Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Book Review: The Summer My Life Began, Shannon Greenland
The Summer My Life Began, Shannon Greenland
"But as I continued starting at the front door, the one word that kept circling in my brain was 'home'."
This book falls neatly into the realm of YA lit. Elizabeth Margaret (Em) gets an invite to stay for the summer with an aunt she never knew existed. She leaves behind a carefully planned life in New England: a summer law internship at her father's firm, Harvard in the fall, a stoic and image-obsessed grandmother, and a sister she adores. The Pepper House B&B, and the Outer Banks island it rests on, present her with opportunities to stretch her previously hidden love of cooking, two potentially perfect guys, and, most importantly, this place is clearly meant to be her home. Em learns that you can't lead two lives and be one person. When the family secret, which she's been hungry for all summer, is revealed, Em must decide who she wants to be, starting with where she will live.
There is a lot of joy and hope in this book. Even when drama llamas attack, the reader knows that Em will make it through and learn from the mess. It's a quick read and a simple story, but you will care about the characters before the end. I love the focus on food, and the fact that Em's SO passionate about it. Greenland really made a point of showing how well she knew her stuff; Em could tell you the list of spices used in a seafood dishes (in three bites or less!).
Sometimes the cuteness factor was a bit much for me, but that could be a comment on my personal preferences. I just didn't need every gesture to be a "cute wink" or a "lovingly tender smile". It made me feel (just a little bit) like I was being talked down to, like I couldn't figure out which emotions those expressions were meant to convey.
On a side note, this book felt (more than a little) like a sister story to the Gilmore Girls -- quirky little town of locals, young woman inherits a B&B, lots of focus on the best friend who happens to be a chef.
If you're a fan of Joan Bauer, Sarah Dessen, or Mauren Johnson, you'll likely appreciate this sweet and simple story.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Review: Sisterhood Everlasting (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) by Ann Brashares
**** 4 Fireworks
"I remember my mom once told me that a good family is built for leaving, because that is what children must do. And I've wondered many times, is that also what a good friendship is supposed to be build for?"
Sisterhood Everlasting returns us to Tibby, Carmen, Lena, and Bridget. They are all almost thirty, their friendship has more or less fallen apart, and each of them feels that absence to their soul's core. Out of the blue and after two years with almost no communication from her new home in Australia, Tibby sends them all tickets for a reunion in Greece. I can't describe the tragedy that strikes while the girls are in Greece without spoiler-ing, but it is world changing. The rest of the novel follows each of them as they deal with the aftermath of this personal earthquake.
The novel follows the same overall narrative arch: the girls are separated for some reason, they go through some personal traumadramallama, one of them reaches out to the others, they realize that they are MORE together. At times, I wanted to throttle each of the girls and tell them to DO something with their lives. I don't think they should forgo the grieving process, but letting it become all consuming made it painful to experience as a reader. Fortunately, Brashares has a way with words, and away with these four friends, and she managed to salvage the story well before the final curtain fell.
Instead of the style used in the earlier stories, with chapters rotating between each of the four girls, this book presents a choppier format. Each chapter offers vignette-length snippets from several of the girls. Some of my fellow "Pants"-readers complained that this was jarring, but I feel like it fits the characters at this point in their lives. They are discombobulated, and this method puts the reader into that same mindset.
Almost a decade ago, Brashares published the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book. I was 23, technically "too old" for it, but I've always been a sucker for oddball characters who create their own chosen kin. This book pleasantly/oddly puts the characters at only two years younger than me. So, what I'm trying to say is this - the series is technically YA, but if you've ever had friendships that came and went (and maybe came again), then this book and series are for you.
Blogger Sidenote: When I read the original books, I most often identified with Tibby. I was the weird, creative one in most of my chosen-kin groups, and the one who built the home for people to come back to. In this book, I almost solely connected with Bee. Not her pregnancy, but her restlessness and wanderlust and need to grown up, but in a safe harbor. Hmm...
"I remember my mom once told me that a good family is built for leaving, because that is what children must do. And I've wondered many times, is that also what a good friendship is supposed to be build for?"
Sisterhood Everlasting returns us to Tibby, Carmen, Lena, and Bridget. They are all almost thirty, their friendship has more or less fallen apart, and each of them feels that absence to their soul's core. Out of the blue and after two years with almost no communication from her new home in Australia, Tibby sends them all tickets for a reunion in Greece. I can't describe the tragedy that strikes while the girls are in Greece without spoiler-ing, but it is world changing. The rest of the novel follows each of them as they deal with the aftermath of this personal earthquake.
The novel follows the same overall narrative arch: the girls are separated for some reason, they go through some personal traumadramallama, one of them reaches out to the others, they realize that they are MORE together. At times, I wanted to throttle each of the girls and tell them to DO something with their lives. I don't think they should forgo the grieving process, but letting it become all consuming made it painful to experience as a reader. Fortunately, Brashares has a way with words, and away with these four friends, and she managed to salvage the story well before the final curtain fell.
Instead of the style used in the earlier stories, with chapters rotating between each of the four girls, this book presents a choppier format. Each chapter offers vignette-length snippets from several of the girls. Some of my fellow "Pants"-readers complained that this was jarring, but I feel like it fits the characters at this point in their lives. They are discombobulated, and this method puts the reader into that same mindset.
Almost a decade ago, Brashares published the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book. I was 23, technically "too old" for it, but I've always been a sucker for oddball characters who create their own chosen kin. This book pleasantly/oddly puts the characters at only two years younger than me. So, what I'm trying to say is this - the series is technically YA, but if you've ever had friendships that came and went (and maybe came again), then this book and series are for you.
Blogger Sidenote: When I read the original books, I most often identified with Tibby. I was the weird, creative one in most of my chosen-kin groups, and the one who built the home for people to come back to. In this book, I almost solely connected with Bee. Not her pregnancy, but her restlessness and wanderlust and need to grown up, but in a safe harbor. Hmm...
Monday, March 26, 2012
Book Review: The Probability of Miracles
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
“People keep talking about this unfolding. I can't trust the unfolding, okay? If there is some higher power making origami out of the universe, it hates my guts. I was a fat kid whose parents got divorced, whose father died, and then who got cancer herself. So no. I don't trust how things are going to unfold.”-- Cam
This is a (mostly) realistic YA book. It is not a cancer book, at least not in the same way John Green's The Fault in Our Stars or any of Lurlene McDaniel's books are. This is a book about reclaiming one's life and figuring out who you are, and happens to have a protagonist with cancer.
Cam Cooper grew up in Disneyland, literally; her parents danced in the Polynesian review. She also happens to have late stage cancer, and is out of options. Her mother has forced her to try everything from hypnosis to voo doo to conventional/experimental treatments. As a last ditch effort, her mom uproots the Cam and her sister, taking them to Promise, Maine, a town known for its strange happenings and miracles. Cam is reluctant about this move, to say the least, but ends up becoming friends (and more?) with Asher, a boy from Promise. While her health improves, Cam doesn't see any 'miracles' happening, but decides to create some to make her mom and sister happy. Hijinks, drama, and apologies ensue, followed by a road trip back to her Disney roots.
There is an edge of magical realism in this book. Promise, Maine is somewhere between Stars Hollow and Weetzie Bat's Shangri-L.A., in that it's filled with quirky characters and strange happenings that can almost, but not quite, be explained away logically. Everything that I love about Joan Bauer's plucky and unusual young women protagonists, but with an extra helping of snark. I laughed during every single chapter, even the last one. Much like Cam learns that her life is more than cancer, I forgot that this was a "cancer book" by the end.
There was little in this book that I can honestly say I disliked. Cam had her selfish moments, but these were understandable. (Two stand out: when she tried to fake miracles for her mom and sister and when she realized she was getting sick again. If those aren't reasons to emotionally shut down a little, I don't know what is).
I'm honestly not sure if I would suggest this book to those who are dealing with cancer, or have dealt with it with their loved ones. It's not disrespectful or unrealistic in its portrayal, but not everyone one wants this level of sarcasm and wit when discussing heavy topics.
I would recommend this book to fans of Joan Bauer's work, especially Hope Was Here. If you liked The Fault in Our Stars but want a slightly more uplifting story, you'd like Wunder's book.
“People keep talking about this unfolding. I can't trust the unfolding, okay? If there is some higher power making origami out of the universe, it hates my guts. I was a fat kid whose parents got divorced, whose father died, and then who got cancer herself. So no. I don't trust how things are going to unfold.”-- Cam
This is a (mostly) realistic YA book. It is not a cancer book, at least not in the same way John Green's The Fault in Our Stars or any of Lurlene McDaniel's books are. This is a book about reclaiming one's life and figuring out who you are, and happens to have a protagonist with cancer.
Cam Cooper grew up in Disneyland, literally; her parents danced in the Polynesian review. She also happens to have late stage cancer, and is out of options. Her mother has forced her to try everything from hypnosis to voo doo to conventional/experimental treatments. As a last ditch effort, her mom uproots the Cam and her sister, taking them to Promise, Maine, a town known for its strange happenings and miracles. Cam is reluctant about this move, to say the least, but ends up becoming friends (and more?) with Asher, a boy from Promise. While her health improves, Cam doesn't see any 'miracles' happening, but decides to create some to make her mom and sister happy. Hijinks, drama, and apologies ensue, followed by a road trip back to her Disney roots.
There is an edge of magical realism in this book. Promise, Maine is somewhere between Stars Hollow and Weetzie Bat's Shangri-L.A., in that it's filled with quirky characters and strange happenings that can almost, but not quite, be explained away logically. Everything that I love about Joan Bauer's plucky and unusual young women protagonists, but with an extra helping of snark. I laughed during every single chapter, even the last one. Much like Cam learns that her life is more than cancer, I forgot that this was a "cancer book" by the end.
There was little in this book that I can honestly say I disliked. Cam had her selfish moments, but these were understandable. (Two stand out: when she tried to fake miracles for her mom and sister and when she realized she was getting sick again. If those aren't reasons to emotionally shut down a little, I don't know what is).
I'm honestly not sure if I would suggest this book to those who are dealing with cancer, or have dealt with it with their loved ones. It's not disrespectful or unrealistic in its portrayal, but not everyone one wants this level of sarcasm and wit when discussing heavy topics.
I would recommend this book to fans of Joan Bauer's work, especially Hope Was Here. If you liked The Fault in Our Stars but want a slightly more uplifting story, you'd like Wunder's book.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Book Review #2: Feed (Newflesh Trilogy #1) by Mira Grant
This is the truth: We are a nation accustomed to being afraid. If I'm being honest, not just with you but with myself, it's not just the nation, and it's not just something we've grown used to. It's the world, and it's an addiction. People crave fear. Fear justifies everything. --George Mason
Feed is technically a zombie novel. The opening page has a main character literally poking a zombie with a hockey stick; however, if you walk away from this book AFTER reading it and still think it's just a zombie story, then you weren't paying attention. The book lives in the YA section of the bookstore, but any fan of stories that include zombies, or stories that hate on ignorance and modern journalism, will love this book.
The setting: America, fourteen years after two innocent viruses combined and created Kellis-Amberlee, a disease that results in flesh-hungry, mindless beings. George and Shaun Mason, adopted siblings, are part of a top journalist blogging team in a world full of people afraid to leave their homes. Journalism has gone online because print and TV media lied to the people at the time of the KA breakout, resulting in over a third of the world's population becoming zombies. When the team earns the coveted role of being the only blogging team to follow Democratic candidate Peter Ryman during his campaign, they're elated. As expected, the campaign is not not a boring collection of speeches, but rather a dangerous attempt to unravel the mystery of who would want Senator Ryman, and their team, dead.
“My mother once told me that no women is naked when she comes equipped with a bad mood and a steady glare.”
Let me start by saying this - I don't read zombie books. I fought a whole passel of my friends when they handed me Grant's book. I did not need, nor want to read a cheesy horror book about the flesh-eating undead. But, I fell into this book. I love the characters - George is a strong, intelligent, snarky woman and Shaun is brave, quick on his feet, and 100% ALIVE. All of the side characters are real, 3-dimensional people, and no one is all good or all evil. Feed shines a light on a lot of important issues: the fallibility of the news/media, the growing trend of relying on online sources, and the direction we are headed as a country, insofar as social structure and interaction.
I struggled to find things that I disliked about this book, aside from not being able to find the sequel the exact moment I finished reading. The ending threw me for a loop and made me angry, but it fit the storyline.
Once upon a time, science fiction was the setting for social commentary, as it was safe to discuss politics or gender discrimination, so long as it's far away or happening to another species. It seems like post-apocalyptic and good zombie books have taken up the social commentary torch, and are bringing the issues closer to home.
If you like reading about poking zombies with a stick or thoughtful commentary on society, politics, and the various types of news media, you will love Feed.
If you like Feed, consider trying Alden Bell's The Reapers Are the Angels.
Feed is technically a zombie novel. The opening page has a main character literally poking a zombie with a hockey stick; however, if you walk away from this book AFTER reading it and still think it's just a zombie story, then you weren't paying attention. The book lives in the YA section of the bookstore, but any fan of stories that include zombies, or stories that hate on ignorance and modern journalism, will love this book.
The setting: America, fourteen years after two innocent viruses combined and created Kellis-Amberlee, a disease that results in flesh-hungry, mindless beings. George and Shaun Mason, adopted siblings, are part of a top journalist blogging team in a world full of people afraid to leave their homes. Journalism has gone online because print and TV media lied to the people at the time of the KA breakout, resulting in over a third of the world's population becoming zombies. When the team earns the coveted role of being the only blogging team to follow Democratic candidate Peter Ryman during his campaign, they're elated. As expected, the campaign is not not a boring collection of speeches, but rather a dangerous attempt to unravel the mystery of who would want Senator Ryman, and their team, dead.
“My mother once told me that no women is naked when she comes equipped with a bad mood and a steady glare.”
Let me start by saying this - I don't read zombie books. I fought a whole passel of my friends when they handed me Grant's book. I did not need, nor want to read a cheesy horror book about the flesh-eating undead. But, I fell into this book. I love the characters - George is a strong, intelligent, snarky woman and Shaun is brave, quick on his feet, and 100% ALIVE. All of the side characters are real, 3-dimensional people, and no one is all good or all evil. Feed shines a light on a lot of important issues: the fallibility of the news/media, the growing trend of relying on online sources, and the direction we are headed as a country, insofar as social structure and interaction.
I struggled to find things that I disliked about this book, aside from not being able to find the sequel the exact moment I finished reading. The ending threw me for a loop and made me angry, but it fit the storyline.
Once upon a time, science fiction was the setting for social commentary, as it was safe to discuss politics or gender discrimination, so long as it's far away or happening to another species. It seems like post-apocalyptic and good zombie books have taken up the social commentary torch, and are bringing the issues closer to home.
If you like reading about poking zombies with a stick or thoughtful commentary on society, politics, and the various types of news media, you will love Feed.
If you like Feed, consider trying Alden Bell's The Reapers Are the Angels.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Jenn Matters' Book Review #1: Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green/David Leviathan
maybe tonight you're scared of falling...or how and when you're gonna land, and i gotta tell you friends that to stop thinking about the landing, because it's all about the falling.
Will Grayson Will Grayson technically falls into the YA genre of books, but anyone alive in the modern age should walk away from this book having laughed, learned something, and maybe even shed a tear or two.
"You're a pillar of fabulosity in the community".
This is what Will Grayson (the first we meet) tells his best friend, gayer than gay, and more alive than any teenager I've ever met, Tiny Cooper. And because I appreciate Tiny, I have to argue that this book is as much his story as it is the story of any Will Grayson.
The basic sitch: Two teenage boys named Will Grayson live in different Chicago suburbs. Will-1 is straight, best friends with Tiny, sort of in love with friend Jane, and living by 2 rules - Don't care too much about anything/one and 2. Shut up. Will-2 starts out emo-tastic and grows to become simply another person fighting depression, and falling in love with Tiny helps him realize the truth about a lot of things. Quite a bit of the story centers around the production of Tiny Dancer, a play about Tiny's life, and the truths that come out about our boys in the process of the play coming to life.
I was struck by the myriad of astute observations about life that Tiny and the two WGs made - truth and love are forever connected, love is way more than just sex or even romance, you don't chose your true friends, and its worth it to open the box (to see if the cat is alive/dead).
I searched for things to dislike about this book, but am still looking for them. If you are even vaguely bothered by the concept of homosexuality, or even scarier, the concept of wanting to be comfortable with who you are -- this book is not for you.
Everybody else, dive in!
If you like Will Grayson Will Grayson, you'd also like David Leviathan's Boy Meets Boy or possibly Joyce Carol Oate's Big Mouth and Ugly Girl.
Will Grayson Will Grayson technically falls into the YA genre of books, but anyone alive in the modern age should walk away from this book having laughed, learned something, and maybe even shed a tear or two.
"You're a pillar of fabulosity in the community".
This is what Will Grayson (the first we meet) tells his best friend, gayer than gay, and more alive than any teenager I've ever met, Tiny Cooper. And because I appreciate Tiny, I have to argue that this book is as much his story as it is the story of any Will Grayson.
The basic sitch: Two teenage boys named Will Grayson live in different Chicago suburbs. Will-1 is straight, best friends with Tiny, sort of in love with friend Jane, and living by 2 rules - Don't care too much about anything/one and 2. Shut up. Will-2 starts out emo-tastic and grows to become simply another person fighting depression, and falling in love with Tiny helps him realize the truth about a lot of things. Quite a bit of the story centers around the production of Tiny Dancer, a play about Tiny's life, and the truths that come out about our boys in the process of the play coming to life.
I was struck by the myriad of astute observations about life that Tiny and the two WGs made - truth and love are forever connected, love is way more than just sex or even romance, you don't chose your true friends, and its worth it to open the box (to see if the cat is alive/dead).
I searched for things to dislike about this book, but am still looking for them. If you are even vaguely bothered by the concept of homosexuality, or even scarier, the concept of wanting to be comfortable with who you are -- this book is not for you.
Everybody else, dive in!
If you like Will Grayson Will Grayson, you'd also like David Leviathan's Boy Meets Boy or possibly Joyce Carol Oate's Big Mouth and Ugly Girl.
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