By Stephanie Meyer
I resisted this series for a long time. I'd seen it around, it kept popping up when I was doing my young adult fiction class, but it hadn't really been recommended to me by anyone I knew, so I didn't bother with it. The third book in the series, Eclipse, came out recently, so I kept seeing it promoted in book stores.
Finally, I gave in. What is it that all these teenagers are finding so interesting? I admit that I gave in shortly after re-reading Sunshine and found myself craving more vampire fiction. Haha.
Yes, these are more vampire books. This series is, however, much more in the romance genre than the horror genre (which isn't to say that there aren't scary parts, however).
Basically, the story involves shy, awkward Bella moving in with her father, Charlie, in Forks, Washington when her mother remarries. She is surprisingly popular at her new high school, and makes friends, and is pursued by boys, none of which were things that happened at her last school in Phoenix, Arizona. One boy in particular, Edward, is particularly attractive to her, but he tries to remain aloof from her. Finally though, he gives in, even though every moment they spend together puts her in danger, since he's a vampire. He's a vegetarian vampire -- he doesn't eat humans -- but her particularly alluring scent tempts him to lose control. Also, of course, there's more danger you can get into when you associate with vampires.
I can completely see why these books are so popular, especially among teens. The emotions of young love are so well described and so intense that I found myself quite wrapped up in Edward and Bella's blooming relationship. I also found myself frustrated that they never even so much as take off their shirts; it's all very proper. They have heated and passionate kisses... and that's it. *sigh*
I eagerly devoured the following two books in the series: New Moon and Eclipse. In New Moon, Bella finds herself without Edward for some time, causing her to be a complete wreck. In Eclipse, she is in a bit of a love triangle and gets into a big hubbub with other vampires and some werewolves. Throughout these books, she continues her blind devotion to Edward and her desire to be turned into a vampire as well.
While I really enjoyed reading them, I'm left with a bit of a sour aftertaste. They are a little like literary junk food. The first book draws on ideas from Genesis in the Bible, the whole knowledge of good and evil thing. The second book steals not too subtly from Romeo and Juliet, the third from Wuthering Heights. Not only are the allusions not-too-subtle, but Bella is actually reading Romeo and Juliet, and Wuthering Heights at the beginning of each novel. When the fourth book comes out, I'll just check out what Bella is reading as the story opens, and I'll know how it turns out. Considering the lack of actual sex so far in the novels, hopefully she'll be reading a Playboy magazine or something. Just get it over with already! Sheesh!
This brings me to my main concern about this book. I'm suspicious that the values of the author lean to saving your soul by avoiding pre-marital sex, and mindless devotion to your husband. Indeed, Meyer did attend Brigham Young University, which is where many young Mormons go to college. While there's nothing wrong with promoting your beliefs, I am worried that all this abstinence-only stuff is getting out of hand. According to how things work out in the Twilight series (so far) it's fine for you to be so in love that you practically die when your love goes away, just as long as you don't actually ever have sex. I don't know; I guess all the tension of not having sex does help the book out. Without that tension they would probably lose a lot of the teenage fans. I'm not sure that loads of teenagers getting married at 18 just so they can finally have sex is really the best thing though.
I'll end this luke-warm review by admitting that I am eagerly awaiting the fourth book, due out in August, and the movie of the first book, due out in December. Even though it does pain me a bit to admit it. (Hey, it's better than when my generation was devouring Flowers in the Attic.)
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Dragonhaven
By Robin McKinley
342 pages, 2007
I've been a fan of Robin McKinley since I read "Sunshine", which I will have to post about soon. Sunshine turns out to have been one of my favorite books, maybe not of all time, but that I read in 2007. I read a lot of books in 2007.
Since reading "Sunshine", I read "Deerskin"... twice. I re-read Sunshine earlier this year, just for fun (actually it's a great book to read in the middle of a dreary sunless winter), and was reminded how great it was, so I put Deerskin on hold, and when it arrived and voraciously started reading... and it was eerily familiar. I opened it randomly later on down the book... oh yes! I've definitely read this. I didn't actually re-read it all the way through, but it is now fresh in my mind again. I'll have to post about that too.
But anyway, back to Dragonhaven, after my disappointment in having already read Deerskin, I was very eager to start this book. This is a young adult novel. It's written in a boy's first person point of view. He lives in an animal preserve in the middle of nowhere with his dad and some other naturalists, but it's a pretty lonely life. He's still depressed from his mother's untimely death a couple years ago. Just to make things worst, his dog died too.
As a kind of coming of age ceremony, he gets to go on his first solo overnight hike into the depths of the animal preserve. Not to worry, the animals that live in this preserve are secretive and have never been reported to attack humans. They also happen to be wild dragons. Something happens on his solo hike that changes his life forever.
So yeah, this is another coming of age story, but with a wild premise. I didn't particularly care for the style it was written in, since a huge amount of the head and end of the story are exposition and denouement. It really took a lot of movement away from the telling. I got kind of bored, even though he was talking about dragons and other exciting things. I really liked this middle parts though, where he's telling the action as it happens, and I could get really wrapped up in it.
I read this while I was quite sick, and it really distracted me from my suffering. I would recommend this book if you like a little fantasy mixed with a little realism.
342 pages, 2007
I've been a fan of Robin McKinley since I read "Sunshine", which I will have to post about soon. Sunshine turns out to have been one of my favorite books, maybe not of all time, but that I read in 2007. I read a lot of books in 2007.
Since reading "Sunshine", I read "Deerskin"... twice. I re-read Sunshine earlier this year, just for fun (actually it's a great book to read in the middle of a dreary sunless winter), and was reminded how great it was, so I put Deerskin on hold, and when it arrived and voraciously started reading... and it was eerily familiar. I opened it randomly later on down the book... oh yes! I've definitely read this. I didn't actually re-read it all the way through, but it is now fresh in my mind again. I'll have to post about that too.
But anyway, back to Dragonhaven, after my disappointment in having already read Deerskin, I was very eager to start this book. This is a young adult novel. It's written in a boy's first person point of view. He lives in an animal preserve in the middle of nowhere with his dad and some other naturalists, but it's a pretty lonely life. He's still depressed from his mother's untimely death a couple years ago. Just to make things worst, his dog died too.
As a kind of coming of age ceremony, he gets to go on his first solo overnight hike into the depths of the animal preserve. Not to worry, the animals that live in this preserve are secretive and have never been reported to attack humans. They also happen to be wild dragons. Something happens on his solo hike that changes his life forever.
So yeah, this is another coming of age story, but with a wild premise. I didn't particularly care for the style it was written in, since a huge amount of the head and end of the story are exposition and denouement. It really took a lot of movement away from the telling. I got kind of bored, even though he was talking about dragons and other exciting things. I really liked this middle parts though, where he's telling the action as it happens, and I could get really wrapped up in it.
I read this while I was quite sick, and it really distracted me from my suffering. I would recommend this book if you like a little fantasy mixed with a little realism.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Looking for Alaska
by John Green, 2005
John Green's first novel (at the tender age of I think 27). He also wrote "An Abundance of Katherines" which I reviewed a while back.
The story starts as Pudge, a high school boy with no friends, decides to transfer to a boarding school in Alabama to, as he puts it, "seek the Great Perhaps." The Great Perhaps was mentioned in someone's famous last words before dying, which Pudge takes a strange interest in. Throughout the book he quotes people's dying words with a morbid interest.
He arrives at boarding school, meets his roommate, and begins the various lessons of a young person's life: drinking, smoking, sex, and pranks. All of these "firsts" are written with a freshness and awkwardness that feels authentic.
The book is split into two parts. The first is designated "Before", and each chapter begins with how many days before it is. It begins "one hundred thirty six days before." Before what, the reader doesn't know. The tension builds though as we get closer to the day of the event.
The second half of the book is designated "After", and again, each chapter begins with how many days after it is. The tension fades as the memory of the event fades.
All in all, a good book for revisiting those awkward days of teenagedness. Tense, dramatic, and sad, but illuminated by learning and dare I say, enlightenment.
John Green's first novel (at the tender age of I think 27). He also wrote "An Abundance of Katherines" which I reviewed a while back.
The story starts as Pudge, a high school boy with no friends, decides to transfer to a boarding school in Alabama to, as he puts it, "seek the Great Perhaps." The Great Perhaps was mentioned in someone's famous last words before dying, which Pudge takes a strange interest in. Throughout the book he quotes people's dying words with a morbid interest.
He arrives at boarding school, meets his roommate, and begins the various lessons of a young person's life: drinking, smoking, sex, and pranks. All of these "firsts" are written with a freshness and awkwardness that feels authentic.
The book is split into two parts. The first is designated "Before", and each chapter begins with how many days before it is. It begins "one hundred thirty six days before." Before what, the reader doesn't know. The tension builds though as we get closer to the day of the event.
The second half of the book is designated "After", and again, each chapter begins with how many days after it is. The tension fades as the memory of the event fades.
All in all, a good book for revisiting those awkward days of teenagedness. Tense, dramatic, and sad, but illuminated by learning and dare I say, enlightenment.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Harry Potter 7 (no spoilers)
I did read and finish the last Harry Potter book. It took me about 9 hours to read, it's a fat book but also a real page-turner, like the earlier books in the series.
I really like reading serialized novels since I like to get lost in the world that is invented. Harry Potter of course exemplifies this ideal, (which is also partly why they were such a hit, I think) and I am sad to know that the world, and Harry's story, ends here. That is always the case with me. Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Golden Compass trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Otherland books have all done this to me to varying degrees. Luckily I enjoy re-reading books, so I can go ahead and revisit these lands whenever I want; but it is never quite the same.
Anyway, HP7 was well done. To keep this area relatively spoiler free, I will resist saying more. I'll just say it was just as satisfying and exciting as the others, and followed much the same formula. I think I could have done without the epilogue though.
I really like reading serialized novels since I like to get lost in the world that is invented. Harry Potter of course exemplifies this ideal, (which is also partly why they were such a hit, I think) and I am sad to know that the world, and Harry's story, ends here. That is always the case with me. Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Golden Compass trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Otherland books have all done this to me to varying degrees. Luckily I enjoy re-reading books, so I can go ahead and revisit these lands whenever I want; but it is never quite the same.
Anyway, HP7 was well done. To keep this area relatively spoiler free, I will resist saying more. I'll just say it was just as satisfying and exciting as the others, and followed much the same formula. I think I could have done without the epilogue though.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Golden Compass, review and preview
The Golden Compass, the first of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman, is the first young adult novel I read since I thought I outgrew the genre. Turns out that I loved it, and it opened my mind up to reading more young adult fiction, which I've realized is a genre that I really enjoy. I love coming of age stories, and quest stories, so it's a good fit for me. The Golden Compass is set in an alternate but similar universe to ours (and in fact the second book of the series visits our own universe briefly). Lyra, a young girl, uncovers a mystery that she determines to solve. With the help of her daemon (all humans of her world have them, a kind of spirit animal that reflects who you are deep down), she travels her world and gets deeper involved in a plot that could affect the world. It is said that Philip Pullman was inspired by "Paradise Lost" by Milton for this story, which I haven't read yet. Suffice to say there is a lot of mythology, philosophy and religious discussion in these books that some people might find offensive.
Pullman does an excellent job with the characters and descriptions of the daemons. I was actually drawn to tears a few times throughout the trilogy, which is extremely rare for me. He really gets you to feel for these people who seem so real. It's the kind of book where I missed the characters when I finished reading. I've re-read the entire trilogy three times.
Well, looks like there's a movie coming out this winter! I'm always a little nervous when a book I love turns into a movie. It worked out well for Lord of the Rings, so hopefully this will be good too. One of the promotions for the movie is a website that tells you who your daemon would be. The animal form your daemon takes represents you in some way, so you can tell a lot by what kind of animal it is. I took the little quiz, and I got:
I guess that seems right. I was slightly disappointed it wasn't a cat. What can you do.
My daemon web page
Pullman does an excellent job with the characters and descriptions of the daemons. I was actually drawn to tears a few times throughout the trilogy, which is extremely rare for me. He really gets you to feel for these people who seem so real. It's the kind of book where I missed the characters when I finished reading. I've re-read the entire trilogy three times.
Well, looks like there's a movie coming out this winter! I'm always a little nervous when a book I love turns into a movie. It worked out well for Lord of the Rings, so hopefully this will be good too. One of the promotions for the movie is a website that tells you who your daemon would be. The animal form your daemon takes represents you in some way, so you can tell a lot by what kind of animal it is. I took the little quiz, and I got:
I guess that seems right. I was slightly disappointed it wasn't a cat. What can you do.
My daemon web page
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Waves
I just finished Waves, by Sharon Dogar. This is a heartbreaking, sensuous novel. Set on a beach in England during the summer, we follow Hal, a 15 year old boy, as he slowly joins the group of youth who endlessly hang out on the beach, meets a beautiful charming girl named Jackie, gets annoyed by his little sister Sarz, and all the other things a teen at the beach for the summer might do. On the other hand, his home life is dark and lonely; his older sister Charley, who he used to be so close to, isn't here this year. Instead, she is left behind at the hospital, still in a coma from a mysterious accident that occurred while they were all at the beach last summer. Her presence is everywhere; he thinks he hears her voice, and he is starting to remember things about what happened last summer. He remembers a shadowy presence and wonders who it was. He finds he is driven to find out what happened to Charley.
This novel starts out strong, and ends with a grand finale, but somewhere in the middle it seems to circle around itself, almost relentlessly. This could be interpreted as another manifestation of the ocean metaphor that is used throughout the book, but it did get to be a little much for me. It was intense, and and found myself wanting to get on with the plot a bit faster. However, it was an effective device. I found the descriptions of first love to be accurate and touching. This book would be suitable for young adults of either gender aged 13 and up.
One other interesting tidbit: this book is "endorsed" by Philip Pullman, a successful author whose works I completely love. I'm not really sure what the "endorsed" term means in this context. He says it's good? The Pullman Seal of Approval? I mean, I'm glad Pullman liked the book, and I admit that seeing a quote from him on the cover made me more interested in the book, but I'm a little annoyed by the whole idea of endorsement. Does he read and endorse lots of books? Are they neighbors and somehow she got him to read her book? Are they secret lovers? Who knows!
Waves
Sharon Dogar
Published by Chicken House, April 2007
ISBN13: 978-0-439-87180-8
344 pages
Ages 13+
$16.99
Young Adult, Family relationships, sexuality, mystery
This novel starts out strong, and ends with a grand finale, but somewhere in the middle it seems to circle around itself, almost relentlessly. This could be interpreted as another manifestation of the ocean metaphor that is used throughout the book, but it did get to be a little much for me. It was intense, and and found myself wanting to get on with the plot a bit faster. However, it was an effective device. I found the descriptions of first love to be accurate and touching. This book would be suitable for young adults of either gender aged 13 and up.
One other interesting tidbit: this book is "endorsed" by Philip Pullman, a successful author whose works I completely love. I'm not really sure what the "endorsed" term means in this context. He says it's good? The Pullman Seal of Approval? I mean, I'm glad Pullman liked the book, and I admit that seeing a quote from him on the cover made me more interested in the book, but I'm a little annoyed by the whole idea of endorsement. Does he read and endorse lots of books? Are they neighbors and somehow she got him to read her book? Are they secret lovers? Who knows!
Waves
Sharon Dogar
Published by Chicken House, April 2007
ISBN13: 978-0-439-87180-8
344 pages
Ages 13+
$16.99
Young Adult, Family relationships, sexuality, mystery
Saturday, March 10, 2007
An Abundance of Katherines
An Abundance of Katherines
By John Green
Published by Dutton Juvenile, September 21, 2006
Reality Fiction, Mathematics, Relationships
215 pages plus appendix
ISBN13: 978-0525476887
Grades 9 and up
$16.99
Freshly heartbroken from getting dumped by the nineteenth Katherine in a row, former child-prodigy Colin (“not a prodigy, not yet a genius”) Singleton and his best friend Hassan decide to take a road trip. Without a clear destination in mind, they drive off in Colin’s hearse in hopes of finding something, anything, to distract themselves. Colin compulsively makes anagrams of words and finds connections between seemingly random things, and Hassan makes jokes out of everything. The two boys -- Colin a fresh high school graduate and Hassan a little more than a year into his “taking a year off before college” phase -- find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, the final resting place of Franz Ferdinand, the former Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Also in this town lives an intriguing girl who is not, for once, named Katherine. Through a series of incidents, Colin is inspired to derive a mathematical formula that can model and predict all romantic relationships, which, if successful, can finally mark Colin’s passage from prodigy to genius.
John Green has created an assembly of characters likeable, believable, and identifiable. Their interactions with each other feel real, with creative, funny, and sometimes completely unexpected dialog. Although Colin is filled with facts, languages, and anagram talents, he can’t quite seem to figure out human relationships or himself. Hassan, filled with humor and likeability, can’t seem to motivate himself to get on with his life or take anything seriously. The road trip and the town they land in serve to knock some sense into both of them, and hopefully bring some to the reader as well. With its humor and clever feel, this book would appeal to teens and adults, but some swearing and sexual scenes might keep this from being ideal for younger teens.
Finally, it should be noted that the math used throughout the book does not have to be understood to enjoy the story, but it is real math and those with some math skills should enjoy the way it augments the plot. (For those who need some math touch up, there is an appendix at the end which further explains the math used in the book.)
By John Green
Published by Dutton Juvenile, September 21, 2006
Reality Fiction, Mathematics, Relationships
215 pages plus appendix
ISBN13: 978-0525476887
Grades 9 and up
$16.99
Freshly heartbroken from getting dumped by the nineteenth Katherine in a row, former child-prodigy Colin (“not a prodigy, not yet a genius”) Singleton and his best friend Hassan decide to take a road trip. Without a clear destination in mind, they drive off in Colin’s hearse in hopes of finding something, anything, to distract themselves. Colin compulsively makes anagrams of words and finds connections between seemingly random things, and Hassan makes jokes out of everything. The two boys -- Colin a fresh high school graduate and Hassan a little more than a year into his “taking a year off before college” phase -- find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, the final resting place of Franz Ferdinand, the former Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Also in this town lives an intriguing girl who is not, for once, named Katherine. Through a series of incidents, Colin is inspired to derive a mathematical formula that can model and predict all romantic relationships, which, if successful, can finally mark Colin’s passage from prodigy to genius.
John Green has created an assembly of characters likeable, believable, and identifiable. Their interactions with each other feel real, with creative, funny, and sometimes completely unexpected dialog. Although Colin is filled with facts, languages, and anagram talents, he can’t quite seem to figure out human relationships or himself. Hassan, filled with humor and likeability, can’t seem to motivate himself to get on with his life or take anything seriously. The road trip and the town they land in serve to knock some sense into both of them, and hopefully bring some to the reader as well. With its humor and clever feel, this book would appeal to teens and adults, but some swearing and sexual scenes might keep this from being ideal for younger teens.
Finally, it should be noted that the math used throughout the book does not have to be understood to enjoy the story, but it is real math and those with some math skills should enjoy the way it augments the plot. (For those who need some math touch up, there is an appendix at the end which further explains the math used in the book.)
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Kampung Boy
Kampung Boy by Lat
First Second Publishing
144 pages
Graphic novel, family life, childhood
Paperback
Price: $16.95
ISBN13: 9781596431218
Ages: 10 and up
This graphic novel follows the birth and childhood of the narrator, a Muslim boy in a tiny village in Malaysia in the 1950’s. The narrator begins school, spends time with his family, learns to fish, attends a wedding, and undergoes the traditional circumcision ceremony (“Adat cukur kepala”). He even gets into a little trouble with his parents. Finally, he passes his qualifying exams and leaves the village to attend private school. Although excited to go away to school, as he leaves he realizes he will miss the village and hopes that it will never change. This is a melancholy moment for the reader, as we realize his village and way of life most likely have not remained the same.
The story is laid out in a straight-forward manner, with black and white pen drawings. The author’s affection for his characters is clear in every line. The adults are huge, hulking people compared to the tiny children, who are drawn as mostly a head with a little body. Babies’ bare bottoms moon the reader, and the actions of the mischievous children provoke smiles. Some readers may take issue in the way certain locations or traditions are mentioned without maps or long explanations; however, this does not detract from the enjoyment of the graphic novel.
First Second Publishing
144 pages
Graphic novel, family life, childhood
Paperback
Price: $16.95
ISBN13: 9781596431218
Ages: 10 and up
This graphic novel follows the birth and childhood of the narrator, a Muslim boy in a tiny village in Malaysia in the 1950’s. The narrator begins school, spends time with his family, learns to fish, attends a wedding, and undergoes the traditional circumcision ceremony (“Adat cukur kepala”). He even gets into a little trouble with his parents. Finally, he passes his qualifying exams and leaves the village to attend private school. Although excited to go away to school, as he leaves he realizes he will miss the village and hopes that it will never change. This is a melancholy moment for the reader, as we realize his village and way of life most likely have not remained the same.
The story is laid out in a straight-forward manner, with black and white pen drawings. The author’s affection for his characters is clear in every line. The adults are huge, hulking people compared to the tiny children, who are drawn as mostly a head with a little body. Babies’ bare bottoms moon the reader, and the actions of the mischievous children provoke smiles. Some readers may take issue in the way certain locations or traditions are mentioned without maps or long explanations; however, this does not detract from the enjoyment of the graphic novel.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow CIty
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller
ISBN13: 9781582349602
ISBN10: 1582349606
Publisher: Bloomberg Publishing PLC
Subject: Action & Adventure, Identity, Crime
Publication Date: May 2006
Pages: 387
Ages: 11 and up
Kiki Strike is a mysterious new seventh grader at the Atalaya School for Girls. Ananka, the book’s narrator and classmate of Kiki, decides to find out more about her. At the same time, Ananka also wants to find out more about the giant sinkhole in the park across the street from her apartment in New York City, and why it leads to a hidden underground city. In fact, Ananka’s curiosity leads her to these discoveries and also to membership in a group of talented misfit girls called “The Irregulars”, led by Kiki Strike. Together, they work to explore the underground city and realize their adventures may lead them to more trouble and danger than they ever anticipated. Closing each chapter is a list of handy real-world survival tips, including “How to be a master of disguise”, “How to detect a lie”, and “How to take advantage of being a girl”.
Kirsten Miller’s debut novel is a rollicking adventure. The plot and intrigue keep the pages flowing at a brisk pace. Although some of the adventures are quite fantastic, this book is not a fantasy novel. The reader is convinced that, although unlikely, these adventures could actually happen. Reading this book can bring a sense of wonder, excitement, and intrigue to one’s everyday life. This book would appeal mainly to 11-14 year old girls, as the narrative shows how normal girls can find their own individual talents and have adventures. Boys might have a harder time finding an appeal in this book as there are no strong male characters. One other thing to note: although aimed at female readers, this book does not deal with romance or other traditionally “girly” topics, so it would appeal most to girls who desire something a little different from everything normally aimed at them.
Kiki Strike’s Web site: http://www.kikistrike.com/
“Unshelved” comic strip about Kiki Strike: http://www.overduemedia.com/archive.aspx?strip=20070204 (originally run 2/4/07)
ISBN13: 9781582349602
ISBN10: 1582349606
Publisher: Bloomberg Publishing PLC
Subject: Action & Adventure, Identity, Crime
Publication Date: May 2006
Pages: 387
Ages: 11 and up
Kiki Strike is a mysterious new seventh grader at the Atalaya School for Girls. Ananka, the book’s narrator and classmate of Kiki, decides to find out more about her. At the same time, Ananka also wants to find out more about the giant sinkhole in the park across the street from her apartment in New York City, and why it leads to a hidden underground city. In fact, Ananka’s curiosity leads her to these discoveries and also to membership in a group of talented misfit girls called “The Irregulars”, led by Kiki Strike. Together, they work to explore the underground city and realize their adventures may lead them to more trouble and danger than they ever anticipated. Closing each chapter is a list of handy real-world survival tips, including “How to be a master of disguise”, “How to detect a lie”, and “How to take advantage of being a girl”.
Kirsten Miller’s debut novel is a rollicking adventure. The plot and intrigue keep the pages flowing at a brisk pace. Although some of the adventures are quite fantastic, this book is not a fantasy novel. The reader is convinced that, although unlikely, these adventures could actually happen. Reading this book can bring a sense of wonder, excitement, and intrigue to one’s everyday life. This book would appeal mainly to 11-14 year old girls, as the narrative shows how normal girls can find their own individual talents and have adventures. Boys might have a harder time finding an appeal in this book as there are no strong male characters. One other thing to note: although aimed at female readers, this book does not deal with romance or other traditionally “girly” topics, so it would appeal most to girls who desire something a little different from everything normally aimed at them.
Kiki Strike’s Web site: http://www.kikistrike.com/
“Unshelved” comic strip about Kiki Strike: http://www.overduemedia.com/archive.aspx?strip=20070204 (originally run 2/4/07)
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Pucker
Pucker
by Melanie Gideon
• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
• Hardcover: 273 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (May 18, 2006)
• ISBN: 1595140557
• Genre: Fantasy, coming of age
Thomas Quicksilver, a 17-year old with disfiguring burn scars on his face from a childhood accident, lives with his mother who earns money by telling people their futures. Thomas and his mother escaped from Isaura, a parallel world where seeing the future is an everyday occurance, after a terrifying attack that killed his father and wounded his mother, and caused the fire that burned Thomas’ face. Now, his mother is slowly dying as a result of the attack and only one thing can save her. However, this thing remains back on the world from which they ran. Now Thomas must return and seek out a way to save his mother’s life.
Thomas’ life since the accident that burned his face has been difficult; few people seem to be able to see past the burn marks that disfigure him. An outcast at school and in the world at large, he has grown accustomed to not being seen. All that changes when he returns to Isaura. His face is magically healed and he must become accustomed to attention and the effects of attention on him. As he struggles to remain faithful to the reason he came back to Isaura, he learns things that finally help him understand himself and his past.
Told in first person in the voice of Thomas, this book is extremely engaging. The reader connects immediately to the pain of this disfigured teenager and struggles with him in his search for meaning. When Thomas discovers the attention of girls, it almost overwhelms him. This book would appeal to both girls and boys by exploring coming of age issues such as emerging sexuality, self-knowledge, and getting to know your parents as people. Although told in a boy’s voice, girls will identify with any of the many female characters. Some profanity, mild sexuality described but nothing explicit.
by Melanie Gideon
• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
• Hardcover: 273 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (May 18, 2006)
• ISBN: 1595140557
• Genre: Fantasy, coming of age
Thomas Quicksilver, a 17-year old with disfiguring burn scars on his face from a childhood accident, lives with his mother who earns money by telling people their futures. Thomas and his mother escaped from Isaura, a parallel world where seeing the future is an everyday occurance, after a terrifying attack that killed his father and wounded his mother, and caused the fire that burned Thomas’ face. Now, his mother is slowly dying as a result of the attack and only one thing can save her. However, this thing remains back on the world from which they ran. Now Thomas must return and seek out a way to save his mother’s life.
Thomas’ life since the accident that burned his face has been difficult; few people seem to be able to see past the burn marks that disfigure him. An outcast at school and in the world at large, he has grown accustomed to not being seen. All that changes when he returns to Isaura. His face is magically healed and he must become accustomed to attention and the effects of attention on him. As he struggles to remain faithful to the reason he came back to Isaura, he learns things that finally help him understand himself and his past.
Told in first person in the voice of Thomas, this book is extremely engaging. The reader connects immediately to the pain of this disfigured teenager and struggles with him in his search for meaning. When Thomas discovers the attention of girls, it almost overwhelms him. This book would appeal to both girls and boys by exploring coming of age issues such as emerging sexuality, self-knowledge, and getting to know your parents as people. Although told in a boy’s voice, girls will identify with any of the many female characters. Some profanity, mild sexuality described but nothing explicit.
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