Showing posts with label ya male point of view. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ya male point of view. Show all posts

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow Review

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow
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Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow ReviewLet me just begin by saying that I am not a young adult and I don't have kids but this book is great! I only recently heard about it from an article on Yahoo (or maybe aol). Once I looked up Katy Towell and saw the drawings and animations (which are great fun) I decided to download a sample of the book. I read straight through the sample and had to download to keep going! The story is quirky, spooky, sad, and funny and I found it really engaging. The drawings are totally cool and don't overwhelm the story. I read until 4 a.m. and had to stop only because I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. It is totally set to be a series and I can't wait to read more! (I also really want a print of her adorable little gorgon with the stone kitty from her website!) I know that I would have totally dug this book at 12 years old and I am no where near that age now - except, perhaps young at heart. A great read.Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow Overview

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Juliet Immortal Review

Juliet Immortal
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Juliet Immortal ReviewDie hard Shakespeare fans will probably cringe when they see the premise of author Stacey Jay's JULIET IMMORTAL. The well-known tragedy of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, members of rival families who meet and fall in love, is a story which has been retold in different forms and manners. But the truth according to this book is that Romeo was the source of their demise... to gain immortality. Now, they battle for the souls of lovers on Earth in the never ending war between good and evil.
I was interested in this idea. How could an author possibly take Romeo and Juliet's tale and create a supernatural element? And being from California, it's nice to read about cities in your home state. Well, the idea sounded fairly standard: instead of the rival families, Romeo and Juliet are now part of warring factions-- he for the Mercenaries of the Apocalypse, she for the Ambassadors of Light. There are some fascinating ideas about the two sides, but their history, however, is confusing and a little comical. It took me about an hour to fully immerse myself in the mythology. The names alone require patience.
Poor Romeo is reduced to a blathering, over the top villain who likes to taunt Juliet. Juliet was a more complex character. Through her, Ms. Jay deals with issues some girls deal with: fitting in, finding yourself, and becoming a strong person. Juliet is capable of holding her own in a fight (which is refreshing considering the amount of female characters written who have the male lead fight for them), but when she meets a boy named Ben whom she feels an instant connection with, she becomes interested much like she was in Romeo in the play. I didn't understand their instant attraction; it felt like it was plunked into the story because there had to be a love interest.
The narration flows, yet it does have the tendency to be just as over-dramatic as Juliet's crazy counterpart. This feels like an extension of the play: Romeo and Juliet Immortal.
If you're a Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet fan, tread VERY cautiously with this one. If you're looking for an entertaining albeit contrived read and can digest some heavy-handed material, this is worth a look.Juliet Immortal Overview

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This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein Review

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
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This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein ReviewAfter turning the final page of This Dark Endeavor, I immediately wanted to go search out and re-read my battered copy of Frankenstein. If this book has the same effect on the young audience it targets, then it will indeed have served a noble purpose. While I wasn't immediately engaged by this story that seemed to take a bit too long to get rolling, it wasn't long before my imagination was totally taken in by the fine writing, the depth of characterizations and the thrilling adventure.
The author does an amazing job at achieving balance in a story that is at times gruesome and haunting, and sometimes just hold your breath, edge of your seat thrilling. Victor's narrative voice is strong and true, and the dialogue is masterfully done. Obsession lies at the root of this story and here we get an intriguing look at the genesis of one of the most famous obsessions in literature. Teens will be captivated by Victor's quest for the elixir of life and will willingly follow him anywhere in his attempt to save his brother. They will relate to Victor's love/hate relationship with his twin brother, and his jealousy over the beautiful Elizabeth.
Heart wrenching emotion, villainy, alchemy, and love all combine much as they did in Shelley's masterpiece to form a story that is a worthy prequel to a classic. This will appeal to young adults with a thirst for adventure, especially boys who will be quick to place themselves in Victor's shoes. Elizabeth is a strong character who will also broaden the appeal to young girls who enjoy period fiction. Give this one to fans of Yancey's The Monstrumologist. While it does not provide the monsters, it does provide a literary examination of the dark side of human nature perfect for those with a thirst to examine their own obsessions. Recommended.This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein Overview

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The Eleventh Plague Review

The Eleventh Plague
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The Eleventh Plague ReviewIt was the front cover blurb from Suzanne Collins that caught my eye. I've read the Hunger Games three times and if Suzanne says this book is 'excellent' then it at least deserved a second look.
I grabbed it along with a copy of Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (which is super duper, btw) and found a place to sit down (which is a rare thing at Barnes and Noble nowadays) and started to read the first chapter.
From the first page I was drawn in. I don't like to make comparisons to other books, it's hard to do it well and people always squawk about it if the book compared is one they either love or hate, but Stephen, the main character reminds me a lot of Katniss from the Hunger Games. There's also a bit of Rose (from Vampire Academy), Marcus (from Little Brother and Nailer (from Shipbreaker). Like the characters from these other books, Stephen is a young person forced to deal with terrifyingly mature situations that could lead to dire situations for himself and others. How he rises to the challenge is what kept me reading through lunch then dinner without stopping.
Stephen's world is far different than the one we know now. His family are scavengers, think of the dead and rotting world in movies like Mad Max or Logan's Run and you wouldn't be far off. There was a war with China, then a plague and what's left of America lives in small settlements scattered throughout the country.
His small family are scavengers. His father, his brutish grandfather and Stephen roam what's left of the cities for tradeable items, something like a can of pears could allow them to have food and shelter for a week. But scavengers are not the only ones wandering the cities.
There are ex-military bandits, chinese troops and slavers and a whole part of the country is off limits, though his father sometimes talks about finding a place to settle down, raise crops, etc. But that would mean striking out into undiscovered country and leaving the trail with it's semblance of safety.
It is within this hopeless situation that everything turns from bad to worse, pretty much from the first page with a funeral. I wont tell you who dies, but the funeral seems to be the beginning of a chain of decisions, some good and some so completely bad, you'll wish you could step into the book to advise Stephen.
There's a lot of room for heroics, but Stephen is a reluctant hero, which is pretty much my favorite kind, kicking butt and taking names is for movies, Stephen seemed real to me, he didn't want to get involved in bad situations but sometimes you can't help it. Best of all, Stephen is an aware character, what I mean is, he knows he's making decisions that could be dreadful and he does it anyways. I guess I like that too, his decisiveness is refreshing.
My only complaint with the book is that it was kinda fast, before I knew it and was ready the book was done. I'm a fan of quick reads, but I can't help thinking there could have been a little more, more description, more worldbuilding, more story.
Oh well, guess I could read it again.The Eleventh Plague Overview

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Okay for Now Review

Okay for Now
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Okay for Now ReviewOkay For Now is Doug Swieteck's story. Doug is an 8th grader who, due to his father losing his job, moves to a small town with his family. Amidst multiple family issues -- a passive mother, abusive father, bitter and beaten-down Vietnam-vet brother, and a second brother who is merely scared -- Doug manages to discover much about not only his neighbors, but himself as well.
In the safety of the town's open-one-day-a-week library, Doug discovers a new talent, love, friendship, and selflessness. Outside of the library, his life is not an easy one. His familiy has multiple issues. He is unfairly judged by both students and teachers at school. And townsfolk are wary.
Doug's optimism, given all of his issues, is catching and he manages to bounce back from the many not-so-great things that happen throughout the book. He manages to keep a good attitude (most of the time, anyway) because he has a mission... To replace the missing plates in the town library's original John James Audubon book. Not only fascinated with learning to draw the birds, Doug learns that various plates have been sold to raise money for the town and he firmly believes all things belong in their proper place. The plates belong in the book as originally intended, not hanging on somebody's wall.
Each chapter of the novel opens with the images of one of Audubon's bird paintings, and the bird is effortlessly tied into the content of the chapter. Dough's insights regarding each plate are not only useful as he learns to draw the birds, they help him to better understand the dynamics of the world around him -- particular those of his immediate family. A passive yet loving mother. An abusive and angry father. A brother who is frightened at how he may turn out. And an older brother who is bitter and scarred due to his experience in Vietnam.
Okay for Now is an excellent read. It will draw you in and not let you go until you have finished the last page. Doug's character is extremely well-written, and I immediately felt like I knew him. I was happy when he was happy, and I even felt his pain when the not-so-great things happened.Okay for Now Overview

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Goliath (Leviathan) Review

Goliath (Leviathan)
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Goliath (Leviathan) ReviewAfter narrowly escaping the Tesla canon in Istanbul, the Leviathan heads east with Deryn and Alek in tow, where they are expected to pick up a mysterious new passenger. The newcomer is secretive and quirky to the extreme: his eccentricities put Deryn on edge, but his claims of having a device that will end the war intrigue Alek. As secrets are revealed and the Leviathan continues east to the United States, dodging enemies along the way, Deryn will make some important choices about her future and the decisions Alek must make will affect the entire world.
Goliath is an outstanding finale to this imaginative and vivid steampunk trilogy. Once again, Westerfeld masterfully balances the intrigue and politics of the great war between the Darwinists and Clankers with Alek and Deryn's dynamic and unique friendship. The tensions between the two run high as Alek finally discovers the truth about Deryn, and there is plenty of drama as they try to figure where they stand with each other. Alek also experiences many personal conflicts as he puts his trust in a weapon in order to bring an end to the war, and is ultimately tested to his limits. A few old characters resurface as complications arise and provide some well-needed insight and comic relief to the story. Everything in Goliath builds to an electrifying confrontation with a breathless and very satisfactory ending. This final book is full of adventure, plenty of skulking about, moral dilemmas, and no shortage of action. It will be very hard to let go of Alek, Deryn, the perspicacious loris, and the rest of Westerfeld's magnificent world.
Cover Comments: I love this cover--the yellow/gray background, and I am liking the portrayal of the characters a lot! Very cool!Goliath (Leviathan) Overview

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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Review

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children ReviewTo be honest, when I first started reading "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" I expected a haunting thriller, full of horror and danger. That is not what this book is. Instead, this book is fantasy/adventure combined with a very unique style of photography, which made the book better than I ever thought it would be.
Story - Jacob Portman desires an adventurous life, much like the life his grandfather describes to him in various stories. However, when Jacob realizes that he can never have an adventurous life, he just tries to be normal and fit in. He's not popular or extremely smart, and there doesn't seem to be anything unusual about him at all; but when his grandfather dies and leaves Jacob a cryptic message, Jacob is sent on a hunt to find his grandfather's past and ends up traveling all the way to Wales. Once there, Jacob discovers much more than he ever could have imagined about his grandfather and is thrown into the midst of a very peculiar situation.
Writing Style - If I had to compare Ransom Riggs to any other author, I would have to compare him to Lemony Snicket. In fact, this entire book reminded me very much of Mr. Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books. Don't get me wrong, Riggs did not steal Lemony Snicket's writing style at all, but Riggs just simply reminded me of him, which is a positive since I pretty much love anything that Snicket touches.
Something else that I feel Riggs did superbly was explain the detail of everything in the story. Even without the occasional photographs of people and things in the story, I was able to visualize the locations and details because of the fantastic descriptions.
Now, as for the photographs, they added a whole new dimension to the story. They didn't turn the novel into a picture book or something else that we normally associate with children; rather, they added a new level of immersion to the story, with the reader being almost able to see exactly what Jacob is seeing as he looks at the many photographs scattered throughout.
The book is truly addicting, but it isn't perfect; there are a few kinks that I feel needed to be worked out. The major kink being the fact that the attitude of some of the characters just doesn't seem to match the story! The abundance of cursing and crude humor just doesn't make sense with some of the characters or the plot of the story. Also, there were a few things that weren't developed as much as possible and could have been explained more and built upon.
Warnings - Language, Mild Violence, Mild Peril
Overall - In all fairness, my last complaint was very nitpicky and small, and I don't want to give anyone the impression that this is not a good book. For a first novel, it is fantastic! There are a few things to improve on, but I think Mr. Riggs is off to an amazing start! I immensely look forward to his second novel, which I assume is in the works based on the cliffhanger at this end of the story. I would say that, most likely, teens will enjoy the book more than adults, but it really does have a very interesting plot that many will love.Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Overview

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