Monthly Archives: March 2015
The Tragic Age
The Tragic Age
St. Martin's Griffin
March 3, 2015
Hardcover
320
This is the story of Billy Kinsey, heir to a lottery fortune, part genius, part philosopher and social critic, full time insomniac and closeted rock drummer. Billy has decided that the best way to deal with an absurd world is to stay away from it. Do not volunteer. Do not join in. Billy will be the first to tell you it doesn't always work-- not when your twin sister, Dorie, has died, not when your unhappy parents are at war with one another, not when frazzled soccer moms in two ton SUVs are more dangerous than atom bombs, and not when your guidance counselor keeps asking why you haven't applied to college.?
Billy's life changes when two people enter his life. Twom Twomey is a charismatic renegade who believes that truly living means going a little outlaw. Twom and Billy become one another's mutual benefactor and friend. At the same time, Billy is reintroduced to Gretchen Quinn, an old and adored friend of Dorie's. It is Gretchen who suggests to Billy that the world can be transformed by creative acts of the soul.?
Review:
“The Tragic Age” is the type of novel I adore, but yet find extremely difficult to find one that is well-written. It is, above all else, an excellent study in existentialism for the current high school generation, not to mention the rest of us.
Billy is a narrator with an excellent voice. His observations are disturbing, disturbed, witty, intelligent, and downright funny. Funny, that is, until you actually think about them too hard. Then they become disturbing and/or disturbed. The author managed to make him both a very self-aware narrator and a very unreliable narrator. That is a true mark of talent.
Nothing about the plot is predictable, yet at the end the conclusion seems inevitable. It is definitely a novel that needs a second read to fully appreciate all that it has to offer. I can honestly say it will be something I analyze for quite some time.
Also, I died a little bit inside when the epitome of old was revealed to be forty.
Recommended for the older young adult crowd and those who like existentialist literature. “The Tragic Age” is not for younger readers, as it is dark and adult in nature,
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Strong Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence, Underage Drinking, Bullying
Nightbird
Juvenile Fiction
Wendy Lamb Books
2015
208
Twig, aged twelve, is practically ignored by classmates and other residents of Sidwell, Massachusetts, but gets along fine with just her mother and brother, whose presence must be kept secret, until descendants of the witch who cursed her family move in next door and want to be her friends.
Review:
Alice Hoffman has created a wonderful new fairy tale in “Nightbird” that is a delightful read for both the young and the young-at-heart. For those to young to read on their own, it will make a great bedtime story to be read aloud over the course of a few nights.
All of the characters, especially Twig and James, are unique and relatable, even though they are abnormal to the eyes of those around them. The world is filled with both the familiar and fantastical, sucking the reader in. All of the classic parts of fairy tales are present: mystery, the unknown creatures of the dark, friendship, bravery, and a little romance. I found myself smiling and feeling nostalgic for the books of my childhood the entire time I was reading it, and I sincerely hope the author creates more stories for children.
I recommend “Nightbird” for anyone and everyone. Such fun!
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
If you have a child who is afraid of classic fairy tales, this may be one to avoid.
Pioneer Girl
Fiction
Penguin Books
2015-01-27
304
Discovering a family heirloom that her mother may have received from Laura Ingalls Wilder, PhD graduate Lee Lien explores the tenuous connection between her ancestors and the famous pioneer author only to discover a trail of clues that lead to fateful encounters.
Review:
“Pioneer Girl” is an absolutely wonderful novel about a Vietnamese woman born to immigrant parents in the 1970s.
As a child, Lee Lien was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie books as she and her family moved from place to place, looking for a better life. As an adult, she begins to trail a story that goes back to her mother’s childhood in Saigon. The search for the full story makes for a wonderful literary mystery that would be enough to make a good read on its own. However, there is much more.
Soon Lee, and the reader, begins to connect the lives of her family with those of the Wilders. The search for a better life is something that spans all cultures and generations, and never has book so captured the American Dream as eloquently as “Pioneer Girl”. It is something unchanging, and will hopefully be embraced and extended to all of those yet to come. Don’t we all want what is best for those we love?
I learned more about Vietnamese culture than all of what I knew previously combined. It was extremely educational, and I don’t think I will ever be able to eat at a Chinese Buffet again. More diverse books are desperately needed, and this is an excellent addition toward that goal of universal diversity. Thank you to the author for your work.
I recommend “Pioneer Girl”. While it is an adult book, the subject matter can be appreciated by upper middle graders and up. It will be extra enjoyable to all “Little House on the Prairie” fans.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Painless
Painless
Albert Whitman Teen
March 1, 2015
Hardcover
272
A first kiss. Falling in love. Going to prom. These are all normal things that most teenagers experience. Except for 17-year-old David Hart. His life is anything but normal and more difficult than most. Because of the disease that wracks his body, David is unable to feel pain. He has congenital insensitivity to pain with anhydrosis--or CIPA for short. One of only a handful of people in the world who suffer from CIPA, David can't do the things every teenager does. He might accidentally break a limb and not know it. If he stands too close to a campfire, he could burn his skin and never feel it. He can't tell if he has a fever and his temperature is rising. Abandoned by his parents, David now lives with his elderly grandmother who is dying. When David's legal guardian tells him that he needs to move into an assisted living facility as he cannot live alone, David is determined to prove him wrong. He creates a bucket list, meets a girl with her own wish list, and then sets out to find his parents. All David wants to do is grow old, beat the odds, find love, travel the world, and see something spectacular. And he still wants to find his parents. While he still can.
Review:
“Painless” is a book about a boy, David, who suffers from a life-threatening disease called CIPA that makes it impossible for him to feel pain or changes in temperature.
The world of David is a fascinating one, with inner thoughts and situations that are not what most of us have ever been exposed to. Additionally, there is a wealth of information about CIPA and what life is like for those living with it. The plot is excellent in that it shows how David learns to come out of his shell and begin dealing with the world around him, facing his fears head-on, along with learning there are people there to help him and how to accept that help.
Unfortunately, there is almost zero resolution to the mysteries in the plot. While realistically all of life’s problems are rarely solved easily, it would have been nice for there to be some sort of closure for the reader to at least one of the threads. It made what was a good read a source of frustration, and that is what is lingering in my head as I write this review.
I cannot recommend “Painless”, nor can I say not to read it. It will depend upon the reader whether or not it is appealing.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Brief Discussions of Sexual Situations, Language, Violence
Silence
Fiction
Shadow Mountain
2015-03-03
320
Love is blind, but it's also deaf. Stella was born to sing. Someday Broadway. Even though she's only a sophomore at a new high school, her voice has given her the status as a "cool kid." But everything changes when a tragic accident renders her deaf. She can't hear herself sing not to mention speak. She can't hear anything. Silence. What happens when everything you've dreamed of and hoped for is shattered in a single moment? Enter Hayden, the boy with blond curls who stutters. He's treated like an outcast because he's not "normal." And, yet, Stella feels an attraction to him that she can't explain. As Hayden reaches out to help Stella discover a world without sound, his own tragic past warns him to keep a distance. But their connection is undeniable. Can the boy who stutters and the girl who's deaf ever find a happily-ever-after? Silence is a story of friendship and hope with a lesson that sometimes it takes a tragedy to help us find and appreciate beauty and love.
Review:
“Silence” is a romance for teens about a boy who has a speech impediment and a girl who loses her hearing in a freak accident. At its heart it’s a very sweet story, and I wish I could have given it four stars.
I’ll begin with the good. It’s nice to see a book written featuring different sorts of disabilities and how they affect lives of both those with them and those around them. There are no sexual acts outside of kissing, faith is featured heavily, and there is no bad language. It’s written in a very simple-to-read manner which makes it a good choice for middle readers and those looking for “clean” romances, which I know are often difficult to find.
Unfortunately, the writing, while easy to read, is also over-the-top flowery. Considering there are two narrators, and both speak in flowery language, it is difficult to distinguish between their voices. Therefore, character development is stagnant. The plot is not bad, but seems more suited to a short story, making it seem like quite a bit is filler.
I recommend “Silence” for those looking for a “clean” romance for younger middle graders, but don’t think it would appeal to other demographics. Your mileage may vary.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Child Abuse
My Best Everything
Juvenile Fiction
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
2015-03-03
400
An Appalachian summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating in this debut novel about first loves, broken hearts, and moonshine. Luisa "Lulu" Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out. Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends. Quickly realizing they're out of their depth, they turn to Mason, a local boy who's always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything? My Best Everything is Lulu's letter to Mason--but it a love letter, an apology, or a good-bye?
Review:
It is going to be really difficult to describe just how much I love “My Best Everything” and what makes it amazing, but I am going to give it a try.
At its heart it is a coming of age story and a romance, and one that uses some of the standard tropes, but somehow manages to turn them around and make them into something completely different. You have the bad boy, a common staple of romances, but he is not at all typical and by chapter ten you know his story is not what you think it will be. There is bullying and stereotypes, but they are not the ones usually addressed in books, and it makes the reader think beyond what they would normally define as “bullying”.
The novel is written in the first person, but as a letter to the male protagonist, making the word “you” draw the reader into the experience. It makes the entire thing more personal and intimate, with the narrator expressing feelings in a direct fashion, skipping flowery language, exposing the very real problems with the relationship, and yet somehow making this the type of love story you are glad you were given the chance to become a part of. There’s also the mystery of exactly why the letter is being written in the first place, adding some suspense, as well as reader anxiety, to the reading.
The character development is some of the best I have ever read in this novel’s genre, with traits and backstories being revealed with perfect timing. All of the characters are flawed, with qualities that make you want to hug them and qualities that make you want to shake some sense into them. In other words, they are realistic and react to their circumstances in a manner consistent with their personalities. Additionally, the environment of the Blue Ridge Mountains is written in a way that makes them their own character. Beautiful and flawed, they evoke feelings of longing and frustration.
I want to make note that the main character, Lulu, is Latino, and that is refreshing. It is so rare to find diversity in books without it being the central theme of the book that it was a wonderful surprise to have her race being something that just is part of her and not the driving plot of the story.
The characters in “My Best Everything” act realistically, so there is underage drinking, sexual situations, and quite a bit of colorful language. There is also a relationship with an age difference that may bother some, though the girl is only a couple of months shy of eighteen, so keep that in mind if that is the sort of thing that will decrease your enjoyment of the book. Also, it’s about making moonshine, so if alcohol bothers you in any way, this is most definitely not the book for you.
As for my opinion, I highly recommend “My Best Everything” for older young adults as well as those who are no longer young. It’s wonderful and I did not want to leave the characters and world behind. I will never stop hoping that Sarah Tomp revisits Lulu and Mason at sometime in the future.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Sexual Content, Language, Violence, Addiction, Underage Drinking, Lots of ‘Shine
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