Delirium by Lauren Oliver

After finishing the entire trilogy [Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem] PLUS the novella collection [Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, & Raven], I suddenly realized that I have never reviewed a single one of these stories.  I didn’t even have any of them started/saved in my drafts.  What?!?  I don’t know where my brain has been, but this is a problem I need to fix!

Imagine a world in which people were promised a “cure” that could take away all heartache.  Peace and happiness for all as long as everyone has a simple procedure?  If it sounds too good to be true, that’s probably because it is.  Lena has been raised to believe that love is a disease [Amor Deliria Nervosa] and that life without love is the safest and most stable way to live.  People don’t fall in love and get married anymore — they get paired based on government-imposed ratings and compatibility of interests.  It’s safer and easier to just fall in line, but Lena has a hard time forgetting the mother who could not be cured and whose last words to her, before committing suicide, were “I love you.”  Only a few months before her own procedure, Lena has a chance encounter with a young man named Alex.  Despite government assurances that all “invalids” [non-cured people living outside of society] have been taken care of, she’s pretty sure Alex *is* an invalid.  And when she starts experiencing symptoms of the Deliria, she also starts to question everything she’s ever taken for granted.  Is love really a disorder?  Does the government really have everyone’s best interests at heart?  And, most importantly, should Lena go ahead with her own procedure or follow her heart?

Happy Reading!

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

Victor Frankenstein and his twin brother, Konrad, have shared in many adventures with their cousin, Elizabeth, and their friend, Henry.  On one such adventure, they discovered the the Dark Library — filled with ancient books about dark magic and alchemy.  When their father found out, he forbade them from entering the library again.  After Konrad fell ill with an unidentified malady that the doctors’ treatments and medicines could not cure, nevertheless, Victor decided to seek an ancient remedy in the books of the Dark Library.  Full of action, adventure, and mystery, this back-story to Shelley’s Frankenstein is a gothic thriller that will probably even appeal to reluctant readers.

Happy Reading!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

August “Auggie” Pullman was homeschooled for all of elementary school.  And, although it was technically due to his being born with major facial deformities, it wasn’t because his parents worried about him being teased.  It was actually because his many doctors appointments and surgeries would have caused him to be absent so often that it wasn’t worth enrolling him.  Even though his mother wasn’t a certified teacher, she did so well with homeschooling that he was not only at grade level but excelled in most subjects.  When it came time for Auggie to start middle school [in 5th grade], his mother felt that he would benefit from attending school with his peers and convinced Auggie [and his dad] that he should give it a shot.  Knowing how cruel 10- and 11-year-old kids can be, I cringed to think what could happen… and was sad to listen as it sometimes played out as expected.  Luckily, this story was about much more than the negativity Auggie dealt with; it was about his zest for life and how contagious it could be to those around him!

Side note: I sometimes get frustrated and/or confused when a story is told by more than two narrators, so I can understand if that aspect of this story has you worried.  Let me reassure you that Palacio’s writing [and the multiple audiobook narrators!] gave each of the characters a unique enough voice that it worked.  In fact, I think it was very helpful to be able to experience this story from multiple perspectives — including Auggie, his teen sister, her boyfriend, and one of his friends from school.  While there were certainly points in the story where I found things to be depressing, there was plenty of hope and joy to balance it out.

Happy Reading!

 

P.S.  When I was looking for an image of the book cover, I came across an  awesome story about a girl named Michelle who is similar to Auggie in both her medical issues and her amazing attitude — http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/04/wonder-reminds-us-that-kindness-makes.html#axzz2QZBly0ou …  Check it out!

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson

Laurel Daneau’s mother and grandmother were killed in Hurricane Katrina and, no matter how “good” her life might have looked to outsiders, she was haunted by their deaths.  Her relationships with her best friend and boyfriend weren’t enough to ease the pain, so she took to drinking and using drugs.  Before long, she went from popular cheerleader to shunned meth-head.  And though Laurel’s downward spiral was evident to many people who knew her, her own father ignored the signs until it was far too late…

This book is unique in that it’s both a cautionary tale for non-users and a beacon of hope for those already struggling with addiction.  I highly recommend this book for all parents, tweens, and teens.

Happy Reading!

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

15-year-old Evie Spooner is a bit awkward and wishes she could grow up a little bit a lot faster.  She wishes she could be more like her mom, Beverly, whom she sees as a beautiful (albeit over-protective) mother and housewife who is capable of making practically anything look elegant.  Being a housewife is more of a recent thing for Beverly, though.  During WWII, Beverly had to work in a local department store to help support her family, but her husband/Evie’s step-father is back from the war and is able to take care of his family again.  Joe’s appliance stores are doing really well, and he is happy to be back home in Queens, but the sudden appearance of a war buddy [Peter Coleridge] gets Joe acting strangely.  Apropos of nothing, he decides to take Evie and Beverly to Palm Beach.  The town is mostly shut down because they’re there during the wrong season, but they manage to find a room at Le Mirage — where they end up meeting a glamorous couple, Mr. and Mrs. Grayson [also from New York City].  Secrets slowly unfold, as Evie sees and hears things she shouldn’t…  But, by the time Evie figures out what’s going on, she is already caught in the middle of a web of lies.  This is a great mystery, especially for people who enjoy historical fiction.

Happy Reading!

Legend by Marie Lu

In post-apocalyptic North America, two countries have replaced the former United States of America — The Republic and The Colonies.  Fighting against both of them is also a rebel group that calls itself the Patriots.  Though it isn’t clear if The Colonies are any better, readers can easy ascertain that The Republic is not so much a republic as a totalitarian regime.  This story is told from the alternating perspectives of characters named Day and June –  Day is an independent anarchist who refuses to work for the Patriots but still does everything in his power to sabotage The Republic in their war efforts against The Colonies; June is a military prodigy who got a perfect score on her entrance exams and has been fast-tracked through military training school.

I think the duel narration was a great way to make readers more sympathetic to characters on both sides of the spectrum and to gradually unfold details about what, specifically, is happening both around the country and in Los Angeles [where both Day and June live].  The truth is, while life is clearly better for some people in The Republic, no one is truly free.

Happy Reading!

 

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procratinator by Josh Berk

Guy Langman wasn’t really good at anything — quite the opposite of his dad who seemed to be amazing at everything without even trying.  Guy was rather thrown when his dad died, even though his dad was technically old enough to be his grandfather, and became suddenly intrigued by all things having to do with death.  So, it wasn’t exactly a stretch for him to accept an invitation from his best friend, Anoop, to join Mr. Zant’s Forensics Club.  (Especially since it provided a chance to impress some cute girls!)  For once in his life, Guy really cared about something and was actually good at it.  Which worked out rather nicely as some mysteries popped up in his own life…

Happy Reading!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Based on the fact that this is my 3rd post of the week, I’m guessing it’s pretty obvious that I was stuck in bed with the flu for most of last weekend and had some extra time to read!  As I prepared to review Scarlet [the second book of The Lunar Chronicles], however, I realized that I never reviewed Cinder [the first book of The Lunar Chronicles].  I decided to hold back my review of Scarlet until next week so I could first posted something about Cinder now.  

There are a lot of fairy tale retellings out there, but I was especially impressed by the fact that Cinder was both evocative of Cinderella and a major departure from the original story.  In this story, Cinder is a 16-year-old cyborg who constantly works to support and care for her evil step-mother and her two step-sisters.  She rarely has time for herself, but does her best not to complain because she knows her step-mother could easily “volunteer” her to be a test subject for letumosis [plague] vaccines instead.  While working in her booth at the market place one afternoon, she finds herself face-to-face with Prince Kai.  As it turns out, Cinder’s reputation as the best mechanic in New Beijing led Prince Kai to disguise himself so he could meet her and ask whether she would be willing and able to fix his droid, Nainsi, who suddenly stopped working.

Immediately after this clandestine meeting, though, Cinder’s entire life is turned upside-down because her step-sister Peony contracts letumosis and is put into quarantine.  Not only is Cinder worried about losing one of the only people in the world who actually cares about her, but her step-mother is blaming her for Peony’s illness!  Trying to balance her regular responsibilities, her promise to help Prince Kai, and her desire to help Peony, nevertheless, proves extremely difficult.  And while many girls in New Beijing would give anything to dance with Prince Kai at the upcoming ball, Cinder couldn’t care less about attending…  She has too many other things to worry about.  Yeah — this is definitely *not* your typical Cinderella story.

Happy Reading!

Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The small island of Thisby is really only known for one thing — the Scorpio Races they hold every November.  Crazy, bloodthirsty horses called capaill uisce [sounded like "cah-pool ish-ka" in the audiobook] rise up from the sea, and the young men of Thisby do their best to capture them and train them for the races.  Between the training and the actual race, many people die each year.  So, when Puck Connolly [a girl!] decides to enter the race — with a normal horse, no less — people think she is crazy.  But entering the race may be the only way to convince her brother not to move to the mainland, and the winnings might be the only way she can save her family home from foreclosure, so what choice does she have?

Happy Reading!

The Diviners by Libba Bray

If you’re into mystery and suspense, and you aren’t worried about potentially getting creeped out and/or ending up with nightmares, this could be the book for you!  Evie O’Neill has a gift — she can “read” people’s pasts just by touching an item they’ve used.  The only problem is that Evie used this gift as a party trick, and she ended up making a local big shot very angry.  Her parents decided that the easiest course of action would be to ship her off to live with her Uncle Will in New York City until things blew over.  Little did they realize that Evie was thrilled to be heading out of Ohio and into a big city where her flapper style and sassy attitude would be better appreciated!

Uncle Will, aside from being Evie’s new guardian, also happens to be the the curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult (a.k.a. the “Museum of the Creepy Crawlies”).  Because there’s an occult-based serial killer on the loose, Will’s expertise is called upon by the NYPD.  When Evie manages to tag along to one of the crime scenes, she ends up touching a shoe buckle of the victim and sees something about the murderer.  She is sure that her gift could be used help in the investigation… but how can she help without revealing her secret?

Happy Reading!