't even know where to start. Maybe with Travis, who is one of the most realistic male voices I've read in a l...moreThis book got so many things right, I don't even know where to start. Maybe with Travis, who is one of the most realistic male voices I've read in a long time. More than simply having a great voice though is the fact he's authentic. He's not perfect and he makes mistakes. This isn't a book where the Marine is an automatic hero just because he's a Marine. Yeah, that experience makes Travis tough but it also makes him more vulnerable, too.
The family dynamics with Travis and his father, as well as with his brother and mother, are done so well. It was a painful but honest look at what happens when a family crumbles.
And the romance just worked. I loved every second of what happened between Travis and Harper because it revealed so much about who he was and who she was and why they deserved one another. It's an imperfect relationship, but it's also healthy because of that.
I cried three times reading this. First, (view spoiler)[ during the Charlie scene when Travis gave his speech and looks out at the back of the room and sees Charlie standing there, then during the scene with Charlie's mother in their home when she tells him how much his mother loves him and worries about him after he calls her to say the words he can't say, and then in the very, very end the entire letter written to Charlie as an exercise in his therapy made me have a real ugly cry (in a good way). Okay, I also welled up big time when Harper forgives Travis for sleeping with Paige and they have their first sexual experience together and both of them are so, so concerned with doing it right and being Something to one another. MAN it was good. They earned the ending they got. (hide spoiler)]
Travis reminded me so much of one of my best friends, too. Could picture Travis and him hanging out and shooting the shit together.
Without doubt this book will appeal to male and female readers. It reminded me a LOT of CK Kelly Martin's "I Know It's Over" in terms of writing, the spot-on male voice, and the way a flawed male can work through his flaws to ultimately understand who he is and even forgive himself for it.
Could King be any better? Seriously. This is my favorite of her books, hands down. I also think it might be the most accessible but it does not stray...moreCould King be any better? Seriously. This is my favorite of her books, hands down. I also think it might be the most accessible but it does not stray from her style of infusing the real with a bit of the fantastic. There are a striking number of similarities to EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS but it's subtle. Very, very subtle.
Astrid Jones feels alone and confused and lost, but rather than wallow in that, rather than try to figure herself or her family out, she sends her love to everyone around her. She loves sending it up to the passengers in the planes who fly over her tiny, rural town. It's her escape from this place, from herself, and from her life.
This is a story about sexuality and about love and acceptance -- all of the self, not of anyone else. Astrid struggles to figure out where she fits in, when the truth is, she just needs to keep a little bit of that love she's sharing for herself. It's also a story about people and individuals and how amazing it is we even exist. That that in and of itself is worth appreciating and loving.
Amid Astrid's narrative are snippets of stories from the passengers in the planes above and I absolutely loved them. They fit so perfectly with Astrid's own struggle. And the plane metaphor in and of itself was brilliant without being over the top. We're all our own pilots but we all carry other people with us. Our destines are our own to control but we aren't alone.
King nails small town life like few are able to do. This book had a shocking number of similarities to M Molly Backes's THE PRINCESSES OF IOWA (down to the way the family operates, the mother-sister relationship, the facade and image needing to be presented to have status in a small town, the need for tolerance and respect for people, sexuality). These would be incredible read alikes because Astrid and Paige are so different and operate so differently from one another. Also, I think this would be an interesting read alike to THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME BUT THE HILLS DON'T MIND by Kirsten Cronn-Mills. Astrid is almost a perfect hybrid of Morgan and Paige and their situations and stories.
There's plenty of philosophy in this one, and there's the voices in Astrid's head which operate a bit like the ants do in Lucky's mind. What I love about King's work is how internally focused it is, how much it's about the individual and what's going in in their minds. When Astrid breaks out though, does she break out.
Readers won't walk away with a story about sexuality or a message about it, even though it's part of what the story's about (that's where this is a smart, smart book). So, there aren't going to be a whole lot of labels tossed around or a real in-depth exploration of bisexuality or homosexuality. This is a story about being a person, not a label.
This book walks a fine line between being utterly sad and utterly hopeful and because of that, I held my breath many times, with the goal of not shedding a tear. But then I read the last couple of pages and knew what side of that sad/hopeful line the story fell and, well, I needed some kleenex.
Longer review to come. One of my favorite reads in a long time. (less)
Danny's mom, who has toughed out five years of cancer, wants to make it just long enough to see h...more4.5.
Heartbreaking, aching, and yet utterly hopeful.
Danny's mom, who has toughed out five years of cancer, wants to make it just long enough to see him graduate valedictorian from high school. But before that date comes, his mom dies. Devastated by the loss, as well as the loss of his father a few years before and the loss of his adopted sister who chose to move to China to rediscover her roots, Danny is angry, broken, and confused about what the future could possibly hold. There's also another complication: Holland. She's the girl he'd been in love with forever and the girl who was in every way perfect for him. But their relationship ended much too soon and without any resolution. Danny was left in the dark when she suddenly disappeared from his life.
Faced with big decisions about where to go from here, Danny chooses to figure out what it is that kept his mom going for so long. Why she continued to be hopeful and happy, even though her life was near the end. To do this, Danny decides he's going to fly to the apartment they owned in Tokyo, meet the doctor who meant so much to his mother, and really think about what he wants out of his life.
Along the way, Danny meets Kana, who helped take care of the apartment before his mom died. She's quirky, she's energetic, and she's invested in making sure Danny makes the most of his time in Tokyo. It's not at all romantic -- which is a huge plus in my book -- but rather, it's Danny's opportunity to rediscover the value and importance of friendship.
Maybe most important was the twist in the story. That's Holland's story. (view spoiler)[ The reason Holland disappeared from Danny's life was that she got pregnant. Since Danny had been the only boy she'd been with and their relationship hadn't been going on that long and she had been on the pill, it was a reality she hadn't quite wrapped her head around. What made it worse was when she went into early labor and when baby Sarah died. Danny is the only person not in the loop on this, and he learns about his daughter when going through his mom's things in Tokyo. His mom had known about the baby, but she and Holland both chose not to tell Danny. It wasn't a choice out of cruelty but rather, it was done to protect him because he had already lost so much in his life. And the truth of it was that the entire situation was scary and heartbreaking for everyone involved. (hide spoiler)]
When Danny does get to meet the doctor his mother had invested so much in, not only does he understand the value and purpose of his mom's life, but he has a moment and realizes what value his own is worth.
Whitney handles all of the topics in this book so delicately and powerfully in equal measure. Danny's voice is knock out, authentic, and it is pained. Danny is a boy of action -- his feelings play out in the way he acts and the words he chooses to use. They're not always kind and he's not always rational. But these things happen the way they do because it's how Danny works through his pain and his grief. It's the way he begins to make sense of the world. This is why he chooses to get on that plane and go to Tokyo. It's why he doesn't simply DWELL in the anguish but rather, he works and walks through it, step by tortured step. Where the twist element came in, another author could have pushed the envelope too much, adding simply one more thing to the list of horrible things going on in a character's life. But Whitney introduces and weaves this in so carefully and thoughtfully that it instead amplifies the core of who Danny, his mother, and Holland really are as people.
Danny's understanding of his mother's fight -- and his mother's desire to quit the fight -- comes to a head when he meets with the doctor to whom she claimed saved her and to whom she dedicated so much energy and belief. And boy, did I cry. (view spoiler)[ It started on page 233, when Danny understands that choosing the time one lives and the time one dies was the central force of his mother's hope, even in her battle with cancer. It's philosophical without being pandering, and it's spiritual without being spiritual (if that even makes sense). Whitney excels are imbuing the narrative with the Eastern and Western philosophy not only in how she structures the story and Danny's journey, but even in the way that death and life are explored. (hide spoiler)]
The writing in this book is sharp, searing, and noteworthy. It doesn't take a back seat to the complexities of the story nor the complexities of the characters. I give huge credit, too, for how well-done (view spoiler)[ the sex scenes in this book are. There is a great contrast in the sort of sexual relationship Danny has with Trina -- it's one where she is in control, where she calls the shots, and where she gets what she wants and he takes it because he feels so empty and broken from all of the loss in his life. It's not Holland, and it's not an emotional and deeply satisfying act of intimacy. When Danny and Holland reconnect in Tokyo, after laying bare all of the things that were keeping them at a distance, their intimacy is raw, powerful, and healthy. Danny is in it not just physically but emotionally and mentally. And maybe what made it so good in that moment was that almost nothing is said at all about the mechanics. Because that didn't matter. (hide spoiler)]
I've read a lot of grief books, but without doubt, this one stands out. It's so good it hurts to think about. My one big qualm -- and this is such a non-qualm for most people -- is that I HATE the comparison to Forman's Where She Went. Yes, both tackle the loss of a relationship from a male perspective and both were written by female authors, but I think Whitney nails a male voice in a way that Forman didn't quite get. Will readers who like Where She Went like this book? Absolutely. But I think that Whitney's book has a far wider appeal in terms of reaching male readers (and part of the blame on that is in the fact Forman's book has a girl on the cover).
Bonus points for a kick ass pet sidekick in the story.
Longer review to come much closer to publication date. (less)
This was phenomenal. The verse is tight and works with the story. It's a lengthy one, but it reads at a good clip, and it's engaging. I think this...more4.5.
This was phenomenal. The verse is tight and works with the story. It's a lengthy one, but it reads at a good clip, and it's engaging. I think this one has Printz potential.
I sofa king loved this book. It was spot on, the voice was strong and believable, and I really connected with Keek on many levels. She's a passion...more4.5.
I sofa king loved this book. It was spot on, the voice was strong and believable, and I really connected with Keek on many levels. She's a passionate book worm, lives in a tech void in the Chicago burbs, and she's smart in the not-obvious-smart kinda way. I got it.
This would be a perfect 5 star book for me, except that it DID get a little too meta at times. A little TOO smart, if you will. But damn. I did mark stuff in here that was so good.
Anyone who has ever created something or pursued a passion knows that sometimes you hit that flow and nothing else in the world exists because what yo...moreAnyone who has ever created something or pursued a passion knows that sometimes you hit that flow and nothing else in the world exists because what you're doing is the best thing there is and it fills you with everything you need. And anyone who has ever created something or pursued a passion also knows that it can be the MOST SOUL CRUSHING THING IN THE WORLD. That you're never good enough, that you'll never be good enough, that it's all just a fleeting sort of thing that you get lucky at doing well once in a while. You struggle with being true and honest to yourself, while you're putting something out there to be consumed by others in some capacity.
Zarr's novel is about that.
Lucy is a champion pianist and has been her entire life. It runs in her family's blood. She's talented, she's made the rounds of the world performing, and people know who she is. Her grandpa and her mother have given her every single opportunity to pursue this talent and they helped groom her so that she has a world-class reputation.
Up until eight months ago, she went along with the game. She was happy -- or at least thought she was. But when she's in Prague on a big stage, and she learns that her family has been keeping her sick grandmother's condition from her (view spoiler)[ she leaves. She gets up, doesn't perform, and walks onto the streets of Prague. Her grandmother, who had given her the kind of unconditional love and confidence she needed, was dying and her family kept this from her because to them, her performance was more important. (hide spoiler)] It's then that her grandfather, the patriarch of the family and of the performance gene all together, says she's done. That Lucy can never perform again.
She'd disgraced them, and she could come back.
Lucy accepts this fate until the long-time piano teacher she and her brother Gus shared (view spoiler)[ dies in their home. Lucy tried to save her, but the teacher was gone before she could. And when grandpa and mother come back to their home to a dead teacher, it's no big deal. They have her sent away, and they immediately look for a new teacher for Gus, so that he can continue on his track to be the next big performer himself. The death of the long-time teacher can't get in the way of him being at his best. (hide spoiler)] Will enters their lives and while he's a good teacher to Gus, he's really interested in helping Lucy come back around to playing. He doesn't pressure her, but he simply asks if she'd ever consider playing again. It's that simple question of whether or not she'd consider playing again -- whether or not LUCY would consider playing again -- that sets the entire story into motion.
This is a question Lucy never considers for herself. Because she was told she couldn't. Her grandfather said it was over for her and there was no going back. But Lucy does consider it, and she does decide she wants to play again. Except rather than play for an audience and rather than play for the praise and glory that she did in the past, Lucy wants to play for herself. She wants to relearn what it's like to love the thing she does and the thing that she has mad talent for. As simple as it sounds, though, to reignite that passion, it is anything but. Will's question forces Lucy to realize that playing should be something SHE chooses to do, a passion to which she dedicates HER time because it matters to HER. For her life up until then, she never realized the power of ownership of talent, of skill, and how she can chose the course of the future for herself. Her grandpa and her mother had been owning it for her.
Complicating this are Lucy's feelings toward other people. Whereas it's easy to see how much she dislikes and even fears both her mother and her grandfather, what's less clear is why she's attached and attracted to Lit teacher and then Will. (view spoiler)[ As the story progresses though, and we start to understand the complicated feelings Lucy has toward performance, we understand her feelings toward these two older men are simply projection of her desire to love and believe her art for herself in the way that these two mentors have done for her. In other words, both have offered her the sort of support and confidence to go in the direction of her own interests and passions and desires in a way that no one else ever has. (hide spoiler)] It's not that easy to understand though because (view spoiler)[ Will's belief in Lucy is too much for her to take. He's pulled strings, and he's broken her trust when she opens up to him about wanting to play again. Will used his own connections in the industry to make sure that Lucy's interest in piano again can be accommodated. That she can jump right back in where she left off. This is, she realizes, the last thing in the world she wants. She doesn't want to be someone's prodigy or someone else's creation or prize. She wants to perform and play because SHE loves to do it and because it brings HER joy. Not because someone else simply believes she has the ability to go far with it. (hide spoiler)]
Zarr excels at making her characters dynamic, and I appreciate how unashamed she is in making it clear that Lucy comes from privilege. Because rather than make it a way for the reader to dislike and resent Lucy, her inability to fully trust and love her own skills and talents at their own level makes her utterly relatable. No amount of money or resources can change how human the creative struggle is. This is balances so well with the grandfather, who is unlikable and sees art as nothing but a way to get ahead and make a name for oneself. It's, of course, how his family came to have their reputation. It's furthered through what seem like much tinier plot points, including Lucy's regular lateness to class, which causes her Lit teacher to treat her not as a special snowflake, but as a student who is being disruptive and, well, privileged. (view spoiler)[ And when Lucy has to confront this because she's copied bits and pieces of her own teacher's scholarship on Alice Munro for her class project, she has a huge awakening and ah ha moment about how MUCH privilege she really has had. No one just gets what they get; they have to work for it. Of course, that working for it is precisely the struggle and the purpose of the story. (hide spoiler)]
While there's no question Zarr can write, the structure of the book is brilliant. It's not entirely linear, but rather, it's built like a symphony. It's layered and complex, building to a high, then drawing back to a scene from the past. It mimics not just the way a song sounds and the way a song plays, but it precisely mimics the creative process and the struggle therein. It's good when it's good, and it's ugly when it is ugly. This book is also written in third person, which removes the reader from the characters. But rather than be distancing, this choice is the right one. It makes the reader better understand Lucy's struggle because it's being explored almost objectively. And, of course, since creativity is anything BUT objective, it hits even harder. It's up and down. It's good and it's bad. And there is nothing objective about feelings and passions and desires. They're dynamic.
The hardest thing to learn is to pursue something because YOU love it and not because someone else tells you you're good at it. And even during those times you know you're good at it and you know you like it, there are periods when you question why and whether or not it's all simply luck. Zarr nails these ups and downs and these challenges and rewards through Lucy. This is a book I don't think I'll be forgetting any time soon because it spoke to my own heart. I think it'll speak to the heart of anyone who has ever questioned why they're doing something. Is it for yourself or is it for an audience? When do you push forward and when do you step back and say it's time to move on.
Even though nothing particularly sad happens in the story -- despite there being some sad moments -- I welled up a couple of times because of how raw and tender the emotional and mental honesty is. What Lucy struggles with is something that never goes away, but it's something you come to accept and honor as part of creating and living. Zarr cuts to the core of what it means to BE.
Sloane is one of the most memorable characters I've read in a long time because how often do you get...moreThis might be my favorite Courtney Summers book!
Sloane is one of the most memorable characters I've read in a long time because how often do you get to read about a character who (view spoiler)[ wants to die and has every reason to want to die and yet STILL elicits sympathy from the reader? Why should you care if they don't care? (hide spoiler)] The ability for a character to cause THAT is itself noteworthy.
This is Not a Test is not a zombie book. It's a book with zombies in it. It's much, much more a study in human survival and what things are worth fighting for. But Sloane doesn't want to survive. She's got no reason to -- none.
It's a story about why we fight for things at all.
It's a book that demands a slow read. It's subtle and brutal.
This had EVERYTHING I need in a book. It was so well written and featured a phenomenal main character, along with an amazing romance that was never on...moreThis had EVERYTHING I need in a book. It was so well written and featured a phenomenal main character, along with an amazing romance that was never once overly sweet but was completely sweet.
Longer review to come. Oh man. I loved.
(On a side note, I am REALLY bummed I couldn't get the sea glass cover in the US and instead had to get the cover with the girl who is certainly not 180 pounds - and this little fact is a crucial one to the book and a crucial one to why the book was so fantastic).
I've been impressed with Courtney's first two books. But impressed isn't even a fair word to use for this one. It was beyond my expectations. This is a story of grief. Overwhelming, powerful, enveloping grief. And it is a story about heartlessness and art.
While reading it, the only word I kept thinking about overandoverandover was intimate. This is an intimate look at loss and life and utter despair. I wanted so hard to tell Eddie to be Eddie, to be herself, to not be something she's not but I couldn't and I didn't have the guts to anyway. She was so vulnerable.
Longer review to come when I can digest it and put my heart back in its place. This is not an easy read. It begs, BEGS to be read slowly and with a box of tissues and perhaps some armor and a pen to underline some of the passages that you will commit to memory. (less)
I mean, you can't go wrong with a cat who wants to be the best office employee in the world who crosses paths with an asshole crow who just wants to t...moreI mean, you can't go wrong with a cat who wants to be the best office employee in the world who crosses paths with an asshole crow who just wants to trick him. (less)
Gritty, real, raw, and funny in conventional and uncomfortable ways. Great, great collection of short stories. Alexie can tell a story and make his po...moreGritty, real, raw, and funny in conventional and uncomfortable ways. Great, great collection of short stories. Alexie can tell a story and make his points strongly. The pieces standing out in this collection for me are "The Search Engine," "Can I Get a Witness?," "Do Not Go Gentle," and my favorite, "Flight Patterns." (less)
1941, Chicago's Back of the Yards. This book is sheer awesome. It's well paced, long enough to develop characters very well, and the details color the...more1941, Chicago's Back of the Yards. This book is sheer awesome. It's well paced, long enough to develop characters very well, and the details color the background and historical elements perfectly. I loved Ruby's story, and I loved the rest of the cast of characters in the story. I think that Fletcher did a great job showing rather than telling what the impending background in history is throughout the book, and rather than drag the story down in the fact this was WWII, she does a brilliant job telling the reader about life in the back of the yards. For a native Chicagoan, this was just such a perfect setting and rendition of an exciting story. Fletcher's author note mentioned that she was inspired by a member of her own family. I'm convinced THAT is what makes the story a 5 star, rather than a 4.5 or a 4 -- she gives it a great element of realism. I cannot recommend this highly enough! (less)
Although the writing itself gets tiresome, the story is incredible. They keep mentioning that they think Mortenson deserves a Nobel for his efforts an...moreAlthough the writing itself gets tiresome, the story is incredible. They keep mentioning that they think Mortenson deserves a Nobel for his efforts and I agree entirely.
Mortenson is what we need more of - people who are willing to help out other people by teaching them sustainability. This is not an imperialist manifesto, but instead, it's the manual of how to help those in need by giving them the tools to do the work themselves. Mortenson's devotion to a cause is so admirable and so ignored by the US government.
While other reviewers have found the personal parts unnecessary, I actually think I would have disliked the book without them. By knowing his story, you see why he is incredible. He comes from little means himself and goes through what "normal" people do in terms of relationships, jobs, and family life. This book makes you want to do something, and, if you want something incredibly simple to do, BUY the book from www.threecupsoftea.com so that 7% of your sale goes directly to CAI. Although 7% doesn't sound like much, as you'll learn by reading the book, every penny helps.(less)
I love myself a good piece of post-modern literature. I kid not. Krauss does a good job building a good pomo work, tying together some very loose piec...moreI love myself a good piece of post-modern literature. I kid not. Krauss does a good job building a good pomo work, tying together some very loose pieces of stories into something cohesive and sweet. While I wavered about whether some of the set up and story telling was necessary and I thought some parts were downright contrived, I think it's a good piece of writing with a good story. Good, interesting characters.(less)
I think I read this book when it first came out. I remember reading it and thinking to myself, a junior high student, that no book in the world could...moreI think I read this book when it first came out. I remember reading it and thinking to myself, a junior high student, that no book in the world could compare to it. The writing was fun, the images were memorable, and the story had all the elements you wanted - good characters and a satisfying ending. I'd often think about the images and to this day, many of those stayed with me. I'm particularly thinking about the hair ironing, the glow in the dark solar system, moon pools of green with golden specks, as well as the line "held me like glass." These were images that just stuck.
I started thinking about this book again recently. I couldn't remember the name, except I could remember the image of the red haired angel and I could remember the feeling I had checking it out again and again from the library, knowing no other young adult book would compare. I Googled the memorable things and found the book again. And read it again. In an hour.
And I wasn't disappointed.
The book is still as good now as it was 13 years ago. The images are still as vivid, the characters still as well-done and the story still as satisfying. As I've gathered more experience in my life, I think I may appreciate the story more now than I did then. I don't think there is a book that makes me feel as tingly as this one. Perhaps I had a Roxanne in my life and I often felt like the Jesse - hanging on to something I just had no control over. There's something slightly magical to the book, though it is nothing mystical nor does it depend on magical elements. Each of the characters is dynamic, but not just because Moore wrote it that way; the characters are so dynamic because Jesse discovers that people are much more than what they appear on the outside and much more than they act in one day. And she discovers that about herself, too.
Great read both as a young reader and now as an adult. I'm still going to carry these images, and I still believe few books can compare in terms of the impressions with which it left me. (less)
Dystopia, children in war, social/political Commentary, fast-paced action, and characters that you care about? Is it really possible? Yes, Yes. And in...moreDystopia, children in war, social/political Commentary, fast-paced action, and characters that you care about? Is it really possible? Yes, Yes. And in a way that is eerily reminiscent of, but perhaps better developed than, Japan's lovely "Battle Royale."
When the book finished, I was unsatisfied in the best of ways. I was, if you will, hungry for more. I think I'd be willing to read it a few more times. I think Collins does a tremendous job of writing a story that appeals to both young adults AND adults without sacrificing one for the other, as is the case in a lot of supposed ya material. (less)
I didn't know I cared about a story involving lepers or Hawaii, but I did. Great story - that's all it is. A story. There's a great end note with info...moreI didn't know I cared about a story involving lepers or Hawaii, but I did. Great story - that's all it is. A story. There's a great end note with information about how wonderfully researched this book is. Brennert is a strong writer with a flair for capturing mood and event. There's just enough detail balanced with the action. (less)
I grow tired of reading memoirs, since it's the quick and easy way to publish for tenure-hungry academics. But Marquart does something here that is un...moreI grow tired of reading memoirs, since it's the quick and easy way to publish for tenure-hungry academics. But Marquart does something here that is unique, carefully tiptoeing self-indulgence for the greater ideas of history, legacy, land and place. Her history weaves with the landscape, with the legacies of the family and the struggles of place in such a way that you are drawn to that desolate place, hungry to discover its underlying waterway.
What makes this piece so wonderful, aside from its stories and depictions, is the creedance given to other writers and story tellers who share their part in the legacy and history of the landscape - this landscape and others. Marquart gave me a whole new reading list so I, too, may unpack the idea of legacy, landscape and place with what roads she traveled to think about it herself.
Great piece that leaves the reminder of what wonders that the US holds in its diverse patchwork of place.(less)
Beautiful, musical, magical. Pure Murakami from the standpoint of surrealism and fantastical imagery. However, the narrator was over the top - it was...moreBeautiful, musical, magical. Pure Murakami from the standpoint of surrealism and fantastical imagery. However, the narrator was over the top - it was way too much handing it off to the audience. This would be the right book for a first time Murakami reader, but it does not match up to the splendor of his other works. (less)
Written by an Austinite - explores how America has become more divided politically in terms of location. He dives into how and why some places, includ...moreWritten by an Austinite - explores how America has become more divided politically in terms of location. He dives into how and why some places, including Austin, Portland (OR), Seattle and San Francisco have totally different political ideologies than other cities. Fair, balanced and a book that, while I intended to argue with, I just could not. (less)
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