Title: The Thief Lord
Author: Cornelia Funke
What it's about: In Venice, Italy, there is a group of children who live by stealing. Prosper and Bo, two orphans running away from their aunt, fall in with these kids. The thieves are led by the Thief Lord, a boy named Scipio. At the time of the book, the Thief Lord has been approached to pull off a theft for a client in return for an amazing sum. Meanwhile, Victor Getz, a private detective, is hired to find Bo by Bo and Prosper's aunt. Prosper and Bo have to help Scipio and their friends commit the theft while avoiding being caught.
What I thought: One thing that makes me love a book is when the author loves the place they're writing about. The Kiki Strike books have this. Ananka lovingly describes New York. To Kill A Mockingbird does this, too, with Maycomb and its way of life. The Thief Lord paints a vivid and beautiful picture of Venice. Besides the lovely imagery, the story is well-told. The characters are all distinct and have their own quirks. As a bonus, the adult characters are very interesting, and I'm not just talking about Victor and Ida. Even the aunt is shown to be more than just a villain who is trying to separate Prosper and Bo. There's also a nice touch of magic to the story, too, and it's done so that it doesn't take over the story but rather aids it.
Overall: A very magical book that's worth a read.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Will Write For Chocolate
Yes, I know, I owe a bunch of updates. However, tonight I came across a webcomic I'd read before, and I thought I'd share it because it's a good comic for writers and readers. It's called Will Write For Chocolate, and it's simple but funny. I came across it when the NaNoWriMo website linked to it last November. I recommend checking it out some time.
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Dark Side of Nowhere
Yeah, I know I haven't posted in a while. I've done a lot of reading, though, so I have about three more reviews, maybe four, coming up when I get to them, including several books that are favorites of mine. At the moment, I'm reading The Shadow of the Wind, and I'll recommend it in advance.
Title: The Dark Side of Nowhere
Author: Neal Shusterman
What it's about: Jason Miller lives in the town of Billington, which is just about the most boring place you could ever imagine. Jason loathes how boring and normal his life is, but what's a ninth-grader to do about it? Then Jason's friend Ethan dies of appendicitis, the school janitor starts dropping enigmatic hints, and Jason discovers the dark secrets about his life that have been hidden under the fragile veneer of normalcy.
What I thought: This book is one of my three top favorite books ever. I reread it fairly often, and every time is just as good. First, we've got a sci-fi plot that makes sense. There's an excellent contrast between the normalcy of Billington and the exotic glimpses we get of the alien way of life. This book is also really good at making you think. Jason, the narrator, is a pretty perceptive kid, and his observations about things like mob mentality and morals are thought-provoking, but not in a way that yanks you out of the story. Jason and the rest of the characters are all well-developed. You can see why each of them act the way they do, and there are no villains for the sake of villains. Even Grant has justifications for his actions besides to be evil and obstruct Jason. Paula, also, is a pretty cool character, functioning pretty well as an outsider who doesn't have the same inside look at the alien secrets that we do. The writing itself? Excellent. Just the right blend of natural teenager narration with some more complex language and literary devices to really get across the depth that this story has.
Overall: Read this book now.
Title: The Dark Side of Nowhere
Author: Neal Shusterman
What it's about: Jason Miller lives in the town of Billington, which is just about the most boring place you could ever imagine. Jason loathes how boring and normal his life is, but what's a ninth-grader to do about it? Then Jason's friend Ethan dies of appendicitis, the school janitor starts dropping enigmatic hints, and Jason discovers the dark secrets about his life that have been hidden under the fragile veneer of normalcy.
What I thought: This book is one of my three top favorite books ever. I reread it fairly often, and every time is just as good. First, we've got a sci-fi plot that makes sense. There's an excellent contrast between the normalcy of Billington and the exotic glimpses we get of the alien way of life. This book is also really good at making you think. Jason, the narrator, is a pretty perceptive kid, and his observations about things like mob mentality and morals are thought-provoking, but not in a way that yanks you out of the story. Jason and the rest of the characters are all well-developed. You can see why each of them act the way they do, and there are no villains for the sake of villains. Even Grant has justifications for his actions besides to be evil and obstruct Jason. Paula, also, is a pretty cool character, functioning pretty well as an outsider who doesn't have the same inside look at the alien secrets that we do. The writing itself? Excellent. Just the right blend of natural teenager narration with some more complex language and literary devices to really get across the depth that this story has.
Overall: Read this book now.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Howl's Moving Castle
Title: Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
What it's about: Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters, and because of this, she is destined to fail. Why? Haven't you ever read fairy tales? It's always the youngest who ends up succeeding. Anyway, Sophie has resigned herself to a boring life working in the family hat shop. This is all mucked up, though, when the Witch of the Waste comes into the shop one day and casts a curse on Sophie, turning her into an old woman. Sophie, quite normally, doesn't want to be seen like this, so she sets off and tries to find a way to break the curse. She soon stumbles upon the moving castle of the Wizard Howl, and she sets herself up as Howl's housekeeper while still trying to figure out a way out of her curse.
What I thought: Plenty of magic and humor and interesting characters, all of which are to be expected from Ms. Jones, who is probably the best fantasy author ever, in my opinion. Sophie is an interesting and sympathetic main character, and this book is a funny one. It's pretty hard to say what it is that makes Diana Wynne Jones' books so amazing, but whatever that quality is, Howl's Moving Castle definitely has it.
Overall: Very fun and worth reading.
As a side note, the film version is also worth looking into. I actually saw that first. Both versions are very good, and they differ from each other so that they tell slightly different stories. Miyazaki films are always good, and when the story being told is one of Diana Wynne Jones', well, you just get something exceptional.
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
What it's about: Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters, and because of this, she is destined to fail. Why? Haven't you ever read fairy tales? It's always the youngest who ends up succeeding. Anyway, Sophie has resigned herself to a boring life working in the family hat shop. This is all mucked up, though, when the Witch of the Waste comes into the shop one day and casts a curse on Sophie, turning her into an old woman. Sophie, quite normally, doesn't want to be seen like this, so she sets off and tries to find a way to break the curse. She soon stumbles upon the moving castle of the Wizard Howl, and she sets herself up as Howl's housekeeper while still trying to figure out a way out of her curse.
What I thought: Plenty of magic and humor and interesting characters, all of which are to be expected from Ms. Jones, who is probably the best fantasy author ever, in my opinion. Sophie is an interesting and sympathetic main character, and this book is a funny one. It's pretty hard to say what it is that makes Diana Wynne Jones' books so amazing, but whatever that quality is, Howl's Moving Castle definitely has it.
Overall: Very fun and worth reading.
As a side note, the film version is also worth looking into. I actually saw that first. Both versions are very good, and they differ from each other so that they tell slightly different stories. Miyazaki films are always good, and when the story being told is one of Diana Wynne Jones', well, you just get something exceptional.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The Hero and the Crown
Title: The Hero and the Crown
Author: Robin McKinley
What it's about: Set in the land of Damar, this story is about Aerin, daughter of the king and generally kind of an awkward girl. She doesn't have the magical abilities that the rest of the royal family has, and she takes after her mother, a woman from the North, rather than looking like anyone else from Damar. So, Aerin's kind of a misfit, and it's made worse by knowing she's a misfit, so she's kind of pretty miserable until one day she befriends her father's old lame warhorse and discovers a recipe to make fireproof ointment. Aerin takes it into her head to fight dragons, and what was first just a way to be accepted by her father and her people leads Aerin down a path she'd never dreamed of, the path of a hero.
What I thought: One thing I noticed and liked on this read-through was just how complex the sentences are. But this complexity just makes the writing richer and more enjoyable. After all, complex doesn't mean confusing. Plus, I liked the subtle humor in this. The story's pretty grand and serious, but Aerin and other characters do have senses of humor, something which makes them much more human. The story's structured interesting, with, like, the first third being all flashbacks, almost, but you forget that the beginning was set later until the story goes back to the present. It works very well, though. The descriptions are rich, and Aerin is a strong heroine who nevertheless has weaknesses. There's also a great sense of the world of Damar and its culture and everything.
Overall: This book is an excellent fantasy story.
Author: Robin McKinley
What it's about: Set in the land of Damar, this story is about Aerin, daughter of the king and generally kind of an awkward girl. She doesn't have the magical abilities that the rest of the royal family has, and she takes after her mother, a woman from the North, rather than looking like anyone else from Damar. So, Aerin's kind of a misfit, and it's made worse by knowing she's a misfit, so she's kind of pretty miserable until one day she befriends her father's old lame warhorse and discovers a recipe to make fireproof ointment. Aerin takes it into her head to fight dragons, and what was first just a way to be accepted by her father and her people leads Aerin down a path she'd never dreamed of, the path of a hero.
What I thought: One thing I noticed and liked on this read-through was just how complex the sentences are. But this complexity just makes the writing richer and more enjoyable. After all, complex doesn't mean confusing. Plus, I liked the subtle humor in this. The story's pretty grand and serious, but Aerin and other characters do have senses of humor, something which makes them much more human. The story's structured interesting, with, like, the first third being all flashbacks, almost, but you forget that the beginning was set later until the story goes back to the present. It works very well, though. The descriptions are rich, and Aerin is a strong heroine who nevertheless has weaknesses. There's also a great sense of the world of Damar and its culture and everything.
Overall: This book is an excellent fantasy story.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Ender's Shadow
Title: Ender's Shadow
Author: Orson Scott Card
What it's about: It's the future. The Earth has faced off against the menace of the Buggers, insect-like aliens, twice now. The world is looking for new commanders to lead them against this threat, and the International Fleet has established Battle School, an orbiting installment that is where children are trained to be soldiers. Ender Wiggin is one such child, viewed as the most promising candidate to lead the fleet. Another child, however, is Bean, and this is his story. Bean's a street child who manages to stay alive because of his intelligence, and it's this intelligence that gets him noticed and taken to Battle School. From here, we have the story of Bean learning to excel and figuring out his place in the world, as well as learning what it is to be truly human.
What I thought: Bean is really a very interesting character to follow. His way of looking at things is very different from the norm, but that just makes the story flow really well because Bean is very logical. Also, the whole world and scenario set up in both this book and Ender's Game is frankly a very interesting one, to me, at least. Everything makes sense, the world is very realistically set up, and the characters are convincing and likable. What more do you need? There's a reason Card is known as a master of sci-fi.
Overall: Excellent read.
Author: Orson Scott Card
What it's about: It's the future. The Earth has faced off against the menace of the Buggers, insect-like aliens, twice now. The world is looking for new commanders to lead them against this threat, and the International Fleet has established Battle School, an orbiting installment that is where children are trained to be soldiers. Ender Wiggin is one such child, viewed as the most promising candidate to lead the fleet. Another child, however, is Bean, and this is his story. Bean's a street child who manages to stay alive because of his intelligence, and it's this intelligence that gets him noticed and taken to Battle School. From here, we have the story of Bean learning to excel and figuring out his place in the world, as well as learning what it is to be truly human.
What I thought: Bean is really a very interesting character to follow. His way of looking at things is very different from the norm, but that just makes the story flow really well because Bean is very logical. Also, the whole world and scenario set up in both this book and Ender's Game is frankly a very interesting one, to me, at least. Everything makes sense, the world is very realistically set up, and the characters are convincing and likable. What more do you need? There's a reason Card is known as a master of sci-fi.
Overall: Excellent read.
Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator
Title: Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator
Author: Jennifer Allison
What it's about: Gilda Joyce is a thirteen year old girl with a love of drama and mystery. Among other things, she fancies herself a novelist and a psychic investigator. Summer vacation has rolled around, and Gilda gets herself invited to stay with her mother's second cousin Lester Splinter and his daughter Juliet over the break. The California mansion where the Splinter's live is like something out of a ghost story, including the creepy tower in the backyard. To make things even creepier, Juliet's Aunt Melanie committed suicide ten years before, and Juliet thinks she sees her aunt's ghost. To Gilda, it's the perfect chance to add some excitement to her life and kick off her career as a psychic investigator.
What I thought: Like the Kiki Strike books, I thought this would be kind of shallow and dumb. I was thankfully very wrong. Gilda is of an interesting type of main character, the kind of person who's not afraid to look dumb, and consequently, she does end up looking dumb at some points. Very tenacious and dramatic, but not without doubts, either, which is a nice thing. I also have to like how the existence of the supernatural is kept ambiguous, not disproved or endorsed. Gives a nice air of mystery to things. There are some genuinely creepy moments in the book, too, but also some really funny ones. I actually laughed out loud at least once, and I'm not one to do that often. I'm definitely interested in reading more of the books in this series. If the library has the next one in stock, I'm picking it up.
Overall: A very fun and captivating book.
Author: Jennifer Allison
What it's about: Gilda Joyce is a thirteen year old girl with a love of drama and mystery. Among other things, she fancies herself a novelist and a psychic investigator. Summer vacation has rolled around, and Gilda gets herself invited to stay with her mother's second cousin Lester Splinter and his daughter Juliet over the break. The California mansion where the Splinter's live is like something out of a ghost story, including the creepy tower in the backyard. To make things even creepier, Juliet's Aunt Melanie committed suicide ten years before, and Juliet thinks she sees her aunt's ghost. To Gilda, it's the perfect chance to add some excitement to her life and kick off her career as a psychic investigator.
What I thought: Like the Kiki Strike books, I thought this would be kind of shallow and dumb. I was thankfully very wrong. Gilda is of an interesting type of main character, the kind of person who's not afraid to look dumb, and consequently, she does end up looking dumb at some points. Very tenacious and dramatic, but not without doubts, either, which is a nice thing. I also have to like how the existence of the supernatural is kept ambiguous, not disproved or endorsed. Gives a nice air of mystery to things. There are some genuinely creepy moments in the book, too, but also some really funny ones. I actually laughed out loud at least once, and I'm not one to do that often. I'm definitely interested in reading more of the books in this series. If the library has the next one in stock, I'm picking it up.
Overall: A very fun and captivating book.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
