Book News & Reviews

Oct 05

I finally finished reading all the Percy Jackson books, and I’ve got to say, job well done. Although I personally did not relate to Percy Jackson, I found Rick Riordan’s use of voice captivating. Told in first person, you know who Percy Jackson is from the very beginning. The books are riddled with sarcastic and witty remarks and unexpected similes and metaphors, not to mention good ol’ fashioned imagery. Here’s a line I loved from the 5th book, The Last Olympian: “I hoped she wouldn’t get stuck. I couldn’t imagine how much Drano we’d need to un-stick a hellhound wedged halfway down a tunnel to the Underworld.” The reason Riordan’s voice is successful, though, is because he waits to throw out comments like this until you aren’t expecting them. They are not on every page. They creep up on you.

Another thing Riordan succeeds at is beginnings. He knows how to pull you in. Take another example from Book 5. Here’s the first line of the book: “The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car.” How can you not keep reading after a line like that?

As a series, these books were successful for many reasons:

Percy Jackson – although I did not relate to him, his voice was witty and interesting. I wanted to keep reading to see what things would come out of his mouth next.
Mystery – I know a lot of people frown up the use of prophecy to drive a story, but Riordan does it well, and, after all, these books are a retelling of Greek mythology, whose very existence relies on prophecy. Each book contains a prophecy, and the series is held together by one overarching prophecy that we don’t hear until the end of the final book. The use of a separate prophecy for each book gives each book a mystery that is solved by the end, but, because of the main prophecy, the reader wants to come back for the next book.
The world – Riordan has created a believable world, where mythological creatures exist and the Gods live above the Empire State Building. Without a successful world, complete with an explanation for how monsters that were killed in Greek myths have returned and why humans don’t know that there are monsters, demigods, and satyrs running around, the book would not have succeeded.

All-in-all, this was a successful series that wrapped up nicely. If you are a writer for MG/YA, i highly recommend reading the series if you haven’t already.

Sep 23

I resisted reading this book for quite some time. I can’t say what it was, exactly, that made me revolt against it, but whatever it was, I am glad I got over it. While there was no central plot to this book, I found the story to be incredibly engaging. I read it in one sitting. Jeff Kinney really captured the voice of a middle school kid, including the selfish acts middle schooler perform without realizing they are selfish and the way a middle school kid sees the world. I felt like it could have been my diary from when I was in middle school, assuming I had been born a boy, of course.

I thought this was a great book and I highly recommend it, especially to writers of MG looking for a refresher course on life as a middle school kid.

For all those in the New England area, Jeff Kinney will be a presenter at the Boston Book Festival this year, October 16. The schedule of events isn’t posted yet, but it should be up sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Sep 19

Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan is an alternate history steam punk mg book, and I loved every minute of it.

Setting the Scene

The book takes place in Europe at the start of WWI. In fact, the book begins with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife, the spark that ignited the war. It then follows Alex, the fictional son of the archduke as he flees, running for his life to escape sharing the fate of his parents. Meanwhile, Deryn, a Scottish girl in England, disguises herself as a boy named Dylan in order to join the British air force.

Usually when a book is split between two main characters, following one for a couple chapters than another for the a couple more chapters, I find myself not caring much about what is going on with one of the characters. I just want to get back to the character I am relating to. In this book, though, I found both MCs to be equally engaging. I found both voices to be incredibly engaging and while I was upset when each character’s section ended, I was quickly wrapped back up in the story of the other character.

Great Use of Voice

And that brings me to the next thing I loved. The individual voices. I felt that Westerfeld was incredibly successful in creating two distinct voices. There was never a doubt in my mind as to which POV I was following. I have read a lot of literature urging authors not to split the POV, but if all authors were able to do it with the ease in which Westerfeld accomplished this, I think it would not be seen as such taboo.

My one complaint is that the book ends before the story is over, being a trilogy and all. But, for anyone thinking of picking the book up, which I highly recommend, the sequel, Behemoth, is coming out Oct. 5, so there won’t be much of a wait.

Sep 05

I’m sure by this point, everyone and their mother has written a review of The Hunger Games trilogy, now that Mockingjay has been out for a good 2 weeks and the publishers are already ordering additional printings. But I wanted to wait to give my review until the story stopped haunting my dreams, which it did, for at least a week after finishing Mockingjay. And I think that right there speaks volumes for this series.

Believability: The Key to Success

The Hunger Games trilogy was so effective because it was so believable. Not only did Suzanne Collins create a post-apocalyptic world where technology continued to advance, albeit only a small part of the society benefited from it, but she also touched on an unfortunate element of human nature – our nature for cruelty. While it is hard to cope with the idea that our society could degrade to this level, where the victors of war punish the rebels by sending their children to a horrific death, it is plausible even in today’s society to imagine this happening.

Collins portrays our cruelty most clearly through three characters: Peeta, Katniss, and Gale. Peeta is the kindest of all the characters. He doesn’t want death. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He doesn’t want to fight. He just wants everyone to learn to get along, even if it means living under the rule of a totalitarian. Of course, when Katniss’ life is in danger, even Peeta resorts to violence. Katniss, on the other hand, sees nothing wrong with making others suffer, if it will help keep her or those she loves alive. Throughout the series, however, we do see a shift in her values as the full force of the world’s cruelty is thrust upon her. It’s hard to kill someone you have come to know even if their death equals your survival, and it’s hard to keep someone alive when everything in you screams out for revenge. Finally we have Gale, who operates with little remorse. He believes that people should be punished, they should suffer. While he fights for the rebels, Gale is no better than his oppressors, a point we see laid out very clearly in the final book.

Another wonderful thing about these books was the exploration of young love. Katniss’ inability to decide rings true to the teenager in all of us. To make a decision on who to date seems so final at that age. And how many females have not been made to feel guilty for not liking someone who liked them? I think this is an element of the book that readers of all ages can relate to. But the love triangle does not exclude the male readers, who can relate to the frustrations both Gale and Peeta feel towards being played with by Katniss, regardless of how willingly or unwillingly she has played them.

My one complaint of the trilogy is that sometimes the writing became bogged down with sentence fragments, which had a tendency to distract me from the flow of the story. Told in first-person in the present tense, I can see why there were so many fragments, but my personal taste would have been to include less.

If you want to read a synopsis of the books, check out Scholastic’s Hunger Games page, or, better yet, read the books. I promise they won’t disappoint.

Sep 04

As a follow-up to my post earlier this week, Calling all 9-12 year Olds, I found out about this great resource for authors and teachers called Skype an Author Network. The service allows authors to connect with teachers/readers to arrange author visits via Skype. Low income schools can use this service to bring authors into their classrooms without having to pay huge fees (and, depending on the duration of the chat and the author’s policy, the presentations are often free). Authors also benefit because they can make lots of visits without worrying about travel time or the limited budgets publishing houses have for book tours.

To learn more about this program, check out Kate Messner’s article from the School Library Journal, An author in Every Classroom: Kids Connecting with Authors via Skype. It’s the next best thing to being there.

Aug 16

I just finished reading Jeanne DuPrau’s The City of Ember. From the very beginning, DuPrau pulled me into the underground City of Ember. I could smell, taste, and feel the city. As the book progressed, the growing tension throughout the city seeped out of the pages and I found myself becoming increasingly anxious for the citizens of Ember as their power and supplies begin to dwindle and the once wealthy City of Ember finds itself on the brink of collapse.

The two protagonists, Doon and Lina, are lovable, Doon with his ceaseless sense of doom (is his name just a coincidence?) and Lina with her childlike innocence and determination. DuPrau’s writing is clear and straightforward and her use of imagery conjures up just the right emotions. Although written for a middle grade audience, the themes of family, friendship, sense of community, and doing what you know is right resonate with audiences of all ages.

Aug 10

If you love reading YA/Tween/MG books, you probably know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, I still invite you to keep reading. You may learn something new about this wonderful group of books.

The Wrong Kind of Bookworm

Many of my friends and coworkers are bookworms, and I mean that in the most loving of ways. Unfortunately, they don’t read what I read. They tend to focus on the more ‘literary’ books, you know, the books that have some deep meaning and make you think. The books you have to work for to get through. Now, there’s nothing wrong with these books, and I read them occasionally, but they really aren’t my cup of tea. I think all day at work and I get upset and frustrated with everyday life. When I take the time to read a book, I want that book to allow me to escape. I want it to move. I want it to excite and entertain me. I want to be treated like I have the attention span of a 14-year old, which, by the end of the day happens to be the case. I turn to YA books to fulfill these needs.

Today, as happens most days, I was sitting at work and the subject of great books people are reading came up. Everyone in the room started naming obscure books or tear jerkers that leave you hating your life or sappy novels about finding your meaning in life. And I sat quietly, hoping no one would look to me to contribute. The same happens when the dreaded question “reading any good books?” comes up. This question comes up often. I usually say ‘nothing at the moment’ or I try to avoid the conversation all together.

No Shame in Reading YA & MG

But why should I feel that the books I read have any less value? Certainly they are meant for a younger reading level, but they are still well-written, carefully crafted stories. Sometimes I think the imagination that goes into YA books is far greater than what you see in grown-up books. And with YA you aren’t bogged down by the “cynicism of our adult selves,” as Pamela Paul suggests in her essay The Kids’ Books are Alright.

And so I have decided to quit disguising the books I’m reading in nondescript book covers as I bury my face in them in shame. Starting now, I will proudly tell anyone who asks what YA/MG book I’m currently reading. I will not use the excuse of research. I will tell it like it is – that I’m reading said book because I want to; because it engages me and keeps me entertained. There is no shame in reading what you like.

In light of my new resolution, I am proud to announce my excitement over beginning The City of Ember tonight. A full report to follow once I’ve finished the book.

Jul 30

Simon & Schuster will be releasing an online, serialized novel, Loser/Queen where readers (young adults) get to vote on what will happen next. Having been a huge fan of the choose your own adventure books, I can see the appeal to such a format. But as a writer, it stresses me out.

The Plan

Readers vote by 5 pm Thursdays. A new chapter is posted on Mondays. That’s pretty quick turn around. I assume that, like a television show, multiple chapters are already written, but the fact that there are two choices at the end of the chapter, and who knows how many chapters means that a lot of content would need to be pre-written that will never see the light of the computer screen. Additionally, based off of reader responses, minor characters could take on a more major part if the readers are particularly drawn to a character, which leads to even more changes. If writing a traditional book often seems like an out-of-control beast, I can’t imagine what this project must feel like to the author, Jodi Lynn Anderson. That’s a lot of creative control she is giving up. But then, the price is a huge platform ready and waiting when the book publishes. It’s not even finished and you can already pre-order the paperback edition.

Will Readers Buy a Book They’ve Already Read for Free?

I’m inclined to say yes, because people like owning something they were a part of. The readers voting on the book will feel that they invested something into it, and they will want the hard copy to show their hard work. But will those who didn’t vote, or who came in on the final chapter, feel the inclination to buy it? Will potential readers who did not have the opportunity to vote feel left out? And isn’t this just adding to the technology addiction that’s running rampant across society?

I’ve gotta say though, Simon & Schuster did grab my attention, and I will definitely be following along with Anderson’s readers to see where it goes.

Jul 29

One of the biggest losses to the book community is that of small, independent bookstores. I love them so much that one of my dreams has always been to open an independent bookstore of my own. While the fancy coffee drinks and perfectly placed chairs at the large chains contribute to the book shopping experience in their own way, there is a generic feel to them that takes away from the experience. Give me a ratty chair, shelves crammed with books, and good cup of coffee or tea and I would be far happier, even if I am paying a bit more for my books.

The following article from Boston Business Journal, Independent bookseller at ‘War and Peace’ with e-books, questions whether e-books are further exasperating the problem of the loss of the independent bookseller. The conclusion suggests that the average customer of the independent bookseller is not the average customer of e-books. Do you think this is actually the case?

Ebooks vs. Real Books

I still love a real book, but frankly I don’t have the space to buy any more unless I find them to be extremely readworthy. The younger generations are growing up storing all of their data electronically.Why waste the space storing CDs, DVDs, or books when there are devices that can hold it all and them some and barely take up any space? I bet if we could store our clothing inside an electronic device and have it projected onto our bodies, most of the younger generations would buy into it in a heartbeat.

This is not to say that I think e-books will wipe out real books. There will always be those who love real books, myself included. Perhaps, though, the e-books will work in favor of the independent booksellers by shifting the focus of the large chains towards carrying more and more e-books and less and less hard copies. Maybe e-books are actually the resurrection of the independent bookseller. Wouldn’t that be something?

Dec 28

Like many book lovers, I fought against the e-book revolution currently sweeping the literary world. But, like many, I have given in. While packing for a 10-day, overseas trip, I was torn as to which books I should bring. I didn’t want my bag to be too heavy, but I wanted to make sure I had enough material to keep me entertained, especially on the 18-hour plane ride. This dilemma is what finally won me over to e-readers and e-books.

Having gotten a Kindle for Christmas, I have already loaded it up with books. I will still buy and check out real books (I still cannot consider an e-book to be real), but the ease of traveling with as many books as I want is this book lovers’ dream come true.

In addition to the ease this device offers in supplying a vast amount of reading materials, just in the few days I have owned my Kindle, I have discovered another advantage to this technology. E-readers provide exposure to authors. I have already discovered several new authors (some I like, some I could do without). While libraries are great at allowing you to sample someone new, the wait for a book often means that you are forced to read on the libraries schedule, not your own. When I want a book, I want to read it now. This is an advantage of the e-reader. Additionally, Amazon, along with the other e-book venders, offers many free books (not just the classics). This has allowed me to sample new authors with no financial commitment, just as the library allows only now there is virtually no wait.

This is not to say that libraries and bookstores should become obsolete. I think there is something magical about entering a room full of rows and rows of books, holding a real book in your hands, smelling the paper, listening to the sound as you turn the pages, and I will continue to buy books the old-fashioned way and wait for my name to move to first place on the library waitlist, but I am no longer opposed to this new medium for book delivery. If it makes books and literature more accessible, that’s good enough for me.

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Page 5

Review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

Review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Review of Leviathan

Setting the Scene

Great Use of Voice

Book Review: The Hunger Games trilogy

Believability: The Key to Success

Skype: Connecting Authors with Readers

Book Review: The City of Ember

The Shame of the Grown-up YA Reader

The Wrong Kind of Bookworm

No Shame in Reading YA & MG

Online 'choose your own adventure' style books

The Plan

Will Readers Buy a Book They’ve Already Read for Free?

Do e-books signal the end for Independent booksellers?

Ebooks vs. Real Books

E-books: The Future of Reading