Jo March's 2015 Reading List

[Jo]

1.

The first book I've read this year, and I think I went through it at record speed. It's YA dystopian, but with a different twist. Vivian's parents are part of a fundamentalist Christian sect that is waiting for the rapture. Vivian doesn't share their beliefs, but she comes home to find that her parents are missing and that there are two holes in the ceiling. Apparently, similar disappearances are happening across the country.

The book has some of the tropes found in all YA dystopians--first-person narrative, the too-perfect-to-be-real boyfriend, the sanctuary/new society that is not as perfect as it seems at first. What sets Vivian Apple apart from those other books, in my opinion, is the emphasis on the way religion and capitalism are tied together in her parents' cult, the emphasis on Vivian's relationship with her best friend, and Vivian's personal growth as she tries to decide what she really believes in. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series.

[Jo]

2.
I was surprised, but happy, when I discovered that there was a new book in this series. I found myself enjoying it more than I have any of these books since "His Lordship's Legacy." Part of it was because Jane is now recognized as a successful writer (though not everyone approves), part because the plot is well-constructed and actually recalls some of the earlier books with their emphasis on Sir Harold and his activities as a spy. The author even sets up a new character who I suspect is meant to add the bit of romance that's been lacking from these books since Sir Harold's demise.

At the end, though, I was left uneasy. Jane has just finished Emma and is about to start Persuasion. (Two of the characters she meets here are obvious inspirations for Anne and Wentworth.) And that inevitably reminds you that we're coming to the end of Jane's life. This is the part I've always dreaded when reading these books; by using Jane as a character, Barron has written herself into a corner. I hate to see the series end, but on the other hand, I don't want to read about a genius dying as she's reaching her creative potential.

[Jo]

This is a really interesting study of the girl group sound of the 1960s (think "Leader of the Pack" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"). The author discusses the history of the girl groups and the contributions those songs played in the making of baby boomer culture. She provides detailed readings of several of the key songs in the sound and doesn't back away from the issues of race and class that many of the contemporary collections of these recordings do.

My quibbles with her analysis are relatively small. For example, I'm not sure how you get through an entire book on girl groups without once mentioning songs such as "Sally Go Round the Roses," one of the more memorable (and successful) songs of the era while spending pages on much lesser known songs. I was expecting more from her discussion of the Shangri-Las. Apparently they were marketed as "bad girls." Like we didn't already know that? I really was hoping for a more detailed discussion of some of the themes in their recordings. On the other hand, her discussion of race was excellent, as was her analysis of "He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)," certainly the most disturbing song in the girl group genre.

[Jo]

Reread of one of my favorite YA novels. This is a wonderful look at how a legacy of abuse and abandonment can be more hurtful than a world full of zombies. It touches on powerful themes, and it would make a great co-read with Vivian Apple, as they have some similarities but Vivian is a much more resilient, upbeat character than Sloane. I can't recommend this one too highly. It's simply the best YA I've read.

[Jo]

Finally read this, and I was very disappointed. Cath's social anxiety, her lack of friends--it all reads like the stereotype of the "get a life" view of fandom. I found the Harry Potter-ripoff segments kind of boring. Although the writer pays lip service to the idea of fanfiction as a transformative genere, we're left with the idea that Cath is better off with real-world friends. And the author just glosses over the idea that, yes, fandom is a form of connection and community.

[Jo]

This was well researched but the focus seemed to shift. It starts off with a discussion of crimes that had nothing to do with the "mad sculptor" other than they took place in the same city. The fact that the author seemed much more concerned with the killer than with the victims just disturbed me no end.

[Jo]

The steampunk zombie world depicted here continues to fascinate. However, I had the same problems with the second book as I did with the first--the sheer amount of first-person narrators. I'd love to read a third book, however, since there are plot threads dangling and it is a fascinating world.

[Jo]

I really enjoyed this one. The characters continue to grow and to think through the implications of what they did in the first book. As the heroine takes a turn toward the dark side here, I'm eager to find out where she'll end up in the next book. The remix of famous stories (here it's Jekyll and Hide, with Frankenstein on the horizon) makes this all the more compelling for me.