It's not a perfect book, but I can't stop thinking about it -- so warm and full of compassion and love. It is unique in so many ways, and I wish it weIt's not a perfect book, but I can't stop thinking about it -- so warm and full of compassion and love. It is unique in so many ways, and I wish it weren't. We need a lot more books with hopeful alternate histories and speculative futures like this. I feel the darkness hanging over us as much as anyone does, but that's all the more reason we need models of positive futures. I know exactly which of my readers this book is for: the ones who want all the "gay books," the ones who watch all the anime, the ones who write fanfic.
(view spoiler)[I have also never ever read YA romance where the happy ending is a thruple. As we throw the romance doors open to include all kinds of loving relationships, I'm grateful to Johnston for adding this option! (hide spoiler)]...more
This book is very very good at being what it is: an epic, high-stakes fantasy packed with adventure, romance, violence, and magic. As such, it has a lThis book is very very good at being what it is: an epic, high-stakes fantasy packed with adventure, romance, violence, and magic. As such, it has a lot of dramatic sentences.
Sentences on one line.
Sentences that burn like fire.
...You get the idea. I find this style overwrought, but my young readers don't usually share my annoyance about this.
I'd have no problem recommending this to teen readers of Throne of Glass, Incarceron, Leigh Bardugo, and so forth. I love being able to recommend a non-European-based fantasy in that category and know it will be enjoyed alongside the rest, by readers from all backgrounds. It is a challenging read for younger YAs, and quite violent for those who are bothered by that -- in my library I'll mostly recommend it to 8th graders unless I know the younger readers well.
Adult fans of N. K. Jemisin might give this a try as well.
Note, which I'm not spoiler-tagging because I think it's worth knowing before you start if this bugs you (as it does me): it ends on a serious cliffhanger. ...more
What a stunning book. It was originally a web comic, which explains its fannish Millennials-on-Tumblr feel. (I don't know how else to describe this toWhat a stunning book. It was originally a web comic, which explains its fannish Millennials-on-Tumblr feel. (I don't know how else to describe this tone, and I mean it with all the love in the world. People who spend a lot of time in online fan culture develop a certain set of storytelling conventions that if you have also spent a certain amount of time in online fan culture you can sniff a mile away.) I'm so grateful to First Second for publishing it so beautifully. It's one of the most gorgeous book objects I've seen in a long time. My only quibble is that the hand-lettering is sometimes tiny and hard to read. Nimona, another webcomic-to-book title, has the same problem. There must be something going on here?
I love that it's a futuristic space exploration story that still feels cozy. I love that it's entirely without dystopian elements. And I love that I'm pretty sure there's not a single cis man in the entire story -- not main characters, not side characters, not unnamed teachers or uncles mentioned in passing -- and I didn't even realize until the day after I read it.
This is the most The Fault in Our Stars-read-alike of all read-alikes. The all-consuming illness, the love story, the "live life in the moment" theme.This is the most The Fault in Our Stars-read-alike of all read-alikes. The all-consuming illness, the love story, the "live life in the moment" theme... I don't say that to criticize Yoon; this book is beautiful and stands alone, not a rip-off by any means. But if your students are begging for more like FiOS, this is their book.
(view spoiler)[ It sure does a weird 90-degree turn at the end, though. Maddy doesn't have SCID after all! Her mom went a bit mad after her dad and brother died in a car crash, and made it all up to keep Maddy safe and with her forever. That radically changes the message of the book from "it's better to really live for a short time than to be safe forever" to add "...and if you do you'll probably be fine anyway; risks have no real consequences!" It felt like Yoon couldn't bear not to give her lovers a happy ending, but she'd written herself into a corner. I wanted a happy ending for them too, of course, so I'm willing to forgive. But it wasn't the bravest of storytelling choices. (hide spoiler)]
Yoon is a lovely writer, and Maddy and Olly are wonderful characters. It's not easy to write a love story in which not much "happens" besides the lovers getting to know each other -- the whole book has to stand on the strength of the characters and the believability of their relationship. This one manages that admirably. I'm looking forward to seeing what Yoon does next....more
I see why my students wanted me to buy this -- it's a page-turner, it's full of drama and excitement, it feels "real." According to her website, Van DI see why my students wanted me to buy this -- it's a page-turner, it's full of drama and excitement, it feels "real." According to her website, Van Diepen didn't grow up around gangs herself, but she taught in Brooklyn and did her research.
That said, now that I've read it I don't feel comfortable keeping it in a middle school library. My students need to see the challenges of their urban lives reflected in books -- including gangs, drugs, and pressures to have sex -- and they need to have access to books that make them want to read. But a few scenes give me pause. For instance, (view spoiler)[at one point Julia learns that girls are inducted to the Crip girl gang by "fucking" a Crip. There's a whole discussion about who she'll pick, and then she's sent upstairs with her boyfriend to the dirty room the gang sets aside for this purpose. He's an absolute gentleman, proposing that they "mess up each other's hair" and pretend. (hide spoiler)] The whole incident, and its implications, are so awful and so dark that I don't think I can in good conscience put that in front of 8th graders, even 8th graders who might already have this sort of story as part of their lives, without knowing we'll get to have a serious conversation about it later.
I need to find the books that deal with these issues, that feel edgy, but aren't quite this edgy. Already have all the Sharon M. Draper, Sharon G. Flake, and Renée Watson, and while they're great, they aren't always cutting it with my students -- I think largely because the covers are packaged for literary credit rather than edgy teen appeal. ...more
A smart, well- (if sometimes over-)written book not to my taste. Were I in charge, it would have refocused to be Autumn's story -- she was by far theA smart, well- (if sometimes over-)written book not to my taste. Were I in charge, it would have refocused to be Autumn's story -- she was by far the most interesting character to me, and the one I most enjoyed spending time with. I usually found myself starting each Waverly chapter (and to a lesser extent, the Marshall ones) with, "oh my god, I know you don't sleep, I know you find your friends vapid, I know you aren't interested in any of the things you've constructed your whole life around, your whole life is a lie, I know I know I know; please get over yourself and DO something about it already." The fact that that's deeply hard is the point, I know, and this book handles that very well. I just, as a matter of personal taste, lose patience quickly with a book that is only about a character's depressive journey to self-actualization.
The author clearly thought a lot about the gendering of the characters. Waverly is frequently described as a "robot"; at one point she says she's not good at being loved, she's good at being self-sufficient. Marshall is more sensitive and emotional. She's channeled her driven-ness into traditionally female-gendered school activities, and he's consistently told by his father and brother to suck it up and "be a man," but underneath they don't fit the "emotional, romantic girl" and "strong silent boy" stereotypes. Had the characters' genders been reversed, a lot of the power of the book would have disappeared.
Despite my eye-rolling at the main characters, it kept me turning the pages, and there is a lot to think about here. Fans of Eleanor & Park, Thirteen Reasons Why, or Before I Fall should definitely give this a try. There's discussion of sex and lots of irresponsible underage alcohol and drug use, not to mention all the straight-up bleakness of some characters' lives, so I'd say it's for precocious 9th graders and up....more
Satisfying ending to a thoroughly fun quartet! (Not counting Fairest: Levana’s Story, the backstory novel I skipped.) When I read in the acknowledgemeSatisfying ending to a thoroughly fun quartet! (Not counting Fairest: Levana’s Story, the backstory novel I skipped.) When I read in the acknowledgements that Meyer was originally a fanfic author, I was not surprised. This series has all the qualities of the best fanfic. Breathlessly page-turning adventure, check. Implausibly adoring soulmate pairings that still allow you to respect all the characters, check. Reworking beloved properties (in this case, Grimm fairy tales) in a way that shines new light on them and makes them entirely your own, check.
Already a fan, I bought this series for my new library right away, and it's been my biggest success. I can think of 10 girls off the top of my head who are buried somewhere in it or already finished. (At least one is waiting for me to return Winter on Monday!) Is Meyer a literary prose genius? Nope. (I always hand the Cinder fans Daughter of Smoke & Bone for that.) Will a steady diet of this kind of swoony romance mess you up when you start having real relationships? Yeah, probably. (Graceling's love stories are more mature, in the sense of complex and real.) But Lunar Chronicles is fun as hell, and deserves sharing its place in my kids' hearts with those trilogies.
Plus it's several thousand pages long, total, so that's a couple of weeks you don't have to come up with a new book for That Kid. You know the one I mean....more
Thoroughly enjoyable first book in a romantic trilogy set against the backdrop of the westward expansion of the US. The first part of Lee's story walkThoroughly enjoyable first book in a romantic trilogy set against the backdrop of the westward expansion of the US. The first part of Lee's story walks her in a wagon train along the Oregon Trail. There's a tiny bit of magic (Lee can sense the presence of gold), but far more historical worldbuilding, full of details of the dangers of the Trail. (Sorry, no one dies of dysentery.)
Diversity gets more P.C. box-checking than authenticity here: runaway slave, check... gross racism against the half-Cherokee love interest and Indians in general, check... irredeemably awful ranchers shooting indiscriminately at buffalo, check. The characters say all the right things, but none of them get to be well-rounded people. Of course, neither does Lee -- she's a stock feminist romantic heroine, who shoots better than the men and dresses up as a boy to seek her fortune. "Original characterization" isn't really what this book is here for.
Escapist historical melodrama that reads like fantasy is catnip for me, and this is a solid example of the genre. If you love Jacky Faber, Alanna, Rae Carson's first trilogy, etc., you'll probably eat this one up, too. ...more
It took me a little bit to get into this, I think because light historical YA romance is not my usual genre. But the characters and unusual setting puIt took me a little bit to get into this, I think because light historical YA romance is not my usual genre. But the characters and unusual setting pulled me through, and the second half of the book shifted enough from the predictable parental-disapproval romance form that I zipped through it in a single afternoon at Walden Pond.
I particularly appreciate that Bajpai didn't tie herself in knots over-explaining her 12th century Indian world. If you don't know that astrology is crucial to making marriage matches, you'll figure it out. Don't know about the caste system, scientific or mathematical theories of the time, or what a Seth is? You'll get enough to follow along, and the important parts of the story are always clear. (Though I could've used a map. I could always use a map.) I loved being slightly confused by a story when I was a young reader; it hinted at a wider world with more to learn. The sort of reader who will love this book will either feel the same, or will be a-ok with skipping unfamiliar words to get to the romance. Which is absolutely delicious!
Also delicious: the cover! That gorgeous purple and turquoise, the shimmery silver accents, the allusion to the 900-year-old setting while still seeming fresh. It stands the hell out and I adore it. Can't wait to see what my students think....more
It's a good parent-with-an-illness book. Alex's responses felt real, her romance with Jim was sweet without being too good to be true, and the endingIt's a good parent-with-an-illness book. Alex's responses felt real, her romance with Jim was sweet without being too good to be true, and the ending wasn't neat or easy. This isn't my genre, but I enjoyed it. Good for Sarah Dessen fans. Maybe a little old for middle school, mostly because it moves a bit slowly and the romance takes a while to get going. (And also because the couple have sex -- in a safe, believable, enthusiastically consenting way -- if that's a thing that bothers you for young teenagers to read. I'd honestly be in favor of middle schoolers reading more sex scenes like this one to balance out the soft-focus movie and TV scenes that feel more about conquest than mutual joy, but that's me.)
I am easily annoyed by audio performers, but this one's voice felt right for Alex. I was happy to have her in my ears for a couple weeks' worth of commutes....more
I'll admit, I couldn't stop listening to this audiobook. Even though Georgie and Neal aren't half so compelling as Eleanor or Park. Even though I dozeI'll admit, I couldn't stop listening to this audiobook. Even though Georgie and Neal aren't half so compelling as Eleanor or Park. Even though I dozed off through a couple of chapters and missed absolutely nothing. Even though I'm glad I don't know anyone named Neal because I've now heard that name crooned rapturously so many times that I can't think about it without giggling.
I never read adult relationship books, but maybe I should do so more often. Even though I'm not married, and certainly not to someone I've known since 1996, this was close to home for me in some ways that no book about 16-year-old love could ever do. There's nothing inappropriate in it for young Eleanor & Park fans. My guess is they'll mostly be bored by it -- it is a book about rekindling the romance in a twenty-year relationship, and not much happens beyond that; as Georgie herself acknowledges, this is the world's dullest use of a time-traveling phone. But if they aren't bored, maybe teenagers should also read more adult relationship books to disabuse them of any notion that finding The One is an end rather than a beginning....more
This is a sexy book, in the way vampire tales can be: bloodlust and other kinds of lust all intertwined. But it’s self-aware enough never to let thatThis is a sexy book, in the way vampire tales can be: bloodlust and other kinds of lust all intertwined. But it’s self-aware enough never to let that become cliche. Humans go to Coldtown all the time out of a desire to be glamorous and immortal like the celebrity vamps they see on streaming video, and the book shows all the horrible tragedies of that choice without ever exactly condemning it. Vampires are beautiful and eternal and kind of hot… but they’re also dangerous, murdering monsters. Looking honestly at that contradiction is a recurring theme. - See more at: http://www.parenthetical.net/2013/08/......more
I really enjoyed this while I was reading it, though now that I'm writing the review a week later it hasn't stuck with me. In many ways it's a fairlyI really enjoyed this while I was reading it, though now that I'm writing the review a week later it hasn't stuck with me. In many ways it's a fairly ordinary "smart girl with tough home life makes good" story. Where it stands out are the settings -- a bookstore and brothel (those are separate establishments, unfortunately) in the 1950s French Quarter -- and the supporting cast. In particular, Willie, brothel madam and surrogate mother, is a delightful character who I want to see on film. Meryl Streep, perhaps?...more
Just as compulsively readable as Froi, with the light moments that Finnikin often lacked, and an entirely satisfying end to this trilogy. Introduced oJust as compulsively readable as Froi, with the light moments that Finnikin often lacked, and an entirely satisfying end to this trilogy. Introduced one of my favorite characters in the whole chronicle, and further developed Finn, Isaboe, and the rest as flawed but lovable. Only 4 stars, though, because too many of the "conflicts" keeping lovers apart were contrived, especially at the end. The final hiccup felt like that moment at the end of an original-series Star Trek episode when everyone on the bridge laughs while they play goofy mishap music. I also got tired of how many characters hit first and asked questions later (if at all). Sure, that's Froi's personality, but did it have to be everyone's? ...more
Overall, I just love the feel of the book. I read it weeks ago, and its warmth has really stayed with me: Colby’s trailer all decorated for Christmas,Overall, I just love the feel of the book. I read it weeks ago, and its warmth has really stayed with me: Colby’s trailer all decorated for Christmas, the heavy sigh of the dog on the couch, the warmth of Robyn the vet’s kitchen. (Full review at http://www.parenthetical.net/2012/11/...)...more
I'd recommend this trilogy for fans of books like Incarceron or Matched, who just love to lose themselves in a breathlessly romantic, rich fantasy worI'd recommend this trilogy for fans of books like Incarceron or Matched, who just love to lose themselves in a breathlessly romantic, rich fantasy world.
It was satisfying to watch Elisa's relationships (romantic and otherwise) mature in this second installment. I continue to appreciate the religious and spiritual aspects to this world, since those are so lacking in most modern fantasies. Much about this story reminded me of Bitterblue, as both young queens must figure out how to rule effectively while being true to themselves, (view spoiler)[and without the full support of their advisors. One of my biggest complaints about Girl of Fire and Thorns was that the Invierne were an unsubtle enemy. I'm glad to see them start to get some depth and sympathy as the tale progresses. (hide spoiler)]
Really enjoyed it! The plot is fairly by-the-numbers, but the world feels rich (though I wanted to know more about the magic), and the love story didReally enjoyed it! The plot is fairly by-the-numbers, but the world feels rich (though I wanted to know more about the magic), and the love story did at least throw a curve ball. (Plus the love interests are pretty sexy.) There's a decent metaphor about inner beauty creating outer beauty, not hiding your light under a bushel, etc. It has some issues, for sure, but it's the first paranormal romance I've read that made me get why people are into this genre. ...more
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