Kind of a Big Deal - Shannon Hale

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a review copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Typically, I am a Shannon Hale fan. So when I saw she had a new book, I was excited to get my hands on it. I was disappointed.

This book was wonky. Really just...odd.

Josie Pie peaked in high school. She was the "It" girl - popular, star of all the shows, etc. But when she dropped out of high school to pursue a career on Broadway, reality sets in. It is not a reality she likes. Then she learns she can escape into (literally, INTO) books. Will this bring the success and adoration she craves?

I don't know that I can say anything about this book other than it was odd. Josie jumps in and out of different genres and story lines interspersed with flashbacks of high school and Broadway as well as current day interactions with the girl she nannies and others. There's this whole thing with the Muses. It was just weird.

I love books about books. This premise appealed to me. I think the book just failed in carrying it out. It was all over the place. Josie was whiny and depressed. Lots of making out and talk of making out. It was like so much of her character revolved around that. Family dynamics that were over the top. An extra weird conclusion.

I was not a fan.



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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably 3.5

This story in the vein of a Russian folktale really held my interest. Taking place in the cold Russian wilderness, young Vasilisa thrives despite her mother dying at her birth. Her older siblings dote on her, and she loves the woods and creatures surrounding and in her home. Things start to unravel when her father remarries and devolves further when another stranger comes to their village. Fairytale character like Frost and guardians are rampant throughout.

I enjoyed this book and will read the next one. I will say, for me, it was helpful to not know what the translation for some of the Russian creature names were as I tend to get a bit squeamish with some paranormal things. But since I didn't know until after, no harm.

As with much Russian literature, the many derivations of the name for the same person takes some getting used to.



View all my reviews King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Esme and Hunter have been friends pretty much since in utero. They have grown up alongside each other and share so much of their lives. So Hunter is thrown when Esme turns up engaged to a man no one has met yet.

This is the second book of this series I've read during this time of COVID19 quarantine. And they are perfect. Light. Clean. Fun. Engaging.

View all my reviews A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is probably one of the best retellings of Beauty and the Beast I've read. It is new and fresh.

Harper is magically transported from her home in DC to some other world and into the enchanted castle of Prince Rhen. Rhen is everything you would suppose a prince to be - arrogant, in charge, bossy - but harbors a secret. Harper is no damsel in distress though. She can take care of herself and doesn't mind going toe-to-toe with a prince when the situation calls for it. Add in a royal guard and an evil enchantress. Toss in some witty dialogue and some depth and character growth.

It's a great book. I can't wait to read the second in the series.

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Green (Circle 0) - Ted Dekker

Green: The Beginning and the End by Ted Dekker
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Ugh. This book. I wish I could go back and time and never read it so it wouldn't have tainted my love for the original Circle Trilogy.

I read the original trilogy a couple of years before Green was released, so I wanted to reread the other three books before reading Green. I just read all four in a row. And I have a lot to say about Green - none of it complementary. I wish I could give zero stars.

First of all, Dekker says Green completes the Circle, and you can read it at the beginning or the end. There is NO WAY you could read this book before you read Black, Red, and White. Absolutely no way. It would make no sense and be even more confusing than reading it after you've read those three.

Second, it seems like someone completely different wrote this book than the others. There is none of the vibrancy of character or engagement of plot present in this book that was there in the first three that would make a reader want to keep turning pages. In fact, I wanted to do anything *but* read more of Green. I wanted to give it up every other chapter, but my stubbornness to see the series through wouldn't let me. Seriously, I cleaned my kids' bathroom once instead of reading more of this book. That's desperate for you.

There were so many great descriptions in the other books. There were descriptions in this book. I don't know how many times I read about "light colored horses." Worse than that, so many of the descriptions were much more sultry/sensuous/sexual or violent. I was not a fan of the change. I understand that this book was about good and evil. And evil is dark. But I think that point can be expressed without being so graphic.

And vampires?!? Okay, I guess at this point I should admit that I haven't read all of the Ted Dekker's books. I think that was some of my confusion with a lot of what occurs in Green. You need to not only have read the original Circle Trilogy but also the other books (Showdown series, Lost Books, etc.) that link in and were written after Black/Red/White. Especially to understand Billy's character and story. Things are hinted at in Green. But the hints are confusing.

There were So. Many. inconsistencies. How did Thomas know Billy was connected with Ba'al? Even more so, how did he know that Janae and the priestess were connected when he'd never met her in any form? Chelise later reflects on Thomas shouting at her as he disappears, but nothing indicates he ever even saw her there. How does Janae so easily infiltrate the Eramites when such a point has been made about Eram being a smart leader and it was mentioned multiple times that the Eramites are supremely cautious of the albinos, including Samuel and his friends.

Character development: There was none.

The world building of the other books: nonexistent.

Read the original three. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

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The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Princess Ani knows that as Crown Princess she's destined to be queen...until that all changes.
I really enjoyed this book. Can't wait to do a read aloud with my kiddos. Princess, action and adventure, strong characters. It's a good one. And apparently the first in a series. I'll be reading the next one.

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Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Publisher:
  Simon Pulse/Emily Bestler Books/Atira
Release Date:
  June 25, 2013
Market:
  Secular
Genre:
–Young Adult, Fantasy
Length:
–352 pages
My Rating: 
   3.5/5

BEFORE READING

 About This Book (from Amazon)

In this delightful companion novel to Off the Page, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and her daughter and cowriter, Samantha van Leer, present the YA novel that started it all! Filled with romance, adventure, and humor, the magic jumps off the page (literally) in a story you’ll never forget.

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.


CRITIQUE

 I don’t clearly recall where or how I discovered that Jodi Picoult had written a YA book. But I was intrigued and immediately requested the book from my library. 

Picoult wrote this book with her daughter, Samantha van  Leer.  Samantha, at just 16-years-old, was the originator of the book concept.  I do think it’s good to keep this fact in mind.  Picoult and van Leer managed to collaborate on something that made it to the #1 spot on the NY Times  bestseller list. 

I don’t know that I would say the book is quite that good.  I think Picoult’s name carried it to a certain degree.  You can certainly feel the two authors’ different voices at times.  However, overall, I think the book was well executed. 

I started out reading an e-book version and quickly switched to the paperback copy.  I wanted to make sure to fully experience all of the amazing drawings and text changes (both font and colors).  I do think those added to the overall book experience.

I loved the first four pages of the book.  They did hook me as a reader and draw me in.  From there on through, I was at times deeply engaged in the story line and at other times less enthralled.  But throughout I wanted to know what Delilah and Oliver would try next, how it would work out, etc.

Even though the book jumps between modern life with Delilah and the storybook world of Oliver, I was never lost or confused as far as what was going on.  I think the transitions were well done and clearly noted at chapter breaks.

Delilah, I believe, is more fully developed that the other characters.  She is a very realistic high school girl struggling with fitting in, friendships, and home life.  I was rooting for her the whole time.

This book is great for its target audience:  7^thgrade and up.  I even think it would be okay for readers a bit younger.  There is some kissing but really nothing concerning or offensive in the text. 

I didn’t realize until writing this review that a sequel is due out this summer.  I will definitely be picking that one up to read as well.

Pros

·         Cute, creative story concept ideal for the target audience

·         Beautiful illustrations and type

·         Engaging characters

Cons

·         At times, the author voice seemed to shift

Seeker - Arwen Elys Dayton

February 9, 2015

Publisher:
  Delacorte Press
Release Date:
  February 10, 2015
Market:
  Secular
Genre:
–Young Adult; Fantasy
Length:
–448 pages

 About This Book (from Amazon)

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.
As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.
And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend.
But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.
Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.
And now it's too late to walk away.

How and Why I Acquired This Book

I acquired this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My Expectations about This Book

I selected this book because I enjoy young adult, including dystopian and fantasy YA.  The promo copy said the book would appeal to fans of Divergent, which I really enjoyed, and The Hunger Games, which I found okay.

The book’s cover is compelling and mysterious. 

 CRITIQUE

 Were my expectations met?

My expectations for this book were not met.  If I could sum up the story in one word, it would be “confusing.”  I read many genres of books, a lot that have a confusing start.  But the author manages to pull it all together and make sense of it in the end.  Not so here.  I was sorely disappointed in this book.

Prose & Dialogue

The story’s prose is choppy.  The dialogue (even the internal dialogue of the characters) doesn’t seem natural.  It’s all very stilted in its feel.  Additionally, while some of the time jumps in the narrative make sense, others are completely random (For example, the chapter on Maud’s childhood that comes in the middle of things that have no connection.)

There were similes and metaphors that either didn’t make much sense in context or jolted me out of the story to try to rationalize out.

Characters & Points-of-View

I don’t believe any of the main characters were fully developed.  Most are decidedly bad and only bad.  Quinn, the main character, is a bit more complex but still seems to vacillate between being all good or all bad depending on the section of the story we’re in.

Nothing in the story really made me concerned about the characters, their well-being, how they would end up, etc.  It was all very superficial.

Some supporting characters just popped in and out randomly (Shinobu’s mother) without really contributing to the story or main characters at all.

The multiple points of view (which I’m generally good with in a book) just added to the overall tangle.

Story Structure & Pace

I really was lost in this book from the start.  Just as things would start to make sense and I’d feel like I was getting a grasp on the story or characters, something random would be there to confuse me again.

There were also many inconsistencies in the story where the characters were doing one thing but all of a sudden they weren’t.  For example, the Drudges were cleaning and working on their weapons but the text said that “neither moved as they spoke.”  They were cleaning their weapons; that requires movement.

Back story was interspersed throughout.  Sometimes that helped.  Sometimes it just made the reading more confusing.

As far as the ending, I don’t even know what to say about that other than I finished the book wanting it to be so much more than it was.

Conflict & Tension

All of the conflict and tension seemed contrived.  The characters were definitely at the mercy of their situations instead of being decision makers for their own destinies.

Research & Story World

The author’s note indicated that Dayton does extensive research for her books, visiting the various locales mentioned (Hong Kong, London, Scotland).  I don’t know how much of that comes across in the book since the story is set in the future.

Romantic Tension

There is a romantic triangle that is predictable from the start.

Spiritual Connection & Speculative/Supernatural Elements

I don’t believe there were necessarily spiritual connections or supernatural elements in this book.  There was time travel and fantasy. 

Although there is mention at a few points about energy fields around people’s bodies and how the healers can fix anomalies in those.  I guess that would be a bit New Age.

Questionable Content

More conservative readers would want to know there were sexual vibes, and implications between characters.  Many violent descriptions of fights and murder.  Drug use, drug dens and drinking were common in the story line.  Also, one of the characters is involved in prostitution.

Originality & Predictability

I think that the concept Dayton was working with is a good one.  Characters traveling through time and space (although most of the characters in this book it was just from location to location) to change the past/alter the present/affect the future is interesting.  Having teens train their childhoods in order to do so and believing that it is to right wrongs only to discover something different is compelling.

The story was just too confusing to hash out that plot line.  I spent most of the book trying to figure out what was going on and why that I never was able to engage in the bigger picture.

I was guessing all the way to the end…and even at the end.  In this case, that’s not a positive.

Audience Appropriateness & Appeal

The target audience is young adults 14 and older.  And I believe it would appeal to some.  Readers that age don’t necessarily look for depth of character or consistency in story.  However, I would say some of the content is best left to those who are older. What is the target audience?

As a movie, I believe it would be rated PG-13 based on the violence and drugs.

Despite the comparisons made on Amazon, this book has very little in common with Divergent, Hunger Games, and the like.

Engagement, Entertainment & Investment

Seeker was a quick read, as is the nature of most YA books.  I did keep turning the pages in the hopes it would start to make sense and things would fall into place.  It didn’t. 

It is the start of a series.  So perhaps it becomes clear in later books; I have no desire to find out.

This is not a book I would recommend to others.

 CONCLUSION

Pros

·         The concept could have been interesting

Cons

·         Confusing

·         Story has little to no flow

 

***This review will also be posted on The Christian Manifesto review website on 2.26.15

The Ordinary Princess - M.M. Kaye

This is one of my favorite books from when I was young. I just finished reading it to the girls as their bedtime story.


M.M. Kaye just has such a whimsical way to her word choice and use of those words. And I love the story concept. A fairy’s mischief creates a princess who is most ordinary…something not quite acceptable in the royal kingdoms. However, despite this perceived issue, Her Serene Royal Highness Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne (Amy for short) is ready for adventure and a good life lived on her terms.

I can say that I enjoy the story concept because when I was younger and dreamed of being an author myself, I fashioned many at tale from this concept.

It is a delightful read.