A Novel Reflection

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Borgs before Boys

Title: The Lunar Chronicles:

Cinder

Scarlet

Cress

Winter

Author: Marissa Meyer
Previous Work: None

Summary:

Cinder- Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a
second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her
stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But
when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome
Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of
an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction.
Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal,
she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect
her world’s future.

Scarlet- Cinder’s trying to break out of prison—even though
if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted
fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s
grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things
Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave
danger she has lived in her whole life.

Cress- Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run,
with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to
overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from
invading Earth. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has
been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her
netscreens as company. All that screen time has made
Cress an excellent hacker – unfortunately, she’s being
forced to work for Queen Levana, and she’s just received
orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

Winter- Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and
her allies, Winter might have the power to launch a
revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and
find their happily ever afters?

Rating: A 5. I absolutely LOVE this series.
Awards:

(For Cinder)
2012 YALSA Teens Top Ten
2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Debut Goodreads
Author Nominee
2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Young Adult Fantasy
& Science Fiction Nominee

(For Scarlet)
New York Times Besteller
2013 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee

(For Cress)
2014 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee

(For Winter)
2015 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee

Opinion: I love the Lunar Chronicles. There is nothing like
them. The characters are complex and the author layers so
many of the aspects of their fairytales into the story. For
example, their names are perfectly chosen. Take Cress and
Thorne, who represent the story of Rapunzel. Rapunzel was
so named after a type of lettuce. Cress, similarly, could be
short for watercress, although in the story it is short for
Crescent Moon, a nod to Cress's Lunar heritage. Thorne is
so named because in the original story, the prince falls into
thorns and is blinded. The stories are riddled with such
careful allusions, enough to cause a thrill in the reader
when they find them, but not so much they take over the
story. I recommend this series to any teen girl.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Yellow Bird

Title: Conversion
# of Pages: 420

Author: Katherine Howe
Previous Work:
The Penguin Book of Witches

The House of Velvet and Glass

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Summary: "Are there any questions?" Father Molloy said,
folding his arms over his chest and looking at us. I inclined
my head over to Emma, about to ask if she had any idea
what he meant, but she didn't seem to be listening. She was
staring at the front corner of the room, her cheeks flushed a
splotchy pink, and gripping her pen so hard, her knuckles
were turning white. My gaze swiveled, following Emma's
stare over the heads of my classmates to the hallowed corner
where Clara Rutherford sat, her desk practically bearing a
little reserved card written in calligraphy. And that was the
first time that I saw Clara Rutherford twitch.

After the Salem witch trials Ann Putman finally prepares to
give her confession to the new reverend, as to her role in the
events. In modern times an epidemic breaks out at Colleen's
school with no apparent cause. As she investigates the events
surrounding he strange illness Colleen discovers something
startling. Her town is located where Salem used to be. Could
the Salem witch trials be repeating themselves?

Rating: This book is a 3.5.
Awards:

2015 Young Adult Massachusetts Book Award

Opinion: I really enjoyed the way the book effortlessly changed
between present day and the past. Anne's story was just as
engaging as Colleen's. That being said, the stories seemed to
reach a climax where they should have become intertwined, and
instead, Anne's story and character arch seemed unresolved.
Colleen's situation was left up to the reader to decide, but at
least it felt finished. Overall, the story had a great presence with
an eerie feeling, and enough history and suspense to keep the
plot interesting.

Friday, December 18, 2015

A Happy Holiday Whodunit

Title: Greenglass House
# of Pages: 373
Author: Kate Milford
Illustrator: Jaime Zollars
Previous Work: (For the author)

Bluecrowne (Companion to Greenglass House)

The Boneshaker

The Broken Lands

The Kairos Mechanism

Summary: Milo was looking forward to an event free
Christmas vacation at his adoptive parents' smuggler hotel,
filled with holiday traditions, not guests. Unfortunately for
Milo, luck was not on his side and the hotel filled with odd
guests with strange habits and even stranger motives. As
Milo and the cook's daughter Meddy set off to investigate a
map one of the guests dropped, they became their alter-egos:
Negret and Sirin. Could they figure out the mystery of the
hotel? Or were they left out in the cold?

Rating: I'd give this a 4.
Awards:

2014 Agatha Award Nominee for Best Children's/ YA Novel

2014 National Book Award Nominee for Young People's
Literature Longlist

2014 Kirkus The Best Children's Books

2015 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile

2016 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Nominee

Opinion: Greenglass House is the companion to Bluecrowne,
but you can definitely read it by itself. That's what I did.
Bluecrowne is about the ancestors of some of the characters in
this book, so while it might provide some interesting
connections, it isn't necessary. Greenglass House draws you
in from the very beginning. The author is very good at giving
you a clear picture of what is going on. At times, I saw a vivid,
beautiful movie in my head. I really hope this book is made
into a movie at some point. The story is riddled with folktales
that relate to the main story, as well as ones that are
mentioned but not told. In my opinion those were almost
better than the book, and I wished I could have read the ones
that weren't written. The story was complex and realistic with
a hint of whimsy. It was amazing. However, there's a reason I
only gave this book a four. The first issue with the book was
the illustrations. They're small and don't really add anything
to the book. Not to mention, that while beautiful, they are
actually kind of jarring. Some of them don't quite fit the
descriptions in the book and I didn't like how the characters
looked. The other issue was the end of the book. I won't give
anything away, but the ending became seemingly more
juvenile and less realistic. It almost seemed like a cop-out. If
it weren't for the end, I could love this book without
hesitation.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Be Thankful Part 2

Title: Six Months Later
# of Pages: 326
Author: Natalie D. Richards

Previous Work: This was her first book, but since then
she has written "Gone Too Far" and "My Secret to Tell".

Summary: When Chloe falls asleep in study hall, she is an
average student, with an amazing best friend named
Maggie, and a huge crush on Blake, who is way out of her
league. When she wakes up, six months have passed and
she's on track to become valedictorian. Blake is her
boyfriend, and Chloe is super popular. Chloe knows she
should be thankful that her life is suddenly perfect, but
some things just don't add up. Maggie is no longer her best
friend and Blake fills her with dread. What happened in
those six months that she can't remember?

Rating: I'd give this book a 3,5,
Awards: 2014 Yalsa Teens Top Ten Finalist

Friday, September 18, 2015

A Paige Turner

Title: Page by Paige
# of Pages: 192
Author/Illustrator: Laura Lee Gulledge
Previous Work: She was an artist, but this is her first
graphic novel.

Summary: When Paige Turner moves from Virginia to
New York, she isn't sure of who she is, or how to fit in. With
the help of her sketchbook, Paige is determined to make new
friends and discover who she is.

Plot Rating: 1.
Art Rating: 5.
Awards:

Eisner Award Nominee

ALA Teen Top Ten Debut Graphic Novel Nominee

Opinion: Okay, honestly, the plot was the most boring,
overused thing I have ever read. There was nothing unique
about it, and it had some rude humor. It boils down to a new
move, first love, and teen angst. If you like those things,
good for you. The only reason I'm even reviewing this is for
the art. The art really shows all the things you've felt but
didn't know how to express. The picture below is not my
favorite picture in the book, but it was the best I could find
online. What I like about the art is that most of the time it
isn't literal, and it tells the story much more clearly than the
words ever could. The graphic novel shows the author is
more of an artist. I would read this book for the pictures, not
the story.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

From Bookworms to Butterflies

Title: Smart Girls Get What They Want
# of Pages: 348
Author: Sarah Strohmeyer
Previous Work: This was her first book for teens.

Summary:
Because high school only comes around once, and I would
hate to look back and think I didn't make the most of every
moment because I was scared of what other people thought.
Other people never think that much about you anyway.
Eleanor Roosevelt said that.

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are the school overachievers. Their lives
consist almost entirely of studying and hanging out with each
other. When they realize Neerja's older sister Parad, the school
valedictorian left no mark on the student body, they realize
they need to make themselves known. With new
accomplishments and relationships within their grasp, the
girls are in for an amazing Sophomore year.

Rating: It was a sweet read, and I wish it had a sequel, but
there was nothing spectacular about it. This is a "cozy-in-
your-pj's" read not a "best-book-I-ever-read" read. I have to
give it a three for normal people and a 4 for nerds.
Awards: None

Opinion: As the title implies, this is about smart girls and
for smart girls. I think to really appreciate this book, you have
to identify with it. You have to be one of those people who love
school, useless facts, and working hard. Sometimes, when
reading the book I would totally go, "I know just what you
mean," and feel vindicated. Other times I just enjoyed
learning a little bit more about Eleanor Roosevelt, or The
Scarlet Letter. The book touched on all aspects of school life.
It had student government trying to bridge the gap between
arts, sports, and fairness within the school. It also had a
couple of sweet romances. My only complaint is that the book
is told entirely from Gigi's POV. While she was a great
narrator, and I really did care what happened to her, I
sometimes felt a bit cheated because the book was supposed
to be about all three girls. It's very rare for me to close a book
and feel entirely happy, but with this one I did. This is for
when you don't want firecrackers, but a simple sparkler of a
book.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

I Spy a Lie Part 2

Title: The Agency Novels/Mary Quinn Mysteries:

A Spy in the House

The Body at the Tower

The Traitor in the Tunnel

Rivals in the City

Author: Y.S. Lee
Previous Work: None

Summary: When orphan Mary Quinn is sentenced to the
gallows for thievery, she is instead rescued and educated at
Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for girls. She finds out the
organization is more than they seem, and agrees to start
spying for them. Between her new job, London's general
mistrust of foreigners, and a growing attraction to a man who
seemingly appears at every turn, can Mary satisfy her need
for freedom? Or will the constraints of England in the 1800's
cripple her spirit forever?

Rating: I'd give the series a 4.
Awards:
(For A Spy in the House)

2011 CCBC's John Spray Mystery Award

2011 Agatha Award Finalist

2011 Red Maple Award Finalist

(For The Traitor in the Tunnel)

2013 Arthur Ellis Award Nominee for Best Juvenile/YA
Crime Book

Opinion: I love this series. You can't help but root for Mary,
and it's nice to read a historical fiction where women have
opportunities. The story has a real yet unreal feeling. The
only issue I have is that while the characters always stayed
with me, sometimes the finer details of the plot didn't. That
said, I'm still sad the series is over. This is definitely a series
worth reading.