Categotry Archives: Realistic
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
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
Paper or Plastic
Paper or Plastic
Entangled: Teen
February 23, 2015
Paperback
352
Welcome to SmartMart, where crime pays minimum wage...
Busted. Alexis Dubois just got caught shoplifting a cheap tube of lipstick at the local SmartMart. She doesn’t know what’s worse—disappointing her overbearing beauty-pageant-obsessed mother for the zillionth time…or her punishment. Because Lex is forced to spend her summer working at the store, where the only things stranger than the staff are the customers.
Now Lex is stuck in the bizarro world of big-box retail. Coupon cutters, jerk customers, and learning exactly what a “Code B” really is (ew). And for added awkwardness, her new supervisor is the totally cute—and adorably geeky—Noah Grayson. Trying to balance her out-of-control mother, her pitching position on the softball team, and her secret crush on the school geek makes for one crazy summer. But ultimately, could the worst job in the world be the best thing that ever happened to her?
Review:
“Paper or Plastic” is exactly what it intends to be: a light ya romance and palate cleanser. It fulfills its purpose wonderfully.
The characters are engaging and fun, all of them with underlying issues that a revealed throughout the book. They grow a surprising amount as people given the length and lightness of the plot. It’s easy to find yourself relating to them in some way and I found myself more invested in their lives more than I expected to be.
The plot is solid and deals with some heavier issues like bullying, Alzheimer’s, and child abuse while somehow managing to keep the tone light and humorous for the most part. The writing is done in a style that makes it a quick read, and the teenagers speak like actual teenagers, which is something I am always appreciative of when digging in to a ya novel.
I can’t finish the review without noting that the author has very obviously worked at a retail chain of some sort in the past. The horrors of retail were enough to bring me back nightmares about my days at a grocery chain. In spite of the nightmares, reading about the customers had me literally laughing out loud. Well done, Vivi Barnes.
“Paper or Plastic” is obviously meant for the teen market, but there are few things explicit enough for parents of younger teens to worry about. I recommend it for those looking for a quick romantic read filled with humor and just the right amount of sweetness.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Mild Sexual Situations, Brief Language, Child Abuse
How (Not) to Fall in Love
How (Not) to Fall in Love
Entangled: Teen
February 3, 2015
Hardcover
352
Seventeen-year-old Darcy Covington never had to worry about money or where her next shopping spree was coming from. Even her dog ate gourmet. Then one day, Darcy’s car is repossessed from the parking lot of her elite private school. As her father’s business hit the skids, Dad didn’t just skip town, he bailed on his family.
Fortunately, Darcy’s uncle owns a thrift shop where she can hide out from the world. There’s also Lucas, the wickedly hot fix-it guy she can’t stop crushing on, even if she’s not sure they’ll ever get out of the friend zone.
But it’s here among the colorful characters of her uncle’s world that Darcy begins to see something more in herself...if she has the courage to follow it.
Review:
“How (Not) to Fall in Love” is the perfect palate cleanser that mixes romance with deeper issues, making it light but intelligent. Part romance, part mystery, and part family drama, it covers quite a wide range of subjects.
All of the characters are wonderfully flawed and do not fall prey to stereotypes, even though the other characters try to project them onto those who are different. They are well-developed and the dialogue is realistic and snarky. The male love interest is actually a decent guy who sets a good example for the type of relationships girls and boys should expect to have. Unfortunately, that is not always the case with young adult romances, so I’m always appreciative when it happens.
Mental illness and the effect it has on family members is also tackled and handled in a very sensitive manner. There are no miracles to make it go away, and the path is not an easy one. The realistic nature is something many people will be able to relate to, and it will also serve to help educate those without personal experiences.
While there is some adult content, none of it is explicit enough to keep middle readers from being able to read it and appreciate it, and parents can feel at ease with how everything is handled. This makes it a wonderful choice for romance lovers of almost any age.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content:
Mild Sexual Situations, Language, Drug Usage
The Same Sky
Fiction
Ballantine Books
2015-01-20
288
A childless woman looking to adopt crosses paths with a 13-year-old Honduran girl who has embarked on a dangerous journey into Texas with her brother. By the author of How to Be Lost.
Review:
“The Same Sky” is an intense book told in the stark voices of two narrators, a girl from Honduras named Carla, and a woman from America named Alice. The two stories combine to make a haunting novel that will, hopefully, forever remain in the mind of the reader.
Alice, while she can be somewhat of annoying character, is a good representation of middle-class America. Her family has its own struggles and deal with the inability to have children. She and her husband run a small family business and live comfortably within their own bubble until the poverty that surrounds them becomes a part of their lives. I liked this subplot of the book, as it was a good example of the fact that poverty exists, quite literally, in our own backyards.
The story of Carla is eye-opening and disturbing. Her life in her village is vividly described, illustrating some of the many reasons people of all ages choose to risk the journey to the United States. I had no idea the trip is as difficult as it is, and I may have nightmares about it for quite some time.
I highly recommend “The Same Sky”. It brings a deep understanding to the struggles of others who share our world, and it sheds light on the reasons many illegal immigrant children are arriving at our borders alone. It is my hope that we can all come together to help others in need with this book in the backs of our minds. I know it will remain in mine.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
While I do not typically write content warnings for adult books, please be aware that there is rape, child, and drug abuse in this book.
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth
Fiction
Grand Central Publishing
2015-01-06
480
After witnessing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, 14-year-old Kevin and his grieving mother are sent for the summer to live with Kevin's grandfather. In this peeled-paint coal town deep in Appalachia, Kevin quickly falls in with a half-wild hollow kid named Buzzy Fink who schools him in the mysteries and magnificence of the woods. The events of this fateful summer will affect the entire town of Medgar, Kentucky. Medgar is beset by a massive Mountaintop Removal operation that is blowing up the hills and back filling the hollows. Kevin's grandfather and others in town attempt to rally the citizens against the 'company' and its powerful owner to stop the plunder of their mountain heritage. When Buzzy witnesses the brutal murder of the opposition leader, a sequence is set in play which tests Buzzy and Kevin to their absolute limits in an epic struggle for survival in the Kentucky mountains. Redemptive and emotionally resonant, The Secret Wisdom of the Earth is narrated by an adult Kevin looking back on the summer when he sloughed the coverings of a boy and took his first faltering steps as a man among a rich cast of characters and an ambitious effort to reclaim a once great community.
Review:
For the first time, I feel like a jerk for giving something three stars as opposed to four, because at its heart “The Secret Wisdom of the Earth” is a solid four-star novel. There are some plot flaws that made me feel the need to dock a star, and they may not bother others, so please research other reviews along with mine to determine if this novel is right for you.
“The Secret Wisdom of the Earth” is a coming-of-age tale in the slice-of-life tradition. It meanders through the beautiful world of the Kentucky mountains, creating a respect within the reader for the beauty and fragility of nature. Mixed in are the very real issues of coal mining, poverty, and homophobia. All are handled in a realistic and unflinchingly honest way.
The main characters of Kevin, Pops, and Buzzy are likable and flawed, making them people whom those from all walks of life can relate. The supporting characters are all given complex stories and personalities that make you want to sit around at the diner and get to know them better.
Given all of these positives, you may be wondering why the three-star rating. The problem comes at the end. While some issues were not resolved, and should not have been, there were others that were not addressed at all, leaving the reader with no closure. On the opposite end, there was too much closure in the epilogue, with as many personal details crammed in as possible. It cluttered what would have been such a great book had the ending simply addressed the initial themes as opposed to ignoring them for the minor details.
I don’t regret reading “The Secret Wisdom of the Earth”, but I do have mixed feelings about it. I can neither recommend nor not recommend this novel.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content:
I don’t do content warnings for adult books, but do want to warn that there is strong homophobic and racist comments, as well as animal abuse.
Since You’ve Been Gone
Juvenile Fiction
Dundurn PressLtd
2015-01-24
224
On the run from her abusive father, fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother flee to London, England for a fresh start. But one day, Edie's mom doesn't come home from work. Afraid to phone the police and risk being returned to her father, Edie begins a desperate search for her mother, and finds an unlikely ally along the way.
Review:
“Since You’ve Been Gone” was a very difficult book to rate. It tackles some very difficult subjects, including domestic violence and racism. To be honest, I had no idea how rampant racism was in Great Britain until reading this novel, and the valuable education alone raised it from two stars to three. I’d like to thank the author, Mary Jennifer Payne, for making me more aware.
The problem with the book was not the plot but the pacing. It all seemed very rushed from one event to the next in a way that did not allow the reader to gain much understanding of each situation. It would have been much better had there been more details offered, even though it would have significantly increased the length. A story about such heavy topics deserves to be fully explored.
There were also a large amount of secondary characters that were completely unnecessary. They presented conflicts that had no resolution in some cases, and in others they just served to muddle the story. One character in particular did nothing for me but make me have an intense dislike of Edie, the protagonist.
It was not terrible, and I can neither recommend nor say it is to be avoided.
This book is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Language, Brief Sexual Situations, Violence, Domestic Violence
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