Review Blast! August Catch- Up Edition

I hate doing these quickie reviews but there comes a time when I realize I’m so far behind that I just need to get over 
myself and get it done.  So here you go. . .

Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen, was an excellent read.  The story was very real - nothing sci-fi, supernatural, or dystopian about it, which is rare with Young Adult novels these days.  The story was about a teenager, her sisters, and her attempt at holding her family together and deal with fall-out after a sexual assault led to rumors and misunderstandings.  This story tackles rape, anorexia, and depression amongst other themes.  It’s a heavy novel with a very real core.  Definitely worth reading.  I recommend it to older teens and adults of all ages.

Airhead, Being Nikki, and Runaway, by Meg Cabot, are the three books that make up the Airhead trilogy.  The story is very far fetched.  After an accident in a department store, Emerson wakes up to find her brain transplanted onto the body of a supermodel.  Emerson has to pretend to be Nikki while trying to remain herself.  The first book hooked me enough to keep reading but honestly I find them all a bit silly.  That darn Meg Cabot can always hook me into her stories, weird as they might be.  While I can’t wholeheartedly recommend them to adults, the target teen audience might enjoy the trilogy. 

I’m pretty well convinced that I’ve read Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, before.  It’s a familiar story.  That being said, I read it again and once again found myself caught up in one family’s courage to stay together through the worst possible time, and another family’s bravery to help them no matter the cost.  It’s always worth a read - or a re-read. 

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes is part of an ongoing series by Robin Jones Gunn.  The stories are stand -alone novels of women getting together and finding out more about themselves, and God, along the way.  In this installment, Summer heads to the Netherlands to meet her longtime pen pal Noelle.  The women had been great friends for years but had never met face to face.  Summer is escaping from a possible breast cancer diagnosis and Noelle is still running from a difficult relationship with her father.  As the two women share adventures, they learn that their friendship was meant to be and they both find healing.

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did.  I wanted a big, rousing, pirate tale.  Pirate Latitudes just didn’t hit the mark.  I think part of it was a mental block.  As someone who has written a few unpublished novels, I have to wonder if the late Michael Crichton really wanted this story to see the light of day.  For those unfamiliar, it was found on his computer after he passed away.  I’m not sure I would love it very much if my un-edited, un-polished manuscripts saw the light of day without my consent.  

That’s not to say the story was un-polished.  It was well written, obviously edited, and really was a complete story.  It just didn’t quite do what I wanted it to, which was to sweep me into the Caribbean and immerse me in a story.  This novel is fine as a pirate story but it wasn’t more than that.  It was just a story.  It didn’t stick with me.  It didn’t make me want to revisit the pirates again.  That’s what I wanted.  

I’m glad I read this novel.  I enjoyed parts of it very much and once the large cast of characters came together, the story had a nice flow.  But then it was over and I put the book away.  It’s worth a read and would be fun to read while cruising the Caribbean!

Matched by Ally Condie

I had high hopes for Matched, by Ally Condie.  For the most part, they were met.  It's a bit of a formula now with one girl torn between two guys.  Fortunately the plot is different enough for the story to be interesting.  The story takes place in a future where everything is controlled.  People are told what activities they can choose from, what job to take, what to eat and how much, what to wear, etc.  Any step out of line, and there are problems.  Even death is controlled

The story starts with Cassia attending her Matching Ceremony.  At this formal dinner, she finds out who she is to marry.  To her relief, she is to marry Xander, her best friend.  Due to a glitch in data, she finds herself wondering if she was actually supposed to be matched to Ky.  She finds herself drawn to him and he begins to challenge the life she knows. 

The story moves quickly but, like many young adult novels, it doesn't have a clear ending.  It's a good thing there is a sequel coming!  It's really getting frustrating!  I didn't love the book like I wanted to, but it certainly kept me reading.  It's a solid young adult novel.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I’ve been hearing about the Mortal Instruments series for a long time but never really thought it would interest me.  It turns out that I did enjoy the first book in the series but I’m not really sure why.  The story was fairly predictable and yet I found myself wanting to know what happened next.  

Clary is a fifteen year old who begins seeing people that nobody else can see.  When her mother disappears she relies on Jace, a mysterious shadowhunter (demon slayer) to help her find her mother.  Clary learns some truths about who she is and the life she came from.   

The characters were great, I will say that.  They will keep me reading the series.  I confess to not being a fan of big mythology type books.  I felt that parts of the stories were very similar to other books and movies that I’ve enjoyed, specifically Star Wars.  In the end, I can recommend it for great characters and a well paced story.  It’s not the greatest book I’ve ever read but I still had fun reading it.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Have you ever picked up a book, started reading, enjoyed it, but still didn't know if you could finish it?  The Passage, by Justin Cronin, was like that for me.  So, if you are considering reading this really great book, just plug through.  You'll be glad you did.

The focus of the story is Amy, a young child who is just a little different and very brilliant.  When her desperate mother leaves her at an orphanage, the government swoops in.  The government is creating super weapons - vampire like creatures - to combat terrorism.  Of course, nothing quite works out the way they planned and after a mass escape, the creatures invade and infect at least the United States.  It's never clear how far it spreads. 

The next part of the book is about a pocket of survivors who are living on borrowed time and old batteries, with a system of walls and bright lights to protect them from the "virals".  When Amy arrives at their village, they discover a secret and a few set out to bring Amy back to where it all started.

Mr. Cronin crafted a very well detailed story with many surprises.  It is long and epic, spanning many, many years, but it's gripping and disturbing.  While it may be a vampire story, these are not your typical vampires.  They are not charming, that's for sure.  They are scary and not terribly human at all.  If I have any minor complaint it's the transitions between "sections" of the book.  I felt like so much was left hanging and all of a sudden I was one hundred years in the future trying to get to know a new group of characters.  Once I figured things out, the story began to flow again.  That's minor and it might not bother other people - I have a very linear mind, time-lines are very important to me in the books I read.  I do highly recommend this novel.  Just set aside a good chunk of time.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I read Mockingjay back in August so I can't believe I'm just now getting to review it!  Warning, don't read this if you haven't already read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.  I can't promise not to spoil anything.

In Mockingjay, Katniss finds herself in District 13, which isn't supposed to exist anymore.  She learns that there is an underground army forming and she is expected to be the face of the revolt.  They want her, the Mockingjay, to be their spokeswoman of sorts.  She does the job but she has an agenda of her own, to kill President Snow.

Mockingjay is full of action, just as the previous two books.  The arena is gone and in it's place is the Capitol, just as nasty and full of traps as the arenas were.  Katniss, Peeta, and Gail have to make their way through the Capitol to get to the President.  It isn't easy.

The book was good yet I felt something was missing.  It didn't leave me with the insane love I felt when I read The Hunger Games.  I am satisfied with the ending and the story but I wasn't blown away.  I feel like Katniss was a little too whiny and broken.  She hid in closets instead of facing what needed to be faced.  Yes, she'd been through hell twice, but I wanted her to be stronger.  I wanted her to be bold and not hide away.  But that's only my opinion.  The Hunger Games Trilogy is a great series and I encourage everyone to read the books.  I'm so very glad I did and I look forward to whatever Suzanne Collins has coming out next.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

 
Disclaimer:  I am a fan of Meg Cabot.  I enjoy many of her books (not all) and I think she writes fun, quirky stories.  So I really wanted to enjoy Insatiable.  It's a vampire story by an author I enjoy!  What could go wrong?  Only a few things.

The story focuses on Meena, a writer for a soap opera called Insatiable.  When her new boss wants to do a vampire storyline, she gets upset because there are too many vampire stories out there.  While out walking the dog in the middle of the night, she meets a mysterious man who saves her from a swarm of bats - in the middle of New York City.  He sweeps her into a quick and intense relationship before telling her the truth about who - and what - he is.

The good . . . Everything moves along quickly and the supporting characters are quirky and fun, despite being slightly annoying.  The story builds off the historical story of Vlad the Impaler and I enjoyed the more traditional vampire traits - as seen in Bram Stoker's Dracula.  The historical take on things was interesting a different from what I've been reading.  I also appreciated that Lucian was not completely reformed.  He wasn't attacking innocents but he had a temper and he wasn't perfect.  Meena recognized this and that was good too.  It's nice to see a realistic heroine. 

The bad. . . The writing was slightly choppy with needless descriptions.  We (the readers) don't need to be told that Jon is her brother at end of the book.  We've been reading, we know this.  Jon is a major character.  That annoyed me.  The whole story took place in a matter of days which didn't give a lot of time to build a romance.  I'm assuming that this is the start of a series and the end was definitely left open to a sequel.  I do like a more solid ending.  Despite that, I will be reading the next book that comes along.  I'm interested enough to continue but not excited enough to mark my calender. 

Vampire fans may like the "pure" version of the vamps in the story but I don't know that it will satisfy.   I guess we'll just have to wait for next summer.

Out of Eden by Beth Ciotta

Out of Eden, by Beth Ciotta, is a typical romantic novel.  We’ve got instant attraction, misunderstandings, shoes, nosy neighbors, the long suffering best friend, and the Mafia.  Maybe the Mafia isn’t typical but the point is, there wasn’t anything surprising about this novel.  I was anxious to read a funny romance but instead I found myself just wanting to get through it. 

It’s well-written, there isn’t a problem with that.  The novel has a plot that moves along fairly quickly, but it just wasn’t interesting.  I found the main character to be rather annoying.  She ran her family’s shoe store and let her family walk all over her because she never expressed what she wanted.  She wanted adventure.  She wanted to travel throughout Asia.  She wanted to paint the shoe store!  I wanted to shake her and tell her to just do it!  I understand putting dreams on hold but the constant whining about it was annoying. 

And then there was Jack.  He’s not a very well defined character.  I know he was good looking -as all romantic leads must be - and was a police officer.  Other than his loyalty to friends and family, and his endearing affection for the dog that adopted him, he was pretty boring. 

I guess my thoughts are that I’ve read similar plots that were much more interesting.  When you really don’t care if the romantic leads get together, it’s a problem.  I was disappointed.  It’s not horrible, but it just didn’t get to the point where I’d call it good. 

Catching Fire by Suzzane Collins

I'm weak.  I wasn't going to read this book until May but I was pressured into it.  Now I have to wait around to read the third book in the series.  Drat.

Catching Fire continues the story of Katniss, the co-winner of The Hunger Games.  I don't want to spoil anything but the Hunger Games are back and even more twisted.  This story was nothing like I expected.  I had scenarios playing through my mind and none of them fit the reality.

The story moves along quickly and tosses the reader around a little bit.  There are moments of pure action and moments of frustration when you want to smack Katniss to get her act together.  The relationship between Katniss and Peeta grows and I found myself enjoying his character much more than I did in The Hunger Games.  I'm sure that Katniss will ultimately have to decide between Peeta or Gale but frankly she's not a romantic character and would probably be better off on her own.  Yes, I have strong opinions on fictional characters and their romantic lives.

Bottom line, if you've read The Hunger Games, you must read Catching Fire.  I'm not sure how you could resist.   Don't read Catching Fire first though.  These books must be read in order.  Go read The Hunger Games.  I'll wait.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I can't believe I waited so long to review this book.  I think I was mentally writing it while reading.  And yet, I didn't do it.  I lost my blogging mojo.  Again.  I think it's coming back.  I just needed to jump in and do it.  Anyway. . .

The Hunger Games blew my mind.  I haven't felt such intense love for a book in a really long time.  2010 has been a very good reading year for me.  The story is an odd combination of Gladiator, Survivor, and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery".  Katniss is a teen-aged girl who is forced to compete in The Hunger Games, which is a fight to the death.

The whole concept of this book is horrific.  How can teens be asked to kill or be killed?  How can people sit around and watch this on their TV all day, every day.  Why doesn't anyone see that this is so wrong?  Those were my first thoughts when I started reading.  Fortunately the book isn't about killing or blood-lust.  It's about survival.  Katniss just wants to survive and she will do anything for that to happen.  The odds are against her.

I guarantee you'll get caught up in this book.  I couldn't put it down.  I can't wait to read the sequel!  This is a young adult book but I would say it's best for older teens because of the subject matter.   And you adults?  Read it!  You won't be disappointed.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

South of Broad exhausted me. It really did. I couldn't get images from the book out of my bed. I didn't dream about it but thinking about this book kept me from sleeping.

I'm familiar with the name Pat Conroy and obviously have heard of his other work but I had never read any of his books. I want to make that clear, as I've read some mixed reviews, where South of Broad was compared to his other writing. This was my first foray into the world of Pat Conroy and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book focuses on Leo, the narrator, who meets nine new friends on one day in June when he is eighteen. These nine people change his life. They form a friendship that takes them through the next two decades and beyond. It's the kind of friendship I've always wanted to have.

The first hundred pages or so were a little difficult for me. I had a hard time getting into the dialogue, possibly because I'm not familiar with the South Carolina accent. I'm sure there's a lovely cadence that makes it all work, but I struggled at first. The characters didn't say what I wanted them to say! Leo was too witty and clever. At some point it all came together and the story picked up. Stick around for the last hundred pages where everything comes together into one climax after another. Just when I thought it was over. . . It wasn't. There is a huge revelation at the end and it just gutted me.

If you like sweeping family sagas, you'll enjoy this book. These friends do become family, through their bonds, and through marriages. Enjoy!

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched is the third book in a series revolving around Lizzie Nichols and her friends. I was really excited to finally read this book as I enjoyed the other two very much. In this installment, Lizzie is caught between two men, all while dealing with changes at work and with her family.

The story starts with Lizzie happily announcing to Chaz, her engagement to Luke. Unfortunately this occurs the morning after Lizzie and Chaz kissed. She's eventually torn between the man she thinks is her perfect man and the man who makes her stomach flip- flop. Oh, if we could all have such problems!

This is a bit of a formula "chick-lit" novel and I have to confess that I love that about it. Meg Cabot injects so much humor and character to her novels that you can't help but smile as you read along. This is recommended to any reader who enjoys a nice, happy, love story.

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

I happened upon Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler in a very random way. I was on the hunt for a book that started with a "K" for the A to Z Challenge. I decided not to re-read the book that I had planned and wanted something new. I'm glad I did.

The book I have is a three- in - one. The original trilogy, released in 1995, was combined into one big book. At first thought, I would read the first book and then just put the book away for a while. Yeah. That didn't happen. The story wasn't close to being over at the end of the first book, it wasn't even close to having closure. And then there was the end of the second book. Wow. Talk about a cliff hanger! There was no possible way I could have just put the book back on the shelf without finishing all three stories.

The stories are good. They are young adult books and are a very easy read. The story caught my attention and kept me going. The books revolve around Ivy, a new girl in school, who falls for the star swimmer, Tristan. Besides her crush, she is trying to make friends, and deal with her mother's new marriage, her young brother, and her step-brother Gregory. After a horrible car accident kills Tristan, he becomes an angel watching over Ivy. She needs a lot of watching out for. The car crash wasn't an accident and strange things keep happening. Slowly she begins to put the pieces of Tristan's murder together and she wonders if she was the intended victim.

While not everyone will enjoy the simplicity of this young adult novel, I do recommend it to those who like a little mystery, a little fantasy, and a little romance. It has all three.

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

I'm never sure what to expect when I read non-fiction. Sometimes it can be extremely dry, sometimes it can be warm and sometimes it can be a lot of fun. In the book, I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Sloane Crosley shares moments in her life through a series of essays.

I enjoyed the book for the most part. I read it fairly quickly and read some of it out loud to various friends and family. The author does not portray herself as a warm and fuzzy person which caused the stories to lack emotion. I'm sure that she is a perfectly nice person but I found myself wondering how she really felt in the situations she described. That was lacking for me.

I also was looking for more of a timeline but since these were essays on her life, and not a straight memoir, I understood the reason for it. I'm just a very linear person. All in all, it's a good read. I recommend it to those who enjoy reading David Sedaris or Jen Lancaster. I find Ms. Crosley to fit between the two. Not as jaded as Sedaris and not as funny as Lancaster.

Everyone Is Beautiful by Katherine Center

Everyone is Beautiful, by Katherine Center, is a witty, smart book that tackles everyday issues in a beautiful way. Lanie is a woman who recently moved across country with her husband and three young children. She is lost in the role of mother and wife. She doesn't seem to have any other identity. She is frumpy, tired, stressed and hundreds of other adjectives that describe a typical woman.

I think that's the reason I loved this book. Lanie is a typical woman. She loves her children fiercely even though they are normal, naughty little boys. She loves her husband even though they barely communicate anymore. She doesn't love herself. Her story is one of finding herself again, while rescuing a marriage. Peter, her hard-working musician husband, is also given an accurate portrayal. I can only imagine that across this planet there millions of men (and women for that matter) who work hard and feel disconnected to the family they love so much.

The writing is clever. The author gives Lanie a voice that I could relate to. There are scenes that just make you laugh out loud and there are some that you don't want to happen because your heart will break along with the characters. The epilogue itself is worth reading. Her view of women, and the beauty that is in all of us, despite our flaws, is truly beautiful.

Candy Girl by Diablo Cody

I just finished Candy Girl by Diablo Cody. Wow. What a ride. Really, it's a good read. My only caution is you should be very comfortable with the different names for body parts and not be too prudish. Diablo is an interesting gal. I loved Juno so very much and I enjoy her articles in Entertainment Weekly. My friend bought me Candy Girl after I commented that I'd like to read it but was a bit embarrassed to be buying a book about a stripper. With good reason. She was graphic in parts. On the whole though, I think it was a very interesting memoir. I was under the impression that she started stripping for research purposes. I thought the book idea came before the stripping. I was wrong. She was intrigued by the idea and did it. More power to her.

I would never be a stripper. It just wouldn't be a good choice for me. Ever. I get why women do though. For so many it's about money, and they can make good money. For others it is about power, some I'm sure are just desperate for something. If you are willing to read a book that might make you blush and will definitely squick you out, go for it. I enjoyed it. It's just not for everyone.

Diablo Cody

I think Diablo could totally be my friend. Really. It seems like back in high school we would have had a lot in common. I really knew nothing about her except that she wrote Juno. I should mention that I thought Juno was a fabulous movie. As an adoptee and a big fan of adoption, I was crying at the end. Great story Diablo! Sometime in the last six months or so she started writing the occasional article for Entertainment Weekly. EW is my favorite magazine because it keeps my pop culture fix at a high level. I treasure each copy - and yes I subscribe. In Diablo's articles I realized that we are pretty close in age and we both love New Kids on the Block. If that isn't bonding I don't know what is. I'm thinking I should read her book even though I'm not terribly interested in life as a stripper.