Book Title: Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Dates Read: 10/25/2007 - 10/28/2007
Amazon Link: Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians
Rating: 9/10
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Summary: When Alcatraz, a disillusioned boy passed from foster home to foster home, receives a bag of sand as his inheritance on his 13th birthday he learns that the world is not the place he thought it was.
Welfycat's Review: First things first. I almost didn't pick up this book. The title sounded ridiculous and campy, and the cover looked like a book that 5th grade boys would pick up. Brooke and Julie (the two wonderful YA Galley librarians) reassured me that the book was brilliant and actually did have evil librarians in it. Slightly intrigued I added the book to my pile.
When I got home, it got put on the bottom of the pile as an "I'll read it if I get time." So I plowed through the rest of the books and reluctantly picked this one up, looking at the cover, the back, and then finally put it into my bag so that I could read it while I was on the train to work.
This book is brilliant. It is laugh out loud hilarious, and I did at points actually laugh out loud. I think I might have scared some of the other passengers on the light rail train.
The entire thing is tongue in cheek, the narrator interludes and makes fun of himself and many others. At one point he gives a veiled shout-out to Monty Python. He gently mocks To Kill A Mockingbird, and at the very end gives a wry smile to Harry Potter. I'm sure that there's more that I missed, and I'm very tempted to read it again to see if I can spot any more parts like that.
Alcatraz is excellently crafted, and while a young adult read, I think that adults might enjoy it more, simply because they are more aware of what the author is making fun of.
And there really are evil librarians. And if that's not good enough for you, I don't know what is.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Cat's Eye
Book Title: Cat's Eye
Author: Margaret Atwood
Author Website: Margaret Atwood
Amazon Link: Cat's Eye
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Summary: The incredibly powerful story of Elaine Risley, her childhood growing up in Canada and her life as an artist.
Spotlight Review: I first read this book in eleventh grade. It was on a list of book choices from my Honors English class that we got to pick one to read each term. From the very start, I was entranced with the character Elaine, and could see multi-faceted reflections in my own life, despite the era and location differences.
This book is difficult to explain in a lot of ways, as it's not in any particular niche or genre, though it has been called feminist. I guess it's a true classic in that it transcends genre's and becomes a character driven piece that rings true. I find it to be a parallel story to Jane Eyre. Both tell the story of a strong woman overcoming difficult circumstances and learning to live with themselves.
This is a story that has truly travelled with me throughout the years. As I've grown older and reread it, I find myself identifying with Elaine on different levels and gaining a greater understanding of the arc of a persons life.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, but to young women especially. This book made it easier for me to gain perspective on some events in my life, and I'm sure that it will do the same for others.
Favorite Moments: - Elaine as a child on the playground playing marbles. She keeps on of them in a plastic red purse. Years later, getting ready to attend university and finding the marble when cleaning out her possessions.
- Her paintings of Mrs. Smeath. They reflect so well what Elaine saw as a child, but couldn't entirely comprehend. When she's an adult, it's the reverse. Her paintings are strange, the imagination of a child, but she doesn't remember why.
- Elaine looking for Cordelia. She keeps thinking about Cordelia when she's an adult, wondering what she looks like, what she would say. She keeps imagining Cordelia, catching glimpses of her in strangers faces. Cordelia has gained an unwanted significance in Elaine's life.
Author: Margaret Atwood
Author Website: Margaret Atwood
Amazon Link: Cat's Eye
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Summary: The incredibly powerful story of Elaine Risley, her childhood growing up in Canada and her life as an artist.
Spotlight Review: I first read this book in eleventh grade. It was on a list of book choices from my Honors English class that we got to pick one to read each term. From the very start, I was entranced with the character Elaine, and could see multi-faceted reflections in my own life, despite the era and location differences.
This book is difficult to explain in a lot of ways, as it's not in any particular niche or genre, though it has been called feminist. I guess it's a true classic in that it transcends genre's and becomes a character driven piece that rings true. I find it to be a parallel story to Jane Eyre. Both tell the story of a strong woman overcoming difficult circumstances and learning to live with themselves.
This is a story that has truly travelled with me throughout the years. As I've grown older and reread it, I find myself identifying with Elaine on different levels and gaining a greater understanding of the arc of a persons life.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, but to young women especially. This book made it easier for me to gain perspective on some events in my life, and I'm sure that it will do the same for others.
Favorite Moments: - Elaine as a child on the playground playing marbles. She keeps on of them in a plastic red purse. Years later, getting ready to attend university and finding the marble when cleaning out her possessions.
- Her paintings of Mrs. Smeath. They reflect so well what Elaine saw as a child, but couldn't entirely comprehend. When she's an adult, it's the reverse. Her paintings are strange, the imagination of a child, but she doesn't remember why.
- Elaine looking for Cordelia. She keeps thinking about Cordelia when she's an adult, wondering what she looks like, what she would say. She keeps imagining Cordelia, catching glimpses of her in strangers faces. Cordelia has gained an unwanted significance in Elaine's life.
Love, Stargirl
Book Title: Love, Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Dates Read: 10/23/2007 - 10/24/2007
Amazon Link:Love, Stargirl
Rating: 6/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: The sequel to Stargirl, this time narrated by Stargirl herself.
Welfycat's Review: Stargirl is one of my favorite young adult books, but unfortunately this sequel doesn't live up to the first book. While Stargirl herself still feels like a very real, deep and powerful character, the supporting cast left much to be desired.
Dootsie seemed like a fairly unrealistic five-year-old, far too independent and mobile. She had no depth, and no realism.
Alvina was also incredibly flat and unrealistic, character traits so mixed that they seemed far from probable.
And finally, the basis of the book, being one long letter to Leo, also seemed far from the established character in the original book, unlike her to moon over a boy.
My recommendation is as follows. Read the first book and enjoy it. Skip the sequel, or read it not expecting to be impressed.
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Dates Read: 10/23/2007 - 10/24/2007
Amazon Link:Love, Stargirl
Rating: 6/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: The sequel to Stargirl, this time narrated by Stargirl herself.
Welfycat's Review: Stargirl is one of my favorite young adult books, but unfortunately this sequel doesn't live up to the first book. While Stargirl herself still feels like a very real, deep and powerful character, the supporting cast left much to be desired.
Dootsie seemed like a fairly unrealistic five-year-old, far too independent and mobile. She had no depth, and no realism.
Alvina was also incredibly flat and unrealistic, character traits so mixed that they seemed far from probable.
And finally, the basis of the book, being one long letter to Leo, also seemed far from the established character in the original book, unlike her to moon over a boy.
My recommendation is as follows. Read the first book and enjoy it. Skip the sequel, or read it not expecting to be impressed.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Stargirl
Book Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Author Website: Jerry Spinelli
Amazon Link: Stargirl
Genre: Young adult, coming of age
Summary: Leo learns about himself and about life through the appearance of the unusual and irrepressible Stargirl.
Spotlight Review: This book is touching and brilliant in a very simplistic way. Stargirl is an anomaly to the very average high school in Mica. She dresses in period costumes, sings happy birthday to people while accompanying herself on a ukulele, carries a pet rat named Cinnamon, and chose her own name.
At first the school didn't know what to make of her, but gradually she becomes accepted and then idolized. Finally an incident brings her far from popularity, into a complete shunning by her schoolmates, with only Leo, now her boyfriend, talking to her.
This book touches on themes of being true to yourself, caring for others more than yourself, and the simple power of belief in yourself and others. Stargirl is truly an outstanding character in children's literature and has well earned it's renown and popularity.
Favorite Moments: My favorite moment from this book happens in two parts. Stargirl keeps a wagon with 20 stones by it. This is how she keeps track of how happy she is, the more stones in the wagon, the happier she is at that moment. When she's being herself and dating Leo she adds an eighteenth stone, the highest she's ever been. Leo is surprised when she said she was ever at three stones.
A few chapters later, Stargirl has conformed to Leo's pressures to be like the other students. She wears jeans and goes by her given name of Susan. When Leo sees her wagon, there are only two stones left. I think that this illustrates how happiness and being yourself no matter what other people say are so tightly interconnected more succinctly than any other book I've read, for children or adults.
Quotes: - She smiled dreamily. "I like that most of all, being rain."
-"I hate change," she said. "It's so jangly."
"Do you realize how much you must throw away in a year?" I said.
"Did you ever see a little kid's face when he spots a penny on a sidewalk?" she said.
-"It's a miracle!" I gushed to Archie one day.
"Best hope it's not," he said. "The trouble with miracles is, they don't last long."
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Author Website: Jerry Spinelli
Amazon Link: Stargirl
Genre: Young adult, coming of age
Summary: Leo learns about himself and about life through the appearance of the unusual and irrepressible Stargirl.
Spotlight Review: This book is touching and brilliant in a very simplistic way. Stargirl is an anomaly to the very average high school in Mica. She dresses in period costumes, sings happy birthday to people while accompanying herself on a ukulele, carries a pet rat named Cinnamon, and chose her own name.
At first the school didn't know what to make of her, but gradually she becomes accepted and then idolized. Finally an incident brings her far from popularity, into a complete shunning by her schoolmates, with only Leo, now her boyfriend, talking to her.
This book touches on themes of being true to yourself, caring for others more than yourself, and the simple power of belief in yourself and others. Stargirl is truly an outstanding character in children's literature and has well earned it's renown and popularity.
Favorite Moments: My favorite moment from this book happens in two parts. Stargirl keeps a wagon with 20 stones by it. This is how she keeps track of how happy she is, the more stones in the wagon, the happier she is at that moment. When she's being herself and dating Leo she adds an eighteenth stone, the highest she's ever been. Leo is surprised when she said she was ever at three stones.
A few chapters later, Stargirl has conformed to Leo's pressures to be like the other students. She wears jeans and goes by her given name of Susan. When Leo sees her wagon, there are only two stones left. I think that this illustrates how happiness and being yourself no matter what other people say are so tightly interconnected more succinctly than any other book I've read, for children or adults.
Quotes: - She smiled dreamily. "I like that most of all, being rain."
-"I hate change," she said. "It's so jangly."
"Do you realize how much you must throw away in a year?" I said.
"Did you ever see a little kid's face when he spots a penny on a sidewalk?" she said.
-"It's a miracle!" I gushed to Archie one day.
"Best hope it's not," he said. "The trouble with miracles is, they don't last long."
Friday, October 19, 2007
Lessons From a Dead Girl
Book Title: Lessons From a Dead Girl
Author: Jo Knowles
Dates Read: 10/17/2007 - 10/19/2007
Amazon Link: Lessons From a Dead Girl
Rating: 9/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: Laine comes to terms with the death of a friend who tormented her.
Welfycat's Review: It took me three starts to actually start reading this book, the first two times I put it down after a few pages because I wasn't in a space to read a book about traumatizing events.
The third time, on the train to work, I actually settled into in, and got a good chunk of the way in by the time I got off the train. After that, I couldn't not finish it.
This book deals with the very sensitive, and somewhat taboo, subject of kids abusing each other. In particular, Leah, a young girl being abused by a family friend, torments Laine in a similar fashion to the way that Leah herself was being harmed.
The book follows Laine into adolescence, to where finally Leah dies, and Laine must come to terms with both what happened to her and to Leah.
This is the only book I've seen broaching this very sensitive topic, that happens much more than it is ever discussed. Jo Knowles was incredibly sensitive and careful, and did the topic true justice.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the place for difficult reading, due to subject. Not everyone is in an appropriate place to read such things, and that is completely understandable. But it's a topic that really needs to be talked about more often.
Author: Jo Knowles
Dates Read: 10/17/2007 - 10/19/2007
Amazon Link: Lessons From a Dead Girl
Rating: 9/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: Laine comes to terms with the death of a friend who tormented her.
Welfycat's Review: It took me three starts to actually start reading this book, the first two times I put it down after a few pages because I wasn't in a space to read a book about traumatizing events.
The third time, on the train to work, I actually settled into in, and got a good chunk of the way in by the time I got off the train. After that, I couldn't not finish it.
This book deals with the very sensitive, and somewhat taboo, subject of kids abusing each other. In particular, Leah, a young girl being abused by a family friend, torments Laine in a similar fashion to the way that Leah herself was being harmed.
The book follows Laine into adolescence, to where finally Leah dies, and Laine must come to terms with both what happened to her and to Leah.
This is the only book I've seen broaching this very sensitive topic, that happens much more than it is ever discussed. Jo Knowles was incredibly sensitive and careful, and did the topic true justice.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the place for difficult reading, due to subject. Not everyone is in an appropriate place to read such things, and that is completely understandable. But it's a topic that really needs to be talked about more often.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Little (Grrl) Lost
Book Title: Little (Grrl) Lost
Author: Charles DeLint
Dates Read: 10/13/2007 - 10/15/2007
Amazon Link: Little (Grrl) Lost
Rating: 8/10
Genre: young adult, urban fantasy
Summary: TJ comes to terms with moving from her beloved farm into the busy city, and in the process meets a Little on a quest.
Welfycat's Review: An absolutely enchanting young adult novel. Charles DeLint is one of my favorite authors, and the reasons for it shine so very well in this particular story. The characters are multidimensional, and stereotypes are broken for all of the different fairytale creatures. This book reminded me a little bit of Michael Buckley's Fairy Tale Detectives series, but so much better written and much more worth reading.
Anyone who enjoys fairy tales will be enamored with this book, whether young or old. This would also be a good book for parents to read out loud to children who are a little bit older, but still need a hand reading.
Author: Charles DeLint
Dates Read: 10/13/2007 - 10/15/2007
Amazon Link: Little (Grrl) Lost
Rating: 8/10
Genre: young adult, urban fantasy
Summary: TJ comes to terms with moving from her beloved farm into the busy city, and in the process meets a Little on a quest.
Welfycat's Review: An absolutely enchanting young adult novel. Charles DeLint is one of my favorite authors, and the reasons for it shine so very well in this particular story. The characters are multidimensional, and stereotypes are broken for all of the different fairytale creatures. This book reminded me a little bit of Michael Buckley's Fairy Tale Detectives series, but so much better written and much more worth reading.
Anyone who enjoys fairy tales will be enamored with this book, whether young or old. This would also be a good book for parents to read out loud to children who are a little bit older, but still need a hand reading.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Extras
Book Title: Extras
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Dates Read: 10/08/2007 - 10/12/2007
Amazon Link: Extras
Rating: 8/10
Genre: young adult, dystopia
Summary: The fourth book to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, featuring a new main characters, and a new threat to the world.
Welfycat's Review: This book takes place three years after Specials, where the mind rain has become legendary and Tally Youngblood is the most famous person in the world.
In Asia, Aya Fuse is pulling the same tricks that Tally did at 15, but for entirely different reasons. Instead of waiting to become Pretty, Aya is doing everything in her power to make herself famous, and in the process accidentally uncovers a threat to the entire world.
One of my favorite things about this series is the slang. Words such as happy-making, and bubbly, and icy, all of that seems incredibly awesome, and I do enjoy saying things like nervous-making in real life. Also, the technology in the books, is purely awesome.
The other thing that is really great about this book was it was completely unpredictable, and did not follow the patterns of the previous books. Also, the story wraps itself up neatly, and features character development. What more could you want?
I do recommend this series, especially if you're a fan of dystopia. But read the first three books before this one, or it won't make much sense.
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Dates Read: 10/08/2007 - 10/12/2007
Amazon Link: Extras
Rating: 8/10
Genre: young adult, dystopia
Summary: The fourth book to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, featuring a new main characters, and a new threat to the world.
Welfycat's Review: This book takes place three years after Specials, where the mind rain has become legendary and Tally Youngblood is the most famous person in the world.
In Asia, Aya Fuse is pulling the same tricks that Tally did at 15, but for entirely different reasons. Instead of waiting to become Pretty, Aya is doing everything in her power to make herself famous, and in the process accidentally uncovers a threat to the entire world.
One of my favorite things about this series is the slang. Words such as happy-making, and bubbly, and icy, all of that seems incredibly awesome, and I do enjoy saying things like nervous-making in real life. Also, the technology in the books, is purely awesome.
The other thing that is really great about this book was it was completely unpredictable, and did not follow the patterns of the previous books. Also, the story wraps itself up neatly, and features character development. What more could you want?
I do recommend this series, especially if you're a fan of dystopia. But read the first three books before this one, or it won't make much sense.
Dirty Work
Book Title: Dirty Work
Author: Julia Bell
Pages: 181
Dates Read: 10/11/2007 - 10/12/2007
Amazon Link: Dirty Work
Rating: 8/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: Two girls from extremely different circumstances wind up trapped together in an underage prostitution right.
Welfycat's Review: This is a subject you don't often see addressed in young adult literature, or even in adult literature, and Julia Bell handled it very tastefully and tactfully. The violence was very real, without being overboard to the point of disturbing young readers. The parts involving actual prostitution were narrated without details, another way this book is accessible to young, innocent minds.
The writing was well done, without being overbearing or unrealistic. The ending was a little cliche, which is unfortunate.
The biggest complaint I have with this book was that in the beginning, Hope's narrative and story overpowered Oksana's, and the reverse is true in the end. There was never a comfortable balance between the two.
This book is excellent for someone looking for a short read with a somewhat difficult subject, but also without much real character development.
Author: Julia Bell
Pages: 181
Dates Read: 10/11/2007 - 10/12/2007
Amazon Link: Dirty Work
Rating: 8/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: Two girls from extremely different circumstances wind up trapped together in an underage prostitution right.
Welfycat's Review: This is a subject you don't often see addressed in young adult literature, or even in adult literature, and Julia Bell handled it very tastefully and tactfully. The violence was very real, without being overboard to the point of disturbing young readers. The parts involving actual prostitution were narrated without details, another way this book is accessible to young, innocent minds.
The writing was well done, without being overbearing or unrealistic. The ending was a little cliche, which is unfortunate.
The biggest complaint I have with this book was that in the beginning, Hope's narrative and story overpowered Oksana's, and the reverse is true in the end. There was never a comfortable balance between the two.
This book is excellent for someone looking for a short read with a somewhat difficult subject, but also without much real character development.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Death of Jayson Porter
Book Title: The Death of Jayson Porter
Author: Jaime Adoff
Pages: 260
Dates Read: 10/06/2007 - 10/07/2007
Amazon Link: The Death of Jayson Porter
Rating: 7/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: Jayson struggles with the horrors of his day to day life, and eventually decides to end it all.
Welfycat's Review: This was a very artfully written and formatted book. They way the pages were formatted, with the large bold letters, or the smaller italicized print gave the story texture, in a way that felt somewhat similar to House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski.
The language was that of a typical street wise, city dwelling teenager, but after about halfway through the book it started to feel overused and cliche.
The story itself, gritty and believable, not to mention somewhat painful to read, was a good story, that would hope to impress the dangers of suicide and hopelessness to the general teenage public. However, by the time that age group is reading this book, they will have already fallen into those patterns and tendencies.
Overall, it really is a good book, very nicely designed and written, and young adults or adults enjoying young adult fiction will find a short read of emotional value.
Author: Jaime Adoff
Pages: 260
Dates Read: 10/06/2007 - 10/07/2007
Amazon Link: The Death of Jayson Porter
Rating: 7/10
Genre: young adult
Summary: Jayson struggles with the horrors of his day to day life, and eventually decides to end it all.
Welfycat's Review: This was a very artfully written and formatted book. They way the pages were formatted, with the large bold letters, or the smaller italicized print gave the story texture, in a way that felt somewhat similar to House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski.
The language was that of a typical street wise, city dwelling teenager, but after about halfway through the book it started to feel overused and cliche.
The story itself, gritty and believable, not to mention somewhat painful to read, was a good story, that would hope to impress the dangers of suicide and hopelessness to the general teenage public. However, by the time that age group is reading this book, they will have already fallen into those patterns and tendencies.
Overall, it really is a good book, very nicely designed and written, and young adults or adults enjoying young adult fiction will find a short read of emotional value.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Lady Friday
Book Title: Lady Friday
Author: Garth Nix
Pages: 304
Dates Read: 10/05/2007 - 10/06/2007
Amazon Link: Lady Friday
Rating: 7/10
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Summary: The fifth novel in the Keys to the Kingdom series. Arthur simultaneously hunts the fifth key and fifth part of the will and tries to rescue his friends from Lady Friday and the Piper.
Welfycat's Review: This is the latest of the Keys to the Kingdom books that has been released, and certainly felt more fast paced than many of the previous. Arthur rushes from one place to another, frantically trying to keep track of friends and enemies as he struggles to not use the key too much so that he becomes a Denizen and figure out which of Lady Friday's people are on his side as well as trying to discover where the key is.
Leaf plays a larger part in this book as well, and offers a refreshingly different narrative voice than Arthur. Her own struggles are right in Lady Friday's lair as she tries to aid Arthur and save herself.
I am enjoying this series more and more as it progresses and builds on past books. The mariner makes an appearance, and Arthur suffers after affects from being in the army. Much of the plot felt more realistic and better woven together than the previous works.
The sixth book, Superior Saturday has not been released yet, nor can I find a release date on the internet. I am looking forward to it, and if that isn't recommendation to a series, I don't know what is.
Author: Garth Nix
Pages: 304
Dates Read: 10/05/2007 - 10/06/2007
Amazon Link: Lady Friday
Rating: 7/10
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Summary: The fifth novel in the Keys to the Kingdom series. Arthur simultaneously hunts the fifth key and fifth part of the will and tries to rescue his friends from Lady Friday and the Piper.
Welfycat's Review: This is the latest of the Keys to the Kingdom books that has been released, and certainly felt more fast paced than many of the previous. Arthur rushes from one place to another, frantically trying to keep track of friends and enemies as he struggles to not use the key too much so that he becomes a Denizen and figure out which of Lady Friday's people are on his side as well as trying to discover where the key is.
Leaf plays a larger part in this book as well, and offers a refreshingly different narrative voice than Arthur. Her own struggles are right in Lady Friday's lair as she tries to aid Arthur and save herself.
I am enjoying this series more and more as it progresses and builds on past books. The mariner makes an appearance, and Arthur suffers after affects from being in the army. Much of the plot felt more realistic and better woven together than the previous works.
The sixth book, Superior Saturday has not been released yet, nor can I find a release date on the internet. I am looking forward to it, and if that isn't recommendation to a series, I don't know what is.
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