Review: A Monster Calls

Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Genre: YA, Fantasy Horror

When thirteen-year-old Conor wakes up from a nightmare at exactly 12:07 one night, he sees a monster outside his window. It’s not the monster he was expecting, the one who haunts his dreams every night. This monster is made of the yew tree outside his window, and it tells Conor that over time, it will tell him three stories. Eventually Conor will tell the story of his nightmare to the monster. Conor has difficulty believing what the monster says is true, and goes on with his life. Lately, life for Conor has been a struggle. His mother has cancer and the kids at school have been bullying him ever since they learnt about his mum. As Conor continues to meet with the monster, he fears the day when he will have to share his story with him. When stories are wild things that don’t end in the way he expected, Conor fears telling his.

I picked this book by chance at my library. I’d heard praise of A Monster Calls, but wrote it off as a book that wasn’t for me. I am so happy that I gave this book a chance. It was tragic and beautiful in every way a book can be beautiful. A Monster Calls is based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who had the plot and characters for this book ready before she died. Patrick Ness used her ideas to write this book and make it his own. The illustrations were drawn by Jim Kay and they were absolutely beautiful. They captured everything wonderfully and added so much to this book. A Monster Calls is difficult to describe; I wish I could write a review that just said it’s amazing and that everyone should read it. What’s interesting about this book is that the fantasy elements and the realistic part of the plot both would have worked well on their own, but combining them made this book so unforgettable. The writing and the characters were flawless, and I thought Conor was a realistic character with a great deal of depth. The monster’s stories were absorbing and share so many great ideas about humanity and life. Overall, this was a touching book about dealing with grief and loss. This book was truly breathtaking and I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone.

5/5


“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”

Review: Liesl & Po

Title: Liesl & Po
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: October 4th, 2011
Genre: Junior Fiction, Fantasy

Liesl has been locked in her attic bedroom by her stepmother ever since her father became ill months ago. A few days after his death, Liesl encounters a ghost in her bedroom. The ghost, Po, is neither male nor female and both at the same time. When Po goes to the Other Side to look for Liesl’s father, he learns that he doesn’t feel he will be able to move to the Beyond until his ashes are scattered with his wife’s. Liesl and Po set out to bring the box holding his ashes to the house where Liesl grew up. Meanwhile, Will, the Alchemist’s apprentice, is making an important delivery and accidentally misplaces the most important magic in the world. The Alchemist has created a complicated spell that involved bottling the sun. Due to his magic, the whole world is a dull grey colour. Will’s mistake leads him to join Liesl and Po in their quest. As the children and the ghost set out to help Liesl’s father move on, they inadvertently bring colour back to their world.

I recently read an article discussing how a children’s book can become a classic. The article brought up some of the obvious things, such as great writing and characters, an interesting and creative plot and setting. The article believed that the most important quality in a book for children is that the book should be about something bigger and more meaningful than it might initially seem to be. Liesl & Po certainly qualifies, based on that. This book is about losing someone you love and having your whole world feel grey and colourless. This book shares a lot of ideas about life and death, and there were some wonderful passages. Lauren Oliver is the writer of Before I Fall and Delirium, and the one thing that these three books have in common is that they’re all beautifully written. Liesl & Po is a wonderful story about a sunless world where ghosts can appear to humans. The characters were vivid and interesting. They live in a dark world where magic is possible. The plot started with a simple idea (a girl tries to help her father be at peace by taking his ashes home) and turned that into an enchanting story that swept me away. This book is one of those examples of me guessing what was going to happen and being completely off. It seems silly now, but I thought that Po was going to turn out to be Mo’s sister, Bella. I thought that she would have gotten confused and given herself a name that rhymed with her brother’s. This turned out to be wrong, and what actually happened worked much better. The story had a fairy tale feel to it, and I loved the magical world that Oliver created. My one complaint is that parts of the ending felt silly and didn't read as smoothly as the rest of the book. The illustrations by Kei Acedera captured the story beautifully. I actually prefer the blue cover that was under the jacket for the book over the brown jacket cover. Perhaps it will be used in the paperback edition. In other reviews I’ve read, Oliver’s explanation of her reasons for writing this book were used as an introduction. In my edition, the author’s note doesn’t appear until the end. I wish I had read it before I started reading Liesl & Po, because I think knowing that this book was written as a way of coping with grief would have added to my reading experience. This book meant a lot to the writer, which was apparent in every page. Oliver created a heartfelt and touching story about coping with loss and seeing the sun again after a long winter.

4/5

“Perhaps that was how the sparrows did it too: perhaps they were looking so hard at the peaks and tips of the new rooftops coated with dew, and the vast new horizons, that they only forgot that they did not know how to fly until they were already in midair.”

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, in which book bloggers post about the books they've bought, borrowed or received in the past week.

I went away for the weekend, and the nearby town happens to have a bookshop I really like. I bought How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, which I'm really looking forward to reading. We also passed The World's Smallest Book Store and I bought Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens and So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson. Earlier in the week, I was in the little shop in my library buying a travel book for my dad. I happened to find The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks for 50 cents, which I read in September and loved (review here.) From the library, I took out Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson. 

From Simon & Schuster's eGalley program, I received Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook. I love the cover and the title of this book! I've read one other book by Eileen Cook (The Education of Hailey Kendrick,) and although I didn't like it, it was only because the main character drove me crazy. It was still well-written and I think I said in the review that I'd be willing to read another of Cook's books. So, that's it for me this week. Feel free to post the url to your IMM in the comments.  

Review: Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness

Title: Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness (Scott Pilgrim #3)

Author: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: March 24th, 2006
Genre: YA, Graphic Novel

Things only seem to be getting worst for our hero Scott Pilgrim. His ex-girlfriend Envy Adams is back in Toronto with her new boyfriend, Todd. Todd also happens to be Ramona’s ex-boyfriend and, even worst, is vegan. Everyone knows that being vegan makes you better than other people and gives you psychic powers, and how will Scott be able to match that? All her wants is some closure with Envy, but instead he has to defeat her boyfriend if he wants to be with Ramona.

Isn’t Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness the best title ever? Nothing seems to be going right as the third volume in the series begins. Things are especially dramatic for Scott, with four girls he at one time dated in the picture at the moment (Kim, Envy, Knives and Ramona.) This book was easier to follow than the second in the series, although at the beginning I had difficult distinguishing between a few of the characters. The diagram at the beginning of all the characters and their relationships helped me keep track (and made me laugh.) The Infinite Sadness was entertaining and often laugh-out-loud funny. We see some flashbacks to Scott’s first year of university, when he started dating Envy Adams, who eventually broke his heart. As Scott is struggling with the fact that he’s still broken hearted over Envy, he also has to fight her boyfriend Todd, who has super powers. While their first fight begins at Lee Palace, it continues through the novel, including a battle at Honest Ed’s. While the second and third volumes can’t match the first, it was still a lot of fun to read. I’d definitely recommend this to any reluctant readers, since this is a quick and amusing read.

4/5

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy

Karou is an art student in Prague and constantly impresses her friends with her sketches of monsters. Little do they know that the characters in her sketchbooks are real. Karou lives two lives: one attending school and spending time with her best friend, and the other carrying out errands for her foster father Brimstone, who belongs to a entirely different world. When Karou meets an angel named Akiva, he is fascinated with her despite the fact that he is the enemy. As Karou becomes caught up in the oldest war in existence, she might be able to find out whom she truly is. But once she finds out the truth, there’s no going back.

In Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor takes a lot of ideas that are quite common in YA fiction right now (such as forbidden love and magical worlds) and makes it feel new again. If anything about the plot description above seems unoriginal, trust me, it’s not. Karou lives in a world where wishes can be bought and a portal can take her to any city in the world. I suppose you could say that there are two types of paranormal novels: ones where the protagonist is unaware of the fantasy world as the book begins, and ones where they are already a part of it. Daughter of Smoke and Bone falls into the latter, and for a while the reader is the clueless one. But there is a lot that Karou doesn’t know about herself and her guardians, so there was still suspense and many unanswered questions until the end. I think what makes this book so good is that it has fantastic writing, wonderful characters and a creative fantasy world. Taylor’s prose was so beautiful and it was very difficult to pick one quote for this review. The world she created was very detailed and original, and I think I would check out the sequel just to see more of it. She also captured Prague perfectly, and now I almost feel as if I’ve been there. Like the world Taylor created, many of the characters were original and captivating. My favourite was Zuzana; I couldn’t help loving this tiny girl who loves marionettes. I loved a lot of things about Karou, such as her independence and bravery, but I felt a bit detached from her, and I didn’t completely buy into her relationship with Akiva. Perhaps that is why this book didn’t have quite the effect on me that it had on some many other reviewers. I did enjoy it and I loved being thrown into the world that Laini Taylor created. I’d definitely recommend Daughter of Smoke and Bone to anyone who loves fantasy and even to those who don’t.

4/5

“It is a condition of monsters that they do not perceive themselves as such. The dragon, you know, hunkered in the village devouring maidens, heard the townsfolk cry 'Monster!' and looked behind him.”

Review: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Title: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #4)
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011 (First Published 1894)
Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Now that Dr. Watson is married, he sees less and less of Sherlock Holmes. However, his former flatmate still calls on him occasionally for assistance in interesting mysteries. In The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Watson and Sherlock encounter a stolen racehorse, an elaborate robbery, secret identities, murder and theft. Watson also finally meets Sherlock’s clever brother Mycroft, hears stories of Sherlock’s first cases and even sees Sherlock outwitted. Watson is also first introduced to Sherlock’s greatest enemy, the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty. Sherlock’s famous confrontation with his nemesis at Reichenbach Falls is one of the eleven exciting tales in this volume.

Sherlock Holmes and Watson are back in the fourth book in the Sherlock Holmes series. There are eleven short stories (or cases) in this book. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is interesting because at times the reader is introduced to Sherlock before he was a consulting detective and was just a clever university student. We also get to see Sherlock’s younger brother Mycroft, who might be more intelligent than his brother but is not as driven. It was fascinating to hear about some of Holmes’ first cases. In “The Yellow Face,” Sherlock is wrong in his assumptions, further proof that Holmes is imperfect and makes mistakes, like the rest of us. While things started off strong with “Silver Blaze,” I found myself losing interest midway through the book. I read this book all at once, and I think it’s meant to be read a story at a time (which is how I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.) Things ended on a high note, with “The Final Problem.” This infamous story details Holmes’ first dealings with Moriarty, and their fateful fight over Reichenbach falls. While this was originally intended to be the end of Sherlock Holmes, Doyle continued writing the series. And thank goodness: imagine Sherlock Holmes without The Hound of the Baskervilles! Knowing that Holmes is not actually dead, I enjoyed this story. Of course, I would hate it if he actually died. Although it contains one of Doyle’s most famous stories, I preferred The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: I don’t remember ever losing interest, as I did midway through this book. However, it was still enjoyable and just brilliant. My favourite story was “The Stockbroker’s Clerk:” I enjoy the stories that centre around a robbery, such as “The Red Headed League” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Overall, this was a great addition to the series and a must for fans of Sherlock Holmes and mystery lovers. While The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or The Hound of the Baskervilles might be a better place to start if you have never read any of Doyle’s books, this addition to the series was clever and often exciting. While it did drag along in the middle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes was still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I received this e-galley from Penguin Group USA.

4/5

"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
"The dog did nothing in the night-time."
"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

Review: Silver Girl

Title: Silver Girl
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: June 21st, 2011
Genre: Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance

Meredith Delinn is probably the most hated woman in America. Her husband, Freddy Delinn, has been arrested for cheating investors through a ponzi scheme. Although Meredith had no knowledge of what was going on, she and one of her sons are under investigation and could be facing jail as well. With her future uncertain and no one to turn to, Meredith calls her former friend Connie, who she hasn’t spoken to in three years. Connie and Meredith were childhood friends, and Connie invites Meredith to spend the summer with her in Nantucket. Although she comes to Meredith’s recue, Connie has problems of her own: her husband died of cancer two years ago and she and her daughter have been estranged ever since. As the two of them try to patch up their friendship and move on, the summer provides Connie with a second chance at love, while Meredith is reminded of the person she used to be.

It might be below zero outside, but reading Silver Girl made it feel like summer again. I know I’m always saying this, but I didn’t expect this book to be so good. I assumed it would be a light beach read that would be fun but nothing special. Instead, I found realistic and flawed characters and an engaging plot. The story isn’t exactly original since it’s based on the lives of Ruth and Bernard Madoff. All the same, it was an interesting topic that worked well in the story. This book is very character driven and focuses a lot on flashbacks of Connie and Meredith throughout the years. The use of flashbacks worked very well, especially since it showed how Meredith feels she let down her late father and never lived up to the person she could have been. The strongest part of the story was Meredith’s continuing sadness over her father’s death, which had me a little teary at times. Meredith was an interesting character: she was raised by a doting father who believed she could do anything. Meredith was smart and seemed to have the world at her feet. Her father died while she was away at university, and she saw Freddy Delinn as a sort of answer to her prayers. While they struggled financially in the early days of their marriage, Freddie’s “economic genius” lead him to becoming very rich. Meredith became the sort of person who wouldn’t think twice about spending a small fortune on something like candles. She was blind to Freddy’s illegal activities, and truly believed his success was due to talent. When Freddie was arrested, Meredith lost everything and found herself friendless, broke and universally hated. Now, Meredith is sickened over the person she had become: someone who spent money frivolously and put money before her oldest friendship. I liked how this book showed that a person can start their life over, even when it seems impossible. It also showed that friendship can withstand so much. In a lot of ways, this was a perfect summer read. Silver Girl was well written, had a beautiful setting, flawed but realistic characters, a life long friendship and an entertaining plot. The story was well paced and enjoyable, while it still touched on some more serious issues. I would recommend this book to fans of chick lit or romance. In the summer when I am looking for a beach read, I will have to read more of Elin Hilderbrand’s books.
I received this e-galley from Little, Brown & Company. 


4/5

“Sail on Silver Girl, Sail on by, Your time has come to shine, All your dreams are on their way.”

Review: The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: September 1st, 2011
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy

No one knows that the circus is coming, but by the time the black and white tents are set up it’s difficult to remember a time when it wasn’t there. The circus stays for a few days and is open only at night. They call it the circus of dreams. All of the performers dress in black and white and are like nothing anyone has ever seen before. They do things that seem impossible, as if they were done with magic. Le Cirque des Rêves is the home of a contortionist, a fortuneteller and two red headed twins who are as old as the circus itself. But more importantly, the circus is the playing field for a game that was set in motion before the circus even existed. Celia and Marco have been raised to compete against each other and only one person can be left standing in the end. When the two fall in love, they do not completely understand the true nature of the game and what that means for them. The fate of the entire circus is closely intertwined in a game like no other, and a farm boy from Massachusetts might be the only way to save the circus.

This book has been surrounded by hype lately, and I keep hearing it praised as the best book of 2011. All the same, I could never figure out exactly what it was about. However, all the recommendations were enough to get me to read this book. The Night Circus is about magic and illusion. It’s about a circus unlike any other that is actually the chessboard for a game: a game which only one of the players will be able to walk away from. The story takes place between 1873 and 1903; beginning when an illusionist named Hector Bowen first meets his five-year-old daughter Celia. Hector and a man called Alexander make an arrangement a year later to have Celia compete with a player of Alexander’s choice. The two children are trained in different ways for this competition. Both are immensely talented magicians who do not completely understand the game they are playing. Just as Celia and Marco are thrown into this game, I was thrown into The Night Circus. It is a world of secrets, performances and unexplainable magic.

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be enchanting. The story, the setting, the atmosphere and the characters were all enchanting. This is Erin Morgenstern’s debut novel, and it is truly magnificent. The writing was wonderful, especially all of the detailed descriptions. The first pages are told in the second person, and at first I wasn’t too sure about this choice in point of view. The majority of the story is told in the third person present tense, with a small introduction to a section told in the second person. This ended up working well because I felt exactly what the author was describing, as if I too were filled with awe while viewing the circus for the first time. At times, I felt like I was a part of this world. The story was creative and captivating, and was for the most part well paced. There was one brief moment where the plot was losing my interest, and I just wanted Celia to discover that Marco was her opponent. Right after I thought this, it happened. This book was very difficult to put down: I intended to read a few pages but ended up not stopping for very long until I was finished. The writing and the setting were the strongest elements of this novel. I wasn’t expecting the circus to be so original and vibrant, but it was. While I loved the characters, they did feel a bit distant to me. Maybe it was the narration, or maybe it was because there were quite a few important characters. While I liked Celia and Marco a great deal when they were younger, as they grew older I felt detached from them. I felt like I knew more about the twins than the main characters. Some of the conversations between Marco and Celia (especially her dialogue) felt very forced and unnatural. I did like their romance, but it wasn’t the epic love described on the book jacket. By the end of the book, none of these flaws mattered to me. In a few weeks, I probably won’t remember any of these things that bothered me. While some people loved this book and thought it was perfection, others couldn’t stand it. Since I liked this book so much, I was trying to think of what kind of person The Night Circus is for. Would it be most loved by fans of fantasy? Or is it the opposite: is it perhaps best for people who do not usually read fantasy? One thing is clear: this is a book that is not for everyone. If you like being able to step into the skin of a character or do not enjoy wordy descriptions, then perhaps this book isn’t for you. I would begin reading it with no expectations: don’t begin by expecting it to be a timeless love story or a story about an epic battle, because it’s neither of those two things. However, The Night Circus is an imaginative and enthralling story that left me feeling spellbound.

4.5/5

“Good and evil are a great deal more complex than a princess and a dragon, or a wolf and a scarlet-clad little girl. And is not the dragon the hero of his own story? Is not the wolf simply acting as a wolf should act?”

Bookish Gifts for Music Lovers

Whether you know a musician or just someone who loves music, there's always a few gifts for them that they can enjoy without even having to take off their headphones.

1. Record Breaking Bookends From Selections from Museums of Canada: "Tune in with our fun and funky bookends made from full-length 33-rpm vinyl record albums. Handmade in Canada, they are a great way to organize your book shelves."

2. Drumstick Pencils From Chapters.ca: "Do you often find yourself drumming away on your office desk with a standard set of pencils? Then grab yourself our all-wood writing utensils which are half drumstick, half pencil and sold in sets of two to give your desk drum a little more authenticity."

3. George Harrison: Living in the Material World by Oliva Harrison and Mark Holburn From Goodreads: "Drawing on George Harrison’s personal archive of photographs, letters, diaries, and memorabilia, Olivia Harrison reveals the arc of his life, from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the astonishment of the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire. Here too is the record of Harrison’s lifelong commitment to Indian music, and his adventures as a movie producer, Traveling Wilbury, and Formula One racing fan. The book is filled with stories and reminiscences from Harrison’s friends, including Eric Clapton, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and many, many others. Among its previously unpublished riches are photographs taken by Harrison himself beginning in the mid-1960s. It is a rich tribute to a man who died far too young, but who touched the lives of millions."

In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, in which book bloggers post about the books they've bought, borrowed or received in the past week.

Lots of books this week! I'm a bit overwhelmed, to be honest. First off, I have Scott Pilgrim Vs The Universe and Scott Pilgrim in His Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Looking forward to reading these two and finishing off the series. I also took out A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It was amazing and I put The Knife of Never Letting Go on my Christmas list after reading it. The Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz looks amazing and I might lend it to my Mom when I'm finished. I was a big fan of Kit Pearson when I was younger and her newest book is called The Whole Truth. I'm very excited about reading it! Earlier this week, I read Home for the Holidays (Mother-Daughter Book Club.) In the book, the girls read the Betsy-Tacy series. I decided to take out Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace. In the first book, Betsy is only five, but the series shows her through her high school years and I think it finishes with her wedding. Next I have Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein. Of all the books I took out, this is the one I could see me not having time for. Hopefully that's not the case though. And last but not least, I have The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein. I am technically reading this right now, but I'm only on page 3 or something like that. I don't read very much on weekends, usually. I've heard that this is the best book of the year, so I'm very excited to read it. 

I won Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange from Goodreads! It was actually the first book I've ever won. Ever. Yay! 

What was in your mailbox this week? 

Review: Domestic Violets

Title: Domestic Violets
Author: Matthew Norman
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: August 9th 2011
Genre: Fiction, Humour

Tom Violet never imagined that at 35 he’d be working at a pointless job he hates. He always believed that he’d be a successful novelist by then. Tom has just finished his first novel, which took him five years to write. His father, Curtis Violet, is one of the most talented living writers in America, and how will he ever live up to that? His dad has just won the Pulitzer Prize and left his newest wife, a supermodel who is younger than Tom. When his mother leaves Tom’s dependable stepfather, it seems like everyone is having marital problems. Tom’s sex life with his wife is non-existent at present, and he feels too much pressure over conceiving their second child. His job may be horrible, but so many people are being let off that he might not have one for much longer. Tom hates his job, but at least he gets to see Katie, his beautiful twenty-three year old assistant. As life throws a few obstacles Tom’s way, he will have to decide what kind of man he wants to be.

It wasn’t until I was midway through this book that I realized I rarely read contemporary novels with male adult protagonists. There’s no particular reason for this: I suppose you could argue that since a lot of my recommendations are from girls, I’m more likely to read books about girls. I also seldom read humour, especially when it’s aimed at adults. Perhaps one of the reasons I enjoyed this book was because it was different from what I usually read. And, if I’m being honest, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Domestic Violets. It was a thoroughly entertaining book. I loved Tom’s sense of humour and his cynical wit. As the novel begins, Tom’s stressed because he’s suffering from erectile dysfunction. His famous father has just come to live with him after he left his wife, and eventually Tom’s stepfather joins them as well. Tom’s problems get worst soon enough, between marital and job problems. I’m glad that I didn’t read the jacket description before reading this book, because I thought it was a bit melodramatic and overplayed some of Tom’s problems. At the beginning, I didn’t think I was going to like Domestic Violets. From the first scene, I thought that this was going to be a book just for guys. It reminded me of Jonathan Tropper’s This is Where I Leave You, which I didn’t enjoy all that much. Although there were similarities between the two books, Domestic Violets was the better of the two. From the description, you might think that his book is just about marriage or the recession. To me, it was about becoming the person you want to be. Matthew Norman is a great writer and I especially liked his insights on writing and being a writer. All the characters were very real and hopelessly flawed. They managed to turn family dysfunction into an entertaining story. Although there some funny parts, I thought Gregory and Tom’s feud was a bit too much like Dwight and Jim from The Office. However, I did enjoy Tom’s memos he imagined people in his life sending to HR. The plot was simple but engaging. There were some things that were predictable, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying Domestic Violets as a whole. One thing that bothered me was that Tom got over his problems with Anna too easily, and that scene was a bit awkward to me. It felt like they got past what happened a little too quickly, without spoiling anything. Flaws aside, I’d recommend this book to fans of Jonathan Tropper and maybe even Nick Hornby. Domestic Violets is a promising debut novel and I had fun reading it.
I received this e-galley from HarperCollins.

3.5/5

My 2011 Christmas List

It's getting closer to the big day, so I thought I'd post my Christmas list just for fun. Most of the items are books or related to books. They are either books I'm dying to read or books I've read and loved, and now I want to own them. And a few random other things too.

1. Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R Martin
2. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
3. The Wind in the Willows Cloth Hardcover
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Dorothy Parker Complete Poems
7. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
8. Emma  by Jane Austen
9. The Invention of Hugo Cabret  by Brian Selznick
10. The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock
11. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Ultimate Edition DVD
13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Ultimate Edition DVD
14. Starbucks and Chapters Gift Certificates
15. How to be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith
16. The Great Gatsby T-Shirt
17. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordana

Review: The Scorch Trials

Title: The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)

Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 12th, 2010
Genre: YA, Dystopia

This review contains spoilers for The Maze Runner, the first book in the series.

Now that the Gladers are free of the Maze, they hope to be free of the danger and the puzzles and adapt to the outside world and whatever horrors it might hold. But the Maze did not prepare the boys for the world they find. The climate has been brutally affected by sun flares, and the people of the world have been inflicted with the Flare, a disease that causes the infected to become insane and lose their humanity before succumbing to death. And WICKED, the creators of the Maze, are not finished with the boys. After a night’s sleep, they find themselves in Phase Two of the trials. The group has two weeks to travel 100 miles across the Scorch, a burned out section of the world that is inhabited by the Cranks, who suffer from the Flare. All of the Gladers are in the early stages of the Flare, and will be given the cure if they make it to a safety house. The boys learn that WICKED had another group that went through the Maze, only a group of girls with one boy instead of the reverse. While Thomas had a home in the Glade, the outside world is unfamiliar and frightening. When the world seems to be without hope, the boys will have to fight to stay alive.

I read The Maze Runner in mid-August while on vacation, and I thought it was a fantastic start to the series. I loved it, but I was a bit hesitant to read the sequel, since I wasn’t sure it would live up to the original. I finally read The Scorch Trials earlier this week and it didn’t have the same effect on me as The Maze Runner. As the novel begins, Thomas and Teresa are speaking together telepathically from different parts of the safe house, when Teresa is taken and it becomes clear that something is not right. Despite what they were told, the trials are not over and the Gladers are thrown into the dangerous world that Alby warned them of. The Maze Runner was impossible to put down for me, but I didn’t feel that way about The Scorch Trials. While the first book took hold of my emotions, I felt detached from the story while reading the sequel. Although it was interesting to see Thomas’ new memories of his life before WICKED, I didn’t think the story was engaging enough. The post-apocalyptic world Thomas must cross through wasn’t as interesting as the Maze. There was more conflict in The Scorch Trials, but it got to the point where it felt like too much. However, it was packed with action and things were never boring.

I love Newt and Minho, and slightly resented that they were overshadowed by Teresa. Thomas is a bit bland, but he does make a good hero. I didn’t feel much for any of the new characters and was very disappointed when Thomas was separated from the Gladers. If you love character driven books with characters with depth, then The Scorch Trials isn’t exactly what you’re looking for. However, I enjoy this series for being an exciting story that is packed with action. Everything picked up for me when Thomas is reunited with Teresa towards the end of the novel. This part of the book felt more like The Maze Runner. Full of suspense and intrigue, the ending is what made me decide to continue with this series. Although the sequel did not live up to its predecessor, I will still be picking up The Death Cure. The last few pages left me craving answers, and for that reason I won’t be giving up on this series. The Maze Runner was a difficult book to live up to, and I still liked The Scorch Trials overall, though not in the same way.

3/5

“He turned to look just in time to see the rain start falling out as if the storm had finally decided to weep with shame for what it had done to them.”

Review: A Study in Scarlet

Title: A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes #1)
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: July 1888
Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Dr. John Watson has just left the second war in Afghanistan and is struggling to find an inexpensive place to live in London. By chance, he runs into his old friend Stamford and is introduced to Sherlock Holmes, who happens to also be looking for a flatmate. Holmes is a peculiar sort who seems to know things about Watson right away, but together they rent rooms at 221B Baker Street. At first, Watson is fascinated by his new acquaintance and his strange habits. Soon he learns that Holmes is a consulting detective and an expert in the science of deduction. When an American named Enoch Drebber is found murdered, Watson accompanies Holmes to investigate. The word “Rache” is written on the wall in blood although the victim had no external injuries. When the case is finished, it’s just the beginning of Watson and Holmes’ adventures.

This is Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel and the third I have read. I don’t think that you have to read them in sequence; I’ve been picking up whichever book I feel like and have had no problems. I recently watched the first episode of Sherlock, which is based on this book. I wish I held off and read the book first, since I knew what was going to happen while reading. The show is set in modern England, so there are many differences between the two versions. The murders, the details and the motifs were different, but the story was similar enough that you could guess what was going to happen. Still, Sherlock is an amazing adaptation and I will definitely continue with the series.

As the story begins and we are introduced to Watson and Sherlock, any modern reader is likely already familiar with the characters. It was interesting to see the two as they first meet, before Watson even knew what Holmes’ occupation was. I enjoyed Watson’s early observations about Holmes (including cataloguing his knowledge and expertise) and Holmes’ explanation of how his mind works. You could tell that this was Doyle’s first novel, and it wasn’t as exciting as the others I’ve read. The majority of the novel is told in first person with Watson as the narrator, but the beginning of the second part is told in third person, recounting the history of those involved in the case. This section didn’t read as smoothly and you could tell that Doyle was still learning his craft. Although I did enjoy A Study in Scarlet, it wasn’t as well written as later books in the series. For that reason, if these are not the types of books you usually like, I’d recommend starting with The Hound of the Baskervilles, as it’s my favourite. However, there is something to be gained from reading the books in the correct order, and A Study in Scarlet is clever and entertaining. The more I read, the more often I find books easy to figure out. I love having the Sherlock Holmes books to read when I want to be puzzled and outsmarted.

4/5

“To a great mind, nothing is little.”

Review: Tell it to the Trees

Title: Tell it to the Trees
Author: Anita Rau Badami
Publisher: Knopf Canada
Publication Date: September 20th, 2011
Genre: Fiction, Realistic Fiction

The Dharma family live in an isolated house in Merrit’s Point, a small town in northern British Columbia. One February morning their tenant, Anu, is found dead in the snow from hypothermia. Tell it to the Trees tells the story of the Dharma family in the months leading up to Anu’s death. Vikram Dharma abuses his wife and children, and led his first wife to run away. His thirteen-year-old daughter, Varsha, is terrified that her stepmother will leave her like her mother did. Suman has been married to Vikram for eight years and dreams of taking her six-year-old son, Hermant, and leaving. The Dharma family is full of secrets, and the children have learnt to whisper things they could never tell another person to the tree in their yard. Tree will always be there for them and will never reveal their many secrets. When their new tenant Anu comes into their lives and befriends Suman, things begin to change. When Anu witnesses some of the secrets the children must tell only to the trees, she will have to pay with her own life.

I was drawn to Tell it to the Trees because I thought the title was beautiful and poetic. This is the story of a dysfunctional family and what happens when some of their secrets are shared with their tenant, Anu. The novel begins when the body of Anu is found on the Dharma’s property. The story recounts the events leading up to her death, and the family history of the Dharmas. Vikram’s first wife ran away and then died in a car crash. A year later, he traveled to India and married Suman, who moved to Canada to raise his daughter and care for his elderly mother. Vikram is abusive and cruel hearted, and has made Suman hate herself for who she has become. Varsha, Vikram’s daughter, is terrified that Suman will leave her and would rather her stepmother die than run away. Hermant is only six, but is controlled by Varsha and does what ever she says. The family dynamics were both tragic and absorbing, making this an engaging story. The story is told from the point of view of alternating narrators. I thought the writing in the sections from Varsha’s perspective could be awkward, especially in the first pages when she seems much more intelligent than she is in the rest of the novel. However, the sections from Hermant’s point of view were very well done, and it can be difficult to write from the eyes of a young child. I was impressed with the way Badami made you sympathise with each narrator, at least until the end when it was impossible to feel anything for one of the characters. It was frustrating how some of the characters acted at times, although some of their actions were a symptom of the abuse they received from Vikram. There were many times when the story was disturbing and chilling. The author captured the bitter cold of winter and I think that the early descriptions of the cold helped set the mood of the story. I wasn’t completely absorbed in the plot, but I still read it fairly quickly and enjoyed the book as whole. The ending was left open, and I thought that it worked very well. It made me wish it didn’t have to end. Overall, Tell it to the Trees was a gripping novel about a family that suffers from abuse and the secrets they keep.

I received this e-galley from Random House of Canada.

3.5/5

“Tree will always be here, Hem. It’s ours and it will never tell on us.”

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, in which book bloggers post about the books they've bought, borrowed or received in the past week.

This week I bought the Kobo Touch and a pretty case! Probably should have waited until Christmas, but they were on sale at Toys R Us so I pulled out some babysitting money and jumped on it. It's much quicker than my old Kobo Wifi, so I'm very happy so far. 

This week in e-galleys I received Tell it to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami, Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand and Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman. 

I do volunteer shelf reading at the library and happened to be doing the non-fiction books about authors section. I found The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World by Margaret C. Sullivan and Sherlock Holmes was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles by Pierre Bayard. 

Christmas books! Knit the Season is the sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club, which I liked enough to continue with the series. Home for the Holidays is part of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series, and the sequel to Pies and Prejudice. I wish that these books had been around when I was twelve or so. You can also see some of my wrapping paper. 

Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Title: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Scott Pilgrim #2)

Author: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: June 15th, 2005
Genre: YA, Graphic Novel

Scott Pilgrim is back and about to fight Ramona’s second evil ex-boyfriend, Lucas Lee. If he wants to date the mysterious Ramona Flowers, Scott will have to defeat her seven exes. Lucas Lee, skater and actor, dated Ramona in the ninth grade, and now Scott will have to defeat him. Will Scott triumph? Will he finally break up with Knives Chau, a self-professed Scott-aholic? Will Sex-Bomb-Omb make it big? And what will happen when Scott’s ex-girlfriend, Envy Adams, returns to Toronto with her band? When it feels like the whole world is against him, Scott will to step it up to be with the girl of his dreams.

In the sequel to Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, Scott Pilgrim is currently dating two girls: the young and innocent Knives, and Ramona, who’s cool and mysterious but comes with tons of baggage. The story begins with a flashback to Scott and Kim meeting in high school, and at first I was a bit confused as to what was going on and why this was relevant. However, it was interesting to learn more about Kim and Scott. I thought that Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World didn’t read as smoothly as Precious Little Life, since there were parts that were a bit confusing and rocky. However, it was still entertaining overall. It makes Canada (specifically Toronto) seem very cool. Which is refreshing, since it feels like all my non-Canadian friends are always making fun of Canada’s 'lameness' (apparently if you live in a country with children playing hockey on your five dollar bills, you’re asking to be made fun of.) There are battles at Casa Loma and the Toronto Reference Library and a gig at Lee’s Palace. I loved the drawings, especially since I’d been to most of the places in the book and knew what they were supposed to look like. The characters are just as quirky and charming as ever, and pretty much everyone is likeable (except the bad guys, obviously.) The plot was fast paced and original, making Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World a book that was a lot of fun to read. The sequel didn’t quite match the original, but it was still fresh and enjoyable. I will definitely be continuing with this epic and funny series.

4/5

Review: Neverwhere

Title: Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: September 16th, 1996
Genre: Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Richard Mayhew has been living in London for the past three years and considers himself fairly familiar with the city. He has a good job in securities and is engaged to a woman who knows exactly what she wants. When Richard helps a girl he finds bleeding on the sidewalk, everything changes and he finds himself introduced to a London he never knew existed. Richard is now one of the people who have fallen through the cracks and belong to London Below. To get his old life back, he joins forces with Door, the woman whose life he saved at the cost of his own. Door’s family was murdered and someone is after her and the special talent she possesses. Together, they embark on a quest to see the Angel Islington, who might be able to help them. As Richard discovers a new world that has literally been right under his nose, he will have to decide what it is he really wants.

I took this book out from the library on a whim, since I enjoyed Stardust, The Graveyard Book and Coraline. I liked American Gods, but I wasn’t able to finish it before I went on vacation. I love Gaiman’s way of building a fantasy world that exists amid our own. Whether it’s beyond a Wall, a locked door or hidden in a graveyard, Gaiman is able to create a magical world that exists within familiar places. In Neverwhere, London Below exists in the midst of the London Underground. I loved the world that Richard finds himself absorbed in. Not only did Gaiman do an excellent job of creating London Below, he also expertly worked it into the real London. I enjoyed Gaiman’s world building and his originality. The urban fairytale he created was fascinating: I wish I could step into his imagination. The writing in Neverwhere was as good as ever and I thought it was a very clever book. Engaging and quick paced, the plot was inventive and there were many things that came as a surprise to me. I didn’t know till after I finished that Neverwhere was intended to be an adult version of Alice in Wonderland. Once I read that, the similarities became so obvious that I had to wonder how I didn’t see it before. Although the story and the world building were excellent, the characters kind of fell flat for me. It felt like meeting people very briefly that you could have come to like, but you never got the chance to find out. I felt like the characters were left in the background, while London Below took the forefront. Many of the characters were interesting ideas, including Lamia, the villains and Door. While I loved the Gaiman’s other books that I’ve read, I didn’t feel emotionally invested in this one. I was never fully immersed in the world Gaiman created, and I don’t think Neverwhere left me with the lasting impression I experienced with Stardust. I still enjoyed this book and the world Richard discovered, but I wouldn’t recommend this as someone’s first book by Neil Gaiman.

3.5/5

“He had noticed that events were cowards: they didn't occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once.”

Review: Anne of Green Gables

Title: Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables #1)
Author: L.M. Montgomery
Publisher: Seal
Publication Date: August 1st, 1983 (first published 1908)
Genre: Junior Fiction, Realistic Fiction

When Matthew Cuthbert sets out to the railway station to pick up an orphan, he is expecting a boy that will help him with the farm work. Matthew and his sister Marilla live at Green Gables in Avonlea,  and have taken their friends' recommendations to adopt. But it is not a boy who has been sent, but eleven-year-old Anne Shirley. Anne is as talkative as Matthew is shy, but the two immediately take to one another. Once Marilla reluctantly agrees to let Anne stay at Green Gables, Anne enjoys the beauty of her new home and the kindred spirits she finds there. Trouble seems to find Anne wherever she goes, whether it’s from her overactive imagination or her quick temper. From the disastrous tea party to accepting Josie Pie’s dare, Green Gables seems to be much more interesting with Anne there. When the Cuthberts decided to adopt a child, they expected a hard working boy that would make their life easer. Instead, they were given Anne, and very soon they can’t imagine their life without her.

When I speak about Anne of Green Gables I feel as if I’m talking about my own life or a friend’s. I’ve read the book so many times that it feels like Anne’s experiences are mine. I first read this book when I was nine and have read it every few years since then. I’ve always loved it, and I actually got to read it my Children’s Lit course this past year. Quite a few of the girls in my class had assumed that this book would be boring and dated, but ended up loving it. I’ve never reviewed one of my all time favourite books before, but decided to do this once since it seems to be often overlooked. In my opinion, Anne’s one of the best characters in literature. It’s not just her talkativeness and rapid imagination, but her overall love for life. There are so many wonderful characters in Avonlea: soft-spoken Matthew, the nosy Rachel Lynde, sweet and gentle Diana and stern Marilla, who tries to find a moral in everything. I’ve heard J.K. Rowling say that she hated when characters remain children forever in literature. This isn’t the case for Anne. When the novel begins, Anne is only eleven. At the end, she is mature graduate of Queens College. I loved seeing not only Anne grow, but Marilla as well. For Anne, PEI is a sort of fantasy world. I’ve been to Green Gables in Cavendish (the real Avonlea) and it is truly beautiful, although it has gotten very touristy. When I was younger, my friend and I wanted to move to PEI and open a store called Kindred Spirits Book Shop, in honour of Anne. Anne sees beauty everywhere, and that couldn’t be easier when you live in Prince Edward Island. I love the way Anne sees the world and the way she speaks. I’ve heard people say that what was funny to our great-grandparents isn’t funny to us. Anne of Green Gables was written over one hundred years ago, and I still find humour in many parts of this book. There were also many touching and heartbreaking moments, and I think that’s what makes it still loved today. The plot centres around Anne growing up and evolving from a lonely Nova Scotia orphan to Anne of Green Gables. The story is fairly simple, and if you’re looking for fast paced excitement, then Anne of Green Gables might not be for you. However, if you are looking for a well-written story about the beautiful simplicity of childhood, then you will definitely find it here.

5/5

“Dear old world,” she murmured, “you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”

In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, in which book bloggers post about the books they've bought, borrowed or received in the past week.

New books for me this week! My diploma came in the mail on Friday and my Dad let me pick out some books as a gift. I love me some Sherlock Holmes, and I thought I should finally read A Study in Scarlett. I own The Hound of the Baskervilles in the same edition. I also decided on some red moleskines to write in. 

Lots of library books this week! Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Ann Rigler, Magic Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver, The Alchemyst by Michael Scott, The Tale Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness and Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Earlier on in the week, I read and returned Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Mysterious Howling. 

I also took out Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien. The book is a compilation of letters and drawings Tolkien wrote to his children from Father Christmas. I've only flipped through so far but it's lovely!

Review: The Mysterious Howling

Title: The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1)

Author: Maryrose Wood
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: March 1st, 2010
Genre: Junior Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

When Miss Penelope Lumley graduates from Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, she immediately applies for a position as a governess at Ashton Place. When the advertisement specifies that “experience with animals is strongly preferred,” Penelope assumes that the children have ponies, or another sort of animal. Instead, she is greeted by the three children that Lord Ashton found in the forest. The children appear to have been raised by wolves, and are now the Ashton foster children. Named Alexander, Beowulf and Cassiopeia Incorrigible, the children enjoy chasing squirrels, baying at the moon and climbing trees. Though Miss Lumley knows she has her work set out for her, she sets out at once to teach the children language, poetry, etiquette and mathematics. After considerable improvement, the children must prepare for Lady Constance’s Christmas dinner party. How will children who act like animals be able to act maturely at a respectable gathering? As Miss Lumley attempts to raise the three Incorrigible children, she also tries to understand the many mysteries of Ashton Place.

What a perfectly wonderful book! I find it strange that this book hasn’t been getting a lot of hype, as far as I know. I had never even heard of it before I saw it in the bookstore, but I was drawn to the cover and to the title. I pretty much loved this book from page one. The first thing that stood out was the writing. I’ll often hear books being compared to The Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, and I’m always disappointed when the novel doesn’t live up to that. The Mysterious Howling was dubbed the next Series of Unfortunate Events, and I’d say that that’s a very fair comparison. The style definitely reminded me of Lemony Snicket, with the explanations of words and phrases, although Wood’s style was subtler. Despite these similarities, the writing style still felt very unique. The Mysterious Howling is told in an old fashioned manner, with asides referencing the modern world. The explanations were often humorous and never made it feel like the author was talking down to the reader. Although this book is for children, it is narrated from the perspective of Penelope, who is fifteen but an adult in Victorian times. This worked much better than you’d expect, especially since Penelope was such a wonderful character. When Penelope first encountered the children, I had an idea in my head of how she would react. Who wouldn’t be upset to learn that they had been deceived, and were going to be the governess of three animal-like children? Instead, Penelope met her situation with optimism and conviction. I enjoyed her frequent recollections of Agatha Swanburne’s sayings, which I interpreted as the author mocking the didactic literature of the period. I loved Penelope for treating the children lovingly and for always believing in them.

Who would have guessed children that were raised by wolves could be so charming? Their progression wasn’t realistic, but I didn’t think it should be. I think of The Mysterious Howling as a fantasy book, so I was able to suspend my disbelief. The Incorrigibles were sweeter than many children I know who had a more ‘traditional’ upbringing. I even liked the spoiled and snobbish Lady Constance at times. The plot was fairly simple: a young governess tries to ‘tame’ her animal like charges, while peculiar things happen around her. The author turned this intriguing premise into a captivating and entertaining novel. There were some humorous parts and overall it was a very enjoyable read. I liked how there were many unanswered questions at the novel’s end, and I will definitely be checking out the next in the series. The Mysterious Howling had that special magic that I love to see in children's books.

5/5

“In this way Penelope's happy and sad feelings got all mixed up together, until they were not unlike one of those delicious cookies they have nowadays, the ones with a flat circle of sugary cream sandwiched between two chocolate-flavored wafers. In her heart she felt a soft, hidden core of sweet melancholy nestled inside crisp outer layers of joy, and if that is not the very sensation most people feel at some point or other during the holidays, then one would be hard pressed to say what is.”

Review: Shine

Title: Shine
Author: Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: May 1st, 2011
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction

When seventeen-year old Patrick Truman is attacked and left for dead outside the gas station where he works, his former friend Cat sets out to find out exactly what happened that night. Patrick was found brutally beaten and the attack was clearly a hate crime. In the small town of Black Creek, North Carolina, most people were aware that Patrick was gay. As Patrick lies in a coma, Cat is filled with guilt over not being there for Patrick when he needed her. Now, she must question her former friends to find out what actually happened to Patrick, beginning with the events of the night leading up to the attack. As Cat delves deeper into the secrets of those involved, she learns more about the lives of the people she’s known forever. When everyone in town seems to want her to let it be, will Cat be able to find the truth about what happened to Patrick?

I hadn’t properly heard of this book until a few weeks ago, during the National Book Awards fiasco. Shine was accidentally nominated in place of Chime, due to a phone miscommunication. Although originally Chime was simply added to the nominations, people wanted Shine off the list and Myracle decided to withdraw before it was removed. After this happened, I decided I wanted to read this book not because I wanted to know whether it deserved to be a nominee, but because it looked like something I’d be interested in. Plus, I thought Myracle handled everything much better than I ever could. Shine also received a lot of attention in June, when Meghan Cox Gurdon’s infamous article, “Darkness Too Visible,” referenced its dark themes. I actually didn’t even know that Myracle was the writer of Shine when I read the article, months ago. About a year ago, I read her short story in Let it Snow with John Green and Maureen Johnson and wasn’t impressed. I was a bit wary of this book because of that; I just didn’t think that Lauren Myracle was my kind of writer. And, of course, whenever I assume I’m not going to like something, I end up loving it.

Shine isn’t just about homophobia; it’s also about poverty, drug use and a town that makes its residents feel trapped. Although it addresses so many ugly things, it still managed to feel like a story about hope, despite all things. I thought it was an emotional and well-written story that felt very realistic. The mystery element was interesting and I loved how everything came together in the end. The plot was well thought out and expertly paced, packed with suspense and mystery. Although I did guess who was behind Patrick’s attack, I didn’t figure out how all the details fit together. The characters all felt very real and I loved Cat and Patrick. I felt all of Cat’s sadness for Patrick and her regret over not being there for him. One character that I found unnecessary was Cat’s love interest. Midway through the novel, I was thinking to myself how great it is to read a YA book where the author realized that a love interest for the main character isn’t a necessity. Of course, a love interest for Cat was eventually introduced, and I didn’t think it worked very well at all. However, the other characters all felt very real. In a way, Shine was very character driven, and I liked how that was combined with a fast paced and interesting plot. Although I don’t know a lot about Southern small towns (or any small towns, really,) Myracle painted a picture of a town that will stay in my mind for a while. From the unemployment, to the number of homes touched by abuse, alcoholism and drug use, the town of Black Creek was memorable and tragic. Well written and captivating, Shine is a book I’m glad I read. I’ve heard some people say that the homophobia in this book was an extreme case that was difficult to relate to. It never felt that way to me, since the whole time I was thinking of Matthew Shepard and other cases of hate crimes. Sometimes, it takes an extreme example to have an effect on people. I think that Myracle did a good job of showing how extreme and violent homophobia begins with the seemingly harmless views of respected adults. The women Cat encounters in church, who believe that Patrick’s attack was tragic but felt that he had been asking for it, were good examples of this.

In response to the dark themes referenced in Fox Gurdon’s article, this book was definitely dark and dealt with a lot of ugly things. And I don’t think that that’s a bad thing at all. Books like Shine help readers going through similar things know that they are not alone. And even if they can’t relate, books like this show that even when horrible things happen, you can still carry on. In the end, Shine left me feeling like things could get better. Although I wish that Lauren Myracle didn’t have to go through what she did two weeks ago, I am glad that it lead to me reading Shine.

4/5

“I felt sucker-punched. It wasn't God's fault Patrick had been treated worse than dirt, as I'd let myself believe. It was mine.”