Saturday, August 29, 2015

ICEBREAKER, by Lian Tanner

The story: The Oyster has been cutting through the Antarctic ice for 300 years--so long that her crew can hardly remember why the ship sailed in the first place. But the Devouts remember, and they've sworn to destroy her. The mythical Sleeping Captain will remember, if somehow Petrel can find and awaken him. Only problem is--she's an invisible girl on a ship where everyone has a place. And when Fin, an undercover member of the Devouts, arrives to find and kill the Captain, Petrel knows Fin is the only chance she's ever had to find a friend. But can she help him destroy the only home she's ever known?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult (sci-fi & steampunk elements, hard to know where to put them) PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder, class warfare, neglect) PG-13; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Petrel and Fin are 12-year-old characters in a PG-13 book. Kids who might be good enough readers to be interested in the story to wait for the explanations of the world building will probably have to read down somewhat.

THE FIXER, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The story: Tess never knew what her sister Ivy did for a living until she ran headlong into it: kids at her new school, fancy Hardwicke Academy in DC, expect Tess to "fix" things--that is, make their problems go away, just like Ivy does for people in the government...even the president. When a classmate's grandfather dies suddenly, Tess comes face to face with the discovery that he was murdered. So--how do you "fix" that? It's harder than she ever imagined, and dangerous enough that it could cost her life.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Magic & the occult G; Substance abuse PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (advanced political wrangling; murder, suicide) PG-13; overall rating PG-13. (However, there's so much of a political nature in this story that it's probably better suited for high school readers--younger kids will feel like someone's trying to pull a civics lesson over on them.)

Liz's comments: Anyone who like Ally Carter's books will want to give this one a look. Not only was it an interesting mystery, but the dynamic between the two sisters kept evolving along with the rest of the story--which makes the inevitable sequel something to look forward to!

SCHOOL FOR SIDEKICKS, by Kelly McCullough


The story: Evan Quick has always wanted to have super powers: so much that he checks himself every day when he wakes up, just in case something has turned super overnight. But, no luck--right up until he turns 13, when he somehow survives an super villain's death ray and winds up at the Academy for Metahuman Operatives, learning how to use his powers for the greater good. He never realized that Captain Commanding, his lifelong hero, would turn out to be a real jerk, and that Foxman, a washed-up has-been, might actually hold the key to solving the biggest puzzle of all: WHO EXACTLY ARE THE BAD GUYS?!?!?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (betrayal, separation from parents) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This was a lot like "Steelheart" for a younger crowd (and with a few more funny moments). Any kid--especially boys--who like some super-hero action will be sure to like this one!

MOTHMAN'S CURSE, by Christine Hayes


The story: Josie and her brothers know all about junk: their father is an auctioneer, and they're always on the lookout for something "haunted". They get way more than they bargained for when her brother Fox discovers an old Polaroid camera an an estate sale. The upside is that it takes photos without film; the downside--the images include what appears to be the ghost of a neighborhood recluse who committed suicide last week. Even worse, by acquiring an old piece of jewelry from his estate, Josie has unwittingly signed up to become the next victim of Motorman's Curse. If she saves herself, a whole bunch of innocent people are going to die. And if she doesn't...she'll be the one to end up dead. That's a pretty tough choice for someone who's barely thirteen...

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse G; magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (dealing with the death of a parent; supernatural occurrences) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Don't let the grade-school illustration on the cover fool you--this book is great for MS readers who are looking for action, adventure, and some creepy moments. Josie learns that she can rely on her younger brothers, Fox and Mason, as well as family and neighbors, when things get really awful. Although not graphic in any way, kids grades 4-7 who want to believe in ghosts and things that go bump in the night will eat this one up.

THE UNLIKELY HERO OF ROOM 13B, by Teresa Toten


The story: Adam has OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), which makes the life of a 15-year-old teen--already complicated enough--even tougher. When Robyn walks into his support group one afternoon, Adam falls instantly in love with her, and vows that he's going to make himself better so he can help her...but that's a pretty tall order, especially as his own life is getting ready to spiral out of control. Half the people around him are "disordered" too, and the other half, though meaning well, just can't help. But if Adam counts odd numbers, walks in circles, and performs all the other rituals correctly, things will work out. Right?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG; Sexual content PG-13 (plenty of implied erections here, although younger readers might not get it); Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult G; Adult themes (mental illness, parental neglect and mental health issues) PG-13; overall rating PG-13. (The reader is asked to figure things out, and this takes a higher level of thinking, making the book overall better for HS readers than for MS.)

Liz's comments: I originally passed this one by, but once I got going on it, I thought it was fascinating, disturbing, and sad. Adam has so many issues, and so many people pressing on him for so many different things, that it's amazing he's able to do anything about any of it. As mentioned above, readers are asked to puzzle out what's going on inside Adam's head, and those who make the effort are rewarded with a much greater insight into how a disorder like this can take over a person's life--but that kind of interest in someone else's problems is fairly rare among MS readers. This will appeal to a limited audience--but is an important book when it comes to that specific group. Recommended.

I WILL ALWAYS WRITE BACK, by Alifirenka, Ganda, and Welch


The story: Caitlin lives in the US and life is good. Martin lives in Zimbabwe, and life stinks (although he doesn't exactly know it--it's just the way things are). A pen-pal letter from Caitlin changes both of their lives in ways they could never have foreseen, proving that one small action really can have far-reaching consequences, and that one small person really can make a huge difference.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity PG; substance abuse PG-13; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (extreme poverty, racial and political unrest) PG-13; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This book has a truly powerful message--that one person, trying to do the right thing, can make a huge difference--as well as shedding light on how people live in other places. The only drawback is its length: most MS readers aren't going to be willing to spend three months reading a book where there's no kissing (for girls) or explosions (for boys). Nonetheless, sold to the right reader, this true story could have a real impact on the social consciousness of an up-and-coming NGO operative.

SEKRET, by Lindsay Smith


The story: It's 1963, and the USSR is determined to get ahead of the Americans any way they can--even if it means kidnapping teens with psychic abilities and putting them to work spying on their targets' minds. Yulia can read the memories attached to an object; Sergei is a remote viewer, able to see what's going on in other locations--each must learn to use their own gift. What they don't know is that someone even more powerful on the other side is looking for THEM--and plans to scrub their brains before they can track him down. Who will get there first to plant a mental flag for their country?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity G: Substance abuse PG-13; GLBT content PG; Magic & the occult (psychic abilities) PG-13; adult themes (political intrigue, brainwashing) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: I found this to be a really interesting read, and a fascinating look at Cold War Russia. However, although there really isn't anything content-wise that would make it objectionable for MS readers, the fact that it's historical fiction and requires quite a bit of thought make it a better title for high school. Booklist and SLJ both rate it for 9-up.

THE BOYS WHO CHALLENGED HITLER, by Phillip Hoose

The story: Feeling that his homeland had caved in to the Nazis without any kind of fight at all, Knud Pederson and a group of friends organized the first group of resistance fighters in Denmark during World War II. This is the true story of the Churchill Club--a group of teen boys whose daring exploits challenged the rest of the country to stand up to the German war machine.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance Abuse PG; Magic and the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (war and its related hardships) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Hand this one to anyone who likes true stories of teens risking their lives to make a difference. Non-fiction at its best!

SPELLED, by Betsy Schow

The story: Princess Dorthea Gayle Emerald, about to be married off to a handsome prince she's just met, never realized the magical ability she has lying dormant under her Valley Girl exterior--until she makes a wish that throws all the magic in her world out of balance and threatens to exterminate her family. Forced to work with the prince (who turns out to be a chimera), a thieving servant girl, and a head-changing Hydra, she finds strength and abilities she also never knew she possessed as she races against time to restore the balance of magic in the kingdom before it's too late.

June Cleaver's rating: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I like a good fantasy as much as the next person, but this one did not float my boat--too much chaotic running around, and a main character who's just way too hard to like. It's not very often that I take a real dislike to the main character, but this was one of the exceptions. Even though the spoiled, selfish heroine does get a reality check during the course of the story, by the time she wised up it was still too late for me to suspend my disbelief in her change of heart (or tactics). Girls like this should not rule.

SWEET, by Emmy Laybourne

The story: How far would you go to be perfectly thin? Celebrities and rich folks have gathered on a deluxe cruise ship, eager to try the new food additive Solu. Viv's dad has paid for Laurel and Viv to be there too--maybe they can both lose a few pounds by the end of the trip. They never imagined that instead of being a dream come true, Solu will become a living nightmare that turns a holiday for the rich-and-famous into a cruise from hell...

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence R; Sexual content PG_13; Nudity PG; substance abuse PG-13; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (obsession with body image; mob action & murder; addiction) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Here's a story that's not only a can't-put-it-down thriller, but that also tackles America's obsession with body image and how far we'd go to achieve the "perfect" figure. My only question is the premise that the addicts turn into walking skeletons five days into the cruise, which seems a physical impossibility (take it from a forever dieter!) but if you're willing to suspend disbelief on that, here's a story for an 8th-grade (or HS) book club told from alternating points of view (Laurel and TV star Tom) that both boys and girls will like.

THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES, by Elana K. Arnold

The story: Iris feels like her new home and life in Oregon are as grey and overcast as the sky. Witness to her best friend's death, the 6th grader just can't let go--she visits a psychic, tries to get a recording of her friend's ghost voice, and even wonders about the possibility of a miracle to bring her friend back to life. She would never have guessed that a geeky kid named Boris would help her move on--not to the other side like Sarah, but into another life...one that's not quite so grey.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse G; magic & the occult (mostly questions about the existence of ghosts) PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (grief, depression) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I liked this book all right, but I did think Iris's inability to start healing (even a year after her friend's death) got tiresome after a while. This book will appeal to kids who are themselves dealing with grief, but Iris doesn't find any magic fixes--although she does start to open up by the end of the story, and the prognosis seems good that she'll find normality again at some point (although it'll be a different norm than before).

FOOTER DAVIS PROBABLY IS CRAZY, by Susan Vaught


The story: When Footer Davis's mother shoots the head right off a venomous snake, it's the start of a downhill slide that sends Mom back to the mental hospital and leaves Footer and best boy-buddy Peavine to discover the truth about the the murder of Old Man Abrams, the fire that destroyed his property, and the disappearance of his grandchildren. When Footer starts hallucinating about the night of the murder, she has to wonder--is she going crazy too?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G: Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G: adult themes (child abuse, murder, mental illness; all on a scale suitable for older ES readers) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I liked this one a lot. The one-and-only drawback is that Footer and Peavine are in 5th grade. Bummer, especially since the story could have been told exactly the same even if the author had placed the kids in 7th grade, which would have enticed a group of MS readers to give it a go. However, Footer is a wry narrator with an authentic southern voice (and the Mississippi setting seems spot-on, all the way down to the snakes in the ponds, and the elephant gun used to fight them off). Readers will find themselves rooting for Footer and mentally assuring her that she's NOT really crazy at all.

THE MAP TO EVERYWHERE, by Carrie Ryan & John Parke Davis



The story: First, there's Marrill. Her mom is sick--really sick--and Marrill is completely bummed that the family's adventure-filled life is coming to an end. That is, until a pirate ship pulls up in the parking lot of an Arizona strip mall, and Marrill is sucked into an adventure that's out of this world. Literally. Then there's Fin: the boy that time (and everyone else) forgot. Unless he's standing right in front of you, you won't remember he was ever there-which is great if you're looking to pull off a daring heist, but tough if you're looking for a family. When Fin's and Marrill's strange adventures intersect, they team up to look for a map and a key that will either bring them everything they're dreaming of...or bring the end of the world. Fifty-fifty chance of either.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic and the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (the end of the world as we know it!) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's another fun fantasy featuring a boy and girl buddy team working together to get what they want (see also James Riley's "Story Thieves"). I especially enjoyed the authors' clever wordplay, including puns for many of the names that patient kid readers will get and enjoy--for example, Fin's mother writes her name down as "Notah Reelnaym" and his birthplace as Nowareneerheer; the Kraken's "Door Way" is a passage filled with door; even the map is the "Bintheyr Map to Everywhere." Kids will enjoy feeling like they're in on the joke. Booklist lists it for grades 4-7; I agree, since the kids' ages aren't specifically given. Any fantasy fan will like this one!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Summer Reading--mostly books for adults


The Scent of Secrets by Jane Thynne
World War II spy thriller, light on the thrills, starring a half fictional half-British actress who loves Germany, but hates what the Nazis are doing to it.  Her profession allows her access to the high echelons of Nazi society, which she uses to gather intelligence.  Of course, there are a couple of brief romantic entanglements, some nail-biting, and the British agent who got away.  Overall, enjoyable if not overly complicated.




The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza
More light fair for the beach.  This too-good-to-be-true heroine is a fortyish magazine editor whose former assistant returns to the magazine to be the mean-girl-in-chief.  Totally unbelievable, first that a fortyish magazine editor could be so technologically challenged, and second that the psychotic assistant could manage to manipulate everyone so effectively when she is clearly insane.  However, it is fun to read about the rich and privileged and imagine what life would be like if all your problems could be solved so easily—and you always had the perfect outfit and the perfect hair.  It definitely doesn’t live up to the hype, but consider it a guilty pleasure.



 Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews
Sadly, I found this disappointing.  It was billed as a spy thriller with lots of plot twists and turns.  Written by a former field agent, I was expecting grit, puzzles, analysis.  What I got was a bunch of spies falling into bed with each other and claiming that the infidelity didn’t matter since they were serving a greater good, or some such rot.  I am supposed to feel sympathy for the main male character who cannot keep his trousers zipped up?  Please.  If I wanted to read about that, I would have picked up a classic Ian Fleming novel.  The only reason I finished it was so I could write a scathing review.  I will not be fooled into reading Matthews again, former agent or no.  If this is really what the CIA is up to, no wonder we never know what is going on.

The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango
Finally, something edgy, clever, and not the least bit condescending.  The unreliable narrator will keep you guessing until long after you close the book.  When we meet Henry, he is in the midst of a crisis.  His mistress is pregnant, but he likes being married to his wife, who incidentally, is the author of all the books that have made him a famous author.  What’s a fellow to do?  Read the book and find out.  You might be confused, but you won’t be disappointed.




 
The End of Men and the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin
A nonfiction selection that I picked up because of the title.  I thought is seemed a little confrontational.  The text is less so.  Ms. Rosin posits that women are doing better than men in the new economy and that feminists have yet to acknowledge or see it.  I have a surprise for her; I have yet to see it either.  There may be some women at the top end of the spectrum who are doing better, but most of the women I know are still struggling to make less than men, doing more housework and childcare than men, and have less free time than men.  I don’t know, maybe if you are under 30 and have a “big” career, but for most of us regular women, I doubt.  However, she does have some interesting ideas about the future of marriage and family, which are worth reading about.  She does a good job presenting her evidence, and the title is not really indicative of what the book is about.  It is not a “down with men” manifesto, but rather a thoughtful account of the changing nature of gender roles and how we are all adjusting to the new normal. 

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
I read this because I loved The Paris Wife, McLain’s last big novel.  I loved this one less.  First of all, I found the leading lady, Beryl Markham, much less appealing.  Her willingness to have an affair with Denys Finch-Hatton while she was supposedly friends with Karen Blixen made her completely anathema to me.  I know we don’t have to always like the main character, but in this case, without liking her, or really any of the other people in the book—her mean-spirited husband, her “friends” who were all spoiled debutantes and dandies, there wasn’t really much to hang my hat on.  At least I could root for Hadley and hate Ernest.  In Circling the Sun, I didn’t care whether she crashed the plane or not, I just wanted the insipidness to stop.  Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed in this one, both because I had read and liked this author before, but also because I had been led to believe by other reviewers that this was a great read.  Not so much.
The writing was beautiful, but I couldn’t enjoy it without a good story.