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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Nov 17, 2016
In Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, main character Jacob finds out that his monotonously simple life is far more complicated than he ever imagined. The world is full of peculiars, people with interesting talents, both magical and disturbing. The world is also full of monsters who want nothing more than to devour all of the peculiars, and normal people as well. Jacob was all set to inherit the family's business empire and lead a normal American life, until a family tragedy and a traumatic event force him into the world of the peculiars, and he has to wrestle with his place in it.
The novel is told in first person, which means that Ransom Riggs's advanced vocabulary seems unfitting for a 16-year-old kid who never took school seriously. Once you get passed this oversight, the story is fascinating, and only slightly predictable. The concept of the "loop" keeping the kids safe is one of my favorite twists of the book. The typical "YA" love interest is one of the most obvious points of the book, but Riggs has enough other secrets to reveal that keep this book from becoming too formulaic. The use of vintage, disturbing, photographs adds a wonderful layer of depth to the storyline, but at times, it seems the author forced a narrative event in order to match up with a photograph. Fans of the movie might be disappointed to find that only the first twenty minutes align with the novel, but I, personally, like Riggs' storyline much more than Tim Burton. There is a lot that is redeemable about this book, and its fast-paced, page-turning narration may inspire you to read books two and three in this series.
Smith's Rating:
Smith's Rating:
The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer
Sep 15, 2015
Cinder
Cinder
Cinder is a wonderful debut novel by Marissa Meyer. It is a fantastical blend of fairy tales, science fiction, and Sailor Moon. Cinder is a mechanic and a cyborg in New Beijing, a city on an Earth long in our future. Cyborgs are second-class citizens, and are routinely selected for scientific research, most notably in the search for the cure for Blue Fever, Letumosis, a plague that has killed millions across the globe. Cinder's evil step-mother "volunteers" her for plague research, and that's when everything changes.
While some of the plot may seem predictable, Meyer nonetheless does a great job of keeping the pages turning. Some of the predictability may come in that this is a class tale told hundreds of times over. Meyer does add some originality to the tale by setting it in a futuristic world. Plus, there is the knowledge that Cinder will intertwine with other fairy tales that keeps it fresh and reminiscent of Once Upon a Time. Cinder is easy to care about and root for, even though she won't get her happily-ever-after by the end of this book (spoilers -- it's a 4-part series). It's an enjoyable read that doesn't fall into all the pits of modern young adult novels (re: predictable love story). Meyer truly re-imagines classic fairy tales into this new, interesting future society.
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Scarlet
Scarlet
Scarlet is the sequel to Cinder, and if you haven't read it yet, please don't read this review!I absolutely LOVED Cinder and couldn't understand what took me so long to get around to reading it. I thought Cinder herself was a very level-headed, independent girl that I cared about. Thus, I was apprehensive when I realized the next book would focus on a different girl, Scarlet. From the beginning, Scarlet shows herself to be quick-witted, hot-headed, and family-oriented (her grandmother went missing two weeks ago, and she's desperate to find her... sound familiar?) Scarlet is a retelling of the famous "Little Red Riding Hood", complete with red "hoodie" for our heroine. There's also the "big, bad" Wolf, who is somehow connected to her grandmother's current whereabouts, but Scarlet is not trusting of strangers.
As time wore on and Scarlet began to interact with Cinder, I was aware and distracted by how similar the two characters were written, a common pitfall of writers who are more plot-driven than character-driven. Scarlet began as a fiery young lady, but she really tempered out at the end of the book. She was also, to my chagrin, a stereotypical young-adult lady in that she had lost her heart to a dashing young man by the end of the novel. I was still caught up in the world and desperately needed to know what was going to happen to Scarlet, Cinder, and the rag-tag crew, but at the end, I was left a bit dissatisfied (and cringing by the ooie-gooie last scene) compared to the height after Cinder. Focusing on a bit more head-way in Cinder's story would have made the story worthwhile for me. Spending so much time modernizing Little Red's story to the detriment of not furthering Cinderella's (which, admittedly, is done after Cinder) was a bit of a detraction for me. I'm still in love with the world that Meyer's created, and can't wait to read Cress, and Winter in turn when it comes out in November 2015.
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Smith's Rating:
Cress
Cress
In keeping with the theme of the last two books, we are introduced with a new heroine, the girl trapped all alone in a satellite, with hair so long it often gets caught in everything. My initial hesitation to welcome ANOTHER new character despite leaving Scarlet and Cinder so helplessly cliff-hanging was INSTANTLY removed by how lovable Cress is. Meyer said recently at a book talk that Cress is probably the one character who is most like her, simply for her constant day-dreaming and adventure-seeking that plays out in her mind. Her imagination is her escape from her rotten life, and who among us can't relate to that? Cress has created a fantasy that may blue into her reality on occasion, but instead of making her stupid and naive, it makes her lovable. After Scarlet, I was a little unsure as to continuing this series. Scarlet herself is probably my least favorite character, so I was OK with shifting the focus away from her. Until this point, I had been 100% behind Cinder as my favorite character, but this book puts a lot of that into question. I think I'm leaning towards Cress now. Sure, her super power is hacking and destroying everything digitally, far beyond the skill of anyone else in this entire universe (which she learned entirely in isolation, so, sure, that happens...), I'm willing to suspend disbelief because she is so terrible in everything that isn't a computer. She's socially awkward just as you'd think a girl from isolation would be, not like the fairy tales when princesses wake up and they're naturally beautiful and amazing at everything.
Meyer is back to her quippy, fantastic writing style, and some of that might have to do with the increased screen-time of Captain Thorne, who has to be one of the most entertaining characters to write. I couldn't put this book down, even though it's the largest in the series to-date, and I found myself finished with it far too soon. Now begins the long wait until the release of Winter!
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Smith's Rating:
Winter
Winter
This is the final book in the Lunar Chronicles, and boy, am I sad about that. Let me just start by saying this book is a beast: weighing in at 822 pages (previously, Cress was the largest with 550), Meyer does all she can to wrap up so many complex storylines in one book. If it ever gets made into a movie, you KNOW they'll split this sucker up into two.
That being said, Winter does not disappoint when it comes to wrapping everything up nice and neat. All of the couples get coupled off properly, as their respective fairytales would tell us is only proper (after all, they need to live happily ever after, right?). The major boss battle is major and satisfying. And there is hope for our power couple that they can be together sometime in the near future. That being said, I'm not sure what stopped Meyer with four books, unless she's just ready to be done with this project and on to the next one. Easily, this book could have been two, and there could be more after this. Aside from the series-trend of having to introduce a new "princess" every book, this series could go on for a while longer while things are rebuilt and societies reborn. There are other worlds beside Earth and Luna that are mentioned throughout the series, yet we never see any of them. Are there no envoys from other planets outside the solar system even?
But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Meyer is off to write in a new vein of fairy tales with her Alice in Wonderland-inspired series, and I'm sure we'll get to fall in love all over again with a "new" packaging of an old tale.
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Apr 19, 2015
Alexie's semi-autobiographical novel follows the pursuits of Arnold Spirit Jr., known to most just as Junior. Junior is a poor Native-American teen growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. His only comfort in life is his cartoons. He believes "the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and [his] cartoons are tiny little lifeboats" (6). Through the inspiration of his teacher, who he had just assaulted with a 30-year-old, decrepit history textbook, Junior decides to switch schools mid-year to "take [his] hope and go somewhere where other people have hope" (43). He hopes to receive a good education by going to the all-white Rearden High, where the only other Indian is the school's mascot. Hilarity and heart-break follow as Junior navigates his new environment and overcomes the challenges of an unfair world.
Since it's publication in 2007, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has been in the top 10 of the most challenged books to be banned from school libraries. Many cite profanity and racial slurs as reasons why it is unsuited for the intended audience, but the author uses these to showcase the raw emotion and tragic circumstances that Junior has known his entire life. Sherman Alexie has poured so much of himself into Junior that he could very well be sitting next to me and telling me his story. Ellen Forney's illustrations blend so well into the story that you'll forget it's not Junior who is making them. She highlights the best moments with a comedic brilliance. By the end of this powerful narrative and cartoon coupling, Junior is your best friend, and his dreams for his life have become yours. This is truly an amazing novel that will open your eyes to the struggles of growing up with the tug-of-war that so many dual-cultured teens face.
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Smith's Rating:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Mar 27, 2015
Ari is an angry teen who prefers the company of his thoughts to all other people. Dante loves reading, asking meaningful questions, and swimming. The two couldn't be more opposite of each other. They meet at the public pool, where Dante offers to give Ari swimming lessons, and they discover their dissimilarities become the foundation for a strong friendship. They discuss art, poetry, philosophy, their shared Mexican culture, girls, drugs, school, family all in the pursuit of figuring out the secrets kept in every corner of the universe.
The story is so real and full of raw emotion, and readers will fall in love right along with Ari and Dante as they navigate the difficult teenage years. As the narrator, Ari is brutally honest and often very insightful. Some may see the "surprise" ending coming, but I certainly didn't, and I loved that. It's been quite a while since I've been wrong about my prediction of a book. My least favorite part was the short, choppy narration throughout the book. Ari's thoughts and dialogue is short, but that writing style is also projected onto everyone else in the book, including during Dante's written letters. This consistency may appeal to some, but I found the lack of variety of voice between characters to be very distracting. Overall, I thought this was an endearing story that sort of got under my skin. I didn't initially like the subject matter, but I started to connect to Ari, and that kept the pages turning.
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Check out my Booktrailer for this novel!
Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip Hoose
Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip Hoose
Mar 12, 2015
"Around 3:30 on March 2, 1955, this slim, be-speckled high school junior boarded the Highland Gardens bus with a few of her friends and slid into a window seat on the left side, behind the white section. She piled her textbooks on her lap, smooth her blue dress, and settled back for a five-block ride that not only would change the course of her life but would spark the most important social movement in U.S. history" (9).
That is the beginning of the tale of Claudette Colvin, a young woman who inspired social change in her town of Montgomery, Alabama. In this captivating biography by Phillip Hoose, we are introduced to the young lady through narration by the author, as well as personal interviews with Claudette herself. With humorous, sometimes chilling details, Claudette recalls growing up in the South, and the differences between whites and blacks: separate public facilities, segregated bus seating, the inability to try on clothing at the department store, having doctor appointments moved to the end of the day to accommodate white patients, and the different in church services:
"I remember this one Big Meeting Sunday, I was riding in the back of the truck before the service started, to go get ice at the general store. It was about 11:00 AM, and we passed Mr. Jones, the white man who owned our property, walking to his own church. It was hot, and he had his blazer slung over his shoulder. His Baptist Church it was just a short distance from the store. Forty-five minutes later we were coming back with the ice and we passed him again, walking the other way – he was already out of church! That was just one more thing that seem different about white people. How could anyone serve God and Sunday in less than an hour?" (15).
16-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested on March 2, 1955 for refusing to vacate her bus seat for a white woman. She was forcibly dragged from the bus, handcuffed, and taken to the adult jail, not juvenile hall. On March 18th, Claudette became the defendant in a case that challenged Jim Crow segregation, but her community wasn't ready for her. In December of that year, another woman was arrested for refusing to give up her seat. Police didn't drag her from the bus, and she had a very quiet hearing where she was found guilty. All seemed to be flying under the radar until she left the court after her hearing, to find hundreds of supporters from the Montgomery black community. Her name, of course, was Rosa Parks. "Claudette had lit the fuse to a powder keg of protest, but her rebellion had caught black Montgomery by surprise. Now, nine months later, Rosa Parks was embraced by a community ready for action" (65).
There's so much more to this intricate story that you'll have to read it for yourself, but you will definitely enjoy it and feel inspired by this wonderful young lady who stood up for what she felt was right.
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Smith's Rating:
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Feb 24, 2015
VoiceThread is a handy way to share book reviews with others. Click below to view Ms. Smith's VoiceThread on If I Stay, which includes a brief look at the movie. This book was something our book club, Lit and Flix, read over winter break. We constantly read books and watch movies. If I Stay Voicethread
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Smith's Rating:
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