Book Review — With the Fire on High

Title:  With the Fire on High Author:  Elizabeth Acevedo Genre:  YA contemporary Pages:  Hardback 388 ISBN:  978-0-06-266283-5 Opening Lines:  "Babygirl doesn't cry when I suck my teeth and undo her braid for the fourth time."

Rating

"Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago's life has been about making the tough decisions, doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen. There, she lets her hands tell her what to cook, listening to her intuition and adding a little something magical every time, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

"Even though she's always dreamed of working in a kitchen after she graduates, Emoni knows that it's not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she's made for her life—and everyone else's rules, which she refuses to play by—once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free."

~ Jacket copy

After taking a YA literature course in college, I have fallen in love with the genre.  Sometimes the stories tend to be far richer and deal with complex issues.  It is not uncommon to find me reaching for a YA book over anything else.  Frankly, some of the YA horror out there is far more terrifying than anything leading horror novelists write!  In addition, as a middle/high school English teacher, I am always on the lookout for new books to add to my classroom library or suggest to my more reluctant readers.  While cruising Instragram, this book popped up on one of my fav teacher pages.  The premise seemed interesting and the cover art alone was gorgeous!  I quickly ran to the local library and got a copy.
 

The story is about a young girl growing up in Philly and trying to find her way in the world.  Be struggles with acceptance because of race, being a young mother, and her aspirations to be a chef.   

This book was one of the few DNFs.  I truly wanted to like it and feel something for Emoni.  She has huge dreams and wants to rise above the label of "teen mother".  Unfortunately, the resemblance to my favorite Kerry Russell movie was too much for me to overlook.

The first 100 pages of the book fails to tell a story.  There are hints here and there of the author moving the audience to Emoni eventually taking a trip to Spain; however, nothing happens for a third of the book.  One three page chapter will briefly discuss Emoni's first period class and the next will talk about her absentee father.  The constant shift between random stories to build a backstory and her current life disrupts the narrative flow.  As a reader, it is hard to determine whether I am reading a story about a young teen mom talking about her past or trying to show her struggle in the present. 

Emoni is a flat character.  As a reader, you want to find a way to either connect with the protagonist or feel something for them.  When the book opens, however, it feels as though all of Emoni's growth and development happened between her freshman and senior years in high school.  At this point, she has dealt with all of the adversity of being a pregnant teen/struggles with the social stigma and now, at the start of this book, all of her dreams are coming true.  Because of that, there is no true conflict. 

The prose is extremely choppy and rudimentary at best.  Some word choices add a bit of flare; however, they do not fit with the overall writing style.  I found myself shaking my head and completely baffled by many of the word choices.  This is my first venture into Acevedo, so I am not familiar with her writing style.

Honestly, this book has amazing potential and I am exceedingly pleased that people appear to enjoy it!  From what I did manage to read, it shows teens that it is possible to overcome some pretty crazy hardships; however, they need to be willing to put in the hard work and not give up.  For me, however, this book just fell flat and lacked execution.      

Book Review — Crossed

Title:  Crossed Author:  Ally Condie Genre:  YA Dystopia Pages:  Hardback, 367 Publisher:  Penguin Group ISBN:  978-0-525-42365-2 Opening Lines:  "I'm standing in a river.  It's blue.  Dark blue.  Reflecting the color of the evening sky."

Rating

"Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky—taken by the Society to his sure death—only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

"Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's points of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever."

~ Jacket copy

Matched has been sitting on the shelf in the classroom staring at me for quite some time.  It didn't help that the school librarian kept suggesting it.  However, it was a book I had already read and didn't remember particularly enjoying.  (A look back at my previous post shows that I was correct).  Despite my better judgment—while packing up endless boxes of books for my head teacher—I decided to give Matched another chance and then get further into the series.  It didn't help that Reached was on the book shelf in my mentor teacher's classroom.  It appeared as though I was . . . doomed!

At the conclusion of Matched, the readers see Ky sent to the Outer Provinces and Cassia on a train with her family as their being relocated for her mother's new job assignment—or so they've been told.  When Crossed starts, Ky is serving in what looks like the military and Cassia is in a work camp.  Through these limitations and no idea where the other is at, Cassia sets off on a trek to find Ky as he is trying to escape from certain death.

To be honest, the second time around, I actually enjoyed Matched more than I did the first time.  It might have been for the escapist value.  That being said, I cannot say the same for the second book.  The concept of the split narration gives an interesting spin on books and allows the reader a peak into the minds and rationale of the other main characters; however, it has been overdone.  In addition, it needs to be done well.  Granted, Ky had all the potential of being an interesting character in the first book, but narrating the story from his side did not add any depth.  Condie would have been better served by not splitting the narration.  As it stands, it detracting from the story.

Between the first and second book, something was lost.  I did not feel the same connection to the characters in this book.  They felt rather one dimensional and banal.  Cassia always was a tad bit vapid, but it felt as though this book turned her into a flat archetype of a heroine.  Not only that, there was little to no development and she fell into typical stereotypes.  The same can be said about Indie and Eli.

The book took too long building to the climax and then the "resolution".  Looking back at it, I wonder if there truly was a full climax in the book.  There was the possible threat of the Society swooping down and taking them away; however, it was never really followed.  The biggest problem they dealt with was the green pills and the chance of a flash flood.  Not only that, the end was rushed.  

All in all, this book was adequate as far as a sequel.  It left a lot to be desired.  Considering the previous book, I am not too surprised at how this one turned out.  I'm not sure whether I will take the time to pick up the third book.  After skipping large chunks of needless word vomit, I am happy that this was a library book.   

Zombie Month Book Review -- Zombie Queen of Newbury High

Title:  Zombie Queen of Newbury High
Author:  Amanda Ashby
Genre:  YA with zombies
Pages:  Oversize paperback 199
Published:  2009
Opening Lines:  "Mia Everett was doomed.  It was a fact she had known ever since Rob Ziggerman walked into biology class half an hour earlier."


"Quiet, unpopular, noncheerleading Mia is blissfully happy Rob—super hot football god—has asked her to prom!  Life couldn't get any better.  Enter Samantha—cheerleader queen and Miss Popular—who has made it quite clear that Rob should be her prom date.  Mia is desperate to make sure she doesn't end up dumped in front of the whole school.  So with prom in just a few days, she turns to Candice—her holistic, hypochondriac—and decides to try a love spell to make Rob stay with her.  Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus on her whole class instead, and she is their zombie leader!  At first, she loves all the attention.  But when she learns from zombie hunter hottie Chase that her classmates will actually try to eat her in a few days, she's not too thrilled.  She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but in the meantime, she's suggesting that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts:  After reading the title, I was rather intrigued by the book.  However, I admit that I was a little skeptical about whether the book would be good and still manage to have a plot.  Even though this book is full of teenage angst, it was a surprise.

When Rob starts sitting by Samantha in bio and forgetting about her, Mia freaks out that he is backing out on his invite to the prom.  While accompanying Candice to a holistic shop, she is convinced into casting a love spell to make sure her plans with Rob will not be ruined.  However, after casting the spell at a senior assembly, something different happens.  Candice starts eating meat, everyone is focused on her, she is receiving junk food gifts in her locker, and so on.  While she could deal with a love spell, she is not ready to find out that her whole senior class and a few teachers have been turned into zombies.  And this new found popularity comes with a price—she is at the top of the menu.

In a lot of ways, this book was extremely predictable.  However, I felt that the author gave a new and interesting twist to the zombie virus and how it manifests.  Also, the whole concept of a zombie queen.  Even though her sister pissed me off to no end, I really felt all of the characters did a good job supporting the plot.  They also made exceptional zombie scenery.

This book is extremely light and a fast read.  There are times I rolled my eyes and got upset by their portrayal of Candice and Latin (*ahem* I did take a few years of Latin and spent 5hrs/day translating the Odyssey, Ovid, etc.).  However, I ended up enjoying this book.  With all the stress of my job, it managed to keep me from going insane.

If you need a light read and like zombies, I would definitely pick this one up! 

Rating:
Current Pages: 4159
Current Progress:

12/50 books

Book Review -- The Dead-Tossed Waves

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Pages: Oversize paperback, 404
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going. They said it reminded them of before the time."

"Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town near the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up on the hill while she warches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's every known, and all she needs for happiness.

"But life after the Return is never sae, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

"Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

"One night beyond the Barrier . . .

"One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery . . .

"One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

"Gabry knows only one thing: if she is the have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts: After reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I rushed to my computer to hold the next two books at the library. Even though I loved The Enemy, I think Ryan's books are the best YA zombie novels I've ever read! However, since I didn't read the back before I started it (I knew it had to be good!!), I was not ready for the book to start with Mary's daughter. I loved Mary from the previous book, but I really liked how Ryan decided to follow her teenage daughter. It gave a different element of the book.

After a late night adventure with friends beyond the Barrier, Gabry's whole life is changed in a way she could never imagine. While the teenagers race to the roller coaster, a Breaker attacks them. Several of the teens are bitten, including Gabry's crush. And if the children being bitten is bad enough, the teens that do survive are forced into a ranks of the Recruiters. Without giving anything away, Gabry is forced onto the trails that leads into the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary's book of Shakespeare's sonnets help guide her and her companions.

The first lines of the book drew me into the book in a different way. I felt fully immersed in this book! The talk about the roller coaster made me think of Zombieland. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked Gabry/ Mary was spunky and always yearned for something more. She had a wild spirit that could not be sated. Gabry, however, is drastically different. Where Mary desired for freedom, Gabry was content to live out her life in Vista and the lighthouse. I wasn't sure whether I would like Gabry as the narrator; however, I couldn't imagine the story any other way! It helped the reader grow along with her.

Even though I adored the first book, this one is my favorite . . . So far! The characters are engaging, and I loved the element of the zombie cult. As disturbing as it was, it was nice to show that people reacting differently to the Return. Also, the history behind the villages in the forest and on the coast added a nice history. I am really curious to see how Ryan plays on this in the next book.

If you enjoyed the first book, I would definitely recommend this one! It is a fast paced, engaging, and action packed read.


Rating:
Currently: The Dead and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
Current Pages: 26703
Current Progress:

74/50 books

Book Review -- The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA post-apocalyptic
Pages: Oversize paperback, 308
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "My mother used to tell me about the ocean. She said there was a place where there was nothing but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away."

"In Mary's world, there are simple truths.

"The Sisterhood always knows best.

"The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.

"And you must always mind the fences that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

"But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. and, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

"Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?"

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: I have been picking this book up since it was published. I still am unsure why it never ended up in my bag of books I purchased from the book store. However, after seeing it popping up all over the book blogging community, I decided to check out our local library. As I'm sure it is the same for all of you, nearing Christmas cash is a little tight, so no more book book purchases for a bit . . . :'(

Anyways . . . Reading the back, I never suspected that the Unconsecrated referred to zombies. The book struck me as a something akin to The Village. Boy was I wrong! Instead of escaping from society and forming a pseudo-utopia, the people in this book are just a little community of people left after the zombie apocalypse (what the book calls the Return). Even though the isolation is similar to The Village, that is where the similarities end. From what I gathered, the Sisterhood knows that it is possible for other communities to exist; however, they are unsure. And all Mary knows is that a fenced-off path that leads into the Forest is forbidden, which she never really questioned until she sees footprints . . .

The story follows this group of young people coming of age in this small community. After her mother dies, Mary is thrown into a life in the Sisterhood. However, after the fence is breached, the young people are forced to find a safe haven along the forbidden path. The book really questions our desires and drive, and what we consider to be enough.

While zombies are a devise to move the plot forward, I felt they offered a good antagonist without making any one character "bad." Further, the scenery in the story is well described and allows the reader to picture it for themselves without getting bogged down in details. Even though Mary is the central character, through Mary the reader is given a good picture of the supporting characters. However, in some ways I cannot understand the full 180 change in Cass. I wonder whether it was meant that way. Since it is a first person narrative from Mary's perspective, the author might want the reader in the dark and learn along with Mary.

My favorite part of the book was in the three-story house. Finding the chests full of clothing and pictures was exquisitely written.

However, because I pointed it out in the previous book I reviewed, there was an inconsistency I noticed. While Travis is confessing to Mary in the tree, he kneels in front of her and takes her hands in his. However, the next comment about him is that he flexes his hands on the windowsill. Hmm . . . What was he doing during his monologue? When did her drop her hands?

This book was hard to put down. I found myself wanting to read all night; however, my eyes refused to stay open! It is a fast paced novel, but doesn't lack in plot or substance. Rather, the pacing is a reflection of the urgency and anxiety the characters are feeling. So far, this my favorite YA zombie book! Needless to say, I just placed the next two books on hold at the library *squee*

Rating:
Currently: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Current Pages: 25178
Current Progress:

70/50 books

Book Review -- The Replacement

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Genre: YA supernatural, fairytale
Pages: Oversize paperback, 343
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have. Everything is cold and branches scrape the window screen."

"Mackie is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement -- left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, he is slowly dying in the human world.

"Mackie would give anything to live a normal life, play his bass, and find out more about an oddly intriguing girl named Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, he is drawn into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the slag heap and find his rightful place, in our world -- or theirs."

~Jacket copy

Thoughts: I've wanted to read this book for a long time, but they never seem to have it at our local bookstores. One night, while trying to find a movie, I saw it sitting on the shelf at our local Hastings. And, to add wonder to merriment, it was on sale!! There was no way I could resist! Even though we were really strapped for cash, my hubby told me that we had enough to spend $7. w00t!

The concept behind this book really caught my attention. I've always been interested in the faeries, the Celtic Otherworld (COW), the supernatural, etc. In some ways, teenagers already feel as though they don't belong. I felt that taking the Changeling story and putting it into a modern day setting with young adults was perfect! Also, the darker elements of the story caught my fancy as well. Although I'm not sure how you can have this type of story without that ^_~

I felt that the author tried to stay true to the legends of the fae. It really struck me that Mackie had extreme issues with metal (however, I always learned that it was an aversion to iron not all metal, but, hey, I went with it). She really played it up, even having blood cause him serious issues.

The way she portrayed the Morrigan was a little weird to me. The Lady kind of addresses the change, but never really goes into any detail. I'm used to the Morrigan appearing on the battlefields and such; however, in the book she appeared as a little child. When she crawled into Mackie's lap, I was completely weirded out! I also thought her requiring him to play with the band as payback for his sister seeking favors was a little weird.

Along those lines, I really wish the author played with that a little more. I felt a big deal was made about the band, Carlina, Mackie playing with them, etc., but then it kind of dwindled. I also wonder how much she truly knows about some of the music she is writing about. For example, the words to Yellow Ledbetter are extremely controversial since Eddie Vedder changes the discernible lyrics at every concert, he has never been forthright with what the lyrics actually are (in fact, he jokes about whether there actually are lyrics to the song!), etc.

Aside from some of my little soap boxes, I really liked the book. Admittedly, it has taken me awhile to get through it . . . Playing Arkham Asylum before Arkham City comes out *sheepish grin* But, on the whole, I think this book would be a pretty quick read. It's not complex, but it doesn't lack. I'm really excited about the author's new book, The Space Between!

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Hammer of Thor by S. Evan Townsend and Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wood
Current Pages: 21511
Current Progress:

60/50 books

Book Review -- The Kneebone Boy

Title: The Kneebone Boy
Author: Ellen Potter
Genre: YA adventure
Pages: Hardback, 282
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "There were three of them. Otto was the oldest, and the oddest. Then there was Lucia, who wished something interesting would happen. Last of all was Max, who always thought he knew better."

"The Hardscrabble children are weird.

"Otto doesn't speak.

"Lucia is shamelessly candid.

"And Mas likes to sit on the roof of their house.

"Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids toy like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt on holiday, the children take off on an adventure that ends in a peculiar seaside village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal . . ."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: This book follows the story of three siblings on their adventure in the castle folly and the Kneebone castle. After being sent to a relative in London -- and finding she was really in Berlin -- the Hardscrabble children end up journeying to a small town on the coast in search of a great aunt none of the three had met -- or knew existed! While there, they learn amazing secrets that will change their lives.

I'm not sure what I expected when I got this book from the library. From the over and the description, I definitely predicted the dark, strange children that the book follows. Even though the children were strange, I found them extremely endearing! Though I guessed who the narrator ultimately was, I felt that keeping the narrator unnamed really did add to the story. We are told, "I can't tell you which Hardscrabble I am . . . because I've sworn on pain of torture not to. They said it's because the story belongs to all three of us . . ." This was a good choice!

When everything is fully revealed, it makes perfect sense. However, I didn't see it coming! I felt as though I was swept up into the adventure with the three children. It was hard to put the book down, because I was dying to know what would happen next.

This book was lovely! The writing style is simple, yet it doesn't lack or want for anything. The characters are extremely different and amazingly colourful! This was a very well craft story, and, I must say, it has been one of the better books I have read this year! I would highly recommend it!

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Current Pages: 11958
Current Progress:

34/50 books

Book Review -- Nightshade

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Genre: YA urban fantasy, supernatural romance
Pages: Hardback, 452
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "I'd always welcomed war, but in battle my passion rose unbidden."

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything -- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: This book follows the story of 17-year-old Calla Tor. She is facing her upcoming union with Ren, which will join the Bane and Nightshade teenagers together as a third pack. While she has always known this, after saving Shay from a bear, she starts to question her duty. Even though these simple questions seem innocent enough, given her age and her first interest in a boy, they lead to much more dangerous questions and actions. Calla is forced to come face-to-face with a truth her never expected, and her actions will change her life and the rest of the Guardians'.

This book is not what I expected. From the description on the duster flap and from Goodreads, I was expecting a pseudo-Twilight with wolves. However, this book blew me out of the water! I found myself tearing through the book while forcing myself to slow down and savor it. This book was nothing like the insipid Twilight series, and Calla was an actual heroine that had brains she was willing to listen to.

Lately, I've been on a YA kick. The library has been pretty well stocked, so I've taken advantage of that However, aside from books like The Hunger Games, I keep coming across heroines who are stupid, lack common sense, have not sense of self preservation, and hold nothing dear. They easily fall for the asshole who is stalking them or terrifying them. There is nothing that endears a reader to these girls, and it honestly makes one wonder what we are trying to teach our teenagers. Nightshade was completely different. It had the elements which seem to appeal to YA girls: The romance, the sexy guys fighting for Calla, struggling to find identity, etc. However, Calla doesn't go along with things just for the sake of it. When confronted with Shay and the book, she is extremely hesitant. Also, she has a lot of internal struggle over her union with Ren. While she is going to go ahead with it, she doesn't just blindly follow. It was nice to have a strong girl as the center of the story.

As for Ren, I felt sorry for him! It was hard not to. I appreciated that Cremer didn't automatically vilify him. It was obvious how much her cared for Calla and that he wanted to make it work. Unfortunately, he was also put into a pretty awful circumstance.

My one pet peeve:
On page 205, Shay makes a comment about the style of Latin pointing to the fact that it must be in Medieval/Renaissance period. Okay, I can accept that; however, his ability to read it is very doubtful.

Classical Latin is taught in schools. He can barely remember how to fully read Latin, and an English-Latin dictionary will not help give a fully accurate translation. Looking into Medieval Latin, talking to various professors (both Latin and Medieval Lit.), and reading parts of a Medieval Latin text books, they are very, very different. In addition, there was no standard and many local words were added to the vocabulary during those time periods.

To me, this is unbelievable. Also, having a doctorate in history, I would have thought the author would know that.

Aside from my Latin issue, I found the book very enjoyable! I would recommend it! I can hardly wait for the second book to come out. Luckily my hubby just got a job, so I'll be able to snatch it up as soon as it comes out! w00t!

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
Current Pages: 11676
Current Progress:

33/50 books

Book Review -- The Sight

Title: The Sight
Author: David Clement-Davies
Genre: YA fiction, beast fable
Pages: Paperback, 554'
Published: 2002
Opening lines: "In the beginning was a castle high on a craggy precipice. The air around it was so cold that it seemed the sky itself would crack like ice."

"In the shadow of an abandoned castle, a wolf pack seeks shelter. the she-wolf 's pups will not be able to survive the harsh Transylvanian winter. But something more threatening than the winter wind stalks the pack -- a long wolf, Morgra, possessed of a mysterious and terrifying power known as the Sight. And with her travels a raven, a bird that feeds on the dead.

"Morgra's arts show her that one of the pups born beneath the castle holds a key to the power even stronger than her own -- the power that could give her control of this world and the next. but the pack she hints is brave and loving. They will do anything to protect their own, even if it means setting in motion a battle that will involve all of nature, including the creature wolves fear the most -- Man."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: I picked up this book because I love wolves. It caught my attention several times, but I never bothered to buy it. However, when I found it at the library, I jumped at the opportunity! Even though I had an idea it dealt with wolves, I was not ready for a beast fable. It reminds me of Watership Down.

The storytelling in this book was intricate and simply beautiful. Clement-Davies has a way with words and is able to craft a beautiful world that is very three-dimensional and easy to get into. Even though it follows wolves as the central characters, I felt a kinship and closeness with them that is sometimes is hard to find in books following humans. He pulls Christian myth/themes very heavily into the book. But, even with that, it is a very, very dark story. It permeates the whole book and sets the mood. To me, it was effective.

That being said, I found this book rather hard to get into. At several points, I would force myself to read "just one more page." I found it interesting that the library shelves this book with adult sci-fi while it is actually geared toward the younger reader (12+). At that age, I would have had a hard time not putting this book down. It is extremely dense. Usually it takes me a week or less to read a book, and I found myself struggling through for 2 weeks! I enjoy reads that make you think and engage the reader, but this book just made me feel bogged down. While the majority of the book is a build up to the final conflict, I wondered if he could have done it in a less wordy/dense way. It wasn't until the last 20 pages that I felt the pace actually picked up. Yes, the final conflict will invariably bring action, there needs to be a little more interest in a book.

Aside from my feelings of being bogged down, my biggest issues is the author's lack of research into real wolves. The second breeding pair in the pack is an absolutely no-no. Also, the nearness of rival packs without the main pack knowing is unbelievable. And a whole pack will rear pups. It could have taken him a few minutes to skim a book and get this easily accessed information. Even though the story is beautifully crafted, this actually undermines it.

Rating: ☆ ☆
Currently: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Current Pages: 11224
Current Progress:

32/50 books

Book Review -- Soulstice

Title: Soulstice
Author: Simon Holt
Genre: YA suspense, horror
Pages: 266
Published: 2009
Opening Lines; "I kept my eyes closed, smelling the buttered popcorn and cotton candy, hearing the ding-dings of the Midway games, feeling the warm sun on my skin. I breathed in and opened my eyes, smiling in readiness for the fun day ahead."

"The Vours: Evil, demonic beings that in habit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

"Six months . . .

"Since Reggie first discovered the existence of the Vours in a tattered journal. Since her little brother, Henry, began to mutilate animals and turn against her. Since she learned to overcome her fear and destroyed a Vour to save Henry.

"Now as the summer solstice approaches, the Vours still haunt Reggie, but only in dreams -- until one night, when an unexpected visitor turns her nightmares into reality."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: This book picks up six months after the episode on the pond with Eben, Henry, Reggie, Aaron, and Quinn. After the disappearance of Quinn, Reggie's high school is plagued by police trying to determine what happened to the boy. When a friend is arrested in connection to the disappearance and Henry accosts his bully, Reggie realizes that the Vours are not done with her. In fact, it seems as though they are just beginning.

It is hard to say anything about this book without giving anything away. The story is detailed, completely interwoven, and intense! To be honest, I enjoyed The Devouring much better. However, to be fair, the first one was the build up with a lot of horror and nail-biting scenarios.

In some ways, this series reminds me of a less mature Stephen King. There is building sense of horror, of something wrong. The audience knows the Vours are out there, but they are just out of reach. There is a tension in the book that continues to build with every page.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Our Current Together Read: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Current Pages: 10670
Horror/Urban Fantasy Challenge: 16/24
Current Progress:

31/50 books

Book Review -- The Monstrumologist

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Title: The Monstrumologist
Author: Rick Yancey
Genre: YA, Victorian horror
Pages: Oversize paperback, 434
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "The director of facilities was a small man with ruddy cheeks and dark, deep-set eyes, his prominent forehead framed by an explosion of cottony white hair, thinning as it marched toward the back of his head, cowlicks rising from the mass like waves moving toward the slightly pink island of his bald spot."

"Will Henry is the orphan apprentice of a doctor with an unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. When a midnight visitor brings them the body of a young girl entwined with the corpse of an Anthropophagus, it is the start of the most mysterious case of Will Henry's life. Anthropophagi are headless monsters whose razor-sharp teeth are in their stomachs -- and they are supposed to be extinct in this part of the world. Now Will and the monstrumologist are in a race against time to put a stop to the plague of monsters before they kill again."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: Due to a misunderstanding, I read the sequel, Curse of the Wendigo, before this book. I felt that the author did a good job explaining things and, therefore, didn't feel lost without reading The Monstrumologist.

This book introduces the audience to the orphan, Will Henry. After years of services to the monstrumologist, his father dies with his mother in a fire. Whether out of some feelings of loyalty to his previous apprentice or care for the boy, the doctor takes Will into his home and makes him his new apprentice saying, "His services are indispensable to me." Because of his own issues with his father, his dedication to his trade, and extreme secretive nature, the doctor is very closed off from Will. The child is forced to grow up fast and face situations that are not deemed satisfactory for a child to encounter. Throughout the book, Will Henry struggles with these situations, his reactions to them, and the doctor's distance.

I felt that this book was a good introduction to the characters. In some ways, I understand Will Henry and the doctor better; however, I still feel as though I didn't lose anything reading the sequel first. In comparison, this book was much harder to get into. Knowing how much I enjoyed the sequel, I really pushed myself into the story. It was interesting and engaging, but it lacked something that the later book has. Some of this, of course, could be due to the fact that it is an introduction.

I would recommend this book. It was a good read. However, there is a lot of detail and it can be gruesome at many points. The descriptions of Verner in the sanitarium, the Anthropophagi encounters, etc. are very vivid and graphic. However, it makes everything feel real. Also, it makes the reader far more sympathetic to Will Henry and his unusual position.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: The Sight by David Clement-Davies
Current Pages: 10404
Current Progress:

30/50 books

Book Review -- Matched

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Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Genre: YA, romance
Pages: Hardback, 366
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "Now that that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night? My wings aren't white or feathered; they're green, made of green silk, which shudders in the wind and bends when I move -- first in a circle, then in a line, finally in a shade of my own invention."

"In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

"Cassia has always trust their choices. It's hardly any price to pay to a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow -- between perfection and passion."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: I've read a lot of reviews that say this book is nothing but a poor copy of The Giver. Sadly, I have not read that book. However, that makes me already poor estimation of this book drop even more.

Cassia lives in a world where every decision is made for you. At the beginning of the book, she sees absolutely nothing wrong with this. It isn't until another picture shows up on her Match screen and then the death of her grandfather. This storyline has a lot of promise. I felt that Condie could have taken it a lot of different places and really fleshed it out. However, she just let the ball drop.

This book, in one word, was boring. The measly amount of action takes place within 10-20 pages from the end of the book. Granted, there are a few "tense" moments, but they are quickly overshadowed or glossed over. When Xander alludes to something BIG happening in their neighborhood, he just lets the ball drop and won't tell Cassia. There are many, many missed opportunities like this throughout the book. She never takes them, never fleshes them out. I feel that she really didn't care too much for the story.

I've read a lot of reviews that call this a dystopian novel. I have to disagree. This is purely romance. While it is set in a seemingly dystopian society, the book itself is not. Cassia laments the choices that are made for them, the threat of Infractions, the Aberration status, etc.; however, it lacks something to be truly dystopian.

I will read the next book, but I'm not holding my breath. This book got a lot of hype, but it just wasn't worth it. If people are looking for a dystopian novel that challenges societal constraints, try something like 1984 or The Giver. Those, at least, are well written.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
Current Pages: 9970
Current Progress:

29/50 books

Book Review -- Hush, Hush

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA supernatural
Pages: Hardback, 391
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "Chauncey was with a farmer's daughter on the grassy banks of the Loire River when the storm rolled in, and having let his gelding wander in the meadow, was left to his own two feet to carry him back to the chateau. He tore a silver buckle off his shoe, place it in the girl's palm, and watched her scurry away, mud slinging on her skirts."

"Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

"But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

"For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it some to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: When I first saw this book on the shelf, it caught my attention. In fact, I think it is sitting on my Amazon wishlist ^_~ The concept seemed like it could be interesting. Imagine my surprise when the library actually had it sitting on the shelves!! But, after all the hype, this book has really fallen short. In some ways, looking at a lot of the books coming out that are geared toward teenage girls, I'm not too surprised. And that saddens me.

First, lets address Nora. Does this girl have an ounce of self-preservation in her body? After her dad is shot in a dark alley, you would think she would be far more paranoid and careful about things. Not only does she not think, but she completely goes against any rational thought that might cross through her mind. Knowing full well what happened to her father, she decides it is a good idea to head into a bad neighborhood and then charge down a dark alley. Does this make sense? And then there is her attraction to Patch. Okay, I understand being drawn to the bad guy, but this goes above and beyond that. At several points, she is convinced he is stalking her, she is afraid for her life around him, he makes her feel very uncomfortable, etc. Yet, through all of this, she can't leave him alone! There is stupid and then there is Nora.

Now, I have to wonder about her mother. Okay, your husband gets shot in a dark alley one night. Yes, being a stay at home mom, you're going to need to secure an income to support your daughter. However, does it makes sense to get a job that has you out of town several weeks a month? I understand wanting to keep the family home, but I would be extremely reluctant to leave my teenage daughter home alone after an incident like that. It seems very out of character for a parent to behave that way.

What is it with girls in YA books being attracted to lecherous, creepy old men? I don't get it! What message are we trying to send to our teenage girls?

Fitzpatrick spent more time trying to be mysterious in the book and less time developing the story/plot. It took too long for you to finally know to some extent what was going on. Granted, if you payed attention, you could probably put all the pieces together. However, the build up was too big for the puny, anti-climatic ending. On top of that, the characters were not well developed and were unbelievable. And here's a note to the author: Becca, GET A DECENT EDITOR!! I'm not sure how many times "eying" was spelled differently! Also, it is a pool CUE!

*sigh* I'm a fast reader and it took awhile to get through this book. I felt the concept was really interesting and a lot could have been done with it. However, I feel that it has fallen into the Twilight-trap. Admittedly, I will end up reading Crescendo. But, yeah, this novel really did not impress me too much.

Rating: ☆ ☆
Currently: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Current Pages: 9300
Current Progress:

27/50 books

In other news, Happy Easter!!!!

Book Review -- Water for Elephants

Title: Water for Elephants
Author: Sara Gruen
Genre: Fiction
Pages: Oversize paperback, 331
Published: 2006
Opening Lines: "Only three people were left under the red and white awning of the grease joint: Grady, me, and the fry cook. Grady and I sat at a battered wooden table, each facing a burger on a dented tin plate."

"Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

"Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival."

~ From Goodreads

Thoughts: The Depression-era train circus has always caught my attention. Since first seeing the old pictures and watching the pilot episode of Carnivale, something about it captured my attention. So, when I heard about Water for Elephants, I immediately ran down to the local Hastings and bought a copy. Unfortunately, it ended taking up space on my bookcase and made it through two moves before I finally pulled it back out. Since I finally got our paperbacks unpacked and on the shelves, I've had this book sitting in my TBR pile. I admit, seeing the ads for the movie brought it fully back to my attention. Even though I have three library books waiting to be read, this little treasure kept calling my name every time I would pass the bookcase containing the TBR pile. I finally gave in and picked it up late Sunday night. And I just finished it.

What can I say? I'm not sure why I waited so long to finally read this book. From the prologue, this book held my attention. Gruen's writing style and attention to detail is simply amazing! At several points, I felt as though I was actually watching the show or walking beside Jacob while working in the menagerie. It felt real. And the perverse, morbid sense of humor she gives Jacob as an elderly gentleman is laugh-out-loud hilarious! Although, I must admit, I found myself fuming over the treatment of our senior citizens. That, however, is a rant for another time!

The characters in this book are so rich and deep. It was hard not to form some sort of fondness for them. In addition, I found it amazing that Gruen was able to turn Rosie into a full character without completely humanizing her. Even though I have a strong bond to animals, I still felt a close connection to Rosie.

From a lot of her terminology, knowledge of trains, animals, freaks, etc., I really think that Gruen did a lot of research before writing this book. It makes it a lot more authoritative and realistic. While the story itself is fiction, it makes it that much more believable and credible to be interspersed with fact.

I will say that the happy ending, Jacob's extreme sensitivity, etc. might be seen as extremely campy. However, I felt that Gruen was trying to find something positive during the Depression. I feel that she did try to capture that, even though there was food a shelter, life on a train circus was not good either. The Depression was hard on everyone, and no one was left unaffected. So, while there was romanticizing occurring in the novel, it felt as though she was trying to make a fairytale in an unlikely setting. To me, that makes it even more endearing and tender. Many reviews I have read complain that she is trying to push an agenda with some of the issues she tackles, but, to me, this was just a romantic love story of two people finding each other against all odds. I do, however, have to laugh a little at the ending. That part might have been a bit over the top ^_~

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Pages: 8909
Current Progress:

26/50 books

Book Review -- Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA
Pages: Hardback, 380
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather. This is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood. Over there was the kitchen table."

"Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

"It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

"The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: With Katniss' rescue from the Quarter Quell and the uprising of the Districts, I really wondered how Collins was going to wrap this series up. The book starts sometime after Katniss is brought to District 13. She has been there long enough to get the lay of the land, find her hiding spots, etc. After being rescued, left out of the scheme, and leaving Peeta behind, she is completely broken and fractured; a mirror of her former self.

President Coin, the leader of District 13, and several other key members want Katniss to finally take up the role as Mockingjay and spearhead the rebellion. However, this doesn't mean being on front lines and fighting with the people. No, she has to become a TV star. Wearing Cinna's final costume, she must strut around with amazing engineered weapons and pretend.

Most of the book is spent following Katniss wander around District 13, struggle with her role of the Mockingjay, dealing wit her feelings towards Peeta, and just trying to hold it together. Unlike the other books, this is not a Katniss we are familiar with. In a lot of ways, her despondence feels very put on a self-involved. In Catching Fire, she kind of struggles with the idea of starting this revolution; however, she seems to run from it in the final installment.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. By far, it was not my favorite in the series. I felt how they handled Finnick's character was completely foreign to what we were shown in Catching Fire. I couldn't understand the willingness to follow President Coin when she seemed as corrupt as Snow. However, when faced with this rebellion, I feel that Collins is trying to broach the issue of war and what lengths people will go to. I find her commentary the strongest in the treatment of Katniss' prep team and the traps Beetee and Gale are creating. In an effort to overthrow the corruption of President Snow, the rebellion is no better. It is a slippery slope.

All in all, I did enjoy the book. Wanting to know exactly how it ended, I was driven through it. My problems reside with the treatment of some of the characters, Katniss' despondence, and the treatment of District 13. In addition, while it does wrap up the story, I felt as though something was missing. I felt that Collins could have dug into things a little more deeply. But, as it sits now, I feel that she barely scratched the surface.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Pages: 8578
Current Progress:

25/50 books

Book Review -- Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai

Title: Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
Author: Ruiyan Xu
Genre: Fiction
Edition: Kindle
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "Later, she would remember the crack in the building: a line splitting the cement, a body of veins crawling everywhere. It happened in slow motion. On a balcony two blocks away she watched the crumple of the Swan Hotel. Aortas feeding into arteries, capillaries branching off, slender, disappearing into the façade of the building. Carrying blood away from the heart. The hollow, sickening boom of it sucking all air out of her lungs."

"A massive explosion in a Shanghai hotel leaves 32-year-old businessman Li Jing unable to utter a single word in Chinese. Instead, he is only able to speak in halting English, which he learned as a child and which he last spoke at the age of 10. His family pays to bring in American neurologist Rosalyn Neal. Li Jing’s beautiful wife, Meiling, is left to try to run his financial consulting firm and to allay the anxiety of their young son. Because Li Jing and Rosalyn Neal, who has recently divorced, are both isolated by their inability to communicate in Chinese, they soon form a bond born of mutual fear and vulnerability. And Meiling, who always took her husband’s adoration for granted, is dealt another blow by the easy camaraderie of doctor and patient, which stands in such stark contrast to the married couple’s strained attempts to connect. Set in a dense, dizzyingly urban Shanghai, Xu’s elegant first novel affectingly addresses the way identity and language intertwine and the emotional anguish of estrangement." ~Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist

Thoughts: I don't read a lot of straight fiction, but I've found some very good ones over the years. This is one of them. It would be of interest to people interested in linguistics, the brain, human nature, Shanghai, or many other things, because all of these are important in the book.

We depend a lot on language to connect us to the people around us. Imagine losing the language you have spoken most of your life and being unable to talk to your family, your friends, your coworkers, your employees. Imagine the frustration of being cut from everyone you know by the barrier of language after never having that isolation before? This is Li Jing.

Imagine losing the ability to speak to your husband, the frustration of not being able to talk. The pain of him not being able to say your name correctly. Imagine having to take over duties he's always done with no experience in them yourself. You have to be strong for him, but is that what he needs? This is Zhou Meiling, Li Jing's wife.

Imagine being in China for the first time. You've always lived in the United States Midwest and have never been out of the country or to a city as big as Shanghai. Imagine not knowing the culture, not knowing the language, having no way to connect to the people around you. Imagine the isolation you would feel, trying to find your way in this strange place where nothing is familiar. This is Dr. Rosalyn Neal, the doctor the family brings over to work with Li Jing.

What would you do in any of these people's places? How would you adapt? How would you respond? How would you feel?

This book is more about experiencing the unknown and isolation and how people react than about the themes or about the city. The author does make you feel and see the city through the eyes of each of the characters, but she also makes you feel what they feel. She takes you there, not just to the setting, but to the mind, to the isolation, to the emotions.

Ruiyan Xu is an amazing author and I would read anything else she writes, regardless of the subject or genre.

Reviewed by:
~Raven

Book Review -- Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA
Pages: Hardback, 391
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "I clasp my flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air. My muscles are clenched tight against the cold."

"Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Game. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mallark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol -- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

"Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: After The Hunger Games, I wasn't sure how Collins would be able to follow it up. The book was so intense and jammed packed with action, excitement, heartache, and political commentary that I wasn't sure how Catching Fire would compare. After finishing it, I'm speechless. Everything in this book is more.

Once again, I am struck by how Collins is able to pull the audience into the story with Katniss. While the story does not have the same action level as the first book, the political intrigue is greater and Collins sets you up to pull the audience deeper into the story.

It is really hard to talk about this book and dissect it. It is as the name suggests, a catching fire. Katniss learns more about herself, the depth of the corruption in the Capitol, the oppression of all the Districts around her, etc. Because of the lessons learned and the development in the characters, this book was much, much deeper and had more impact to me.

Needless to say, once I finished this book, there was no way I could wait for the library! My hubby and I went on a quest to find Mockingjay at Wal*Mart, K-Mart, and finally gave up and bought it at Hastings! Collins and her cliffhangers are something else entirely!


Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 8188
Current Progress:

24/50 books

Book Review -- The Enemy

Ttile: The Enemy
Author: Charlie Higson
Genre: YA suspense
Pages: Hardback, 440
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "Small Sam was playing in the parking lot behind the Waitrose supermarket when the grown-ups took him. He'd been with some of the little kids, having a battle with an odd assortment of actions figures, when it happened."

"A devastating disease has struck everyone over the age of sixteen. Those who didn't die from it have turned into decomposing, brainless creatures that survive by feeding on anything that's still alive -- including children. Young survivors have barricaded themselves in supermarkets and other buildings, fighting off attacks from the grown-ups, who travel in packs like hungry dogs.

"The group of kids from a store called Waitrose includes fearless fighters, clever engineers, and wise leaders. They are tight-knit and determined to survive, but they are running out of food, and their scavenger hunts are growing more and more dangerous. Marauding grown-ups are picking them off one by one.

"Before long, the Waitrose kids are offered a safe haven in Buckingham Palace. They make their way to it, crossing London on a perilous journey that will test them in harrowing ways. But their fight to stay alive is far from over -- the threat from within the palace is as real as the one outside it."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: I'm not sure what I expected from this book. After seeing the sequel on another blog, I was drawn to this one. A zombie YA book sounded like a good addition to the TBR pile, and the library actually had it one its shelves!!

This is perhaps one of the goriest and dystopic YA novel I have ever read! The whole book is a bloodfest and filled with festering, weeping sores; zombie attacks; strong language; and so on. This book even deals with cannibalism. At several points, I found my stomach start to turn. Even though it is gory and violent, it is a fast paced book and doesn't disappoint.

The thing that I found interesting about this book is the way Higson deals with the characters: there is no one main character. At the beginning of the book, it follows the group of kids from Waitrose more closely and, later, the Morrisons as well. He doesn't shy away from killing characters that the audience becomes sympathetic with. No one is safe, and the audience is left wondering who will be next.

I have to wonder, at some level, if this is Higson's Lord of the Flies for the modern YA. It is interesting to note that the children often find themselves longing for structure and the comfort of their family. Many of them often common that it is unfair that they were forced to grow up. Walking down the abandoned streets of London, many of the children wish for the carefree days of their lost youth.

If you're looking for a zombie, gore-packed YA novel, this is a good choice. However, that being said, it is extremely gory and should only be read with that in mind. The story is good, the characters are well developed, the plot is fast paced, and it tackles big issues without watering them down.


Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 7797
ZOMBIES! Reading Challenge: 1/10
Current Progress:

23/50 books

Book Review -- Curse of the Wendigo

Title: Curse of the Wendigo
Author: Rick Yancey
Genre: YA/horror
Pages: Hardback, 424
Published: 2010
Opening Lines: "The reader was a retired middle school English teacher whose mother had come to live at the facility in 2001."

"As apprentice to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, Will Henry has a life dedicated to the pursuit of monstrumology: the study of monsters. But when Dr. Warthrop is informed that his old mentor Dr. von Helrung is trying to prove the existence of the mythical Wendigo, He Who Devours All Mankind, a creature that starves even as it gorges itself on human flesh, Will's world is plunged into fresh turmoil.

"Will and Dr. Warthrop must traverse the desolate wastelands of Canada . . . and in the process may discover a truth far more terrifying than even they could have imagined."

~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: After getting this from the library, I was sad to discover that it is the second in a series. However, unwilling to wait until April for Monstrumologist to be returned to the library, I decided to read it anyway. And, honestly, I didn't feel as though I was missing anything. The first book might have given some back story to Will Henry, but I never felt lost.

After reading the prologue, I was not sure what to expect with this book. Either way, I was extremely surprised! The book follows Will Henry, who is orphaned and left to live with his father's mentor. The doctor is a monstrumologist and studies "mythical" creatures. Even after reading the book, I'm not quite sure how the doctor differentiates between the myth of the Wendgio, vampire, werewolf, and zombie and actual creatures. *shrug* After being approached by an old friend, the doctor and Will set out to Rat Portage to find the doctor's best friend, John Chanler.

This book was creepy! I'm not sure any other way to describe it. It was good, enthralling, riveting, engaging, and very, very creepy. Not only does it delve deeply into the myth of the Wendigo, but also into human nature. I'm excited to read the Monstrumologist, but I'm afraid it will not be as good as this book. I hope Rick has more books in the works, but I guess it depends on the folios left.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison
Pages: 6023
Horror/Urban Fantasy Challenge: 13/24
Current Progress:

19/50 books