PRE-PUB REVIEW: Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

A mystery tale based on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe has so much promise, which is sadly not fulfilled by this mediocre and somewhat sloppy attempt to emulate the master.  Oh, the names (Annabelle Lee, a scary raven scratching at the window, references to famous Poe stories) are all there, but the setting is off, and the idea that Poe would work as a maniacal doctor’s assistant seems too convenient.  The author did not bother to do the basic research necessary for a historical piece, and I find this disturbing as well.  The story is set in 1826 and she refers to the protagonist’s father as a doctor practicing without a license—something supposedly illegal, when in reality, Pennsylvania did not regulate the practice of medicine until well after 1850. If there were licenses granted at all it would have been by medical associations, not legal entities, so that is a total red herring.  Then, there is the whole Jekyll and Hyde split personality thing, and well, it’s all just too much.  It’s a shame, really, because middle school students often read Poe and enjoy him in English class, and it would have been nice to have a well written modern piece to give them once they’ve read through Poe’s own tales.   This short novel would only work for grades 7-9, and they would have to be desperate.   Try giving them something more subtle and nuanced, like Nathaniel Hawthorne or Poe himself.  There are always the Schwartz books (Scary Stories, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, etc.)  

Of Monsters and Madness will be available on September 9, 2014.

June’s Rating System:  Language—G; Nudity—G;  Sexual Content—PG;  GLBT Content—G;  Violence—R, there is  serial killer skulking about;  Substance Abuse—PG

 

CINDER, SCARLET, and CRESS, by Marissa Meyer

The story: Cinder is a cyborg mechanic in a futuristic world where a plague has killed millions and soldiers from another planet are waiting to invade. Kai is the emperor's son, about to be offered to the lunar queen as a husband to keep her from unleashing that storm of soldiers. There's no way the two would ever meet. And yet...they do. Could a prince ever fall in love with a cinder girl? And if he did, could they ever live happily ever after?

Watch my book trailer! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmxQxfIaGc

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG-13; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult PG; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes (exploitation of kids by adults) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's a Cinderella story unlike any other you might have read. Meyer takes the original elements of the classic fairy tale--girl forced to work hard by a stepmother who's looking for a good marriage for her own two daughters; a ball, and an unlikely romance--and weaves them into a futuristic action and romance novel that boys and girls alike will enjoy--grown-ups too! Keep an eye out for the sequels: Scarlet (based sort of on Red Riding Hood); Cress (based sort of on Rapunzel) and, coming in 2015, Winter--maybe based on the Snow Princess? Each one adds a new heroine and hero into the mix, riffs on a classic story, and--unusually--gets better as it goes! What's not to like?

WONDER SHOW, by Hannah Barnaby

The story: Portia's family has disappeared, and the girl has been abandoned at a "Home for Wayward Girls". It's run by a creepy man who has...designs...on her best friend Caroline. When Caroline commits suicide rather than marrying Mister, Portia runs away--straight into the Freak Show. But what she finds there defies all expectations: surprisingly, she discovers friends, stories, and maybe even a home.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes (abandonment and suicide) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This was a very strange story, and at the same time, quite fascinating. Placed in a setting that society now finds morally unacceptable (a freak show in the 1930s, which showcased "human oddities" like a bearded woman, Siamese twins, and a family of albinos). Portia is able to escape her stifling life at McGreavy's Home for Wayward Girls--her form of "waywardness" involves having an active imagination and a strong personality) to find an alternate definition of family that works for her.

PRE-PUB REVIEW: Tell Me by Joan Bauer

And now for something completely different!  I turned to Joan Bauer, because I can always count on her to be funny and uplifting.  She does not disappoint in this latest novel for middle grades about a girl who sees someone in trouble and has to figure out what to do.  Bauer delivers with the sweetly humorous voice of Anna, a middle school student who is also an actress.  Anna’s parents are working through some difficulties, so she goes to stay with her grandmother, Mim.  While at Mim’s, she gets a volunteer gig at the public library as a dancing petunia, don’t ask, just read it, and sees a girl who may have been taken against her will.  She calls the authorities, some of whom take her seriously, while trying to determine what she saw.  Fortunately, Winnie, the librarian, saw the girl and her captor, too, so they are able to work together.  It doesn’t hurt that Winnie’s grandson works for Homeland Security. Despite some obvious sucking up to librarians—libraries are “where things happen!”—and at least one slight anachronism—Winnie goes to the back room to get out a Vietnamese dictionary, rather than doing a language search online, the story is fun while at the same time exploring the responsibilities we all have to help each other and including a very brief primer on human trafficking, suitable for the middle grades.  I would not go to this as a sure fire winner, but it will be great for Bauer fans and for other middle schoolers who like a mystery with a happy ending.  Proof that an author can tackle sensitive and important subjects without resorting to bad language and graphic violence.  Thanks Joan!

Tell Me is slated to be published on September 16, 2014

June Cleaver’s Rating System:

Language—G; Nudity—G;  Sexual Content—G; GLBT Content—G;  Violence—PG;  Substance Abuse—G; Adult Themes—Human trafficking; social responsibility.  Both are handled with middle school students in mind. 

COUNTING BY 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan

The story: Willow Chance thinks her world has come to an end when her parents are killed in a car crash. But strange events in her life keep her from getting placed in foster care--and these same strange events also change the lives of everyone around her, from slobby Dell Duke (transformed into someone who cares!) to nail technician Pattie Nguyen and her kids, Mai and Quang-ha, and the taxi driver, Jairol, who might actually end up with a college education after all these years. Chance, or fate? (...and does it really matter which?)

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes (death of parents) PG; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: On the surface, this is a deceptively simple story about a super-smart kid whose comfortable world comes to an end when her parents are killed in a car accident. Its charm comes from Sloan's skillful weaving together of the many separate life threads. Recommended!

THE GREAT TROUBLE, by Deborah Hopkinson

The story: Eel scratches out a living finding and selling things buried in the mud of London's river Thames, which is like a huge outdoor sewer. Little does he know that it's also the breeding ground for a deadly epidemic that will kill people he loves--and little does he know that he'll play an important part in solving the mystery of how the sickness spreads. Can a "mudlark" ever hope to escape the gruesome disease stalking London's filthy poor?

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes (death of parents, abuse by stepparents) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz' comments: Hopkinson attaches Eel's adventures to the real-life detective work of John Snow, a London physician with ideas about the spread of disease (as well as a pioneer in the use of anesthetics)to whip up an interesting historical thriller that combines mystery (what's the cause of the disease? And who's the creepy Fisheye Bill Tyler?), false accusation, and hint-of-gruesome descriptions of cholera. Too bad it's so hard to convince kids to read historical fiction!

RETURN TO ME, by Justina Chen

The story: Reb longs to get away from her controlling, list-making mother, and she's planned her escape: attend a college at the opposite end of the country. The only drawback is leaving Jackson, a boy who could be her soul mate, behind. But when her dad gets an unexpected job offer in New York City, mom kick starts the family into moving mode--and it turns out they're all going to be living less than an hour away from her college dorm: plenty close for Mom to be making unexpected visits. Even worse, once the family's boxes are delivered, her father delivers some earth-shattering news: he's leaving. Now what? Betrayed by her father, separated from her best friends, and stuck in a new place with a mom who drives her crazy, Reb has to learn to cope with her new reality. Or even harder: figure out how to make herself an all-new reality.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG-13; Nudity PG; Sexual Content PG; Violence G; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult PG (psychic abilities); GLBT Content G; Adult Themes (parental abandonment and infidelity)PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Justina Chen (formerly Chen-Headley) is also the author of "North of Beautiful". Both books deal with difficult issues in ways that make them very girl-friendly. Reb learns to appreciate her mother and grandparents in unexpected ways, and also learns to accept and embrace things about herself--mostly, her visions and premonitions--that she's just brushed under the rug before. Though most girls won't have unexpressed psychic abilities to master, there are lots of things here that will resonate for readers of Sarah Dessen's books.

PRE-PUB Review: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

I have been a Westerfeld fan since before he was famous, so it was with great anticipation that I downloaded the e-galley and began reading his latest offering, Afterworlds.  It was with great disappointment that I forced myself to finish reading it.  Unlike earlier efforts such as the Uglies series or his steampunk series, Leviathan, or even the Midnighters, Afterworlds was a huge let down.  It could be because my expectations were high.  After all, Westerfeld had trained me to expect interesting social commentary and big ideas worthy of discussion along with solid writing in his earlier work.  Alas, though the writing remains solid, the subject matter turned to the pedestrian with Afterworlds.  This new novel tells a dual story—one of a teen author, Darcy Patel, and the other is the novel Patel has written.  Sections alternate between these two narratives.  In both stories, Westerfeld embraces the trend of the moment and delivers tired and trendy fodder for teen readers.  Ultimate wish fulfillment—teen writes best seller, gets huge advance and finds the love of her life, who is of the same sex and there are absolutely no members of her  fairly traditional Indian family who so much as raise an eyebrow at this.  Despite Darcy's spirited explanation of conflict in writing at a book store event in the novel, there just isn't much conflict going on in her story.  Much of Darcy’s story will be incomprehensible to average teen readers;  it seems to be written with librarians, prize committees, and other writers in mind.  What teenager in this universe collects first editions and has reading copies, or even knows what those are?  Let’s check off the trends.  Paranormal romance—check.  Lesbian love—check.  Extravagant use of the f-bomb—check.  It seems that teens and twenty-somethings cannot have a conversation without inserting it, multiple times.  That is, if we are to believe current writers, who for my money, are just too lazy to come up with something more meaningful in the way of dialog. 

I found myself hoping that maybe this novel is actually a parody of the current state of YA literature. I am still hoping someone will tell me it is. If it turns out not to be a parody, I will approach Mr. Westerfeld’s next opus with much more caution.

Afterworlds is scheduled for publication September 23, 2014

June’s Rating System:  Language—R; Nudity—PG;  Sexual Content—R;  GLBT Content—R;  Violence—R  The opening scene of Darcy’s YA novel is a terrorist attack which takes place at an airport.  Very bloody, somewhat graphic.  Later scenes in the Underworld are not as violent, but there is a sinister theme.  The main character of Darcy’s novel commits a murder for revenge, for which there are no consequences and no real questioning from a moral standpoint.  Apparently, being a bad person means it is okay to murder you.  Adult Themes—R, death violence, revenge, spiritual questions.  The story of Darcy’s novel borrows from Hindu religious themes, which may offend observant Hindus.

Robin’s Comments:  Disappointed just isn’t a strong enough word for this.  I did not find that the novel had enough literary merit to make up for the baggage.  I would definitely not recommend this for students younger than ninth grade.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY, by Veronica Rossi

The story: Hundreds of years after a massive atmospheric disturbance, Dwellers live in pods and try to keep their lives together. Outsiders rely on nature--and on the strange mutations that have come from living there--to keep them alive. Each is the other's sworn enemy. When an attempt to contact her mother, missing in the Outside, takes Aria away from the safety of the pods, her world collides with Perry's. She comes to realize he's not a Savage after all--and that there's more to both of them than either could ever have understood alone. But will they survive long enough to test their new powers...much less fall in love?

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity PG; Sexual Content PG; Violence PG-13; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult PG; GLBT Content PG; Adult Themes (placing blame for the end of the world; racism and prejudice) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: if you like dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction, this series could very well be the next HUNGER GAMES or DIVERGENT. Sequels are THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT and INTO THE STILL BLUE.

HOUSE OF SECRETS, by Chris Colombus

The story: When the Walker kids move with their parents into the ancient, eerie Kristoff House, they instantly suspect something's not right. And that's BEFORE they're attacked by the Wind Witch, their parents go missing, and the entire house is thrust into a crazy mashup of settings taken from the books of Denver Kristoff, an old-time bestselling author. Kristoff's daughter (now the Wind Witch) sends the kids on a mission: find a missing book of immense power, or never see your parents again. The kids pick up a World War I pilot as a buddy, then battle warriors, giants, pirates, and skeletons--and that's just in book 1! Sequel is "Battle of the Beasts".

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult PG-13; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes G; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: The first in a series, with more action than an action movie--oh wait, that's because Chris Columbus is a co-author with Ned Vizzini. The story was fine, although the characters seemed a bit young for their assigned ages. You do have to wonder if Columbus decided to help write the story so they wouldn't have to pay so much in royalties when they make the movie...!

PARTIALS, by Dan Wells

The story: Ten thousand humans are all that's left of the population of the United States. Huddled together on Long Island, they live in fear and loathing of Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans whom they blame for the weaponized virus that killed everyone else--and medic Kira is determined to find a cure. Unexpectedly, she discovers that something strange is going on with the Partials too--and that the survival of both humans and Partials will rely on whether the finds the right answers to her questions at a time when asking those questions can get her killed. Sequels are "Fragments" and "Ruins".

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG-13; Nudity PG; Sexual Content PG; Violence R; Substance Abuse PG-13; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT ContentPG; Adult Themes PG (the end of the world); overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: A great read for those looking for a walk on the post-apocalyptic side. But be warned! This isn't an easy one, and it certainly best for readers 8th grade and up. Otherwise, it's a little too much like getting married: quite the long-term commitment!

GODS OF MANHATTAN, by Scott Mebus

The story: Beneath the concrete and cars, there's a New York City no one knows about—except for Rory Hennessey, who's the only one able to see it. He’s the last “Light” in New York, and only he knows that layered under modern Manhattan is a spirit city inhabited by warrior cockroaches, kick-butt rodents, evil subway trains, animated gargoyles, and people made of paper-mache. This shadowy world is ruled by the "gods" of Manhattan--any New Yorker, good or bad, famous enough to be remembered after he dies. And when the bad ones realize Rory can see them, all of a sudden his life expectancy goes...way down. Can he find the good guys to make sure evil doesn’t take over NYC completely?

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG-13; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult PG-13; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes (murder for hire!) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Move over, Percy Jackson! Give this to any MS kid who likes "The Lightning Thief". There's plenty of action here (and a little bit of extra US history can't be a bad thing!).