Tag Archives: realistic
Bronze and Sunflower
Juvenile Fiction
Candlewick Press
March 14, 2017
400
Originally translated: United Kingdom: Walker Books UK, 2015.
Review:
While meant for children, “Bronze and Sunflower” is a beautifully written book about the cultural revolution in China during the 1960s-70s that any age group can enjoy and learn from. The culture becomes alive, helped by the fact that it is translated into English. Everything rings true and authentic. I wish there were more books this good about other cultures. Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Fire Starters
Fire Starters
December 31, 2016
Paperback
Review:
“Fire Starters” is an excellent book for middle graders about the prejudice facing indigenous peoples. It’s also a morality tale about taking responsibility for your actions. Tough subject matter to read, as it should be. The artwork is great.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Violence, Hate Speech
Piper Perish
Young Adult Fiction
Chronicle Books
March 7, 2017
416
Piper Perish inhales air and exhales art. The sooner she and her best friends can get out of Houston and get to New York City, the better. Art school has been Piper's dream her whole life, and now that senior year is halfway over, she's never felt more ready. But in the final months before graduation, things are weird with her friends and stressful with three different guys, and Piper's sister's tyrannical mental state seems to thwart every attempt at happiness for the close-knit Perish family. Piper's art just might be enough to get her out. But is she brave enough to seize that power when it means giving up so much? Debut author Kayla Cagan breathes new life into fiction in this dynamic, utterly authentic work featuring interior art from Rookie magazine illustrator Maria Ines Gul. Piper will have readers asking big questions along with her. What is love? What is friendship? What is family? What is home? And who is a person when she's missing any one of these things?
Review:
“Piper Perish” is the perfect book for the kids who are creative and ponder life’s big questions. It’s also great for the adults who once were those kids and probably are still the same as adults. I really wish there would have been a book like this when I was in middle and high school. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Alice and the Fly
Juvenile Fiction
Quercus
April 4, 2017
304
Greg is cripplingly shy, afraid of spiders, and obsessed with Breakfast at Tiffany's. He's not exactly the most popular kid at his high school. In fact, he pretty much goes out of his way to avoid talking to anybody he doesn't have to. And it doesn't help that he has a severe lisp. But Greg's English teacher, Miss Hayes, can see that there's something different about him. He's insightful and sensitive beyond his years, and maybe--just maybe--he'll use these strengths to break out of his shell someday. Miss Hayes urges Greg to keep a journal. "This isn't an assignment," she tells him, "just write down your thoughts." Greg begins to write about everything from his mother's ill-conceived interior decorating ideas to his job at the local butcher's shop. When Greg begins to take an interest in a girl at his school named Alice, he realizes that he will have to face his most paralyzing anxieties if he wants to befriend Alice and help her escape from her violent family life.
Review:
I’m not really sure how to review “Alice and the Fly.” It wasn’t a bad characterization of mental illness, though it did lack any real answers for the reader. I feel like I just didn’t connect to the main character the way I wish I could. Overall, I can neither recommend nor not recommend it.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Broken Glass (The Mirror Sisters, #2)
The Mirror Sisters, Book 2
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
February 28, 2017
448
Sisters until the end...
Which may come sooner than they think.
Under their mother’s watchful eye, identical twins Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald have lived their entire lives in sync. Never alone, never apart, everything about them must be exactly the same: clothes, friends, punishments.
One night, in the darkness of a movie theater, Haylee reveals that she’s leaving to meet up with someone she knows from online. But suddenly feeling ill, and not wanting to disappoint this older man, she convinces Kaylee to go in her stead. He’ll never know, and this way he won’t think she stood him up.
Kaylee reluctantly agrees to go, but when the credits roll and she’s nowhere to be found, Haylee confesses everything to her mom. With the manhunt on, Haylee knows everything must be done to find her sister. Still, for the first time in her life, she’s free from her twin, which, really, isn’t so bad...is it?
Review:
What can I say about “Broken Glass?” I feel like this can sum it up for all fans of V.C. Andrews books: It is exactly what you want and expect to find in one of them, meaning creepy and a guilty pleasure. It’s a fun story that continues the story of Haylee and Kaylee, two of the world’s creepiest twins. A perfect beach read.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
Young Adult Fiction
Clarion Books
March 7, 2017
464
"A story set on the American border with Mexico, about family and friendship, life and death, and one teen struggling to understand what his adoption does and doesn't mean about who he is"--
Review:
“The Inexplicable Logic of My Life” is a book I had mixed feelings about, but in the end I found it well worth the time to read.
The plot is meandering, and while that can be a good thing, in this instance I wish about a quarter of the length had been shaved off. The repetitiveness sometimes took me out of the story. The plot itself is a good one about the nature of friendship and family instead of romance. That’s refreshing to find in a young adult book. Extra points for being a diverse book with both lgbtq and Mexican-American characters.
The flaws in the length of the story were more than made up for in the absolutely stunning writing. Every chapter contained at least one beautiful sentence. It felt like candy in the brain. The characters, because of the writing style, seemed to jump off of the page and into my life. They will undoubtedly live on inside of my mind, and I’ve already found myself repeating quotes.
Overall, I can definitely recommend “The Inexplicable Logic of My Life” to any older young adults and adults who are looking for beauty over a fast-paced plot.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Hate Speech
Optimists Die First
Young Adult Fiction
Wendy Lamb Books
February 21, 2017
240
Award-winning author Susin Nielsen has written a laugh-out-loud and heartrending novel for fans of Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means and Cammie McGovern's Say What You Will. Beware: Life ahead. Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the street, a bug bite, or a germy handshake. She knows: life is out to get you. The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class with a small group of fellow misfits. Then a new boy, Jacob, appears at school and in her therapy group. He seems so normal and confident, though he has a prosthetic arm; and soon he teams up with Petula on a hilarious project, gradually inspiring her to let go of some of her fears. But as the two grow closer, a hidden truth behind why he's in the group could derail them, unless Petula takes a huge risk. . .
Review:
“Optimists Die First” was a decent enough book about anxiety and a quick read, but it was missing that something extra to push it over into good. It also seemed to resolve things way too quickly. I can’t recommend nor not recommend it. Read the description and give it a try if it piques your interest.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Underage Drinking
10 Things I Can See From Here
Young Adult Fiction
Knopf Books for Young Readers
February 28, 2017
320
Maeve, a sufferer of severe anxiety, moves in with her recovering alcoholic father and her very pregnant stepmother and falls for a girl who's not afraid of anything.
Review:
“10 Things I Can See From Here” is one of the best books that I have read about anxiety disorder.
The way the story is written does an excellent job of showing the stream of consciousness that happens when something triggers anxiety. At times I was feeling the anxiety creeping in to my own head. The novel is by no means a one-trick pony, either. The issues of coming out, gay bashing, familial drug abuse, divorce, step-family dynamics, and first love are tackled head-on. All of the characters are developed, and for the most part, likable.
I can’t stress this enough: My favorite part is that it did not follow the false trope of mental health issues being solved by meeting the right person. Salix helps Maeve, but she is not a miracle cure. Only Maeve’s dad can kick his drug habit, no matter how hard his family tries to help. Good lessons, in my opinion.
I recommend “10 Things I Can See From Here” for anyone looking for books about anxiety or a wonderful lgbt romance. Yay for diverse books!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Hate Words, Drug Abuse
The Warden’s Daughter
Juvenile Fiction
Knopf Books for Young Readers
January 3, 2017
352
Cammie O'Reilly is the warden's daughter, living in an apartment above the entrance to the Hancock County Prison. But she's also living in a prison of grief and anger about the mother who died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. And prison has made her mad. This girl's nickname is Cannonball. In the summer of 1959, as twelve turns to thirteen, everything is in flux. Cammie's best friend is discovering lipstick and American Bandstand d killer is caught and brought to her prison. And the only mother figures in her life include a flamboyant shoplifter named Boo Boo and a sullen reformed arsonist of a housekeeper. All will play a role in Cammie's coming-of-age. But one in particular will make a staggering sacrifice to ensure that Cammie breaks free from her past.
Review:
“The Warden’s Daughter” is one of the best historical literary young-adult novels I have ever read. I couldn’t put it down.
There are some flaws in the novel, with a child protagonist who is extremely limited in her view of others in the world. However, these flaws are intentional and acknowledged by the adult narrator saying they come from memory and may not even be in the correct order. I love that the big stories of the day were related only as to how they affected Cammie. Isn’t that how most of our childhood memories are? Actual awareness about the meaning of that summer came with age.
The entire idea of a child living inside of a prison is fascinating. During the time period it wasn’t all that uncommon. What is uncommon is her progressive father. Once again, something only seen in hindsight.
The story is a slow-burn that is worth the time and commitment. I think upper middle-graders through adults will enjoy “The Warden’s Daughter” if they have any interest in history or unique childhood situations. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence
Life in a Fishbowl
Juvenile Fiction
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
January 3, 2017
336
Fifteen-year-old Jackie Stone's father is dying. When Jackie discovers that her father has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, her whole world starts to crumble. She can't imagine how she'll live without him . . . Then, in a desperate act to secure his family's future, Jackie's father does the unthinkable--he puts his life up for auction on eBay. Jackie can do nothing but watch and wait as an odd assortment of bidders, some with nefarious intentions, drive the price up higher. The fate of her entire family hangs in the balance. But no one can predict how the auction will finally end, or any of the very public fallout that ensues. Life as Jackie knows it is about to change forever . . . In this brilliantly written tragicomedy told through multiple points of view--including Jackie's dad's tumor--acclaimed author Len Vlahos deftly explores what it really means to live. "A weird, sardonic delight with the shape of an allegory and the heart of a joyful song." --Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement "Surprising, original, political, and deeply affecting . . . It is one of those rare works of art that keeps you guessing up to the very last page." --Leila Sales, author of This Song Will Save Your Life "It will tear you apart, and yet it's an absolute joy." --Adi Alsaid, author of Let's Get Lost and Never, Always, Sometimes
Review:
I’ll give it to you upfront: I did not like “Life in a Fishbowl.” I did appreciate the writing and the use of some unique points-of-view.
There were a lot of voices in the book, with many being in the same chapter. It became confusing at points, but the voices were distinct and well-written. I found the parts written about the thoughts of the tumor itself to be unique and engaging. In fact, those were the only sections that genuinely made me feel like I was reading a book about cancer that handled the subject well. The message of how intrusive reality television can be was a good one, but also over-extended the plot. A few less points-of-view in the tv aspect would have made it flow much better.
One of my biggest pet peeves is the use of an animal for emotional blackmail. There is an animal death, and it was part of an unnecessary subplot that crowded the tv aspect that I mentioned up above. I feel like a strong plot can evoke emotion without needing to add in something extra.
The writing is good, but the rest of “Life in a Fishbowl” was disappointing. It had so much potential. I recommend giving this one a pass.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations (Some Abusive), Violence, Animal Death
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