If I Can Learn To Do It

Published: July 6th, 2005
Princess Academy
By: Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA
ISBN-13: 9781599900735

Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.

Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.

Review

   Miri lives on Mount Eskel, where her family quarries the linder stone that is within the mountain and lives off the land.  Except for Miri, who isn't allowed to quarry with the others.  She thinks it's because her Papa thinks she's not big or strong enough to help out.  Things change in the villagers' routine when it's announced that the future Princess will come from Mount Eskel.  An academy is established to prepare all of the eligible girls for the Prince's visit in one year's time.  Miri is forced to attend the academy and at first she is miserable.  But then she decides that she will learn as much as she possibly can, trying to best the other girls for the title of Academy Princess.  Along the way Miri makes a discovery about the real worth of the linder stone and changes the trading practices of the villagers.  But when a real threat to the girls arises, will Miri's wisdom and wit be able to save them from a disastrous fate?  And who will the Prince choose to become his wife?  Miri is strong, determined and very intelligent.  Not to mention extremely stubborn!  But she's also insecure about her place in the village and in her Father's heart.  Miri is friends with Peder, a mountain boy, and she's begun to have other feelings for him as well.  The Princess Academy is her chance to prove herself, but it also drives a bit of a wedge between her and Peder.  Also Miri finally learns the truth about her friend Britta's mysterious past.  I loved the idea of quarry-speech.  The thing this book really brought to the forefront was finding your personal identity and how important it is.  I enjoyed the story, but it was so very plain at times that I almost wanted a dragon to eat someone or an evil wizard to come to the village.  I honestly don't really classify this book as fantasy.  It was basically just historical fiction, of a made-up place.  At times it was boring and I felt like I wanted to stop reading.  I also felt like the situation with the bandits was so contived that it was laughable.  Yet, this book still has something charming about it.  I would recommend it more for middle school aged girls. 

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean...

Expected Publication:  August 21st, 2012

The Raft

By: S.A. Bodeen

Feiwel and Friends

ISBN-13: 9780312650100

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft. 

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

Review

   Robie has been having a blast visiting her Aunt in Hawaii, but when her Aunt has to leave suddenly on business Robie is told that she has to go home.  She manages to talk her Aunt into just having a friend check up on her, but after being accosted by a homeless man Robie freaks out and decides to go home after all.  Catching a cargo flight at the last minute, Robie is on her way home to her small island.  Then a major storm hits knocking out the engine, causing her and the co-pilot Max to abandon flight for an emergency raft.  Now they must figure out a way to survive with no food other than a bag of Skittles, no fresh water and no obvious rescue in sight.  They find an island to wait on for rescue, but it might be too late by then.  Will Max and Robie both make it home alive?  This book intrigued me because of the fact that it is survivalist fiction in the tradition of Hatchet, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite books.  So I decided to try it out and was really hoping that I would like it a lot better than I actually did.  In the beginning of the book Robie is a just okay character and she quickly denigrates into highly useless, annoying and a major coward.  Poor Max is dependent on her to make sure he doesn't die and Robie does a HORRIBLE job!  After he threw her out of the plane to save her instead of rescuing the pilot, you think she'd be a little more grateful.  She steals the Skittles for herself and when the island gets in sight, she leaves an unconscious Max to fend for himself.  I was bored by all of the sleeping and whining that Robie does throughout her time on the raft.  Yes, it was realistic but it did nothing to further my interest in continuing the book.  I wanted more excitement and more pro activeness.  It's like Robie doesn't even care enough about their survival to try and be innovative.   Plus, when she has opportunities to eat something on the island she's more worried about the cute little animals then her survival.  Give me a break!  After a week of barely anything in your stomach, a seal's life is more important than yours?  Yeah freaking' right!!!  I really HATED the plot twist involving Max and whether or not he survives.  BORING and predictable.  Yes, this book has some exciting action and a really good premise.  But I'm not in it for realism and slow-moving, immature characters.  I want something that has heart-pounding, back-breaking action.  I did not get that from this book.  

VERDICT:  2.6/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  It will be available for purchase on August 21st, 2012.*

Comfort Books, Our Lifetime Companions

   I don't know about any of you guys, but when I'm in trouble or having a bad day, a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia always makes me feel a little bit better.  That's MY comfort food.  Every one has a different, special or unique thing that makes them feel like everything is going to be okay whether it's food, music, a movie, a t.v. show or a book.  This post was something that came to me last night when I was watching the movie Matilda with my little brother.  I got to thinking about my own personal comforts and I thought it would be fun to do a post about comfort books.  Do you guys have a certain book (or books plural) that you can read a million times and never get tired of?  Is there a book that speaks to your soul in a certain way and it always has the power to soothe you and make you smile?  I have a select set of books that always remind me of who I am when times are tough and showcase the power of the written word.  A few of them even take me back to my childhood, when we were first introduced and started our long-term relationship!  So, without further adieu, here are my best friends of the book world who give the best hugs in the universe:

My Comfort Books (In No Particular Order)

1.   Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

What can I say about something that is so ingrained into who I am as a person?  This was the first book that truly made me question what it would be like to live forever.  Was it really such a good thing or would it be horrible beyond belief?  Plus, watching Winnie stumble as she figures out her place in the world is truly beautiful.  This is the kind of book that used to make me wish I could live inside of its pages.  

2.  Ordinary People by Judith Guest

I didn't happen to discover this particular book until I was in college, although it feels like we've been friends forever.  It is all about a family that has a difficult time coping with the loss of a child and the sibling left behind's struggle to discover a reason to continue living.  On the surface this might not seem like a COMFORT book at all, but it has such a hopeful undertone that it's hard not to reach the ending feeling like things are looking up.  And if things can be better for the Jarretts, why not me?  I never tire of the lingering questions raised by this book.

3.  The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This is a book that I have carried in my heart for the past twelve years.  It has been with me through being bullied practically into extinction, the worst break-up imaginable and times when I felt depressed about the state of the world in general.  Even though it has enough tragedy for a Shakespeare play, in the end it still feels hopeful and true to what is in the hearts of millions - that sometimes you just have to press on, even if you feel like quitting.  Life can be good at times and that makes it worth it.

4.  I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

This is another book that I didn't discover until college.  I normally have a really hard time with British books, because it feels like they're speaking an alien language.  Cassandra Mortmain, a seventeen year old impoverished British girl, is just my speed.  She's witty and charming, with such a heart-breakingly real personality that I always felt like reaching through the pages and giving her a hug.  As Cassandra falls in love for the first time, discovers what it means to truly be a family and tries to become a writer, I was beside her the whole way.  It has such a wonderful bittersweet feeling to it that I sometimes catch myself thinking about it out of the blue.  How can you not love a book with a first line like this?

   "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.” 

5.  Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

I believe that this book was my first real encounter with the death of someone my own age and the fact that it was even in the realm of possibility.  I remember reading this for the first time in my third grade class and loving the imaginations of Jess and Leslie, but being devastated by the way the book ended.  Now that I'm older I can recognize the mastery of Ms. Paterson's writing that she was able to be so delicate with the subject matter and yet bring out such an emotional response from me.  I still feel deeply when I read this book.  I spent the entire summer of 2010 going the park every Tuesday after work, lying in the sun, taking naps and reading either Bridge to Terabithia or Tuck Everlasting.  That pretty much says it all, at least in my mind.  

Honorable Mentions

1.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

2.  Matilda by Roald Dahl

3.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

4.  Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars

5.  Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

6.  Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney

7.  Forever by Judy Blume

   

   Now I want to know one thing:  What are your comfort books?  Do you agree with my choices, have you read any of them or do you hate them all?  Leave me a comment and we'll discuss the books that will stay on our buddy lists for years to come! :)

I'm Peculiar, Are You Peculiar Too?

Published: May 1st, 2012

The Peculiars
By: Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Amulet Books (Imprint of ABRAMS)

ISBN-13:  9781419701788

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.

Review

  Lena Mattacascar has always been different from everyone else in her town.  She has long hands and feet, each with an extra joint - her Nana and the family doctor call them signs of goblinism.  Lena is curious about her Father, who abandoned their family when she was child.  Will she grow up to be like him, lacking morals and obsessed with money and adventure?  On her eighteenth birthday, Lena receives a letter from her Mother, that her Saul (her Father) left for her.  It contains the deed to a mine in the Scree, a lawless and wild land full of peculiars.  Hoping to find her Father to get some answers about herself and why he left, Lena decides to travel to the Scree.  On the train she meets Jimson Quiggley, who is headed to a town on the border of the Scree to be a librarian to a rich eccentric, Mr. Beasley.  Lena also meets Thomas Saltre, a Marshal on the trail of Peculiars who have escaped from the Scree.  He plays on Lena's insecurities and her acute sense that it's wrong to be abnormal; he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley, while in exchange he'll guide her into the Scree.  But when it turns out that Lena has misconstrued things rather badly, the consequences could be dire for some innocent people that happen to be 'peculiar.'  Can she manage to fix her mistakes in time to save Mr. Beasley, Jimson and other peculiars from a horrible fate?  Or will Lena's selfish and shallow choices ruin them all?  This book is classified as steampunk and fantasy, which normally would cause me to steer clear of it.  I have never been a fan of steampunk.  But this book seems to focus more on the physical, genetic abnormalities of the Peculiars and the extreme societal repercussions.  Some are born with 'goblinism' like Lena, others have wings sprouting from their backs.  All of them are viewed as beasts by regular people, treated only with distrust and intolerance.  This book addresses some serious issues with this particular plot device.  Lena herself was an interesting character.  It pained me that she seemed to hate herself so much, she was willing to betray anyone peculiar because she had been lead to believe they were unnatural and needed to be separate from society.  Not until close to the end did she seem to grasp that they deserved the same rights and treatment as normal people.  Jimson was a wonderful character, funny with a big heart and a serious thirst for knowledge.  He was definitely my favorite character, other than the Scree cat Mrs. Mumbles who was made of AWESOMENESS.  An interesting book with some food for thought and a resolution that was okay, but kind of meh compared to the action of the rest of the story.  

VERDICT:  3.75/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published May 1st, 2012.*

Storm Clouds Above Us

Published: January 10th, 2012

The Gathering Storm (The Katerina Trilogy #1)

By: Robin Bridges

Delacorte Books For Young Readers

ISBN-13: 9780385740227

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Review

   Katerina is a Duchess, related to the Tsar through blood and living in a glittering world of balls and aristocrats.  But in 1888, Russia is a dangerous place to have the ability that Katerina was born with - she is a necromancer, able to raise the dead and use them.  The court of the Tsar is split into light and dark, those who want to protect the current order and those who wish to overthrow it.  All Katerina wants is to be a doctor like her Father.  Coming home from finishing school, she hopes to persuade her parents to her way of thinking.  But she is drawn into the Palace intrigues against her will, when she is forced to use her power to save the Tsar's heir.  As vampires, werewolves, witches and fae all try to use Katerina for their own ends, she must find a way to do what is right in the face of serious danger to herself and her loved ones.  Will she allow herself to be used by Prince Danilo of Montenegro for a dark ritual or follow her heart as it leads her to George (the Tsar’s middle son)?  Most importantly, can she save the royal family before it’s too late?  I thought the subject matter of this book was truly interesting.  Not very often do you find a book set in Russia in the 1880s, with supernatural elements, that is in the YA genre!  I liked the inclusion of necromancy, when it is usually the illegitimate brother of the other supernatural persuasions.  Most of the side characters were sufficiently fleshed out, but I didn't find myself connecting to anyone other than Katerina and George which disappointed me.   I like political intrigue as much as the next history fan, but it felt like it dragged through this book rather than lifted it up.  There was a lot of action, but I felt like the boring parts were also too plentiful and really caused me to slog through an otherwise awesome book.  Overall, really liked the concept but the execution could have used some more work.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Wednesday's Child Is Full Of Woe

Expected Publication: August 14th, 2012
The Wednesdays
By: Julie Bourbeau
Random House Children's Books
ISBN-13: 9780375868900

Max’s village is absolutely normal in every single way and on every single day—except Wednesday.
Most of the townsfolk shutter their windows and lock their doors to hide away from the many peculiar things that happen—things like cats getting stuck in the vacuum cleaner and birthday cakes meeting fiery and horrific ends. But Max is too curious for that, and so, breaking every rule in the village, he searches out the cause of all the Wednesday weirdness.
What he uncovers is a secret so devious—so dastardly and mischievous—that life as he knows it will never be the same. Max himself is not the same. Suddenly the mysterious little accidents so common on Wednesdays are happening to him on Thursdays, Fridays—even Saturdays!
What’s come over Max? And more importantly, is there any cure for a case of the Wednesdays?
Mystery, magic, mischief and monsters abound in this slightly fantastical story of a human kid who wants to stay that way.

Review

   Max lives in a village that is completely average in just about every way - except on Wednesdays.  Everyone closes up their homes and they refuse to come outside again until it's Thursday, which means it's safe.  Bad things, strange, unexplainable things happen on Wednesdays - Max's brother getting his hair soaked in black shoe polish, the TV getting broken, Max's birthday cake meeting a fiery end.  But none of this can stop Max's curiosity, which leads him outside on a Wednesday, perilous though it might be.  This time curiosity catches up in a bad way, when Max gets a bad case of the Wednesdays that lasts throughout the week.  After an encounter with the actual, gargoyle-like creatures who cause the mischief Max begins to change physically.  Max tries to get the Wednesdays to tell him what's happening, but Two is in charge and he has plans for Max, really nasty plans...His parents send him to parapsychologist Dr. Conkle-Smoak, desperately trying to cure him before he becomes one of the Wednesdays forever.  Can Max and his friends Noah and Gemma figure out a way to block the Wednesdays from their town forever or is Max doomed to become one of them?  This book was an interesting mix of Roald Dahl-esque humor, quirky illustrations and a hero with some oddness and major heart.  I did enjoy the idea of an entire town closing up for the day because of gremlin-like mischief makers.  The Wednesdays themselves were interesting, all them once human and now varying degrees of horrible.  They all had numbers instead of names, which was little sad to me but very in keeping with the children's book M.O.  Dr. Conkle-Smoak was absolutely useless and completely hilarious so of course he was one of my favorite characters.  I liked the smooth progression of the plot and the resolution, which ended up being fairly creepy for a middle-grade fantasy book.  Overall it was a very amusing book with interesting, well written characters and a fresh story in a world where that is hard to come by.  My only complaint would really be the illustrations - they just didn't quite match what was in my head.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is August 14th, 2012.*

Come to My Window, Come Inside

Expected Publication: June 14th, 2012
My Life Next Door
By: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780803736993

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Review

   Samantha Reed has been watching the Garrett family with longing ever since they moved in next door.  There might be a lot of kids and a lot of noise, but compared the Sam's distant, proper family it seems like heaven on earth.  So imagine her surprise when one summer night Jase Garrett comes up onto her terrace and enters her world.  At first they become friends and Sam thinks she can keep it from her Mom, who disapproves of the Garretts and is running to be re-elected as a senator.  Then they begin to fall in love, Sam gets seriously close to the Garrett kids during the times she babysits them and she no longer feels like she needs to hide it from her Mom.  But the last thing she wants to do is disappoint her family.  So at first, she just doesn't tell anyone.  Not exactly lying right?  But when something devastating happens to Jase's Dad, with Sam's Mom and her creepy political boyfriend are to blame, will she be able to do the right thing if it means losing her own family stability?  And will her relationship with Jase and the Garretts be over when the dust settles?  I can understand why this book has been compared to Sarah Dessen - the whole first love, personal identity and family issues mix definitely makes it similar.  But I thought that the way the book ended was pretty weak.  The plot twist involving Jase's Dad getting hurt and Sam's Mom being involved seemed a little too Lifetime movie of the week for my taste.  Huntley should have just stuck to the love story and the side-story of a family in need of healing.  That was what truly interested me about this book.  Jase and Sam made a wonderful couple.  The sub-plot with Sam's best friends, Nan and Tim, was truly wonderful.  I sympathized with Nan and hated her at the same time.  Tim I just wanted to wrap in a hug, feed a hot meal and save him from the downward spiral he was on.  Jase's brothers and sisters were awesome, especially Duff, George and Alice.  Tim cracked me up every time he tried to put the moves on 'Hot Alice.'  Definitely worth the read and it does the small town life admirably well with plenty of heart from each character.  I just don't know where in the HELL that crazy-cakes plot twist came from! :)

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 14th, 2012.*