So I noticed something just now as I was updating. The Kiki Strike entry dates from Sunday, but I really posted it today. It's 'cause that was, um, when I started writing the review in Blogger, and I guess it posts it from the date when you start a saved entry. 'Cause this system of blogging has an auto-save feature for entries. So, yeah, whoops, some dates may be off.
Title: Surviving the Applewhites
Author: Stephanie S. Tolan
What it's about: Told from two points of view, those of delinquent Jake Semple and the rather normal E.D. Applewhite. The Applewhites are a family of artists. The father's a director, the mother's a writer, the eldest daughter is a dancer, and the rest of them are all talented, too. Except for E.D., who's not very artistic, but at least she has common sense and isn't a typical artsy type like the rest of her family. Jake Semple, meanwhile, has been thrown out of schools because he's a troublemaker, and staying with the Applewhites is his last chance before juvenile hall. He and E.D. butt heads frequently, but they learn to appreciate each other as the whole Applewhite family rallies together to stage a performance of The Sound of Music.
What I thought: I have to admit, when the theatrical aspect came into play, I started enjoying the book a lot more. Gotta say that I can definitely understand the artistic type, you know, the crazy ones. I'm a theatre major, after all, and I also hang around with writerly types. You totally get to know the scatterbrained artistic souls. So, yeah, could totally sympathize with Jake and E.D. as they lived with this family. There were actually a good bit of funny moments in this book, too, stemming from that, and most of the "life lesson" moments weren't done badly. This was a fun read, although it's not my normal genre and not something I'll probably read again.
Overall: Not a bad book.
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Star of Kazan
Title: The Star of Kazan
Author: Eva Ibbotson
What it's about: So the story takes place in Vienna around 1908, I think. Historical fiction. Anyway, the main character is a girl named Annika. She's an orphan, and she was found by two women, a cook named Ellie and a maid named Sigrid. These two work for three professors, all siblings, who share a house. Anyway, the professors let Ellie and Sigrid keep the baby Annika, and as Annika grows up, she has a good life. When she turns twelve, however, this is all shaken up by the arrival of a woman who claims to be her mother.
What I thought: This story is cute but not cloying. It remembers the past very fondly, painting a grand picture of Vienna in a peaceful hayday. The characters are all very nice, and you want to cheer for them. Annika's a good kid, but she's not some Pollyanna, which is good. You know, sympathetic, but with her share of flaws, too. And the story's neat because there's some mystery to it. The attention to detail is nice as well.
Overall: May be a children's book, but anyone can enjoy it.
Author: Eva Ibbotson
What it's about: So the story takes place in Vienna around 1908, I think. Historical fiction. Anyway, the main character is a girl named Annika. She's an orphan, and she was found by two women, a cook named Ellie and a maid named Sigrid. These two work for three professors, all siblings, who share a house. Anyway, the professors let Ellie and Sigrid keep the baby Annika, and as Annika grows up, she has a good life. When she turns twelve, however, this is all shaken up by the arrival of a woman who claims to be her mother.
What I thought: This story is cute but not cloying. It remembers the past very fondly, painting a grand picture of Vienna in a peaceful hayday. The characters are all very nice, and you want to cheer for them. Annika's a good kid, but she's not some Pollyanna, which is good. You know, sympathetic, but with her share of flaws, too. And the story's neat because there's some mystery to it. The attention to detail is nice as well.
Overall: May be a children's book, but anyone can enjoy it.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City
Title: Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City
Author: Kirsten Miller
What it's about: Twelve-year-old Ananka Fishbein is an ordinary girl until she meets Kiki Strike and discovers a series of tunnels under New York known as the Shadow City. Along with Kiki and four other girls who form the group known as the Irregulars, Ananka will have to help save New York from a terrible threat.
What I thought: When I first picked this book up from the library, I thought, hey, it looks like an interesting concept, but knowing my luck and the way books for teen girls are usually written, it'll turn out to be insipid and dumb. Man, I was pleasantly surprised. Ananka is a clever narrator, and she's a good choice for the job, too. All of the Irregulars are well-developed characters, really. Kiki's interesting, too, and I think it's cool that she's not the narrator, as that lets her keep her mystique. The descriptions are really vivid, too, and detailed.
Overall: Amazingly deep for something that could have been shallow and stupid.
And I'm really behind on reviews, aren't I? I have read and need to post entries for The Star of Kazan, Surviving the Applewhites, The Man with the Golden Torc, and Princess Ben. So, yeah, I'll be getting to those. Soon.
Author: Kirsten Miller
What it's about: Twelve-year-old Ananka Fishbein is an ordinary girl until she meets Kiki Strike and discovers a series of tunnels under New York known as the Shadow City. Along with Kiki and four other girls who form the group known as the Irregulars, Ananka will have to help save New York from a terrible threat.
What I thought: When I first picked this book up from the library, I thought, hey, it looks like an interesting concept, but knowing my luck and the way books for teen girls are usually written, it'll turn out to be insipid and dumb. Man, I was pleasantly surprised. Ananka is a clever narrator, and she's a good choice for the job, too. All of the Irregulars are well-developed characters, really. Kiki's interesting, too, and I think it's cool that she's not the narrator, as that lets her keep her mystique. The descriptions are really vivid, too, and detailed.
Overall: Amazingly deep for something that could have been shallow and stupid.
And I'm really behind on reviews, aren't I? I have read and need to post entries for The Star of Kazan, Surviving the Applewhites, The Man with the Golden Torc, and Princess Ben. So, yeah, I'll be getting to those. Soon.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Snow Crash
Title: Snow Crash
Author: Neal Stephenson
What it's about: Hacker and main character Hiro Protagonist lives in a futuristic America where by this point, there's only four things the country does best: "music, movies, microcode (software), and high-speed pizza delivery." Basically, he delivers pizza for the Mafia. On his last delivery, he gets a hand from a girl named Y.T., a Kourier who finishes his delivery for him. Hiro and Y.T. end up becoming partners of a sort, and they end up both working towards the goal of stopping a new computer virus that snow crashes people's minds.
What I thought: Any book that manages to combine cyberpunk with Sumerian mythology and does it well, that book has to be awesome. And Snow Crash, by that definition is awesome. It's an odd choice of a read for me, seeing as how it lacks the happily ever afters and true love that I usually like in stories, but, man, this book doesn't need 'em. It gets by just fine on face-paced present tense narration peppered with, erm, salty dialogue. There's also some sexual stuff. It goes with the story, so I could deal with it, but it's not something for immature readers. But, like, the mythology here is really deep, man, and it's pretty sweet how it all comes together. Plus, the America that Stephenson sets this story in is really interesting, with all its franchulates and Metaverse and stuff. This took me, like three days to read, and I was reading it constantly, too. It's definitely engrossing, and all the thinking you'll do will tire you out.
Overall: An interesting read, worth giving it a shot.
Also, sorry for totally failing at updating this. Snow Crash took me a fair while, and then I just sort of got a block when it came to reviewing it. I've actually already finished another book over these last two days, Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, so look for that in the next day or so.
Author: Neal Stephenson
What it's about: Hacker and main character Hiro Protagonist lives in a futuristic America where by this point, there's only four things the country does best: "music, movies, microcode (software), and high-speed pizza delivery." Basically, he delivers pizza for the Mafia. On his last delivery, he gets a hand from a girl named Y.T., a Kourier who finishes his delivery for him. Hiro and Y.T. end up becoming partners of a sort, and they end up both working towards the goal of stopping a new computer virus that snow crashes people's minds.
What I thought: Any book that manages to combine cyberpunk with Sumerian mythology and does it well, that book has to be awesome. And Snow Crash, by that definition is awesome. It's an odd choice of a read for me, seeing as how it lacks the happily ever afters and true love that I usually like in stories, but, man, this book doesn't need 'em. It gets by just fine on face-paced present tense narration peppered with, erm, salty dialogue. There's also some sexual stuff. It goes with the story, so I could deal with it, but it's not something for immature readers. But, like, the mythology here is really deep, man, and it's pretty sweet how it all comes together. Plus, the America that Stephenson sets this story in is really interesting, with all its franchulates and Metaverse and stuff. This took me, like three days to read, and I was reading it constantly, too. It's definitely engrossing, and all the thinking you'll do will tire you out.
Overall: An interesting read, worth giving it a shot.
Also, sorry for totally failing at updating this. Snow Crash took me a fair while, and then I just sort of got a block when it came to reviewing it. I've actually already finished another book over these last two days, Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, so look for that in the next day or so.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Goose Girl
Title: The Goose Girl
Author: Shannon Hale
What it's about: This story is a retelling of the fairy tale that bears the same name. Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee of Kildenree is a meek girl who gets along better with animals than with people. When she is sixteen, her mother tells her of an arranged marriage with the prince of neighboring country Bayern. This marital alliance is for the good of Kildenree, as Bayern is a large and war-like country. Ani leaves for Bayern, uncertain of what the future holds but eager to finally be her own person. Accompanying her is her serving maid Selia and a guard named Talone. The journey ends in betrayal, and Ani must hide herself in Bayern until she has the means to confront the traitor who now poses as princess. To do so, she becomes a goose girl to the royal flock and learns about friendship, love, and what it means to be yourself.
What I thought: Well, I first read this book this past Christmas, once again in February, and now for the third time in June. Three times in about six months. I think that says a lot about how good this is. For one thing, the descriptions are beautiful, really painting the world of the story. Speaking of the world, it's a really developed one. The culture of Kildenree isn't too much touched on, but there are some nice developments that are mentioned in passing, and we learn a lot about the country of Bayern and its customs through Ani's work trying to fit in there. As for the story itself, it's a lovely adaption of the fairy tale, not afraid to change things up to make a more real story. Ani's an interesting heroine who changes quite nicely in her character development arc. Enna's also pretty well-developed as a character, which is good 'cause she stars in the sequel. Another plus is that while there's a definite romance in there for Ani, it's not a dominating part of the story, and it definitely doesn't play a sappy role in the resolution. I mean, it helps, but Ani does most of the work herself and with the help of her friends. And there's plenty of action, too, and life or death stuff. Really, this is an all-around great story.
Overall: One of my favorite stories ever.
Author: Shannon Hale
What it's about: This story is a retelling of the fairy tale that bears the same name. Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee of Kildenree is a meek girl who gets along better with animals than with people. When she is sixteen, her mother tells her of an arranged marriage with the prince of neighboring country Bayern. This marital alliance is for the good of Kildenree, as Bayern is a large and war-like country. Ani leaves for Bayern, uncertain of what the future holds but eager to finally be her own person. Accompanying her is her serving maid Selia and a guard named Talone. The journey ends in betrayal, and Ani must hide herself in Bayern until she has the means to confront the traitor who now poses as princess. To do so, she becomes a goose girl to the royal flock and learns about friendship, love, and what it means to be yourself.
What I thought: Well, I first read this book this past Christmas, once again in February, and now for the third time in June. Three times in about six months. I think that says a lot about how good this is. For one thing, the descriptions are beautiful, really painting the world of the story. Speaking of the world, it's a really developed one. The culture of Kildenree isn't too much touched on, but there are some nice developments that are mentioned in passing, and we learn a lot about the country of Bayern and its customs through Ani's work trying to fit in there. As for the story itself, it's a lovely adaption of the fairy tale, not afraid to change things up to make a more real story. Ani's an interesting heroine who changes quite nicely in her character development arc. Enna's also pretty well-developed as a character, which is good 'cause she stars in the sequel. Another plus is that while there's a definite romance in there for Ani, it's not a dominating part of the story, and it definitely doesn't play a sappy role in the resolution. I mean, it helps, but Ani does most of the work herself and with the help of her friends. And there's plenty of action, too, and life or death stuff. Really, this is an all-around great story.
Overall: One of my favorite stories ever.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
The Off-Season
Title: The Off-Season
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
What it's about: D.J. Schwenk is back in this book which picks up a few days after Dairy Queen. Life's looking pretty good with D.J. She's getting along well with her school work, playing football, and having fun with Brian. However, pretty soon some misfortunes come along which challenge D.J. and force her to be stronger than she ever thought she could be.
What I thought: This book really shows how great an author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is. D.J. returns as our flawed but likable leading lady, and the character interactions are really interesting. We get to see D.J.'s older brothers and meet Amber's girlfriend, all of whom are interesting in their own ways. As far as D.J. goes, on one hand, she manages to deal with the obstacles in front of her; on the other, she doesn't, like, breeze through things, either. It's hard, it's a struggle, and we really feel this as we read. I just have to say that D.J. is a very realistic character who is enjoyable to read about. Also, her relationship with Brian takes some very interesting turns and never gets barftastically schmoopy, either.
Overall: If you liked Dairy Queen, you'll find this sequel just as good.
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
What it's about: D.J. Schwenk is back in this book which picks up a few days after Dairy Queen. Life's looking pretty good with D.J. She's getting along well with her school work, playing football, and having fun with Brian. However, pretty soon some misfortunes come along which challenge D.J. and force her to be stronger than she ever thought she could be.
What I thought: This book really shows how great an author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is. D.J. returns as our flawed but likable leading lady, and the character interactions are really interesting. We get to see D.J.'s older brothers and meet Amber's girlfriend, all of whom are interesting in their own ways. As far as D.J. goes, on one hand, she manages to deal with the obstacles in front of her; on the other, she doesn't, like, breeze through things, either. It's hard, it's a struggle, and we really feel this as we read. I just have to say that D.J. is a very realistic character who is enjoyable to read about. Also, her relationship with Brian takes some very interesting turns and never gets barftastically schmoopy, either.
Overall: If you liked Dairy Queen, you'll find this sequel just as good.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Talking to Dragons
Title: Talking to Dragons
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
What it's about: So, one day a wizard shows up at the cottage where Daystar and his mother live on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Daystar's mother sends him into the forest with a sword and orders to not come back until he knows why he had to leave. Although his mother trained him well, Daystar's still pretty confused, but he gets help along the way from various allies, including a lizard named Suz and a witch named Morwen. He also makes some new friends, including a fire-witch named Shiara and a young dragon.
What I thought: This is my favorite of all the books in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I like Daystar as a protagonist. While he knows enough stuff about dealing with the world of the Enchanted Forest, like not making foolish promises and being polite, he's also not such a know-it-all that he's unlikeable or that there's no challenge. And while it's usually annoying when the protagonist is sent off on a quest without being told much, in this case we find that there's actually a good reason for it. Daystar's sensible without being annoying, virtuous but not to the point of stupidity. Overall, a realistic, likable character. Shiara's good, too, with her rudeness actually having negative effects, even annoying Daystar. So this isn't a case of rudeness masquerading as spunkiness and annoying the reader. This book, I think, is just the most solid as its own adventure without having to rely on fairy tale parody out of the four books in this series.
Overall: Definitely worth reading up to this point.
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
What it's about: So, one day a wizard shows up at the cottage where Daystar and his mother live on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Daystar's mother sends him into the forest with a sword and orders to not come back until he knows why he had to leave. Although his mother trained him well, Daystar's still pretty confused, but he gets help along the way from various allies, including a lizard named Suz and a witch named Morwen. He also makes some new friends, including a fire-witch named Shiara and a young dragon.
What I thought: This is my favorite of all the books in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I like Daystar as a protagonist. While he knows enough stuff about dealing with the world of the Enchanted Forest, like not making foolish promises and being polite, he's also not such a know-it-all that he's unlikeable or that there's no challenge. And while it's usually annoying when the protagonist is sent off on a quest without being told much, in this case we find that there's actually a good reason for it. Daystar's sensible without being annoying, virtuous but not to the point of stupidity. Overall, a realistic, likable character. Shiara's good, too, with her rudeness actually having negative effects, even annoying Daystar. So this isn't a case of rudeness masquerading as spunkiness and annoying the reader. This book, I think, is just the most solid as its own adventure without having to rely on fairy tale parody out of the four books in this series.
Overall: Definitely worth reading up to this point.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
