tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21115884460388246802024-03-12T19:40:02.708-07:00Good Teen ReadsI've always loved to read, but as I reached my teen years, I found it harder to track down good, clean books, so I started this blog as a resource. I'm not here to tear books to shreds. Any book I post is a book you might actually want to read. Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-13881039197772616002015-02-16T11:40:00.001-08:002015-02-16T11:40:20.852-08:00The Great Blog Merge!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At age fourteen, I started this blog as a resource to help teens find good books and a way to share my favorites with the writing world. Of my three blogs, this is the most neglected. I post about once a month. I know how annoying it is to constantly check a blog for updates and get nothing. Since I regularly talking about writing, stories, and YA publishing trends on Erica Eliza Writes, my newest blog. I'll be posting reviews there from now on. The archives will stay here if you're sentimental, but don't check here for new content. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-51679276338399139542015-01-08T16:07:00.003-08:002015-01-09T17:12:05.954-08:00Remake by Ilima Todd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414559927l/22299642.jpg" /><br />
Genre: Dystopian<br />
Pages: 288<br />
Series: Open ended. I smell a trilogy coming on.<br />
Rating: ****<br />
Nine has never felt comfortable in her own skin. In Freedom, that's a temporary problem. When she turns seventeen with the rest of her Batch, she'll have one chance to choose her name, job, gender, and everything else that defines her.<br />
But when her shuttle crashes on the way to the Remake continent, Nine washes up on a rebel island where people live without Batches and Remakes. Here, diversity is the new normalcy. People accept variety in hair color, skin tone, and even disability as facts of life. Even odder are the units they live in: families. Nine bonds with the family that pulled her from the ocean, especially with the oldest son, Kai. But Kai's got a grudge against the entire civilization of Freedom and Nine still isn't over the loss of her first boyfriend, Theron. <br />
Nine spends a third of the book in Freedom before crash landing on the island. That was longer than I expected, though the setup is necessary. After she adjusts to initial shock of island life, it becomes idyllic for a few chapters, which is nice but boring. Except for the chapter when Kai teaches Nine to hunt octopus. Fortunately, she gets back into action before long. <br />
Remake bravely tackles topics like gender identity and traditional families, but it does so through the eyes of a naive, innocent character. I never felt preached to, but some readers will feel differently. It's also a dystopian novel that treads well worn tropes, but the characters and daring themes breathe life into it. <br />
On the surface, Remake may look like a cliché-ridden, potentially offensive story, but give it a chance and it just might hit home.<br />
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-60353207239775233042014-12-09T09:00:00.005-08:002014-12-09T09:00:53.660-08:00Atlantia by Ally Condie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Sci fi with some fantasy elements<br />
Series: Nope, stand alone <br />
Pages: 320<br />
Rating: ***<br />
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When the air Above grew too polluted, Earth's inhabitants retreated to Below. Rio Conway lives in the underwater city of Atlantia with her sister, Bay. If she went Above, she wouldn't have to hide her siren powers, but how could she ever leave Bay? After their mother's murder, they're all they've got. The Conwy sisters vow to stay together. Then, on choosing day, Bay abandons Rio without a word of explanation.<br />
Shocked and alone, Rio combs Atlantia for answers to her sister's leaving and her Mother's death. Her only lead is Maire, the siren aunt her Mother warned her never to trust. And that was before Mother died on Maire's doorstep. Though Maire claims she has a way to reunite her nieces, Rio's sure the only to join Bay is to break Atlantia's greatest law and swim above.<br />
Rio's strongest relationships are with her mother (dead) and Bay (absent for most of the story). Her beautiful siren's voice lets her control any normal human, but to conceal them, she's forced to speak in a flat, dull voice that prevents her from making friends. After a whole lifetime of this she has no desire for social interaction outside of her family. There's a love interest, a boy named True, but their romance is extremely understated due to Rio's personality. Some readers will applaud this as a "sisters before misters" story. Others will find the characters flat as Rio's voice.<br />
The world building is fantastic. Atlantia is a fully fleshed out setting that incorporates ocean folklore and myths in a way that makes the fantastical familiar and believable. The city also has it's own religion, which enriches the story.<br />
Atlantia has an assertive but introverted heroine. The writing's beautiful in a watery sort of way: smooth and flowing, but sometimes it all looks the same. The setting's definitely worth reading, but the characters will make and break the story for different readers. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-57836587284477658362014-10-17T19:37:00.001-07:002014-10-17T19:37:26.854-07:00Faces of the Dead by Suzanne Weyn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Historical fantasy<br />
Series: Nope, standalone<br />
Pages: 201<br />
Rating: ***<br />
Princess Marie Therese Charlotte, daughter of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, lives in a bubble. When she switches places with her maid, Ernestine, she expects to find adventure and freedom. Instead, she stumbles into a gritty, poor world where the people of France cry out for bread and royal blood. Then revolution strikes. Marie Therese and Ernestine switch places again, this time for her safety. She finds work as a head collector at the guillotine and romance with Henri, a peasant boy. But Marie Therese isn't the only one who's more than she seems. Their friends Madame Groshaltz and Rose (the future Madame Tussaud and Josephine, Napoleon's wife) conduct strange experiments on the decapitated heads that seem designed to raise the dead.<br />
At barely 200 pages, Faces of the Dead is scrawny for historical fiction, especially one that takes place in such a dramatic time period. The French Revolution comes to life through grotesque details, like the way Marie Therese comes home from work covered in blood splatters each day. We see her fall from princess to pauper, which means character growth for her and balanced perspective for us. Fantasy elements and historical elements compliment each other, and though it's more factual than fantastic, the magic gives the story a dramatic twist at the end. The romance doesn't develop as much as I would've liked, again, thanks to the length. I read it in a day easy. If that's what you're going for, Faces of the Dead is quick look at the French Revolution with more grit than glamour. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-55783265998978423822014-10-10T17:26:00.002-07:002014-10-10T17:26:38.260-07:00Blackout by Robison Wells <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Dystopian<br />
Series: One sequel, Dead Zone, released earlier this month<br />
Pages: 426<br />
Rating: ****<br />
Jack and Aubrey just want to survive homecoming night. But when superpowered terrorists destroy the nearby Lake Powell Dam, they're rounded up along with the rest of their school for military testing. The Erebus virus only mutates the young. That means any American teenager could be a terrorist-or the nation's only hope. Alec and Laura are captured, too. Alec's just biding his time until he finds a way out, but Laura couldn't be more thrilled. Finally, she's on the inside. <br />
Wells' characters' powers are more diverse than stock abilities, like flight and shape shifting. Jack's senses are enhanced and Alec can subtley alter memories. Those who do have common powers, like Aubrey's invisibility, get unusual twists. Aubrey's powers only affect those standing near her, leaving her vulnerable to snipers and security cameras. They also come with physical drawbacks ranging from weight loss to kidney failure. <br />
The terrorist's motives are extremely vague. It's not until the end that we find out which country Alec and Laura work for. Though they often allude to being trained as terrorists from childhood, we don't get many details. No doubt we'll learn more in the sequel, though. <br />
My favorite, tried and true dystopia tropes are here. Post-apocalyptic hysteria! Rot and ruin! Tyrannical government! Black Out takes place close to the present day, so we get to watch the government crumble instead of picking through the rubble, and the characters comment as it falls. And, of course, what would any YA dystopia be without the oppressed teens? Emphasis on the teens. The author uses the word "teens" in dozens of situations where a real teenager would say "people", "guys", or "crowd. <br />
Aside from that, Black Out's wholly enjoyable. Chapters are short and readable, but not so short that they lack substance. The POV switches off between the four main characters, but it's told in third person, so no confusion there. Yes, Alec and Laura are main characters. No, they aren't sympathetic. They're manipulative liars who aren't content to let the world burn unless they light the match. Some readers, those who look for relatable protagonists, will be turned off by this. But I read for variety. They're a refreshing departure from the typical Good Heroes. <br />
Black Out is another great read in the ranks of YA dystopia. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-67444502000137127662014-09-16T15:50:00.000-07:002014-09-16T15:50:05.210-07:00Extracted by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler Jolley <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Science fiction, time travel, steampunk<br />
Pages: 310<br />
Series: First of The Lost Imperials series<br />
Rating: **<br />
Ember is a Rifter. She remembers nothing of her life before Nicola Tesla recruited her to travel through time. Lex is a Hollower. They recruit the children Tesla abandons to history. When his Stein, is killed during a mission, there's only once gadget that can bring her back: the Dox, hidden deep in Tesla territory. Lex breaks into the Tesla Institute to retrieve and comes face to face with his past. <br />
Ember and Lex are revealed to be Anastasia and Alexei Romanov. Come on, that's not a spoiler, is it? Not with "lost imperials" in the name. It's certainly fun to imagine the Romanov siblings as dirty fighting, cool hat wearing, world saving time travelers. But their identity is just another ornament. Lex being Alexei doesn't enhance the story-or his character-anymore than the fact that he owns a jester hat. There's also at least one historical error: Ember's told that the English language was implanted in her head using futuristic technology. In fact, Anastasia grew up speaking English in addition to her native Russian. A rhyming English poem by her oldest sister, Olga, is included at the back of the book, so I can't help but wonder how the authors missed this, or if they just chose to ignore it. <br />
I know it's fiction, but Anastasia not speaking English jars me more than Anastasia being alive. But when I got past that, I loved the vivid world building. Top hats and leather vests. Katanas and killer robots. What impressed me most was that the Hollows and Tesla's Rifters have different methods of time travel. The Hollows swallow a pill that takes them to a specific destination while the Rifters use mechanical armbands called Tethers. The fight scenes are well written, and scenes we've got two authors on board, it's not hard to distinguish between two first-person narrators. <br />
Though the way the Romanovs were used made me flinched, Extracted is overall an exciting story set in a fully fleshed out steampunk world.</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-49426928330160321482014-07-31T15:55:00.003-07:002014-10-07T18:06:37.910-07:00The Body in the Woods by April Henry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Mystery<br />
Pages: 263<br />
Stars: ****<br />
Series: The second book, Blood Will Tell, is scheduled for release next June. The total amount of books is not known at this time but may include up to nine. The best part? The spine has a little number one on it so you won't pick up the wrong book by mistake. <br />
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Nick signed up with Portland Search and Rescue for the adventure. Ruby wants to explore her passion for true crime. Alexis is just there to look good on her college application. What they didn't sign up for? A serial killer on their tails. When a search for a missing autistic man turns up a teenage girl's body instead, Ruby's sure she's connected to the last girl who turned up dead in the woods. The police refuse to believe it's the work of a serial killer. After all, serial killers have types, and these murderer girls have nothing in common at first glance. But when they dig deeper, the three of them can't shake the feeling that a murderer is cutting down teenage girls in the Portland area-and now he's got his eyes on Ruby. <br />
If you're looking for a novel about mental illness but don't feel like picking up an issue book, this is the read for you. Ruby's implied to be autistic, Nick's described as ADHD, and Alexis has a bipolar mother. While Nick and Ruby's disorders never take center stage, Alexis' struggles to hide her mother's problems make up a significant subplot. The story is told from all three characters' points of view, along with occasional chapters from the killer's perspective. Told in third person, you don't need to worry about confusing the voices. Readers will enjoy the gritty details about crime scene investigation and, when Alexis goes undercover, homeless life. <br />
The Body in the Woods is a fast paced, realistic murder mystery that balances well researched details about everything from serial killings to wildlife.</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-34280982303632186282014-05-27T16:52:00.002-07:002014-10-07T18:07:19.563-07:00The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Contemporary<br />
Rating: ***<br />
Pages: 280<br />
Laila used to be the princess of an unnamed middle eastern country. Then came the coup. With her father dead, she's forced to flee to America with her mother and brother, Bastien, seven year old King of Nowhere. Now she struggles to adapt to a normal life of homecoming dances, American football, and joke bomb threats. But Laila can never leave her memories of home behind. As the horrors of her father's regime blare at her from the television Laila is forced to confront the truth. Was her father really the kindly king he claimed to be, a ruthless dictator?<br />
As mentioned before, Laila's homeland is unnamed. Characters speak "my language" and eat "food from my country". Of course, the story can't take in any real country because it's fiction, but I wish the author could've slapped some name or another on this imaginary land. The character names-Laila, Amir, Yasmin-add exotic flavor without being unpronounceable. Though the jacket flap hints at conspiracy and CIA agents, most of the novel consists of Laila's interactions with her friends. They're stunted thanks to Laila's regal upbringing and standoffish personality.<br />
Laila hears snippets of conversations by eavesdropping at doors and watched her mother wearily argue with the CIA. But it's not until two thirds of the way through the book that we get a vague idea of what's going on. Even then, Laila is a passive observer to a worldwide conspiracy. The most she ever does is snoop through her mother's paper and intercept an email. Light in conspiracy though rich in voice, The Tyrant's Daughter is a powerful, current novel for today's war torn world.</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-36156291407778866522014-05-10T18:56:00.001-07:002014-05-10T18:56:43.434-07:00Author Interview with Lance Conrad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Historian is a reluctant immortal who wanders through times and worlds to witness great stories. His own story, however, is unknown to him. As he participates in the great stories he witnesses, he get glimpses of what his life might have been before he became a Historian.</i></span></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The Historian chances upon Surac, a land where people's destinies are defined by powerful pendants they have from birth, called Stones. Those whose Stones give them useful skills call themselves Creators, and isolate themselves from all others with a wall that splits the entire continent. When Aric, a Creator blacksmith, has a son born with a Stone that marks him for violence and destruction, they find themselves in danger from those they called their friends.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When the boy, Sadavir, is ultimately banished, he discovers secrets far darker than the villagers' petty prejudices. On the far side of the wall, he learns the origin of the Stones' magic and a war that dates back centuries. As he uncovers the true power locked in the Stones, he must find a way to unite ancient enemies in order to save his family. To stop a genocide, Sadavir must face his own destiny of violence.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Lance Conrad, author of The Price of Creation, joined me for an interview today. The Price of Creation is the first of the Historian books. The fantasy series will eventually contain at least ten books and can be read in any order. What they have in common is the narrator, known only as the Historian. The reader gradually gets to know him and his past over the course of the books. The next book, The Price of Nobility, comes out this June. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> What motivates you to continue to write?</span></div>
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"The stories. I get new ideas all the time, but a few of them stick around in my head and won't go away until I write them down."<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> How did it feel when your book first got published?</span></div>
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"I know that the classic answer is that I felt overjoyed and accomplished, but that's not how it felt. In truth, I felt more like a soldier at the beginning of a battle. As soon as I held the first book in my hand, I knew I was committed to this path and I had a LOT of hard work to be done to get the books out there."</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"> What can readers expect from your upcoming books?</span></div>
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"I've got two more books coming out this year, The Price of Nobility and The Price of Loyalty. I see each book as an escalation as I try to outdo myself. I'm especially excited to introduce the new characters in these new books. The Price of Nobility has a character named Asher who has really grabbed the minds of my alpha readers. I'm excited to see what other readers think about him."<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> What was your favorite part of writing The Price of Creation?</span></div>
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"I love the training of Sadavir. His father, Aric, is not a fighter himself, but he must train up his son to be a master warrior. The problem he faced captivated my mind and I loved watching him come up with new ways to test his son and push him to new heights."</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"> What's do you hope readers will take from your books?</span></div>
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"Each book is written with a specific theme in mind. What I would hope is that my readers take some time to make it personal, to think about what they would do if they were put into these situations."</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"> What's the greatest challenge of being a writer?</span></div>
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"The emotions. I say in my books that creation is an act of emotion, never is this more true than with writing. We authors pour pieces of ourselves into these books. While we try to keep ourselves distant, it's not really possible. I feel drained after writing a really intense scene. I worry every day about whether my books will sell. I worry that someone won't like my books and say mean things about them online (I have a plan to curl up and cry if that happens)."</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">That's okay, Lance. Everyone gets criticism sometimes. What is the oddest reaction you've ever gotten from a reader?</span></div>
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"That was probably when one of my alpha readers, a man named Tom, finished reading The Price of Nobility. He went on a spree of spinning theoretical situations. He would put the character of Asher into other books and have him destroy the bad guys. He's kind of a weird guy."</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"> And now, for a very serious question. Favorite vinegar?</span></div>
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"Obviously the dish affects the choice of vinegar. However, if we're going purist and drinking the vinegar straight from the bottle, I'd have to go with an 18-year aged balsamic, flavored with black currant. The aging makes it smooth and sticky, and the black currant flavor blends magnificently with the musky taste of the balsamic."<br />
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Lance was raised on a farm and tries to bring a cowboy work ethic into everything he does. He decided to pursue publishing after faking and succeeding at several jobs. He's been an electrician and an ACT prep teacher at a private school. Now he wanders the world, talking to teenagers, and trying to convince them not to be so boring. In his spare time, he builds lasers, programs computers, and climbs mountains. One day he attacked himself with a taser five times. Out of curiosity, not because he had a logical reason like researching for a book. He lives in Utah with his two children and a vinegar collection that puts your vinegar collection to shame. And yes, he does drink it straight from the bottle.<br />
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-53828128873010270192014-04-25T13:11:00.003-07:002014-04-25T13:11:59.697-07:00The Distance Between Us by Kasie West<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Genre: Contemporary, romance.<br />
Rating: ***<br />
Series: Stand Alone<br />
Pages: 311<br />
Caymen Meyers has spent her life helping rich old woman pick out porcelain dolls in her mother's shop. Personally, she hates the things, with their unblinking eyes and falsely cheerful smiles. But with the shop struggling to stay afloat, she doesn't dare leave, even for college. Then Xander Spence walks in oozing money from every pore. What starts as a simple search to find a doll for his grandmother turns into a relationship. One Caymen's not sure she's ready for.<br />
Her mother would rather see her date a shaggy haired guitar player like her best friend. Not a rich boy, like Caymen's dad, who never stuck around in the first place. But Xander isn't cocky about his wealth, despite Cayman's best efforts to prove otherwise. He's constantly on the lookout for excuses to drop by with a cup of hot chocolate. He likes her even after her gruff attempts to push him away. Caymen must get over her prejudice and her own self loathing to realize the distance between them isn't as big a gap as she thinks. <br />
Caymen is a delightfully grumpy, sarcastic character. Her realistic, conflicted emotions and dry, snarky voice are never unlikable. You wouldn't want to be her friend in real life but you can see where she's coming from. However, some readers may be put off by her prickly personality. Her clever one-liners spice up the otherwise dull dialogue. Chapters are kept short, usually around seven pages, which makes for a highly readable page-turner. The book feels shorter than it actually is. Boring transition scenes are skipped over, but so are a few that could provide more action and character development. The characters, though quirky and interesting, are not deeply memorable.<br />
What I liked best is the way this book bridges the gap between the fluffy and the gritty. Though the story centers around the distance between poverty and wealth, it's a romance first and foremost. <i>The Distance Between Us </i>is a fun, quick read with a snarky and distinctive protagonist. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-17534561221403916542014-04-19T10:08:00.001-07:002014-04-19T10:08:05.854-07:00Dangerous by Shannon Hale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369672030l/8585924.jpg" /><br />
Genre: Science fiction, superhero<br />
Rating: ****<br />
Pages: 408<br />
Series: Stand alone<br />
For geeky homeschooler Maisie Danger Brown, astronaut boot camp is the chance of a lifetime. Not only does she get the chance to travel up the Beanstalk, the world's first space elevator, but she gets to make real friends for once. Maybe even a boyfriend. But Dr. Bonnie Howell, mastermind behind the space elevator, has something more than a field trip planned. While in space she exposes Maisie and her friends to alien technology. They're granted the superpowers they need to save the planet from extraterrestrial invasion. But when those powers lead to the death of a teammate, the group is shattered. How can they protect the planet when they can't trust each other?<br />
Maisie receives 'techno' powers, the ability to understand and manipulate all machines. She builds herself a robotic arm within a day and a jet pack in under a week. Later on she acquires other powers, but you aren't allowed to know about them yet.<br />
Villains include Wilder (Maisie's love interest-or is he?), GT (Wilder's evil billionaire father), and an unnamed species of ghostlike pink aliens. It's the aliens that Maisie fights at the climax. This should make them the Big Bad. But even though the threat of alien invasion hangs over Maisie's head for about three hundred pages, more focus is given to her enemies here on Earth. The aliens cannot communicate in their natural form, so neither Maisie or the reader gets to know them. They have no name. They have no leader. Even their bodies are intangible. <br />
Wilder, on the other hand, gets far more character development. A fight with two thirds of the way into the book has enough BANG and POW to be a climax. Yet the story marches on. His character is the most intriguing. You've heard characters billed as 'the love interest you probably can't trust'. I know you have because I have too. Initially I thought Wilder would be one of those. He'd brood for a while, probably make some poor choices, but I'd know all along he was a good guy. <br />
That didn't happen. Halfway through the book, Wilder makes a startling choice that plunges him headfirst into Unlikable Land. No, not a simple betrayal or something like that. Something <em>wrong. </em>The reader spends the rest of the novel wondering, "Is he trustworthy? Will he get redeemed? Can he possibly be a worthy love interest after <em>that</em>?" Even after finishing the book, I'm not so sure I like him. But maybe that's a good thing.<br />
Wilder's definitely the most intriguing character here. Another favorite is Howell, the happy-go-lucky, frizzy haired, juggler/scientist who's way too casual about saving the world. Maisie's socially awkward friend, Luther, gets some good scenes. <br />
Then there's Maisie's parents. This is her story, so she has to be the hero, but she doesn't hide her powers from them. When the world's falling to pieces she runs to them. They may need rescuing occasionally but they're behind their daughter every step of the way. <br />
You know those short novels that get smushed together so you can carry one book around instead of two? That's how this felt. Dangerous read more like a trilogy. At 400 pages it certainly couldn't have been split into three full length books. It is divided into three parts, though, each around 130 pages. The first one's called Fireteam, followed by Runaways, and concludes with Peligrosa, the Spanish word for Dangerous and Maisie's nickname. Each part has its own mini plot structure. After the first and second mini-climaxes, we get lulls before the action rises up again. This can be disorienting.<br />
Dangerous is one of the few novels I've seen that attempts the superhero genre in book form. Familiar elements like sacrifice, secrets, and the importance of teamwork are played with. The story structure is weird and some elements could've definitely been expounded upon rather than squeezed into one book. Dangerous will appeal to superhero lovers and sci fi fans just looking for a good story.</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-36720642662561230302014-04-04T19:31:00.001-07:002014-04-04T19:31:19.044-07:00Sleeping Beauty by Jenni James<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFiKZSPI9w4/T6fob6lWPuI/AAAAAAAABAY/xWsyrEFqmKA/s400/SleepingBeautyLarge.jpg" width="258" /><br />
Genre: Fantasy, fairy tale retellings<br />
Series: Part of a collection that will ultimately include 25 books. However, they don't seem to be connected and can be read alone or together.<br />
Pages: 231<br />
Rating: **<br />
Queen Aleyna is the sole survivor of the fairy Villeria's massacre. She watched, helpless, as her family was slaughtered before her eyes. For the past thirty years she's been kept in an enchanted sleep by her faithful unicorn, Ezralon. The horrors of memory can't harm her as she roams her perfect dreamworld.<br />
Prince Darien isn't one to back down from a dare. When his friends goad him into searching for the lost queen, he agrees only to save face. He didn't expect to fall in love.<br />
When Aleyna wakens, they'll be forced to confront Villeria together. The fairy lost the princess once, and now, she won't let any sword or spell stop her from claiming her prize.<br />
This book's main weakness is its length. Had it been a hundred pages longer, we could've gotten to know the main characters and develop the minor ones. Darien's three friends-George, Michael, and Humphrey-are virtually indistinguishable. Towards the beginning Humphrey's set apart from the others by his dialogue. He uses words like 'doth' in a few lines. However, these disappear as the story progresses, so maybe those lines were said in sarcasm. The other characters regularly toss around words like 'zing' and 'poof' that clash with the pre-industrial setting. Occasional typos also pull the reader out of the story.<br />
Most of the Sleeping Beauty retellings I've seen have the bulk of the story take place after the heroine awakes. After all, you can't do much with a sleeping character. And since the story itself is short and uncomplicated, most writers find it necessary to go in a completely new direction to find a tale worth telling. James' creativity managed to find a way around both of these roadblocks. While Aleyna sleeps, her ghostlike spirit roams the halls of her ruined castle. This allows her to form a relationship with Darien instead of waking up to some creeper's kiss. Aleyna still sees her castle as it was with beautiful decorations and live servants. Meanwhile, Darien's stepping over bones and cobwebs. The story's told through shifting third person. The best scenes are the ones that contrast what she's seeing with what he knows.<br />
For me, this wasn't a book I could sit down and devour from beginning to end. It's the book I pulled out to pass the time while waiting for my brother to finish up lacrosse practice. Not captivating, but certainly creative. Jenni James' retelling of Sleeping Beauty manages to twist the tale in new directions without losing the beauty of the original story.</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-89199587164345699612014-01-27T16:56:00.002-08:002014-01-27T16:56:26.520-08:00Full Ride by Margaret Peterson Haddix<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363046382l/17138134.jpg" /><br />
Genre: Contemporary<br />
Rating: *****<br />
Pages: 352<br />
Becca Jones has spent the last four years keeping her head down. The summer before she started high school, Becca's dad was caught embezzling and used her as an excuse. "How is a guy like me supposed to put his kid through college?" Becca knows the only way to get into college is hard work. Now she's a senior with a 4.0 and no close friends. But that might not be enough. Once she was a millionaire's daughter. Now she's "at risk"-the daughter of a single mom living below the poverty in a dusty apartment.<br />
Her only chance may be the Whitney Court Scholarship. Write an essay about a student who graduated from her school the same year as Whitney Court and win a full ride. But what happened to Whitney after graduation, and why won't anyone in town talk about it?<br />
As Becca's deadlines creep closer her chance at college grows dimmer. Loneliness, stress, and haunting memories of her father tear her life apart. But her father might be the only person who can show her how to move forward in life-and what happened to Whitney.<br />
It's always bothered me when characters casually describe themselves as straight-A students. If you have a 4.0, you suffer for it. You don't have time for wild parties, hilarious dates, and quirky friendships. Your life is school. That's why it's so hard for me to take contemporary novels seriously. Full Ride is the first novel I've found that provides a rare, realistic view into high school life.<br />
Some readers may be turned off by the lack of action in this story. Or romance. It's the story of a girl who struggles with the pressures of academics and shuts out her friends. But for other readers, it will ring true. This is a book for anyone who has curled up sobbing under a computer desk at 3:00 A.M. because they've got a report due in four hours. This is a book for the AP student, the honors student, the just-scraping-by-with-a-C+ student. Some may call Becca weak or whiny because the biggest challenge in her life is school. But to the readers who have never slayed a dragon or saved a planet, that's challenge enough. It's hard not to feel for her.<br />
<br />
Top Quote: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Most people couldn't be rich if they wanted to be honest; most people couldn't be honest if they wanted to be rich.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-57863933875008684742014-01-27T16:40:00.003-08:002014-01-27T16:40:58.880-08:00Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rating: ****<br />
Genre: Historical fiction<br />
Pages: 343<br />
Series: Stand alone<br />
Before the war, Lina Vilkas dreamed of art school and cute boys. Now she just wants to survive. When the Soviets come for them in the middle of the night, Lina's ripped from her home with little more than her mother, brother, and beloved sketchbook. They're packed into cattle cars and shipped to Siberia.<br />
In the concentration camp she learns to live off smuggled beets, rotten potatoes, and hope.<br />
So what is this, you ask? Another grim, tragic tale of the Jewish holocaust? Nope. Lina's a Lithuanian Christian deported to Siberia because her dad helped a family cross the border into Germany. For that, the entire Vilkas family gets twenty five years of hard labor in the middle of nowhere.<br />
I think we've all read a concentration book or two. We know about the six million Jews who died in gas chambers. But the Lithuanian side of the story is rarely told. Before this book, I had no idea it happened. That's where most of the suspense lies. When Lina's family is uprooted from their Siberian labor camp you have no idea where they're going. Hint: it's the one place on Earth more bleak and miserable than Siberia.<br />
This isn't a cheery book and at times it's hard to get into Lina's head. She's not one of those characters with such a powerful voice that you feel like you've crawled inside her body and stepped into her world. At times I had to look up from the book and think, "Now how would I feel in this situation?" rather than just letting her emotions seep in. But the writing is so beautiful in places like this-<br />
<i>I clung to my rusted dreams during the times of silence. It was at gunpoint that I fell into every hope and allowed myself to wish from the deepest part of my heart. Komorov thought he was torturing us. But we were escaping into a stillness within ourselves. We found strength there. </i><br />
-so I'll overlook that.<br />
Like I said, Between Shades of Gray isn't a cheery book. It's a thinking book. It's the story of people making the most out of their misfortune and sacrificing themselves to help each other. Scenes and characters will stay in my mind for a long time, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
Also, please note that this is not the same book as that sexed up lemon fic that somehow managed to sleep its way to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Between Shades of Grey just has the misfortune of sharing a similar title. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu-Wc-N0JEw">video</a> should help clear up any confusion. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-25521574069313145412013-12-30T12:17:00.000-08:002013-12-30T12:17:37.343-08:00Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51A229T2N2L.jpg" width="206" /> <img height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Md36j26NL.jpg" width="191" /><br />
Genre: Nonfiction, memoir<br />
Rating: *****<br />
Pages: 290<br />
The year is 1957. The place: Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, the Jim Crow South. Melba Patillo is one of the first nine black students to enter the school. While the white kids are trying to pass math, she's just trying to walk from one class to another without getting killed.<br />
Though I never knew much about Central's integration, I somehow assumed that the first day was the worst. Things got better as the year went on. The white students would get used to having black people in their classes. That's not at all how it went. The attacks only got worse as time went on.<br />
At the beginning of the year, the governor's tactics to keep them out are so ridiculous, I almost felt like I was reading a dystopian novel. Thousands of civilians turn up to form a mob in front of the school. Then the Arkansas National Guard gets called in. President Eisenhower has to bring in reinforcements. No one should need a jeep convoy, a helicopter, and a thousand trained soldiers to escort them to school.<br />
But it's not an adventure. This was more trial than triumph for the Little Rock Nine. Melba has nails, rocks, rotten eggs, flaming paper, acid, and dynamite thrown at her in the halls. The teachers are worse than useless. When a boy pulls a knife on her during an assembly, the teacher tells Melba to sit down and stop disturbing the other students.<br />
By the end of the book, I was tired. I just wanted Melba's year to be over. And all I did was read about it. This was her <i>life</i>. You have to admire her courage. I know people who switch schools because first graders taunted them on the playground. Melba had death threats. Halfway through the year she considers suicide-until her grandma points out all the white kids would throw a party. That's the point when Melba decides to stop being a victim and become a warrior.<br />
The most interesting thing: Melba never paints herself as a hero. She may be a 'warrior on God's battlefield', but she's the wounded, muddy, battle-weary kind. The people she does heroize are the ones who helped her out. Danny, her bodyguard, who helped her wash acid out of her eyes. Link, a white student who loaned her his car to escape attackers. Marissa, a mentally handicapped girl who saved her from rape. By clubbing her would-be rapist with a metal lunchbox.<br />
<i>Warriors Don't Cry</i> is a searing memoir that will strike anyone who's suffered racism, bullying, or loneliness. It's a book for our generation to learn about the past. It's a book for older people to see what they never could before. It's not a pretty story. But it's one that needs to be read.</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-57838862045982112912013-10-29T16:02:00.000-07:002013-10-31T17:00:30.427-07:00Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="320" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130901145518/everafterhigh/images/7/7b/Book_-_The_Storybook_of_Legends_cover.jpg" width="217" /><br />
Genre: Fantasy<br />
Rating: ****<br />
Pages: 304<br />
Series: First of a trilogy<br />
Raven Queen's Legacy Year is not going well. Classmates flee from her presence, her counselor signed her up for Kingdom Mismanagement, and all the teachers want her to murder her roommate. At Ever After High, the children of fairy tale characters are groomed to follow their parent's destinies. For Apple White that means dwarves and a daring prince. And Raven? She's supposed to poison Apple.<br />
Raven doesn't want to be evil. But if she doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends on Legacy Day the Snow White tale will be wiped from existence. Poof. Apple can't let that happen.<br />
Then Raven discovers a secret. Long ago, two sisters rebelled against their destiny. They vanished along with their story. What if they didn't go 'poof?' What if there's another option? With Apple's reluctant help, Raven sets off to uncover the sisters' fate and rewrite her own story.<br />
This novel is meant to support Mattel's new Ever After High doll franchise. Expect a description of Apple's outfit every time she walks into a scene. Gotta sell those accessories. The book's loaded with groan-inducing puns. Students eat in the Castleria, read hextbooks, and take Chemythstry class. But never fear, this writer is witty. There are bonuses for those of you who know your stories (Raven has a pet dragon named Nevermore) and pop culture references (students rock out to Tailor Quick and One Reflection). Plus, you'll find lots of sarcastic commentary on the fairy tale genre.<br />
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<i> Princess Darling Charming fainted and was caught by no fewer than twelve boys, who began to kick one another's shins to try to get the others to let go.</i><br />
<i> "I've got her!"</i><br />
<i> "No, I've got her!"</i><br />
<br />
My favorite character is Raven's friend Maddie Hatter. At first I was reluctant to find Alice in Wonderland included as a fairy tale. It's a novel, people. We know the author. It's not some old story jotted down by a nameless, wandering bard. In Ever After High we meet Maddie, Lizzie Hearts, and Kitty Cheshire, but no Alice, oddly enough. The most intriguing thing about Maddie is her ability to hear the narrator.<br />
<br />
<i>Maddie trolled through her hat, pulling out a pink vial of Embiggen Potion. She cocked her ear. "Yep, the Narrator said this pink vial is Embiggen Potion, so it must be. Thank you, Narrator!"</i><br />
<i> </i>Aargh! <i>I did it again!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The Narrator follows both Apple and Raven though this is obviously Raven's tale. Apple strikes me as a very intentional Mary Sue. The girl keeps candy on her balcony in case an adoring crowd happens to wander by. It's easier to root for the Rebels-Raven and Maddie's crew-than the Royals, Apple's band of not-that-heroic princes.<br />
Despite its lighthearted tone, The Storybook of Legends is a spellbinding tale of friendship with a powerful message at its core. What would you risk to take control of your own destiny?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raven Queen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple White</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130601171320/everafterhigh/images/5/5d/Intro_-_eight_girls.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella, Lizzie Hearts, Blondie Locks, Cedar Wood, C.A. Cupid, Maddie Hatter, and Cerise Hood.</td></tr>
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-11848077247723180592013-09-27T18:56:00.002-07:002014-02-15T14:56:04.099-08:00The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=9AHGvxF__PjeOM&tbnid=roWW_lKvJMJPFM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epicreads.com%2Fblog%2Fcover-reveal-the-chaos-of-stars-by-kiersten-white%2F&ei=MS1GUrCkIIjTqQHt5IGoAg&bvm=bv.53217764,d.aWM&psig=AFQjCNENOEa2sjBIAglNK20fcKlxMkYC0Q&ust=1380417199700670" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://www.epicreads.com/uploads/images/ChaosOfStars.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="219" /></a><br />
Genre: Fantasy, mythology<br />
Rating: ****<br />
Pages: 279<br />
Isadora is mortal. As the daughter of Egyptian gods, that means most of her relatives can't be bothered to remember her name. After all, she'll only be around for a few more decades. Gods are eternal. She escapes by moving to her brother's in San Diego, where she meets Ry, a boy with the most annoyingly blue eyes she's ever seen. But how can she fall in love when she knows it can't last?<br />
Then Isadora begins having dreams of darkness. Her eternal family is in danger, and she's the only one who can save them. <br />
The great struggle in the book is Isadora coming to accept her mortality. If you weren't raised by Egyptian gods, this can be hard to relate to. I wish The Chaos of Stars went deeper into the mythology. Aside from Isis, most of the gods are background characters. They pop up in Isadora's thoughts and the first and last couple chapters. Mostly, this is the story of Isadora and her friends. Isadora's descriptions of Ry's blue-blue eyes and Greek god bod would be over the top in any other book. The type of mushy books you love to mock. But you don't need to mock them now, because Kiersten White went ahead and did it for you.<br />
<br />
<em> He's in a deep-blue dress shirt, top button undone, and black pin-striped slacks. No one should be able to look equally good in jeans and a tee as they do dressed up.</em><br />
<em> "You look," he says, his eyes drinking me in the way I want to drink him in, "absolutely amazing."</em><br />
<em> I smirk. "You look rather pretty yourself."</em><br />
<em> "And Tyler looks devastatingly gorgeous," Tyler says. "Why, thank you, Tyler!"</em><br />
<em></em><br />
Then there's the banter between her and Ry.<br />
<br />
<em> Ry: "What is wrong with being attracted to someone? It's a natural thing."</em><br />
<em> Isadora: "Yes, well, cancer is a natural thing, and we try out best to kill it." </em><br />
<em></em><br />
While not rich in magic or mystery, The Chaos of Stars is a hilarious, fun-filled tale of one girl's journey to live the normal life she's never dared to dream of. <br />
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-19290017972962745062013-08-22T11:13:00.002-07:002014-02-15T14:57:55.303-08:00The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v341/Madigan24/FalsePrinceBook.jpg" height="320" width="211" /> <img src="http://bellaonbooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/false-prince-2.jpg" height="320" width="202" /><br />
Genre: Fantasy...ish. We get fictional kingdoms and princes, but aside from an offhand mention of elves, there's no magic here.<br />
Rating: *****<br />
Series: First of a trilogy<br />
Pages: 342<br />
Life as an orphan isn't easy for Sage, but he's learned to deal with it. Then he meets a scheming nobleman named Conner. Three orphan boys have been selected for his plot: Impersonate the long lost Prince Jaron and save the kingdom of Cartyha from civil war. After two weeks, one boy will be chosen. The rest will be killed.<br />
But Sage doesn't want to be a prince. He has his own agenda, one that remains a mystery even to the reader. First, he needs to escape Conner's manor alive. That's no easy feat when Sage's sharp tongue keeps landing him in trouble. Can he trust his opponents? Will they murder him in the night? What is Imogen, the quiet kitchen maid, hiding from them all?<br />
And what really happened to Prince Jaron?<br />
The first thing that drew me to this book was the title. The False <i>Prince</i>. Usually when you read about fantasy royalty, it's all queens and princesses. The guys are lowly warriors or adventurers. I wanted to see what boys would do if they got a chance at the crown.<br />
From the very first page, I cared about Sage and wanted to see what happened next. Who's going to win? Who's going to die? Who's going to cheat? Who else is hiding a secret? The writing isn't brilliant, but it is filled with Sage's snarky comebacks. The characters surprise you just as you think you've figured them out. Especially Sage, who happens to be an unreliable narrator. Usually I don't like those. They lead you in the wrong direction for hundreds of pages, then, BAM, twist ending. Sage isn't like that. He drops hints and skips over blocks of time, leaving you to speculate on what he's really up to. I did predict the twist, but I also predicted several other twists. Sage, you've made me paranoid!<br />
The False Prince is Nielsen's YA debut.<br />
<br /></div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-49671995788424957442013-07-26T20:06:00.001-07:002014-02-15T15:00:57.568-08:00The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=pmJWYRAPG5_6kM&tbnid=cetjJ7xZN0mY3M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fakrummenacker.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F04%2F12%2Fmy-review-of-terry-pratchetts-wee-free-men%2F&ei=piPzUfHwDobmigLLt4CYDA&bvm=bv.49784469,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNHk3ibyCFya6BOmV2X7msMpN9wRgQ&ust=1374975250134019" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://akrummenacker.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/the-wee-free-men.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 5px;" width="198" /></a> <a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=uDx4oo6sPJlzqM&tbnid=ki1oBLkuKAtqDM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebooksmugglers.com%2F2013%2F02%2Fold-school-wednesdays-the-wee-free-men-by-terry-pratchett.html&ei=RiTzUbODJcKfiAKhjoHYBA&bvm=bv.49784469,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNHk3ibyCFya6BOmV2X7msMpN9wRgQ&ust=1374975250134019" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://thebooksmugglers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-Wee-Free-Men.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="219" /></a><br />
<img src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-wee-free-men/9780060012380_custom-3ddf59fc4df8b440ac18d7c00328577065862916-s6-c30.jpg" height="320" width="199" /> <a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=af0yyPfT6nlHnM&tbnid=rNzQixATo-XOoM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pjf.org.uk%2Fbooks%2F0072books.php&ei=LCTzUbLbBqSkiQKd8YGoCQ&bvm=bv.49784469,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNHk3ibyCFya6BOmV2X7msMpN9wRgQ&ust=1374975250134019" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://www.pjf.org.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/The-Wee-Free-Men-Terry-Pratchett.jpg" height="320" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 42px;" width="243" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">My, so many covers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Genre: Fantasy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Rating: *****<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Pages: 375<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Series: Part of the mammoth series that is Discworld. I've heard
three other books feature Tiffany as a protagonist, but I haven't read them
yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The Chalk is a patch of rural farm country where girls are expected to become shepherds or farmers' wives. Tiffany Aching wants to be a
witch. Sure, the last "witch" was killed by the ignorant
townsfolk. But that just means they need someone to stop it from happening
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Besides, the Chalk has other problems. There's some kind of
creature lurking in the river. Something's been carrying off sheep. Another
reality is pushing at the border of theirs, letting in more monsters. And
Wentworth, Tiffany's whiny, sticky baby brother, has just been kidnapped by
elves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Tiffany teams up with the Nac Mac Feegle-a band of stealing,
drinking, fighting, six-inch high blue elves with attitude-to rescue him. She
may not be a witch yet, but she's armed with a frying pan and her Granny
Aching's wisdom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Elves and beasties, beware. You don't stand a chance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">This is one of the first Terry Pratchett books I've read. That
means I need to go find more now. So, why is it so great? </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Because the Nac Mac Feegle have swords that grow blue in the
presence of lawyers. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Because one of them's named Not-As-Big-As-Medium-Sized-Jock-But-Bigger-Thank-Wee-Jock Jock. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">But mostly because Tiffany's in it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">
Tiffany Aching is such a wonderful character. She's brave, strong, clever-wait,
those all sound like stock hero traits, don't they? Well, Tiffany makes it
work. Maybe she is a little bit of a stock hero. But she's so much more. She's
practical and curious and very, very angry if you mess with her stuff. She's
the kind of girl who reminds you of yourself while you wish you were more like
her. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/19px Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
Best of all, she's a nine year old farmgirl. And she doesn't care. About the
nine year old bit, I mean. Cheese making and sheep shearing are very important to her. Tiffany doesn't waste time thinking, "Nobody will believe me
when I tell them there's a monster in the river. I'm only nine." Or,
"I'm just nine. How am I supposed to fight it?" She just grabs a
frying pan and gives it a good walloping. Now <em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">that's </em>the
way to get things done. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/19px Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
Alright, enough Tiffany, now for the book itself. The writing's hilarious
constantly and beautiful when it feels like it. The only real flaw I can
think of is the Nac Mac Feegle's speech. It's quirky and full of dialect, so
sometimes I had to read it aloud to make sense out of it. But that just adds to
the charm of the book.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Then there's the dreamworld Tiffany visits. I've read about
a few other worlds like that and most of them read like acid trips. Throw out
the rules of reality and dazzle you with random imagery. Not Tiffany's. Even
though the world follows the fluid rules of dream logic and nothing is as it
seems, it still makes<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">sense</em>.
And it makes you think. It opens up your mind to a new world of thoughts,
hopes, dreams, and <em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">ugh</em>,
I can't describe this book well enough, can I?<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/19px Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
You know what? Just read it yourself. Meanwhile, I'll be looking for the next
Tiffany Aching book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-22151347215945980512013-06-26T15:49:00.000-07:002013-06-26T15:49:29.599-07:00The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<img src="http://pics.livejournal.com/robinbridges/pic/000865sf" /><br />
Genre: Historical fiction<br />
Rating: ***<br />
Pages: 448, 412 of that being the actual story<br />
Olga, the bookish one. Tatiana, the beauty. Maria, the sweetheart. Anastasia, the clown. The daughters of Tsar Nicholas II have always lived in a gilded bubble of luxury. But that bursts when a gunshot sparks World War I. Now Papa has to leave the family behind to command the military. Their palace is converted to a hospital and the two oldest sisters work as nurses. Meanwhile, Mama turns to a holy man called Grigori Rasputin to cope with their brother Aleksei's illness.<br />
Then Russia is shaken by something more deadly than the war abroad. The people are suspicious of Rasputin and tired of the tsar's rule. Revolution erupts. Now the Romanov family are prisoners in their own home. As war wages all around them, the sisters must rely on their own strength and each other to get them through.<br />
I've always been interested in the OTMA sisters. Anastasia usually gets the most attention, probably thanks to that 1997 Warner Bros. cartoon. I liked seeing the other girls get a chance to tell their story. It does get confusing since it's all written in first person. I kept flipping back to the beginning of the chapter to remember who was talking. Then there's the language. The book is peppered with Russian words and phrases, so I used the glossary a lot until I began to pick up on some of the common ones.<br />
<br />
"I think so." I hear the swish of her short hair against the pillow as she nods, then nothing. "Please try not to worry, <i>dushka.</i> God will watch over us."<br />
"<i>Konechno,</i> Tatya. But now Lenin is watching too."<br />
<br />
Tatya is Tatiana. They all have nicknames. Maria is Mashka. Anastasia might be Nastya or Shvybzik. Their brother Aleksei could be called Alyosha, Sunbeam, or Baby. This can be confusing if you don't pay attention.<br />
The story begins in 1914 and ends in July of 1918. Around 200 of the 400ish pages take place in those last seven months. A single chapter might last a day or two months. Sometimes it feels blurry, like we're gliding over a year and checking in on the girls once a month. Other times it drags on forever. Let's face it, there's not a lot of action when you're under house arrest in Siberia.<br />
But if you can get past that, there's a lot of powerful emotion packed into this book. The sisters don't fight the way you'd expect from a family kept in close quarters. Tatiana in particular misses her nursing duties and finds purpose helping her mother and brother with their poor health. After their lives of luxury are ripped from them they find joy in the little things-an open window, their dogs, fresh baked bread, and the fact that they're still together.<br />
I learned things I never knew about the Romanovs, like how Olga had a small gun she kept hidden throughout their captivity. Or how Anastasia had the honorary title 'Chieftain of All Fireman." Now I want to learn more.<br />
The Lost Crown is a rich, though complex, tale of family, faith, and loyalty. </div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-63846151710680197902013-05-01T17:45:00.005-07:002013-05-01T17:45:37.698-07:00Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Going Vintage" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1337206382l/10594356.jpg" width="213" /> <img alt="Going Vintage" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1352233225l/16133652.jpg" width="208" /><br />
Genre: Contemporary<br />
Rating: ****<br />
Pages: 310<br />
Mallory was content to be a twenty-first century girl until Jeremy cheated on her with an online girlfriend. Now she yearns for simpler times. A time when boyfriends couldn't hook up with online avatars. A time when families sat down each night for homemade meatloaf dinners. A time like 1962. While cleaning out her grandma's attic, Mallory finds a chic seersucker dress and list of goals Grandma Vivian made back when she was sixteen:<br />
1. Run for pep club secretary<br />
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree<br />
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming<br />
4. Find a steady<br />
5. Do something dangerous<br />
With the list as her guide, Mallory swears off technology and begins her quest to go vintage.<br />
Turns out the sixties were more complicated than they seem. Sewing isn't so easy when you can't thread a button. Mallory has to start the pep club before she can proclaim herself secretary. And steadies are in short supply-until she falls for Jeremy's hipster cousin Oliver.<br />
I was expecting Mallory to whine about not having a phone before a Golly-Gee eye opener where she realized technology is evil and shall corrupt this generation. Actually, she starts out that way. Mallory idolizes the sixties and her grandma calls her on it.<br />
<br />
<i>"Looking at your yearbook, it just seemed like...like that was the perfect time to be a teenager, before the sixties got crazy. I wish I could time-travel back to that...You wore gowns to a dance, not skanky dresses. And you went on real dates, not the hang out and hookups that we do. And! You went steady and gave class rings and passed notes, not texts, and-"</i><br />
<i>"I think I'm going to barf." Grandma crumples the empty beignet bag into a ball. "I wasn't living in Happy Days. We still had issues back then. Communism, Cuban missile crisis, repression, segregation, race riots. But nothing catastrophic like broken cell phones, right?"</i><br />
<i>-page 111 (paraphrased for clarity)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Going Vintage provides a very realistic take on what would happen if you swore off technology in modern society. It's not just her friends. Her parents and grandma think she's making life more difficult for them. Her history teacher thinks she doesn't appreciate the Industrial Revolution enough because she won't use a computer for a project.<br />
And that brings me to my favorite part. Mallory's friends are so<i> real</i>. They form clubs, worry about college application, and do homework. Homework. Book people don't do that. Oliver's the kind of cute, funny guy you wish you could meet in real life, but at the same time he reminds you of three guys you already know. But he is named Oliver, so thanks to the retro theme, I had the Brady Bunch theme playing in my head every time Jeremy called him Cousin.<br />
My main complaint is Mallory doesn't do everything she could to achieve her goals. Her grandma sews her homecoming dress, her sister Ginnie cooks the soiree food, and Oliver does most of the pep club work. But what she lacks in determination she makes up for in character. Towards the beginning, I felt she was running around with a little sign that said TEEN in sloppy sharpie letters. What do teenagers do? Why, they text. Always. Except when they're making out. Then she ditches the twin evils of teendom and you get to see her personality. Mallory learns that you can't ignore technology in a modern world and the sixties weren't quite so peaceful as she thought.<br />
With an unexpected twist at the end, Going Vintage is a funny, realistic, and surprising read.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-62559163855736015242013-04-23T18:15:00.000-07:002013-04-23T18:15:10.217-07:00LEGEND by Marie Lu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img src="http://theprettybooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/legend.png?w=400&h=300" />
<br />
Genre: Dystopian, action<br />
Rating: ***<br />
Pages: 305<br />
Series: One sequel so far, titled Prodigy<br />
Why I read this book: Because I have a dystopia addiction.<br />
Day and June are from seperate worlds. She's a prodigy. A military genius. The Republic's golden girl. He's the Republic's most wanted street criminal. <br />
While Day's concerned with keeping himself alive, she's tracking down her brother's killer. And all signs point to Day.<br />
The first thing that stands out when you crack open the cover is the ink. Not the words, but the ink they're printed in. Told from both points of view, June's chapters are normal and Day's are written in gold ink. <span style="color: #bf9000;">That way you can always tell who's doing the talking. Why don't more authors do this?</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">June is a butt-kicking, action-packing, cool and ruthless heroine. Yet her character is nearly flat. Same with Day. They have all the skills they need, both physical and mental. They can scale buildings, win street fights, identify and crush all threats. Those should come in handy. The only emotions are when they're concerned for a loved one in mortal peril. Memorable characters they are not.</span><br />
June's not the only girl in Day's life. There's Tess. For years they've survived on the streets together. Running, fighting, and avoiding the cops. And that makes her...the girl in Day's life. Yes, you read that right. It's possible for a guy to have a girlfriend who <i>doesn't </i>fall in love with him by the end.<br />
Legend is a tense, dystopian adventure with an explosive and bittersweet ending.<br />
<br /></div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-12467256855149653072013-04-23T18:02:00.000-07:002013-04-27T14:33:52.518-07:00Poison by Bridget Zinn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=KTJ4A3H0GlM7lM&tbnid=hmHy1QaKN15EYM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebooksmugglers.com%2F2013%2F04%2Fbook-review-poison-by-bridget-zinn.html&ei=2sBxUf-yOKHQiwL--IDgCg&bvm=bv.45512109,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNHGFFncE1rnDNKH5TWDymsuLe7FnA&ust=1366495829080396" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="458" id="irc_mi" src="http://thebooksmugglers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Poison.jpg" style="margin-top: 13px;" width="318" /></a><br />
Genre: Fantasy<br />
Pages: 276<br />
Rating: ***<br />
Cover: I haven't seen anything this awesome for a while. Look, there's Rosie in the corner.<br />
<br />
Kyra never wanted to be a Seer. She's a Master Potioner and a highly respected one at that. But when she has a vision of her best friend, Princess Ariana, destroying the kingdom, she knows what she had to do.<br />
A failed assassination leaves Kyra alone and friendless. With the help of her potions kit, a handsome rogue named Fred, and a magical princess tracking pig, it's up to Kyra to save the kingdom. No matter what the cost.<br />
Ariana is my favorite character. I expected her a cookie cutter rebel princess.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VsVXIrG10Ew/T-ff2I5J_4I/AAAAAAAABo0/RWyGuE_YiRU/s200/Brave_Merida_hair_archery1-450x479.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="187" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't want to get married, I want to stay single and let my hair flow in the wind as I ride through the glen firing arrows into the sunset!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No. She likes adventures and knows how to use a throwing dagger, but she has an actual personality. She's the type of girl who would cut her own hair to make a false mustache just because she can. It's interesting to see the princess as a threat to the kingdom.<br />
Poison is supposed to be set in your typical medieval European fantasy kingdom. They've got swords, queens, castles, and walking is the primary mode of transportation. Kyra stops in the nearest inn whenever she's not walking. One of the inns has a concierge. Another has a full kitchen with pots and pans in Fred's room. The dialogue is anachronistic too. Kyra uses the words guy, mom, and scram. Then they start throwing water balloons.<br />
But hey, I like poison filled water balloons as much as the next girl. And Rosie the tracking pig made up for it. So did Kyra and Fred. Their relationship is so <i>real</i>. When Kyra thinks the smartest thing she can do is ditch Fred, she's right. Ruggedly handsome young rogues aren't the safest company. When she later realizes she's made a mistake, she's right too. Ruggedly handsome young rogues are often the best company you can hope for. He's not Sir Perfect, at your service whenever you need it. He's a real person with his own goal and secrets. Some of them are a threat to Kyra. <br />
Poison is an intriguing, twisting fantasy novel.<br />
<br /></div>
Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-10183789068412890692013-04-10T20:29:00.004-07:002013-10-02T19:48:47.744-07:00Females, Characters, and Female Characters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've noticed a lot of buzz in the blogosphere about strong female characters. Most of the posts seem to have a couple of paragraphs devoted to Bella vs. Katniss, so I'll just get that over right away.<br />
Let's see...Bella Swann...seventeen year old female in the first book. Just like Katniss in the third one! Let's see, what else do they have in common? Dark hair, dark eyes, mammals.<br />
Now that's over. Onto the post!<br />
Classic females tend to do this:<br />
<img height="246" src="http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54fe4158b883301156e78abae970c-800wi" width="320" /><br />
Eventually that got boring, so modern females tend to do this:<br />
<img height="213" src="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/screencrush.com/files/2012/04/black-widow.jpg" width="320" /><br />
No fainting allowed until you've been clubbed over the head with a rifle. Nowadays damsels are largely discredited. If I see a cartoon princess in a frilly dress, I expect her to pick up a sword and cause some distress.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="210" src="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110415062824/disney/images/e/eb/TangledRapunzel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But these work too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Whenever I read modern classics like A Wrinkle in Time or To Kill a Mockingbird, I come off unimpressed. I don't live in a time when girls are taught to be ladies. My school has girls' football with male cheerleaders. The word tomboy has no meaning for me.<br />
Does that mean times have changed? All females are now strong, well developed characters?<br />
Yeah...but no. Swooning and tower-sitting are taboo. But girls who do nothing but blow stuff up and look sexy can be just as flat as girls who do nothing but await rescue and look pretty.<br />
My biggest complaint is how the power trio almost always consists of two boys and one girl (If you want an inverse, I highly recommend the TimeRiders series by Alex Scarrow).<br />
<img height="315" src="http://merryfarmer.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/young-harry-ron-hermione.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<img height="201" src="http://custodianfilmcritic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Peeta-katniss-and-gale.png" width="400" /><br />
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And I'm definitely not posting the movie picture for the next one. Ugh. And now they're making a sequel. At least Clarisse is in this one.<br />
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<img height="200" src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101204120432/olympians/images/8/83/Zzz.gif" width="133" /> <img height="200" src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101226060459/olympians/images/9/90/Annabeth_Chase.gif" width="133" /> <img height="200" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120505163514/olympians/images/e/ee/Grover.jpg" width="134" /><br />
Three's a good number. You can have a hero, his best friend, and his girlfriend, or a girl in the middle of a love triangle. All three of these are good stories. You can't disown a book because it doesn't have enough women in it, but girls will be sure to take note.<br />
In The Lightning Thief, Percy goes on a quest to rescue his mom with Annabeth and Grover. He and Annabeth rescue Grover in Sea of Monsters. When Annabeth's taken in Titan's Curse, Percy saves her not because she's his girlfriend but because she's a valuable member of the team. She's saved his life plenty of other times. Ginny-who's not even part of Harry's trio-gets rescued in the second book. She's just Ron's sister at this point. But by the fifth book, she joins Dumbledore's Army and becomes a love interest. It's okay to let girls tower-sit for a while so long as they carry their own weight for the rest of the story.<br />
There's a difference between strong female characters and female strong characters. The first means she can take out bad guys. The second means she's well developed. Smart. Grumpy. Manipulative. Witty. Seductive. Funny. Creepy. Anything.<br />
What bothers me most is readers who treat each strong female like a new discovery. If a guy punches a monster, it's an action scene. If a girl does it, she's an action girl. I even saw one book review where the reader praised a certain novel for containing a 'strong female heroine'. Does it also have a woman widow? Or a girl princess? Or a male man? Do they all work for the Department of Redundancy Department?<br />
If you want an action girl, pick a civilization and go through their mythology. They've been around for a good long while. If you want a girl who carries her own story without a male character's help, congratulations. You live in the twenty-first century.<br />
Some books put a strong heroine in, but can't go four pages without reminding you. I don't want to read a chapter long ramble about why Princess Punchalot doesn't tower-sit. Just show her doing something else and I'll believe you.<br />
This excerpt is from Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George. Princess Petunia is knitting during a long carriage ride when they're attacked by bandits.<br />
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<i>She...tucked all four needles and the yarn into the basket on the seat beside her, pulling out her pistol as she did. She checked the bullets, then cocked the weapon.</i><br />
<i> "Oh, Your Highness!" Maria was scandalized, but she had the good sense to whisper, at least. "Put it away!"</i><br />
<i> "They aren't taking </i>my<i> jewelry," Petunia said.</i><br />
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Adults seem to be concerned about role models in YA literature for girls. I don't hear this for boys. Apparently they don't need role models.<br />
Have I ever been jealous of girls with awesome monster slaying powers? Yup. Boys too. Do I channel these girls as I slay my inner demons? Yup. Boys too. Do I look up to them as role models? Nope. Boys either.<br />
My favorite characters are the girls who find strength without a gun. Like Risa in <a href="http://goodteenreads.blogspot.com/search?q=unwind">Unwind</a> or Anna in The Declaration. Sometimes you don't need to kick butts and take names. Sometimes the boys need somebody to keep them from killing each other every few minutes.<br />
I'm sick of being told we need role models. If I think I need one, I'll find one in the real world. What I want from books is heroes. Reading about killers won't make me a killer. Girls in books usually have good reasons to kill people. I don't. Reading about petty, boy crazy girls won't make me petty and boy crazy. It will make me laugh at them. Reading about weak girls who don't stick up for themselves will make me toss the paperback down and look for something better to do.<br />
Teenagers aren't stupid and sheeplike as most adults believe. We are not 'influenced' by every fictional character. We have our own personalities, motives, and goals. We're pretty strong characters on our own.<br />
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<em>“I want [female characters] to be allowed to be weak and strong and happy and sad – human, basically. The fallacy in Hollywood is that if you’re making a ‘feminist’ story, the woman kicks ass and wins. That’s not feminist, that’s macho. A movie about a weak, vulnerable woman can be feminist if it shows a real person that we can empathize with.”</em><br />
<em>-Natalie Portman</em><br />
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2111588446038824680.post-40804563859914816882013-04-10T20:15:00.002-07:002013-04-10T20:15:45.877-07:00Wings by Aprilynne Pike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="320" src="http://www.theyoungfolks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wings-aprilynne-pike.jpg" width="213" /> <img height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HAxJy-qYVgM/Tbbdc7dLKII/AAAAAAAAABA/OPUd1drPbIM/s320/wings-aprilynne-pike-5966588-348-500.jpg" width="222" /><br />
Genre: Fantasy<br />
Rating: *** (liked it)<br />
Pages: 290<br />
Series: First of a trilogy<br />
Laurel always knew she was different. She was left on her parents' doorstep at age four, homeschooled for eleven years, and she's a ridiculously light eater. And then a flower started growing out of her back.<br />
With the help of her (only) friend, the geeky David, and a mysterious boy named Tamani, Laurel discovers she's a faerie. She was sent from the Avalon to the human world to save it from a troll invasion. And if that wasn't bad enough, the trolls know where she lives.<br />
David's nothing like typical love interests. He's nice but nerdy, the kind of guy you can actually imagine running into at high school. And what's more, he actually <i>likes </i>Laurel. He doesn't ignore her while she lusts after him. He's not infatuated with her. It's a bonafide, genuine crush.<br />
<i>"Whatever you need, I'll be. If you need the science geek to give you answers from a textbook, I'm your guy; if you just want a friend to sit by you in bio and help you feel better when you're sad, I'm still your guy...and if you need someone to hold you and protect you from anyone in the world who might want to hurt you, then I am definitely your guy. But it's all up to you."</i><br />
-page 101<br />
David's sweet. I laughed every time he invited Laurel over to study or stare at stuff under a microscope. Education. Sure. Would you two just kiss already? When they finally do, he bills it as an 'experiment' to see if Laurel exhales oxygen.<br />
Pike takes a new twist with faeries by making them sentient plants. It sounds bizarre at first, but she explores this possibility and grounds it into reality. Saltwater is bad for plants, so Laurel won't go swimming in the ocean. She's a light eater because she gets most of her nutrients through photosynthesis. When she does eat, it's bunny food like spinach and peaches.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=rabbit+eating+spinach&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=bpgq9eTZH1a-4M&tbnid=uBUxDYGM0OrZfM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.woaw.org.au%2F14andOver%2Frabbits%2F&ei=xhlWUar_C6r1iwLwnIGgBQ&bvm=bv.44442042,d.cGE&psig=AFQjCNEkwp0n_du_CmgAT2RUjl59Iec3ag&ust=1364683578543614" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentcolor; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="284" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.woaw.org.au/wp-content/images/uploads/rabbit.jpg" style="margin-top: 54px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faerie cuisine. </td></tr>
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Laurel herself teeters on the brink of Mary Sue territory.<br />
<i>"Adolescence had been kind to her. Her almost translucent white skin hadn't suffered the effects of acne and her blond hair had never been greasy. She was a small, lithe fifteen-year-old with a perfectly oval face and light green eyes. She'd always been thin, but not too thin, and had even developed some curves in the last few years. Her limbs were long and willowy and she walked with a dancer's grade, despite having never taken lessons."</i><br />
-page 7<br />
But again, plant. They don't get acne. It makes sense that faeries are graceful. Wings is a refreshing and intriguing start to a fantasy trilogy.<br />
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Erica Elizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899589722132397noreply@blogger.com0