Tag: goodreads

• Book Review: “The Hallowed Ones” by Laura Bickle

  Posted at 10:13 pm by Laura, on April 3, 2013

  The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle 

  Publisher: HMH
  Publishing Date: September 2012
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, gothic, horror
  ISBN: 9780547859262
  Goodreads: 4.05
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there…and it is making a killing.

  Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elders’ rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community — but what else is she bringing in with him?

  Katie is looking forward to her Rumspringa with Elijah in three weeks. It’ll be the one and only time she can live by her own rules before deciding whether to be baptized into the Amish church. She’s already a bit rebellious, questioning the Elders instead of blindly obeying. But after a helicopter crash and a few Amish disappearances, Katie decides to take matters into her own hands. Once an Outside stranger enters her world, her little rebellions pile up. Katie, fully aware of the Darkness infiltrating her small community, implores the Amish to toss their prayers and passive ways and fight back.

  This was a terrifying book. I hardly slept. With each of Katie’s rebellions (questioning Elders, then buying comic books, then stealing Coke, breaking the quarantine, allowing a stranger to come in), a new horror strikes the page. One minute she is walking through a field, the next a white horse bursts through the trees carrying a saddle with a bloody boot still hooked in the stirrups. One minute she’s milking the cows, the next she enters a home drenched in blood from a family slaughter. Every sentence is agonizingly suspenseful, making the eagerness to turn the page both foreboding and exciting.

  Bickle clearly worked hard to get Amish culture correct in this book. There are moments when Katie explains a tradition or a way of life, but it flows so smoothly with the story I hardly noticed the stopping time for Amish Culture Lessons. I am also extremely happy with the way Bickle portrayed vampires. These vampires are the real thing. These vampires are the ones Victorians feared, the kind that spread like disease, they destroyed rather than seduced, that hypnotized, that cannot enter homes or holy ground, that can only be destroyed with stakes, garlic, and a beheading. These are the very first vampires in folklore, and they are fearsome.

  What’s fantastic is that Katie, and the Outsider Alex, rarely describes the vampires’ appearances. They are called “things” and “monsters” and “the Darkness.” Katie can see they were once human, but their movements, behavior, and red eyes show the most base, evil instinct of humanity: literal blood lust and desire to kill. She is awed, shocked, and frozen in fear, her mind incapable of looking at something that appears to be human and seeing such evil.

  That is a true a proper gothic vampire and gothic reaction. I applaud Bickle. I applaud her for making me  afraid of the dark this week, for making me happy that I’m not living near cornfields now, and for bringing terrifying vampires back into young adult literature.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: horror, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Amazon Buys Goodreads

  Posted at 10:36 am by Laura, on March 29, 2013

  I am not a happy camper.

  WARNING: While this post will link you to the news, the post will be filled with snark. Feel free to just click the links and ignore my fuming comments.

  The Twitter response is similar to my reaction and current feelings about it. As a future publisher and current bookseller, Amazon is the biggest threat out there. Of course there is resentment and anger.

  Book Riot, however, posed the four main questions most concerning Goodreads users:

  1. Why did Amazon buy Goodreads? Goodreads is a social platform. Amazon is the largest online retailer. *headdesk*
  2. Why did Goodreads sell? Because they want money. Lord.
  3. What can Goodreads users expect? Well, from what Book Riot listed, I hope it’s ONLY their predictions. I hope Goodreads doesn’t turn into a retailer. Or only link us to Amazon. Or other cluttered, advert-loaded crap like that.
  4. What does this mean for books, publishing, and the universe? Bad news for retail. Even worse news and a bit of a sticky situation with publishers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this means books are on the rise and isn’t that great and wonderful, but Amazon just needs to leave things alone. Let. Stuff. Alone.

  Finally, Publishers Weekly contains a detailed article with comments from Amazon and Goodreads on the buy. Amazon sees Goodreads as a sales outlet (go away!).

  When pressed, Chandler said: “We don’t have any plans to change anything about the buy links in the short term, but in the long term we’re going to do what’s best for our users.”

  Chandler, I hope you realize your users love your site because it’s an online book club of sorts. No one is pressuring us to buy things 24/7. No, your site encourages discussion and reading. The second a retailer/buy button is thrown in, the experience will be cheapened and will be just like the comments forum in Amazon, B&N, and other retailers: crap.

  Grandinetti said the acquisition was “not about making Goodreads commerce enabled,” but, instead, about opportunities to improve the user experience of Kindle owners.

  NOT. EVERYONE. HAS. OR. WANTS. A. KINDLE. OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF E-READER, FOR THAT MATTER.

  In 2008 it acquired Shelfari, but there seems to be no plans to integrate Shelfari and Goodreads.

  You know what happened to Shelfari? It died.

  What are your thoughts, positive or negative, on the Amazon/Goodreads deal?

  Posted in books, Link | 2 Comments | Tagged amazon, books, goodreads

• Book Review: “The Raven Boys” by Maggie Stiefvater

  Posted at 9:02 am by Laura, on March 28, 2013

  The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 

  Publisher: Scholastic
  Publishing Date: September 2012
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, gothic
  ISBN: 9780545424929
  Goodreads: 4.08
  Rating: ★★★

  “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

  It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

  Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

  His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

  But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

  For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

  Gansey is on a quest to raise Glendower, a Welsh king with the mythical legend akin to King Arthur, from the dead. He has wealth, privilege, and intelligence, as well as a group of friends who strongly believe in the supernatural. Together, their heartbreak and sorrow spur them on this quest; they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Blue, daughter of a psychic and cursed to kill her true love with a kiss, is drawn to these Raven boys, and can’t help but stumble into their adventure. But when the boys’ past begins to haunt them, and time bends out of shape, they wonder if this quest for Glendower is worth the risk…and inevitable death.

  To read this book, one needs to suspend disbelief. It is a fantasy of sorts set in the real world. There are no wizards and dragons, but a very strong faith in ghosts and legends. Psychic powers are strengthened in Henrietta due to the ley lines, where Gansey believes Glendower resides and where Blue knows the soon-to-be-dead walk to the afterlife. Years of research steeped in lore spur these characters on.

  At first I had difficulty finding this entertaining — the reactions to time stopping, to seasons changing in minutes, and to visions of the future weren’t as surprised as I’d expected. Rather, these characters seemed completely at ease instead of shaken. Too calm. But as the reader delves into the mind of each character, learning about their history and why they have such faith in finding something only spoken about in legend, they became more real. These boys are fully-fleshed characters with a dire need to prove themselves. Ronan comes from a broken family; Noah is the epitome of death; Adam is abused; and Gansey tries to solve everything with money, even though he doesn’t like those principles. They have nothing to lose in finding Glendower, and their desperation increases as events spiral out of control.

  The ending was rushed and jarring, and certainly ends on a steep cliffhanger. Thankfully the second book will be out in September 2013.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Along for the Ride” by Sarah Dessen

  Posted at 9:19 pm by Laura, on March 25, 2013

  Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen 

  Publisher: Speak
  Publishing Date: June 2009
  Genre: young adult
  ISBN: 9780142415566
  Goodreads: 4.13
  Rating: ★★★★

  It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

  A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

  Ever since her parents’ divorce, Auden can’t sleep at night. She spends her night hours in 24-hour diners working ahead in school, focusing solely on her academics and making her professor mother proud. But when her step-mother Heidi invites her over for the summer before college, Auden decides to take a chance and see what change can do for her. She meets girls who surprise her with their intellectual depth — despite being into “girly things” — and runs into Eli, a fellow insomniac, on her nighttime strolls. With their help and guidance, Auden begins a quest to experience life a new way: living it through mistakes rather than perfect grades.

  Dessen has such skill in turning what could potentially be a light beach read into something exquisite, remarkable, and touching. Her books follow a similar formula: girl is different from others in some form, experiences a summer different from others, something happens to make her grow into herself, and there’s a boy in the mix. As simple as that is, each of her stories are vastly different, and every character is full of so much potential that is completely achieved by the end of the book.

  Auden is a perfectionist and an academic, socially outcast from everyone — but she likes it that way. Emotions are messy, and from her experience emotions are never good. Visiting her dad and Heidi, with their newborn Isby (Thisbe, though Heidi wanted to name her Isabel), awaken Auden to a whole new world she never experienced, or thought she could experience positively. She realizes people are not one-dimensional, what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Her new friend Maggie is the perfect example: Maggie knows everything about jeans, make-up, and fashion, but she also has good grades and will be going to the same prestigious college as Auden and loves to ride bikes and do jump tricks. Maggie came off as a girly girl, but Auden soon discovered the tomboy side to Maggie, and then the intellectual side. No one is simply a slacker, an academic, a boyish boy, a girlish girl. People are complex.

  Eli is a key character in Along for the Ride, as he not only helps Auden discover the childhood she never had, but opens her up to a whole new outlook on life. She in turn helps him overcome his grief and guilt over the loss of his best friend. By simply living life in the night hours, the two develop a special bond of give-and-take, sharing, and equality without the emotional turmoil Auden so easily equates to relationships.

  Dessen understands her audience. Summer is the perfect time for change and self-discovery. There is so much potential in those few weeks for a person to grow, to find love and friendship, to develop a new hobby or talent. Once again, Dessen accomplishes all of this in another great book.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Clockwork Princess” by Cassandra Clare

  Posted at 8:46 pm by Laura, on March 20, 2013

  Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare 

  Publisher: McElderry
  Publishing Date: March 19, 2013
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance, action/adventure
  ISBN: 9781416975908
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★★

  A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

  Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

  As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

  Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

  What starts off as an ordinary mission of slaying demons in Victorian London turns into a whirlwind of plot, disaster, and inevitable death for Will, Tessa, Jem, and the rest of the London Institute. Every bit of evidence connects Tessa to Mortmain and his desire to use her for his destruction of the Shadowhunter world. No matter how much Charlotte pleas for help, her cries fall on deaf ears. In the midst of love and heartbreak, death and destruction, Tessa realizes her full potential and what she has been trained to do since capture: to Change and save, even if it means risking her life.

  As an uber Clare fangirl (I remember the days when she was Cassandra Claire), I knew I would love whatever she wrote to end this trilogy. I could not side on teams — I love Team Will and I love Team Jem, and it did not matter who Tessa chose because I would still love the decision and be heartbroken for the other. But as a critical reader, I must applaud Clare on her twist to the cliché love triangle; that, in fact, this is not a love triangle but a bond between three that is so complex and yet so understandable that every reader could comprehend the characters’ actions. Clare sums it up so well in this passage:

  ‘Think now  and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you.’ Yes, [Will] would have done that for Tessa — died to keep the ones she needed beside her — and so would Jem have done that for him or for Tessa, and so would Tessa, he thought, do that for both of them. It was a near incomprehensible tangle, the three of them, but there was one certainty, and that was that there was no lack of love between them.

  While the Infernal Devices trilogy is more love-heavy than her Mortal Instruments series, it is no less action-packed. For every chapter of down-time, regrouping, meetings in halls, and whispers in bedrooms, there are two chapters for action, plot, anxiety, panic, and adventure. Each character had a voice in this book, from the Lightwood brothers to maid Sophie, from Will’s sister Cecily to Magnus. The jumps in plot and narrative are never jarring or confusion, as they overlap and fuse so well with one another to advance the story. We even get a chance to watch characters listen in through closed doors on other characters — and watch those other characters have that conversation on the other side of the closed doors. It was fun and fascinating and wonderful.

  More and more information about the Shadowhunter world is revealed in here as well. We get a taste of the culture, rituals, and meanings behind runes, books, and laws. I feel it is explained better in this series than Mortal Instruments, but Clare has dipped her toes in this world far longer at this point after her first publication. While Mortal Instruments carries more about the Shadowhunter travels and lots of information on Downworlders, Infernal Devices captures the Victorian culture and importance of rules and rituals, which works so nicely with explaining Shadowhunter rules and rituals too.

  Finally, as a lover of all things Victorian, I enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the numerous name-droppings of literary works the characters mention throughout the book. There are instances when Will truly did act like Sydney Carton or appear like Heathcliff, or when Tessa experienced a similar wandering through the moors like Jane Eyre. My appreciation for Charlotte’s name deepened as well (Charlotte Branwell, of Charlotte and Branwell Bronte), and all of Henry’s wacky inventions and scientific enthusiasm (at an age when science was becoming more exciting).

  I could gush about this book for forever. I don’t believe I need to share a photo of a page from the epilogue, stained entirely with my tears. (Note on the epilogue: Normally epilogues are poor things to make things tie together nicely. This was not. This epilogue was perfection and I am entirely pleased with it.)

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: action/adventure, genre: fantasy, genre: history, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Snobs” by Julian Fellowes

  Posted at 2:45 pm by Laura, on March 11, 2013

  Snobs by Julian Fellowes 

  Publisher: St Martin’s
  Publishing Date: 2004
  Genre: fiction
  ISBN: 9781250020369
  Goodreads: 3.35
  Rating: ★★

  Edith Lavery, an English blonde with large eyes and nice manners, is the daughter of an accountant and his social-climbing wife. When Charles, the Earl of Broughton, proposes marriage to her, she accepts. But is she in love with Charles, or with his wealth, his position, and all that goes along with them? When a television company, complete with a gorgeous leading man, descends on Broughton Hall to film a period drama, Edith must take the true measure of Charles, herself, and the aristocratic world she thought she was so eager to join.

  Edith, a beautiful and kind English young woman, is introduced to the Earl of Broughton after touring Broughton Hall. Although not a social-climber herself, she is drawn to his lifestyle and the ways of his class. She agrees to marry him, but suddenly finds life dull. One day, when actors and a camera crew arrive on her doorstep, she is swept off her feet and begins to question her decisions.

  While I found the social commentary amusing, intellectual, and informative, I had no invested interest in any of the characters. In fact, the commentary was more interesting than the plot. Fellowes, known for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, is a brilliant story-teller, so I was taken aback when I found myself bored. Part of it could be Edith’s bland character, the nameless narrator’s creepily informed knowledge base, the double-meanings from the aristocrats, and Charles passionless expressions.

  A neat insight on the English social class with a lackluster plot.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Shadow on the Crown” by Patricia Bracewell

  Posted at 2:07 pm by Laura, on March 5, 2013

  Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell 

  Publisher: Viking
  Publishing Date: February 2013
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780670026395
  Goodreads: 4.01
  Rating: ★★★★★

  In 1002, fifteen­-year-old Emma of Normandy crosses the Narrow Sea to wed the much older King Athelred of England, whom she meets for the first time at the church door. Thrust into an unfamiliar and treacherous court, with a husband who mistrusts her, stepsons who resent her and a bewitching rival who covets her crown, Emma must defend herself against her enemies and secure her status as queen by bearing a son.

  Determined to outmaneuver her adversaries, Emma forges alliances with influential men at court and wins the affection of the English people. But her growing love for a man who is not her husband and the imminent threat of a Viking invasion jeopardize both her crown and her life.

  Based on real events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Shadow on the Crown introduces readers to a fascinating, overlooked period of history and an unforgettable heroine whose quest to find her place in the world will resonate with modern readers.

  Emma, sister of Duke Richard of Normandy, is sent to become England’s queen and wife of King Æthelred II — otherwise known as Æthelred the Unready. Hoping this marriage would bring about peace and trust between Normandy and England, and an allied front against the Vikings, Emma quickly forges alliances with nobles and clergy to solidify respect and honor due her. As months and years pass, and the threat of Danish ships striking England with each passing season, Emma begins to feel her power over Æthelred and England rise and fall.

  The first of a well-researched and excellently crafted trilogy, Bracewell sheds light on the first queen of England that shaped the history we know today. She is the aunt of William the Conqueror and mother of Edward the Confessor. While the names and events are taken directly from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Bracewell took liberties with theories floating around in historical debates and fictionalizes the missing pieces. In her author’s note, she states which bits are heavily fictionalized — affairs, character personalities — and which have some bits of truth that needed to be fleshed out. For anyone interested in English history, this is the novel to read.

  The language is steeped in historical accuracy. Old English names, such as Æthelstan, Ælfgifu, Wulfhilde, and Ælfric, as well as Old English words, like wyrd, ætheling, cyrtel, and skald, help to shape the culture and place the reader deep in the early 1000s, when kings were chosen by God, prayers and Christian strength could change the turn of events, and pagan prophecies and curses loomed around every corner. The portions of the book I found difficult to read but understood its historical accuracy dealt with rape and the mistreatment of women. I had to remind myself that women were considered property, sometimes even less than property. Men could rape, hit, throw, and threaten women to get their way, even if the woman was a queen, a lady, a servant, or even a sister or daughter. But I must say, these women knew the power they could have over men, and used it to their advantage. They were angered about their mistreatment (and yes, accepted it, as was true of the times), but always rose up and became stronger from it. Even Emma, after her first experience in the hands of rage, went through a period of self-hate before forming a steel-hard shield around her emotions.

  Moving on.

  I thought Bracewell’s use of perspective was fantastic, as well. Although the story is about Emma, we also peek into Æthelred’s tortured mind — his mistrust of everyone, the hauntings of his past, his twisted logic — and his son Æthelstan’s torn heart — his love for Emma, his desire to take the throne due to his father’s ill-management of the country. We also peek into Elgiva’s mind, the daughter of the ealdorman of Northumbria, and watch as she tries to make her presence known in the royal court. History has something far different for her in store, and the reader can only assume its her father’s doing. These different perspectives, including Emma’s, allow the reader to see the corruption in royal courts. No one directly states what they are thinking. Every word spoken is masked with hidden meanings, and thus all actions and interpretations are misconstrued. It was interesting to see how twisted Æthelred would misunderstand Emma’s good intentions, or how Emma would misread Æthelstan’s desires.

  I am really looking forward to the second and third books. This novel sparked far more interest in English history than I ever thought possible, and now that I know what will happen soon to Emma — and after glimpsing some of those historical people pop up in the book as characters — I want to see how Bracewell weaves history and fiction together to create a beautiful new chronicle of Emma’s life. I highly recommend this book. A wonderful read.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: history, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott

  Posted at 4:28 pm by Laura, on February 28, 2013

  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

  Published: “Little Women” 1868, “Good Wives” 1869
  Publisher: originally Roberts Brothers
  Genre: American classics
  ISBN: [varies]
  Goodreads: 3.97
  Rating: ★

  Disclaimer: As this review may be harsh, please note that this was the first time I read it, and am not a fan of nineteenth-century American literature in the first place. My particular fondness lies in nineteenth-century British literature, as the writing style and its rhythm, in my opinion, are far more cultivated. Immense spoilers ahead.

  This near-autobiographical novel follows the lives of sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March across several years during and after the American Civil War just outside of New England. Meg is the eldest, very beautiful, and knows how to run a household. Her domestic qualities and patience with children aid her in finding a husband, although by the end of Part II (Good Wives) Meg feels caged in this domestic sphere and attempts to find the silver-lining in her situation. Jo, the tomboy of the family, is quick to anger but vastly creative. She pursues friendship and a self-sustaining career over the domestic life. She scoffs at Theodore “Teddy” “Laurie” Lawrence’s proposal, and falls into the arms of The Professor, and older, German, scholarly man and claims it is love. Beth, quiet, subservient, and gentle, is everyone’s pet. She is beloved by all, but very weak and is ill throughout the novel. She seems to fill the role of the pitied woman, the beautiful but poor creature, the angel no one dares to scar with life’s difficulties. Amy, spoiled and the youngest of the family, desiring wealth and trinkets, is adored and indulged for her fantasies and wishes. When Jo turns away Laurie, Laurie runs to Amy instead, knowing his wealth and knowledge would bring comfort to her.

  Alcott wrote Little Women in six weeks. After its success, she wrote Good Wives, the second part to Little Women and now published in one collective volume, and had it published within the year. She wrote a chapter a day for Good Wives, and it certainly looks like that. The writing is very plain and drab. Alcott may have been an editor, but she did not seem to have a grasp for intricate plotting.

  One of the qualities I admire in nineteenth-century British literature is that you’re guaranteed a plot or adventure of some sort. A mystery, a scandal to discover, a marriage to form or break, an inheritance to gain. From the first few chapters, the reader can grasp the plot and run along with it. There’s a desire to read all the way to the end, because the plot is invested in something and only the end can reveal it all.

  With Alcott’s Little Women, particularly part one, there was no plot whatsoever. It opens with the girls complaining about being poor on Christmas. It follows their day-to-day lives. There is no sense of direction or ending. It was nice to read about the blossoming friendship between Laurie and Jo, the tension and platonic or romantic love around the two of them, but there was no path for the novel to take. The only glimpse the reader gets of a war even happening is when Father is ill on the front. That is it.

  In part two, it felt indulgent. Indulgent towards the readers of the time that begged for more. It was also incredibly preachy. Every chapter, even in part one, had a moral to it that the characters shrugged after discovering it and said, “Well, I did wrong, now I know what to do right, and I shall do it from now on! Hurray!” Even Alcott must have been told she had too many moral stories, and clearly she didn’t give a damn:

  [Jo] looked at the marked passages and was surprised to find that all the moral reflections — which she had carefully put in as ballast for much romance — had been stricken out.

  “But, sir, I thought every story should have some sort of moral, so I took care to have a few of my sinners repent.”

  “People want to be amused, not preached at, you know. Morals don’t sell nowadays;” which was not quite a correct statement, by the way.

  Really, Alcott? I’m sure most of the readers begging for more of the March sisters wanted to see Laurie and Jo marry. I know I certainly was. I had hoped the direction this novel was taking was towards a wedding between the two. They know each other so well, they have mutual love and respect for one another, and a deep understanding. It was jarring to watch Jo cast Laurie aside and instead go for a dull, less invested man. It hurt to read Laurie calling Amy a decent replacement for Jo.

  I understand that Alcott was trying to make a statement about the outcomes of women’s lives in that time. One marries and either lives happily and securely in wealth, contented and poor but somewhat independently, or at first for love that is later ruined and broken. And Beth’s role felt snubbed too. That the best of women suffer the greatest, and simply live to show others the good moral path: to be self-sacrificing and serving others always.

  It did not leave me feeling empowered like I do with Jane Eyre; I was not left with passion like I do with Wuthering Heights; there was no examination and acceptance of crossing gender roles like in Woman in White; and there was no examination of the realistic economic, political, and personal struggles like in David Copperfield. I was disappointed. Fans of Alcott may have read this when they were younger. I can see this writing style appealing to younger crowds. But as I’m older, and this is my first read, I was left wanting. With little plot, too much preaching, and an unrealistic and unsatisfactory ending for the characters properly suited to others, I’m sad to say I did not enjoy this book in the least.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: classics, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Tragedy Paper” by Elizabeth LaBan

  Posted at 11:04 am by Laura, on February 25, 2013

  The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan 

  Publisher: Knopf
  Publishing Date: January 2013
  Genre: young adult
  ISBN: 9780375870408
  Goodreads: 3.83
  Rating: ★★★★

  Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim’s surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.

  Tim, a relatively confident and good-hearted teenage boy, transfers to Irving School for his final semester of senior year in hopes that his social outcast days as an albino will be gone. At the airport, he runs into the energetic Vanessa, and they strike a sweet and unlikely friendship. When they realize they’re going to be classmates, and Vanessa’s popular but near-abusive athletic boyfriend catches a whiff of their friendship, everything is set on edge. Told through two perspectives — Tim, through CD recordings he left for Duncan, and Duncan, the present-day senior and then-junior in Tim’s story — this heartbreaking story of first love and first tragedy will make your soul ache for a happy resolve.

  First and foremost, the summary provided by the publisher is misleading. Tim wants to be unnoticed for his albino traits, specifically; he desperately wants friends. Vanessa never outright states she would never be with Tim because of her social status. In fact, Tim is quite friendly with the other students, and they reciprocate. The part Vanessa would have to kiss goodbye is her complicated and abusive relationship with her boyfriend — he’s difficult to let go and both Vanessa and Tim know that a break-up from Vanessa would only lead to violence on Patrick’s part. Their extremely close friendship is more of a secret from Patrick rather than the school. Finally, the teacher who assigns the Tragedy Paper is not “the least forgiving” — no, students love him! He’s fun and entertaining and loves to bake! What’s unforgiving is the paper he assigns.

  Phew. With that out of the way, time for a review of the story.

  I love how Tim is portrayed. We sympathize with him just like any other protagonist — we want what he wants, we fear what he fears. I’m glad LaBan did not make Tim self-pitying about his being albino. There were moments of insecurity, just like any other teenager would have, about his appearance. His life was most crippling through his eyes, as they’re far more sensitive to light than those of us with pigmentation and other sorts of protection. It’s what I can only guess as an accurate portrayal of an albino: they worry about their fair skin, light eyes, and weak sight, but they are no different in any other way when it comes to daily life. LaBan could have easily made Tim whine and moan but she didn’t. That was fantastic.

  The tense moments between Patrick and Tim had me on edge. You never knew if Patrick would end up saying or doing something to Vanessa after conversations with Tim, or if he would attack Tim at any moment. Tim, though an outcast in more ways than one, was very perceptive of Patrick’s quick moods and danced around them effortlessly. He was cautious, but brave.

  My least favorite character was Duncan. I could have done without his narrative. Tim’s voice, first person and recorded on CD (which we were reminded of throughout with phrases and interjections like “I know you were there and saw what happened but I just need to explain my story” or “You may have heard this rumor but let me set this straight”), was interesting, interactive, inviting, soothing, and even foreboding. Duncan, third person perspective, was dull and underdeveloped. Thankfully he’s not in there very long. The parallel story-lines helped amp the sense of dread, but I think this book could have worked just fine without Duncan’s perspective.

  This was a book I could not put down. I ache to hear Tim’s voice.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Seraphina” by Rachel Hartman

  Posted at 8:43 am by Laura, on February 22, 2013

  Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 

  Publisher: Random House
  Publishing Date: July 2012
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780375866562
  Goodreads: 4.12
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

  Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

  Seraphina, a remarkable musician and uniquely perceptive human, joins the Goredd court as Music Mistress, assistant to the royal court composer. Her arrival coincides with the death of Prince Rufus, an honorable man who aimed to maintain peace between the dragons and Goreddis. With the help of her teacher Orma, a dragon in human form, and her friends Prince Lucian Kiggs and Princess Glisselda, Seraphina helps to uncover the mystery behind Prince Rufus’s murder while keeping her own dragon secrets under wraps. The fate of the kingdom and its uneasy relations with dragons falls on her shoulders.

  Seraphina is a wonderfully fantastic conglomeration of medieval lifestyle, Restoration-esque religious zeal, steampunk machinery, Enlightenment philosophy, beautifully lush musical diction, and high fantasy atmosphere. Phew. It may seem daunting and overwhelming, this 450-page first installment, but the second the reader steps into Seraphina’s inquisitive and perceptive mind, one becomes part of that world. The language, the scenery, the lifestyle — it all becomes incredibly familiar, as if one has lived this sort of life before. This novel was refreshing. Young adult high fantasy, written well, is very rare. Hartman wrote the book seeming to understand that young adult readers can be intelligent too, can desire the full range of emotional complexity, can understand rich diction, and can hear the music described in the book in their heads. Oh, it was wonderful!

  Though there are no dragons in the real world, Seraphina’s struggles as half dragon are immensely relatable. This is a coming-of-age piece, a true painting of self-discovery and self-acceptance. We journey through her neat separation of living the life of an ordinary human, and jumping over to her teacher Orma’s instructions on how to maintain “ard” (a calming, logical, meditative state dragons accomplish) so that her dragon side is under control. As the story progresses, these two parts of her life merge, and she must come to an understanding with who she is in order to move forward.

  The saints, slang, and cast of characters are introduced and given a brief description quite early in the book and rarely explained again. A massive thanks to Hartman for providing a glossary at the back of the book, containing the index of characters, the saints and what they are for, and the human and dragon slang in Goredd. Halfway through the book I stopped referring to this helpful section because it was no longer necessary to understand the story. Hartman truly immerses the reader into the world.

  Absolutely stunning.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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