Troy High by Shana Norris is fun. That is, I think, the best word for it. It's a stand-alone novel with a fast pace and a simple story. The basic idea is that it's a modern retelling of the Iliad. Two rival high schools, with football teams named the Trojans and the Spartans. Incidentally, my grade school's mascot was the Trojans, which you can bet we made jokes about when we were old enough to understand the sort of jokes that might be made. In any case, Trojans and Spartans are bitter enemies. Our heroine, Cassie Prince, is a rare exception, since her best friend, Greg Mennon, is a Spartan while she is a Trojan. Cassie, based on Cassandra the Seer in the Iliad, is the only who sees that trouble might be afoot when Elena Argos, a recent transfer from Lacede, home of the Spartans, decides to dump her old boyfriend Lucas Mennon for Perry Prince. This transfer of affection is perceived as an insult to Spartan pride, and the rivalry between the two schools gets even more heated. Pranks escalate, and Cassie is torn between loyalty to her brothers, the star players for the Trojans, and loyalty to Greg, her best friend whom she has also realized she has feelings for.
The reason this story works, I think, is that Elena is not a one-dimensional, catty popular girl. She's the start of all the trouble, and she is rather a typical cheerleader, but she's genuinely nice to Cassie, which makes Cassie's continued loyalty to Elena and the Trojans that much more believable. Greg's a good guy, but he also falls prey to the rivalry, so, again, the loyalty issue is complicated in a way where you don't think Cassie is dumb for not doing one thing or the other. The story zips along, without too much dwelling on teen angst, and Cassie has a natural narrative voice which doesn't jerk you out of the story. Troy High is not exactly going to become a classic of western literature like its source material, but it's definitely a fun read that I highly recommend.
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Hourglass Door
The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum is above average romance/adventure fare. Abby Edmunds is a totally normal high school senior with a normal life: she spends time with her boyfriend, applies for colleges along with her best friends, and assistant directs the school's production of Much Ado About Nothing. But at play practice one day she meets the new Italian exchange student, Dante Alexander. As is expected in books like this, she is immediately attracted to him. However, what kept me reading was that Dante was not a brooding, mysterious bad boy, or, rather, there was more to him than that. He and Abby develop a friendship and chemistry between the two of them that is fairly legitimately built up as lacking in Abby's relationship with Jason, her neighbor/childhood friend/boyfriend. Also to the book's credit is that Jason isn't depicted as some dumb lug; he's a truly nice, thoughtful guy who cares about Abby and she about him, even if there's no spark of romance there. The historical/time travel elements of the plot are handled well enough, although we don't get much resolution because, of course, this is a series and not a stand-alone novel. I'll keep an eye out for the second book, and I hope that we get to visit sixteenth-century Italy, because we know that Renaissance Italy is a favorite setting of mine, just as I love to see theatre and drama in books. Well, overall, The Hourglass Door was a decent read, even if it's not anything to rave about.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Flora Segunda
Flora Fyrdraaca lives in a magical house with a magical butler, but both house and butler have seen better days. Though the Fyrdraaca family is one of the big names in the city of Califa, you wouldn't know it to see Flora trying to manage the household and her mentally damaged father on her own while her mother, the Commanding General of the Army, is off on business. Then one day, shortly before her fourteenth birthday, Flora stumbles upon the house's banished butler in a lonely library that Flora has never seen before. The butler, a magical spirit named Valefor who used to be in charge of making sure the Fyrdraaca family lived in luxury, is now a pale shadow of his former self. But, he tells Flora, with her help he can be restored, and she'll be relieved of the burden of keeping up the house without magic. Tired of running herself ragged and tempted by a small taste of the Valefor's magical powers (including delicious foods he can whip up), Flora agrees, bringing her best friend Udo along for the ride. Of course, nothing goes quite the way Flora plans, and so there are all sorts of zany magickal hijinks and whatnot.
Okay, so. What makes this book so great? Well, first off, it's stunningly original and detailed in its worldbuilding. Sure there's hints of inspiration from real world cultures, but there's no way you could say, "Oh, it's like Victorian England but with magic," or anything so simple as that. Indeed, the dominant real-world inspiration seems to be Spanish, such as the Catorcena, the celebration of the fourteenth birthday, when a child becomes an adult. The fashions are another thing entirely, with everyone, men and women, wearing skirts or kilts for the most part. That's a simple but quick indicator that this isn't Western Europe as we know it. And the world-building and glimpses of history we see all fit together tightly. And I particularly like the detail given to the adventures of Nini Mo and her rangers.
Ah, this is why I shouldn't be lazy about writing these reviews, all the things I want to say become less fresh in my mind. But let's see. Well, the plot makes sense, moves quickly, and packs in a lot of action. The system of magic is clever and mysterious, but never seems to break its own rules. What I really loved was the depth given to all the characters. Flora's parents, in particular, have multiple facets and parts of their histories that aren't explored but which still affect their behavior and the story. That is, the first book doesn't give it all away. Flora is a fine protagonist. She's flawed but personable, doesn't always succeed, gets called out when she deserves it, and is an active heroine. Valefor and Udo both are good supporting characters and act as foils for Flora and each other. Well. Anyway, there's a second book in the series, and I have ordered it from the library, so we shall see how Flora's story continues to unfold since, like, all the best series, there is still plenty more to learn about our heroine and her world, more than could be covered in one book.
Okay, so. What makes this book so great? Well, first off, it's stunningly original and detailed in its worldbuilding. Sure there's hints of inspiration from real world cultures, but there's no way you could say, "Oh, it's like Victorian England but with magic," or anything so simple as that. Indeed, the dominant real-world inspiration seems to be Spanish, such as the Catorcena, the celebration of the fourteenth birthday, when a child becomes an adult. The fashions are another thing entirely, with everyone, men and women, wearing skirts or kilts for the most part. That's a simple but quick indicator that this isn't Western Europe as we know it. And the world-building and glimpses of history we see all fit together tightly. And I particularly like the detail given to the adventures of Nini Mo and her rangers.
Ah, this is why I shouldn't be lazy about writing these reviews, all the things I want to say become less fresh in my mind. But let's see. Well, the plot makes sense, moves quickly, and packs in a lot of action. The system of magic is clever and mysterious, but never seems to break its own rules. What I really loved was the depth given to all the characters. Flora's parents, in particular, have multiple facets and parts of their histories that aren't explored but which still affect their behavior and the story. That is, the first book doesn't give it all away. Flora is a fine protagonist. She's flawed but personable, doesn't always succeed, gets called out when she deserves it, and is an active heroine. Valefor and Udo both are good supporting characters and act as foils for Flora and each other. Well. Anyway, there's a second book in the series, and I have ordered it from the library, so we shall see how Flora's story continues to unfold since, like, all the best series, there is still plenty more to learn about our heroine and her world, more than could be covered in one book.
Monday, August 9, 2010
For the Win
For the Win by Cory Doctorow. Take one part MMO, one part economics lesson, and one part underdog story. That's For the Win in a nutshell. In the not too distant future, online gaming is even more popular than it is now. People make their living from the games, not just the companies who run them but players who work as gold farmers and the like. In some parts of the world, gold farming is run like sweatshop labor, and it's still the best living the kids playing are bound to see. However, there are brave workers who want to see a change in the system, for gamers to be treated fairly and paid fairly. Online and offline, the forces gather, preparing for a revolution and a change for the better. Wrapped up in this sprawling story are Wei-Dong, an American gamer who lives in privilege, Mala, an Indian girl whose prowess at gaming has earned her respect and income, and Matthew, a Chinese gamer who once farmed gold for a boss and is now trying to strike out on his own, as well as many others. Truly a global tale, this book succeeds for several reasons: the realistic, if not always likable, characters; the believable depictions of online gaming (I'm not a huge MMO player (but I love Puzzle Pirates) but I've played a few in my time and hang out with many who play religiously, and all of the stuff in this book rings true); the economic knowledge that understanding of the plot hinges on is explained simply but thoroughly; and the story walks the line between being realistic and hopeful in its outlook. I was constantly reminded of Neal Stephenson's writing, particularlyThe Diamond Age, but while the books are similar in the large casts and casual integration of semi-advanced and/or obscure subjects, Doctorow's book is a lot less grim, less of a crapsack world.
I'll finish up by saying that this book should be read by all gamers and anyone with a social conscious. Just like any good Terry Pratchett novel, Cory Doctorow's For the Win has a message hidden within its gripping story, something for you to think about long after you've closed the book. All in all, this is a great novel.
I'll finish up by saying that this book should be read by all gamers and anyone with a social conscious. Just like any good Terry Pratchett novel, Cory Doctorow's For the Win has a message hidden within its gripping story, something for you to think about long after you've closed the book. All in all, this is a great novel.
The Grimm Legacy
So, The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman is one of those books that totally looks like it's going to be hokey and I'm going to read it, cringe, and put it away. To my extreme delight, this book was a Kiki Strike - a surprisingly enjoyable story that I never expected. So, the basic premise of this book is that Elizabeth Rew, a normal girl who's an outcast at her new school, gets a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, which is a library for things. Only, along with the mundane materials, there is a whole vault of magical items from the Grimm fairy tales. So, Elizabeth gets the job, but things aren't all candy and bunnies: magical items have been disappearing from the collection, and other library pages are under suspicion. There's also some well-executed teen romance drama which adds another layer to the shifting loyalties of the characters.
The whole thing works primarily because Elizabeth is a realistic, likable viewpoint character. She's got a good narrative voice, descriptive, but not in a way that makes you wonder why a high school girl is talking like that. She is also, and I love her character so much for this, not a complete idiot. I mean, she's a teenage girl who doesn't let her hormones drive her every action, who doesn't trust people who are blatantly untrustworthy, and who actually trusts authority figures. Glory be! From her point of view, we get to see the Repository and all of the various interesting magical items in the Grimm collection. The author, Ms. Shulman, makes good use of common and obscure fairy tales from which to pull items that feature in the story. The secondary characters were all nicely developed. Every time I thought I'd predicted what one of them was up to, whether they were a traitor or not, things would get more complex. Even the romance wasn't particularly formulaic, and the whole book had a sense of humor about it, not overtly so, but enough to keep the story light. I think the plot was the weakest part of the book, not that it was at all bad. It just felt that the story was more in the characters and their relationships with each other (and not just limited to the romantic relationships). I also got very slightly lost towards the end of the book when they confronted the bad guys. Not enough that it wasn't fun, but more where I was like, "I'm not sure what's going on, but whatever, it's cool, I'll go along with this." A nice thing about this book was that, while there's room for a sequel, it never felt like this story was just a set-up for something else. The Grimm Legacy easily holds its own as a standalone story.
The whole thing works primarily because Elizabeth is a realistic, likable viewpoint character. She's got a good narrative voice, descriptive, but not in a way that makes you wonder why a high school girl is talking like that. She is also, and I love her character so much for this, not a complete idiot. I mean, she's a teenage girl who doesn't let her hormones drive her every action, who doesn't trust people who are blatantly untrustworthy, and who actually trusts authority figures. Glory be! From her point of view, we get to see the Repository and all of the various interesting magical items in the Grimm collection. The author, Ms. Shulman, makes good use of common and obscure fairy tales from which to pull items that feature in the story. The secondary characters were all nicely developed. Every time I thought I'd predicted what one of them was up to, whether they were a traitor or not, things would get more complex. Even the romance wasn't particularly formulaic, and the whole book had a sense of humor about it, not overtly so, but enough to keep the story light. I think the plot was the weakest part of the book, not that it was at all bad. It just felt that the story was more in the characters and their relationships with each other (and not just limited to the romantic relationships). I also got very slightly lost towards the end of the book when they confronted the bad guys. Not enough that it wasn't fun, but more where I was like, "I'm not sure what's going on, but whatever, it's cool, I'll go along with this." A nice thing about this book was that, while there's room for a sequel, it never felt like this story was just a set-up for something else. The Grimm Legacy easily holds its own as a standalone story.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Perchance to Dream
We start with a correction to the Twilight Zone entry. Richard Matheson did not write a novel called Perchance to Dream; his novel is called What Dreams May Come. I suppose the similar names (both phrases being from Hamlet's famous soliloquy), along with the fact that today's book does share a name with Charles Beaumont's short story, caused the mix-up.
Well! Without further ado, let us move on to the book of the entry, Lisa Mantchev's Perchance to Dream. A sequel to Eyes Like Stars, this novel wraps up the story begun in the first book. Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is off on a quest to rescue her pirate lover Nate from the clutches of Sedna the sea goddess with her fairy allies and the spirit Ariel. Other characters include an enigmatic thief and Bertie's father, as well as a troupe of traveling players. The sea goddess herself even makes an appearance. Well, look, I have to be honest. As much as I did enjoy this book, it was not as good as the first. Eyes Like Stars. If you'll allow me to get theatrical here, I think it was the way the first book kept close to the Aristotelian unities of time, place, and action. The action was compressed to within just a few days, it all took place within a few locales in the theatre, and there was really only one main plot. (It doesn't completely keep with the unities, but that is totally understandable as a book is not a play, and, anyway, the unities are kind of boring. But you can't go wrong with keeping things simple at times!) Perchance to Dream throws Bertie and her company into the wilder world outside the theatre, but while I eventually got into the groove of what was going on, the way the magic of words was introduced and used kept confusing me, and I just kind of went along with the flow instead of really absorbing what was going on. Waschbar and the Scrimshander were both important characters, but they were really abruptly introduced. I just felt that the novel's breakneck pace and piles of new information made it a bit of muddle. Diana Wynne Jones can pull that sort of thing off, but she's a rare writer. However, for all that I'm complaining, I still genuinely liked this book. I'll also give Ms. Mantchev props for handling the romance. It could have so easily turned into something like Twilight, except for Bertie's more sensible outlook. And I have to admit that I actually gained sympathy for Ariel, whom I was not particularly fond of in the first book. Really, all of the characters shone by the end of this book, even the Scrimshander, who took even longer to win me over than Ariel did. Wikipedia tells me there will be a third book. With luck, it will slow down the pacing and focus more on the characters in a single theatrical setting, what made the first book so great.
Well! Without further ado, let us move on to the book of the entry, Lisa Mantchev's Perchance to Dream. A sequel to Eyes Like Stars, this novel wraps up the story begun in the first book. Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is off on a quest to rescue her pirate lover Nate from the clutches of Sedna the sea goddess with her fairy allies and the spirit Ariel. Other characters include an enigmatic thief and Bertie's father, as well as a troupe of traveling players. The sea goddess herself even makes an appearance. Well, look, I have to be honest. As much as I did enjoy this book, it was not as good as the first. Eyes Like Stars. If you'll allow me to get theatrical here, I think it was the way the first book kept close to the Aristotelian unities of time, place, and action. The action was compressed to within just a few days, it all took place within a few locales in the theatre, and there was really only one main plot. (It doesn't completely keep with the unities, but that is totally understandable as a book is not a play, and, anyway, the unities are kind of boring. But you can't go wrong with keeping things simple at times!) Perchance to Dream throws Bertie and her company into the wilder world outside the theatre, but while I eventually got into the groove of what was going on, the way the magic of words was introduced and used kept confusing me, and I just kind of went along with the flow instead of really absorbing what was going on. Waschbar and the Scrimshander were both important characters, but they were really abruptly introduced. I just felt that the novel's breakneck pace and piles of new information made it a bit of muddle. Diana Wynne Jones can pull that sort of thing off, but she's a rare writer. However, for all that I'm complaining, I still genuinely liked this book. I'll also give Ms. Mantchev props for handling the romance. It could have so easily turned into something like Twilight, except for Bertie's more sensible outlook. And I have to admit that I actually gained sympathy for Ariel, whom I was not particularly fond of in the first book. Really, all of the characters shone by the end of this book, even the Scrimshander, who took even longer to win me over than Ariel did. Wikipedia tells me there will be a third book. With luck, it will slow down the pacing and focus more on the characters in a single theatrical setting, what made the first book so great.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Prince of Mist
The Prince of Mist could be called The Shadow of the Wind lite, except that would be doing a disservice to both books. The Prince of Mist could perhaps be said to be a precursor, an introduction to Zafon's masterwork, except that also seems to belittle the shorter but no less enthralling earlier book. The Prince of Mist is one of those children's books that is not a children's book, because it can be enjoyed by anyone, and associating it only with children would be doing it a disservice, though heaven knows that child readers are no idiots. I suppose I could best compare The Prince of Mist to The Westing Game in this regard. Child characters and a writing style a child could comprehend, but a very intricate plot and unexpectedly dark plot material. Haunted statues, a devilish man with dark magic, a sunken ship that went down with dozens of forsaken souls on board, a house built by a rich man whose family was soon after struck by tragedy, all of this is trademark Zafon, and everything comes together in a tight plot that will tug at your heart and make you glad to have a light on while you read. This is an excellent tragedy, and it's all the better for having characters you as the reader will identify and sympathize with. Max is a well-executed normal boy protagonist, Alicia is neither too haughty nor too sensual to be unlikable, and Roland is just shy of being too cocky, and so you don't end up hating him. I mean, when I started reading, I was sure I could peg the character types, but it was pleasant to find that instead of just being types, the three main characters were actually individual personalities. But still, first novel or not, I should not have expected less from Zafon.
Well, this was more reflection than review. Ah, get used to it, I guess? Okay, okay, here's a bit about the actual plot. With World War II looming, Max and his family move from the city to a seaside town. The town is sleepy, but the house Max's family moves into is wreathed in a tragic past. Max's new friend Roland tells him and his sister Alicia about the Fleischmann family who lived there until their son Jacob died. Meanwhile, Max discovers a garden full of freakin' creepy statues including one of a scary clown. I mean, jeez, Zafon, dead children aren't enough for you, you have to freaking have clowns in this book? Master of horror, indeed. Tragedy circles ever closer around Max, Alicia, and Roland, and connected to it all is a mysterious character called the Prince of Mist.
Anyway! If you haven't read anything by Zafon, either this book or The Shadow of the Wind is good to start with. And you should start with one of them. Right now. Because Zafon is amazing.
Well, this was more reflection than review. Ah, get used to it, I guess? Okay, okay, here's a bit about the actual plot. With World War II looming, Max and his family move from the city to a seaside town. The town is sleepy, but the house Max's family moves into is wreathed in a tragic past. Max's new friend Roland tells him and his sister Alicia about the Fleischmann family who lived there until their son Jacob died. Meanwhile, Max discovers a garden full of freakin' creepy statues including one of a scary clown. I mean, jeez, Zafon, dead children aren't enough for you, you have to freaking have clowns in this book? Master of horror, indeed. Tragedy circles ever closer around Max, Alicia, and Roland, and connected to it all is a mysterious character called the Prince of Mist.
Anyway! If you haven't read anything by Zafon, either this book or The Shadow of the Wind is good to start with. And you should start with one of them. Right now. Because Zafon is amazing.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Princess and the Pauper
Title: The Princess and the Pauper
Author: Kate Brian
What it's about: Princess Carina of Vineland hates being a princess. She wishes she had the freedom normal girls do. So when Carina has to go to Los Angeles as part of a goodwill tour, she and her friend Ingrid make plans to slip away from the delegation so Carina can meet her internet boyfriend and rock musician. Enter Julia Johnson. Julia's a normal girl who lives in LA with her mother. They're only barely able to make ends meet, and Julia can only afford to go to the classy high school she attends because of a scholarship. When Carina and Ingrid meet Julia, they notice Julia could pass for Carina with the right hair and makeup work. A plan is hatched for the two girls to switch places, and plenty of interesting stuff happens.
What I thought: Carina almost seems like she was written to be a cliche foil to Julia's more normal, realistic character. Not that Carina isn't interesting and doesn't get some development, but I think that Julia and Ingrid are much more dynamic. Um. The book's funny, and it doesn't seem unrealistic in the little ways which could make or break a story, and the bigger stuff doesn't seem too unrealistic, any more than a plot like this inherently is. Well, this is teen fiction for girls, definitely, but the romance stuff, while there, is definitely the B-plot of things. I also like how the mother-daughter relationships are played out.
Overall: Not everyone's gonna like this one, but it's not bad for its genre.
Author: Kate Brian
What it's about: Princess Carina of Vineland hates being a princess. She wishes she had the freedom normal girls do. So when Carina has to go to Los Angeles as part of a goodwill tour, she and her friend Ingrid make plans to slip away from the delegation so Carina can meet her internet boyfriend and rock musician. Enter Julia Johnson. Julia's a normal girl who lives in LA with her mother. They're only barely able to make ends meet, and Julia can only afford to go to the classy high school she attends because of a scholarship. When Carina and Ingrid meet Julia, they notice Julia could pass for Carina with the right hair and makeup work. A plan is hatched for the two girls to switch places, and plenty of interesting stuff happens.
What I thought: Carina almost seems like she was written to be a cliche foil to Julia's more normal, realistic character. Not that Carina isn't interesting and doesn't get some development, but I think that Julia and Ingrid are much more dynamic. Um. The book's funny, and it doesn't seem unrealistic in the little ways which could make or break a story, and the bigger stuff doesn't seem too unrealistic, any more than a plot like this inherently is. Well, this is teen fiction for girls, definitely, but the romance stuff, while there, is definitely the B-plot of things. I also like how the mother-daughter relationships are played out.
Overall: Not everyone's gonna like this one, but it's not bad for its genre.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
No More Dead Dogs
Title: No More Dead Dogs
Author: Gordon Korman
What it's about: Wallace Wallace, football star of Bedford Middle School, is on detention and off the team. When Wallace is assigned a book review for Old Shep, My Pal, he tells the truth and says that he hates it. The problem is, Wallace's English teacher Mr. Fogelman loves the book - in fact, he's adapted it into a play that the school's drama club will be performing. So until Wallace writes a book review that satisfies Mr. Fogelman, he has to sit in on the drama club's rehearsals. Wallace isn't the only one who's upset about this. Rachel Turner, a seventh grade girl and Serious Actress, finds Wallace's comments on the play to be disrespectful and irritating, and it doesn't help that her best friend Trudi fawns all over Wallace. Add to that the fact that a mysterious someone is sabotaging the play, and you've got a wild theatrical adventure.
What I thought: First of all, the characters in this story are good. There are four viewpoint characters, and they range from the Wallace the hero, to Rachel the long-suffering drama queen, to Trudi the ditz, to Mr. Fogelman the uptight teacher. But while you can assign stereotypes to these guys, and to quite a few other characters in the book, those labels aren't the whole of their characters. (Well, maybe for Trudi... But she's comic relief, anyway.) Also, a book that gives a good portrayal of drama geeks is always awesome. The plot is light and funny, things are over-the-top in a good way, and the characters have realistic development arcs. This is a solid read for a younger crowd (high school age).
Overall: A fun and funny book.
Author: Gordon Korman
What it's about: Wallace Wallace, football star of Bedford Middle School, is on detention and off the team. When Wallace is assigned a book review for Old Shep, My Pal, he tells the truth and says that he hates it. The problem is, Wallace's English teacher Mr. Fogelman loves the book - in fact, he's adapted it into a play that the school's drama club will be performing. So until Wallace writes a book review that satisfies Mr. Fogelman, he has to sit in on the drama club's rehearsals. Wallace isn't the only one who's upset about this. Rachel Turner, a seventh grade girl and Serious Actress, finds Wallace's comments on the play to be disrespectful and irritating, and it doesn't help that her best friend Trudi fawns all over Wallace. Add to that the fact that a mysterious someone is sabotaging the play, and you've got a wild theatrical adventure.
What I thought: First of all, the characters in this story are good. There are four viewpoint characters, and they range from the Wallace the hero, to Rachel the long-suffering drama queen, to Trudi the ditz, to Mr. Fogelman the uptight teacher. But while you can assign stereotypes to these guys, and to quite a few other characters in the book, those labels aren't the whole of their characters. (Well, maybe for Trudi... But she's comic relief, anyway.) Also, a book that gives a good portrayal of drama geeks is always awesome. The plot is light and funny, things are over-the-top in a good way, and the characters have realistic development arcs. This is a solid read for a younger crowd (high school age).
Overall: A fun and funny book.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Dairy Queen
Title: Dairy Queen
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdoch
What it's about: D.J. Schwenk is fifteen, and she lives and works on her family's dairy farm in Wisconsin. Her summer has a twist thrown into it when a family friend who is also the coach of a rival community's football team sends one of his players to help at the farm in hopes of the player, Brian, learning something about hard work. Eventually, D.J. takes on the task of training Brian in football. D.J.'s well suited to the task, too, since two of her brother's play college ball and the Schwenks are a football family. This is a summer of issues being resolved for D.J. and her family, as she has to deal with the rift between her two older brothers and the rest of the family, her younger brother's propensity for silence, and the direction her own life is taking.
What I thought: The first-person narration here really works. D.J. is an engaging narrator whose voice really rings true to me. She has a lot of issues to deal with in this story, but it never felt like the author was just heaping on the misery to up the angst factor. Probably has to do with the sense of humor D.J. has. The story seemed pretty well paced to me, and though it's approaching three hundred pages, fairly long for a teen novel thing, it was a fairly quick read, just a couple of hours in the afternoon. I enjoyed it a lot, though, and I'll be picking up the sequel from the library soon as it comes in.
Overall: This is exemplary teen fiction.
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdoch
What it's about: D.J. Schwenk is fifteen, and she lives and works on her family's dairy farm in Wisconsin. Her summer has a twist thrown into it when a family friend who is also the coach of a rival community's football team sends one of his players to help at the farm in hopes of the player, Brian, learning something about hard work. Eventually, D.J. takes on the task of training Brian in football. D.J.'s well suited to the task, too, since two of her brother's play college ball and the Schwenks are a football family. This is a summer of issues being resolved for D.J. and her family, as she has to deal with the rift between her two older brothers and the rest of the family, her younger brother's propensity for silence, and the direction her own life is taking.
What I thought: The first-person narration here really works. D.J. is an engaging narrator whose voice really rings true to me. She has a lot of issues to deal with in this story, but it never felt like the author was just heaping on the misery to up the angst factor. Probably has to do with the sense of humor D.J. has. The story seemed pretty well paced to me, and though it's approaching three hundred pages, fairly long for a teen novel thing, it was a fairly quick read, just a couple of hours in the afternoon. I enjoyed it a lot, though, and I'll be picking up the sequel from the library soon as it comes in.
Overall: This is exemplary teen fiction.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Dissociation of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Dissociation of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This volume throws us a lot of curveballs. A new school year has started, and the SOS Brigade is recruiting for new members. Haruhi has started generating sealed realities again. Kyon meets up with a friend from middle school, Sasaki, who is the girl who gave Kyon the reputation for liking weird girls. Kyon finds out that factions of rival aliens, espers, and time-travelers believe that Sasaki is the one who should really have Haruhi's powers, and they want Kyon's help to change things.
What I thought: Um, awesome much? Sasaki (who I keep wanting to call Sakaki, like the Azumanga Daioh character) is an interesting figure, both similar to and different from Haruhi. Also, her close relationship with Kyon may yet lead to some sort of romantic drama. Plus, it's a huge twist on everything we've thought so far about Haruhi and her nature. And, dude, new SOS Brigade members? Come on, that's such a neat thing to have possibly occur, and I'm pretty sure the one girl Kyon had his eye on will play a further role. However, come on! This book ends on a huge cliffhanger! Totally not fair!
Overall: Hugely interesting novel. How come the tenth book hasn't come out yet?!
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This volume throws us a lot of curveballs. A new school year has started, and the SOS Brigade is recruiting for new members. Haruhi has started generating sealed realities again. Kyon meets up with a friend from middle school, Sasaki, who is the girl who gave Kyon the reputation for liking weird girls. Kyon finds out that factions of rival aliens, espers, and time-travelers believe that Sasaki is the one who should really have Haruhi's powers, and they want Kyon's help to change things.
What I thought: Um, awesome much? Sasaki (who I keep wanting to call Sakaki, like the Azumanga Daioh character) is an interesting figure, both similar to and different from Haruhi. Also, her close relationship with Kyon may yet lead to some sort of romantic drama. Plus, it's a huge twist on everything we've thought so far about Haruhi and her nature. And, dude, new SOS Brigade members? Come on, that's such a neat thing to have possibly occur, and I'm pretty sure the one girl Kyon had his eye on will play a further role. However, come on! This book ends on a huge cliffhanger! Totally not fair!
Overall: Hugely interesting novel. How come the tenth book hasn't come out yet?!
The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This book has two medium-length stories. The first has the student council finally take notice of the SOS Brigade's illegal occupation of the Literature Club clubroom. In order to keep the Literature Club going, the SOS Brigade has to publish a literary journal. Haruhi, as editor-in-chief, assigns each of her members a type of story to write. In the text of the story, we get to read the submissions of Nagato, Asahina-san, and, of course, Kyon, who are made to write fantasy-horror, a fairy tale, and a romance story, respectively. The second story is about the SOS Brigade getting its second client, a girl in Haruhi and Kyon's class named Sakanaka-san. Her dog, Rousseau, has been behaving strangely lately. Sakanaka-san thinks it might be spirits, and she's come to the SOS Brigade for help. Running throughout both stories is the theme of Haruhi starting to become more normal, and there's also some romantic subtext if you look for it.
What I thought: Both stories in The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi are really pretty interesting. The first story is a really entertaining one, and it's entertaining without its plot relying on the supernatural at all. The stories that Kyon and Yuki write also serve as good character development, as does Koizumi's speculations about Haruhi's mental state and why Kyon happened to pick the romance story. The second story in this book has some good mystery and sci-fi in it, as well as some good development for both Haruhi and Nagato. Plus, Kyon has some really funny observations going on, too. Along with the themes of Haruhi's developing normalcy and slight romantic subtext, there's also subtle build-up for a larger conflict which we saw begin with the mysterious time-traveler last volume, as well there being some talk about the more normal future of the SOS Brigade and its members as the school year approaches its end. Really, at eight books in, we're starting to really feel a larger plot building in the shadows now, and it's really exciting to contemplate.
Overall: Really, I think this is one of the better books in the series. It's totally worth reading this far!
Whew! I'm back into the swing of reviewing books! Having a short-term job combined with the internet heroin that is TV Tropes makes for not much free time. Heh! After I finish The Dissociation of Suzumiya Haruhi, I have a princess story book I bought last night, as well as the next two volumes of The Law of Ueki and Twilight coming in from the library. I've read Twilight before, and at the time I thought it was at best a beach read. Let's see if it manages to retain at least that good a rating during the second read-through. If any of you haven't heard of Twilight, it's a vampire romance book that is all the rage with teen girls with questionable taste. And I also mean to read Steppenwolf, The Westing Game, A Simple Path, and Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far). The second and fourth are ones I am looking forward to; the first and third, not so much. But as far as the third goes, people keep giving me religious books 'cause I'm a Catholic, so I figure I might as well at least try reading one of them some time. But before that, more fiction! =D
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This book has two medium-length stories. The first has the student council finally take notice of the SOS Brigade's illegal occupation of the Literature Club clubroom. In order to keep the Literature Club going, the SOS Brigade has to publish a literary journal. Haruhi, as editor-in-chief, assigns each of her members a type of story to write. In the text of the story, we get to read the submissions of Nagato, Asahina-san, and, of course, Kyon, who are made to write fantasy-horror, a fairy tale, and a romance story, respectively. The second story is about the SOS Brigade getting its second client, a girl in Haruhi and Kyon's class named Sakanaka-san. Her dog, Rousseau, has been behaving strangely lately. Sakanaka-san thinks it might be spirits, and she's come to the SOS Brigade for help. Running throughout both stories is the theme of Haruhi starting to become more normal, and there's also some romantic subtext if you look for it.
What I thought: Both stories in The Indignation of Suzumiya Haruhi are really pretty interesting. The first story is a really entertaining one, and it's entertaining without its plot relying on the supernatural at all. The stories that Kyon and Yuki write also serve as good character development, as does Koizumi's speculations about Haruhi's mental state and why Kyon happened to pick the romance story. The second story in this book has some good mystery and sci-fi in it, as well as some good development for both Haruhi and Nagato. Plus, Kyon has some really funny observations going on, too. Along with the themes of Haruhi's developing normalcy and slight romantic subtext, there's also subtle build-up for a larger conflict which we saw begin with the mysterious time-traveler last volume, as well there being some talk about the more normal future of the SOS Brigade and its members as the school year approaches its end. Really, at eight books in, we're starting to really feel a larger plot building in the shadows now, and it's really exciting to contemplate.
Overall: Really, I think this is one of the better books in the series. It's totally worth reading this far!
Whew! I'm back into the swing of reviewing books! Having a short-term job combined with the internet heroin that is TV Tropes makes for not much free time. Heh! After I finish The Dissociation of Suzumiya Haruhi, I have a princess story book I bought last night, as well as the next two volumes of The Law of Ueki and Twilight coming in from the library. I've read Twilight before, and at the time I thought it was at best a beach read. Let's see if it manages to retain at least that good a rating during the second read-through. If any of you haven't heard of Twilight, it's a vampire romance book that is all the rage with teen girls with questionable taste. And I also mean to read Steppenwolf, The Westing Game, A Simple Path, and Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far). The second and fourth are ones I am looking forward to; the first and third, not so much. But as far as the third goes, people keep giving me religious books 'cause I'm a Catholic, so I figure I might as well at least try reading one of them some time. But before that, more fiction! =D
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Intrigues of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Intrigues of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: One afternoon when Kyon arrives at the clubroom early, he gets an unexpected visitor - a version of Asahina Mikuru from eight days in the future. She's been sent back in time by Kyon himself, and Kyon and this version of Asahina-san have to complete mysterious tasks for the next several days, all the while keeping this Asahina-san a secret from the rest of the SOS Brigade. To further complicate things, Haruhi's acting oddly, and Kyon's not sure why.
What I thought: This one has some really cool stuff in it. We get some more time travel fun, for one thing, and for another, all the brigade members, as well as Tsuruya-san, get some good character development. There's also some nice build-up of Haruhi's feelings for Kyon and vice versa, although that's pretty subtle stuff. The SOS Brigade also gets up to a lot of its normal activities, and it's always nice to see them interacting as a group. There are also some pretty funny parts. Plus, more Tsuruya-san is always a good thing.
Overall: An above-average entry in the series.
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: One afternoon when Kyon arrives at the clubroom early, he gets an unexpected visitor - a version of Asahina Mikuru from eight days in the future. She's been sent back in time by Kyon himself, and Kyon and this version of Asahina-san have to complete mysterious tasks for the next several days, all the while keeping this Asahina-san a secret from the rest of the SOS Brigade. To further complicate things, Haruhi's acting oddly, and Kyon's not sure why.
What I thought: This one has some really cool stuff in it. We get some more time travel fun, for one thing, and for another, all the brigade members, as well as Tsuruya-san, get some good character development. There's also some nice build-up of Haruhi's feelings for Kyon and vice versa, although that's pretty subtle stuff. The SOS Brigade also gets up to a lot of its normal activities, and it's always nice to see them interacting as a group. There are also some pretty funny parts. Plus, more Tsuruya-san is always a good thing.
Overall: An above-average entry in the series.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Wavering of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Wavering of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This is another volume of shorter stories. We start with "Live A Live," about North High's cultural festival and what Haruhi gets up to during that, and "Asahina Mikuru's Adventure Episode 00" is basically the movie the SOS Brigade filmed during The Sighs of Suzumiya Haruhi. "Charmed at First Sight LOVER" is an interesting one where one of Kyon's junior high friends gets a crush on Nagato. "Where Did The Cat Go?" picks up after last volume's "Snow Mountain Syndrome," and it's about the mystery detective game Koizumi arranged for. Finally, "The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru" is about Asahina-san's time travel mission.
What I thought: For me, this novel was a mixed bag. "Live A Live" had some fun stuff and interesting character development for Haruhi, while "Asahina Mikuru's Adventure Episode 00" seemed to drag on because I was already familiar with most of its content from Sighs. "Charmed at First Sight LOVER" was good character development for Nagato, and Nakagawa was a pretty fun character. There was also some good humor when Haruhi finds the note Kyon tossed out the window. That's a scene I'd like to see make it into the anime. "Where Did The Cat Go?" was kind of a boring read, really, because there was no real suspense in this mystery story, and it didn't even seem like Koizumi's game would have been a fun one to play. "The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru" was pretty good, though. For one thing, it again got into the time travel/sci-fi subplot of things, and for another, it gave Asahina-san some character development, which I think she and Koizumi don't really seem to get enough of.
Overall: A fun volume, but I can't call it a favorite in the series.
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This is another volume of shorter stories. We start with "Live A Live," about North High's cultural festival and what Haruhi gets up to during that, and "Asahina Mikuru's Adventure Episode 00" is basically the movie the SOS Brigade filmed during The Sighs of Suzumiya Haruhi. "Charmed at First Sight LOVER" is an interesting one where one of Kyon's junior high friends gets a crush on Nagato. "Where Did The Cat Go?" picks up after last volume's "Snow Mountain Syndrome," and it's about the mystery detective game Koizumi arranged for. Finally, "The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru" is about Asahina-san's time travel mission.
What I thought: For me, this novel was a mixed bag. "Live A Live" had some fun stuff and interesting character development for Haruhi, while "Asahina Mikuru's Adventure Episode 00" seemed to drag on because I was already familiar with most of its content from Sighs. "Charmed at First Sight LOVER" was good character development for Nagato, and Nakagawa was a pretty fun character. There was also some good humor when Haruhi finds the note Kyon tossed out the window. That's a scene I'd like to see make it into the anime. "Where Did The Cat Go?" was kind of a boring read, really, because there was no real suspense in this mystery story, and it didn't even seem like Koizumi's game would have been a fun one to play. "The Melancholy of Asahina Mikuru" was pretty good, though. For one thing, it again got into the time travel/sci-fi subplot of things, and for another, it gave Asahina-san some character development, which I think she and Koizumi don't really seem to get enough of.
Overall: A fun volume, but I can't call it a favorite in the series.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Rampage of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Rampage of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This is another volume with a couple of short stories. The first, "Endless Eight," is all about the last two weeks of summer vacation and how the SOS Brigade spends them. "The Day of Sagittarius" is a showdown between the Computer Research Society and the SOS Brigade. In order to win back the computer that Suzumiya Haruhi blackmailed them out of, the Computer Club's president challenges the SOS Brigade to a battle using a computer game he and his club members designed. "Snow Mountain Syndrome" is basically "Lone Island Syndrome Part II." The SOS Brigade goes to spend the last few days of December at Tsuruya-san's family's mountain lodge. While Tsuruya-san and Kyon's little sister stay behind to make snowmen, Haruhi leads her brigade out for skiing. However, they get caught in a mysterious blizzard and end up finding an empty mansion. From there, events become puzzling and even creepy.
What I thought: "Endless Eight" was a fun enough story, but the other two stories are the ones I really enjoyed. "The Day of Sagittarius" is a fun story with action and conflict. We get to see some character development for Nagato, and the Computer Research Society is just a fun foil for Haruhi and her brigade. "Snow Mountain Syndrome" is really a good story, though. It includes Tsuruya and Kyon's little sister, for one thing, and for another, it's got plenty of mystery and suspense to it. The abandoned mansion is chock-full of strange happenings, and you're bound to feel just as edgy as Kyon as events unfold. There's also some good development for Nagato and Haruhi in this one, too.
Overall: "Snow Mountain Syndrome" is one of my favorite stories in this series, so for that alone, I rank this novel pretty highly.
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: This is another volume with a couple of short stories. The first, "Endless Eight," is all about the last two weeks of summer vacation and how the SOS Brigade spends them. "The Day of Sagittarius" is a showdown between the Computer Research Society and the SOS Brigade. In order to win back the computer that Suzumiya Haruhi blackmailed them out of, the Computer Club's president challenges the SOS Brigade to a battle using a computer game he and his club members designed. "Snow Mountain Syndrome" is basically "Lone Island Syndrome Part II." The SOS Brigade goes to spend the last few days of December at Tsuruya-san's family's mountain lodge. While Tsuruya-san and Kyon's little sister stay behind to make snowmen, Haruhi leads her brigade out for skiing. However, they get caught in a mysterious blizzard and end up finding an empty mansion. From there, events become puzzling and even creepy.
What I thought: "Endless Eight" was a fun enough story, but the other two stories are the ones I really enjoyed. "The Day of Sagittarius" is a fun story with action and conflict. We get to see some character development for Nagato, and the Computer Research Society is just a fun foil for Haruhi and her brigade. "Snow Mountain Syndrome" is really a good story, though. It includes Tsuruya and Kyon's little sister, for one thing, and for another, it's got plenty of mystery and suspense to it. The abandoned mansion is chock-full of strange happenings, and you're bound to feel just as edgy as Kyon as events unfold. There's also some good development for Nagato and Haruhi in this one, too.
Overall: "Snow Mountain Syndrome" is one of my favorite stories in this series, so for that alone, I rank this novel pretty highly.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: Christmas is approaching, and Suzumiya Haruhi wants to celebrate with the SOS Brigade. However, December 18th rolls around, and Kyon finds himself in a decidedly un-merry position. Nothing is as he remembers it. Haruhi and Koizumi no longer attend North High, Asahina-san has no recollection of him, and Nagato is a normal, shy bookworm. Now it's up to Kyon to figure out a way to restore the universe to how it was previously - if he even wants to.
What I thought: In contrast to The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi, this book is one full story, and it's a good one. It's got a mysterious feel to it, and it's pretty neat to see the SOS Brigade members in the other universe, acting how they would if Suzumiya Haruhi had never blown into their lives. Another neat thing is getting to see how Kyon's view of the SOS Brigade and its leader has changed since Haruhi first formed the club. There's also good personality development for Nagato, as well as development for the mysterious time-traveling events stemming from Tanabata three years ago.
Overall: As far as the Suzumiya Haruhi books go, this is an especially good one.
Author: Tanigawa Nagaru
What it's about: Christmas is approaching, and Suzumiya Haruhi wants to celebrate with the SOS Brigade. However, December 18th rolls around, and Kyon finds himself in a decidedly un-merry position. Nothing is as he remembers it. Haruhi and Koizumi no longer attend North High, Asahina-san has no recollection of him, and Nagato is a normal, shy bookworm. Now it's up to Kyon to figure out a way to restore the universe to how it was previously - if he even wants to.
What I thought: In contrast to The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi, this book is one full story, and it's a good one. It's got a mysterious feel to it, and it's pretty neat to see the SOS Brigade members in the other universe, acting how they would if Suzumiya Haruhi had never blown into their lives. Another neat thing is getting to see how Kyon's view of the SOS Brigade and its leader has changed since Haruhi first formed the club. There's also good personality development for Nagato, as well as development for the mysterious time-traveling events stemming from Tanabata three years ago.
Overall: As far as the Suzumiya Haruhi books go, this is an especially good one.
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Sighs of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Sighs of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
What it's about: Suzumiya Haruhi gets the idea to make a movie for the school's cultural festival, and she drags Kyon and the others into it. Haruhi charges into the matter with her usual enthusiasm, and as she pushes for excellence, the lines between fiction and reality start blurring, much to the dismay of the four other Brigade members, especially Kyon, as Koizumi tells Kyon that he's responsible for making sure Haruhi doesn't cause any permanent damage to the world.
What I thought: This is where you really get a sense of Haruhi's powers and her craziness. Some of the things she comes up with are really just hysterical. More of the mystery surrounding Haruhi and her powers is discussed, too. I dunno, this book was never as interesting to me as some of the others. It's still very good, though, and it continues the story of Haruhi, Kyon, and the SOS Brigade.
Overall: If you liked The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, continue on and read this book.
Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
What it's about: Suzumiya Haruhi gets the idea to make a movie for the school's cultural festival, and she drags Kyon and the others into it. Haruhi charges into the matter with her usual enthusiasm, and as she pushes for excellence, the lines between fiction and reality start blurring, much to the dismay of the four other Brigade members, especially Kyon, as Koizumi tells Kyon that he's responsible for making sure Haruhi doesn't cause any permanent damage to the world.
What I thought: This is where you really get a sense of Haruhi's powers and her craziness. Some of the things she comes up with are really just hysterical. More of the mystery surrounding Haruhi and her powers is discussed, too. I dunno, this book was never as interesting to me as some of the others. It's still very good, though, and it continues the story of Haruhi, Kyon, and the SOS Brigade.
Overall: If you liked The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, continue on and read this book.
The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
Title: The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
What it's about: Kyon is an ordinary Japanese high school student. He knows that aliens, time travelers, ghosts, sliders, espers, and the like don't exist. But on high first day of high school, the girl sitting behind him, Suzumiya Haruhi, declares she has no interest in normal humans but that if there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers, they should come find her. After this, Haruhi joins and quits every club in the school, proclaiming them all to be too boring. Kyon accidentally gives her the idea to create a club of her own to fill the void, and with that the SOS Brigade is born. Along with Kyon, Haruhi recruits Nagato Yuki, a quiet bookworm belonging to the literary club and whose clubroom the SOS Brigade takes over, Asahina Mikuru, a cute upperclassman, and Koizumi Itsuki, a charming transfer student. With these four as her subordinates, Haruhi intends to find mysteries and fun to relieve the boredom of normal life. However, what she doesn't know and what Kyon, our narrator, finds out is that the other three members of the SOS Brigade are more than they seem, as is Haruhi herself.
What I thought: First off, the narration style is quite unique. Kyon has a very interesting way of describing things, using lots of metaphors and references. Another oddity of this is that there are occasional lines of narration and internal monologue that seem to be heard by the other characters. It can be a little confusing at first, but it adds a level of interest once you realize that it's not a mistake. The characters themselves are great. Kyon is a good, normal straight man, and you sympathize for him whenever Haruhi drags him into some stupid situation. Haruhi herself is a really interesting character. Despite being the title character, we don't really get to see what she's thinking at all; we only see what Kyon observes and postulates about her. She's quite a larger-than-life character, though, with her wild stunts, eccentricities, and fancies. You can't help being taken with her for that reason. Asahina-san, Nagato, and Koizumi are also similarly well-developed characters, Asahina-san and Nagato especially. Another point to praise is the development of the plot through this book and the rest of the novels. Despite being mainly full of silliness, there is a surprisingly deep and entertaining plot involving a lot of science-fiction elements. The hidden agendas of Asahina-san, Nagato, and Koizumi are good illustrations of this.
Overall: This book, the rest of the Suzumiya Haruhi novels, and the anime series based on the books are all extremely excellent. Here is where you can find all the Suzumiya Haruhi novels online to read. They've not been translated to English in any official capacity, so fan translations online are all that English-reading fans have. However, the translations are pretty good quality.
Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
What it's about: Kyon is an ordinary Japanese high school student. He knows that aliens, time travelers, ghosts, sliders, espers, and the like don't exist. But on high first day of high school, the girl sitting behind him, Suzumiya Haruhi, declares she has no interest in normal humans but that if there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers, they should come find her. After this, Haruhi joins and quits every club in the school, proclaiming them all to be too boring. Kyon accidentally gives her the idea to create a club of her own to fill the void, and with that the SOS Brigade is born. Along with Kyon, Haruhi recruits Nagato Yuki, a quiet bookworm belonging to the literary club and whose clubroom the SOS Brigade takes over, Asahina Mikuru, a cute upperclassman, and Koizumi Itsuki, a charming transfer student. With these four as her subordinates, Haruhi intends to find mysteries and fun to relieve the boredom of normal life. However, what she doesn't know and what Kyon, our narrator, finds out is that the other three members of the SOS Brigade are more than they seem, as is Haruhi herself.
What I thought: First off, the narration style is quite unique. Kyon has a very interesting way of describing things, using lots of metaphors and references. Another oddity of this is that there are occasional lines of narration and internal monologue that seem to be heard by the other characters. It can be a little confusing at first, but it adds a level of interest once you realize that it's not a mistake. The characters themselves are great. Kyon is a good, normal straight man, and you sympathize for him whenever Haruhi drags him into some stupid situation. Haruhi herself is a really interesting character. Despite being the title character, we don't really get to see what she's thinking at all; we only see what Kyon observes and postulates about her. She's quite a larger-than-life character, though, with her wild stunts, eccentricities, and fancies. You can't help being taken with her for that reason. Asahina-san, Nagato, and Koizumi are also similarly well-developed characters, Asahina-san and Nagato especially. Another point to praise is the development of the plot through this book and the rest of the novels. Despite being mainly full of silliness, there is a surprisingly deep and entertaining plot involving a lot of science-fiction elements. The hidden agendas of Asahina-san, Nagato, and Koizumi are good illustrations of this.
Overall: This book, the rest of the Suzumiya Haruhi novels, and the anime series based on the books are all extremely excellent. Here is where you can find all the Suzumiya Haruhi novels online to read. They've not been translated to English in any official capacity, so fan translations online are all that English-reading fans have. However, the translations are pretty good quality.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Wizard Heir
Title: The Wizard Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Seph McCauley is a wizard, and he's been having trouble controlling his powers. His guardians put him in a private school called the Havens, a place that's supposed to be good at reforming troubled boys. However, Seph learns that the headmaster is in fact looking for young wizards like Seph who can be bound to him for power. What follows next is a struggle against the headmaster and a larger conspiracy that ties in with the events of The Warrior Heir.
What I thought: The same general praise that went for The Warrior Heir can work for this book. Seph's a different sort of protagonist than Jack, and I didn't perhaps like him as much, but that's not to say that he's uninteresting or that his story doesn't hold one's interest. An interesting thing with this book was seeing Jack and the other characters from the first book in a more peripheral role. Gives a view of how other people would view them and fleshes out their characters more. In general, this book seemed to be a lot about building up for conflict in the third book that's coming out this summer. Still, it was good.
Overall: If you liked The Warrior Heir, then you'll like this book.
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Seph McCauley is a wizard, and he's been having trouble controlling his powers. His guardians put him in a private school called the Havens, a place that's supposed to be good at reforming troubled boys. However, Seph learns that the headmaster is in fact looking for young wizards like Seph who can be bound to him for power. What follows next is a struggle against the headmaster and a larger conspiracy that ties in with the events of The Warrior Heir.
What I thought: The same general praise that went for The Warrior Heir can work for this book. Seph's a different sort of protagonist than Jack, and I didn't perhaps like him as much, but that's not to say that he's uninteresting or that his story doesn't hold one's interest. An interesting thing with this book was seeing Jack and the other characters from the first book in a more peripheral role. Gives a view of how other people would view them and fleshes out their characters more. In general, this book seemed to be a lot about building up for conflict in the third book that's coming out this summer. Still, it was good.
Overall: If you liked The Warrior Heir, then you'll like this book.
The Warrior Heir
Title: The Warrior Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Jack Swift thinks he's a normal high school student living in Trinity, Ohio. One day, he forgets to take his heart medicine and accidentally blows a rival across the soccer field. It comes out that Jack is actually one of the Weir, a member of the five hidden magic guilds. Jack is a warrior, though he was born a wizard, and in the present day, warriors are very valuable. So begins Jack's training and the struggle to stay alive amidst the machinations of the two controlling houses of wizards.
What I thought: Well, first off, Jack's a pretty likable protagonist. His reaction to the strange situations he finds himself in is what any normal person's would be: scared, angry, but with a touch of "okay, this is kinda cool." The supporting characters are all very well-written, with nicely defined personalities, and they all serve purposes in the book. The whole magic system is laid out well, and you're not likely to get confused too much while reading it. Doesn't read too much like an info-dump, either; there are a couple points where you could think that, but for the most part, the necessary background info is integrated nicely into the text. This wasn't my first time reading this book, but I seem to remember puzzling out the twist at the end before it occurred. However, it's not blatantly obvious, so if you do figure it out, you won't feel let down about it.
Overall: This is fun and entertaining urban fantasy with a good mix of sword and sorcery stuff. The narrative is fresh and fun, making this a relatively quick and enjoyable read.
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Jack Swift thinks he's a normal high school student living in Trinity, Ohio. One day, he forgets to take his heart medicine and accidentally blows a rival across the soccer field. It comes out that Jack is actually one of the Weir, a member of the five hidden magic guilds. Jack is a warrior, though he was born a wizard, and in the present day, warriors are very valuable. So begins Jack's training and the struggle to stay alive amidst the machinations of the two controlling houses of wizards.
What I thought: Well, first off, Jack's a pretty likable protagonist. His reaction to the strange situations he finds himself in is what any normal person's would be: scared, angry, but with a touch of "okay, this is kinda cool." The supporting characters are all very well-written, with nicely defined personalities, and they all serve purposes in the book. The whole magic system is laid out well, and you're not likely to get confused too much while reading it. Doesn't read too much like an info-dump, either; there are a couple points where you could think that, but for the most part, the necessary background info is integrated nicely into the text. This wasn't my first time reading this book, but I seem to remember puzzling out the twist at the end before it occurred. However, it's not blatantly obvious, so if you do figure it out, you won't feel let down about it.
Overall: This is fun and entertaining urban fantasy with a good mix of sword and sorcery stuff. The narrative is fresh and fun, making this a relatively quick and enjoyable read.
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