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Violet & Claire | Francesca Lia Block

Posted by Jaemi on June 29th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★★This is the book that started it all for me. A friend recommended I read it, and Francesca Lia Block made an immediate move to the top slot in my favorite authors list, where she’s stayed ever since.

Violet sees life as a movie. There’s always a scene, a mood, something unfolding. Though her own life, sadly, is lacking in some of the necessities for a great script. Conflict. Her parents, who seem to be from a completely different bloodline than she, give her none. And what little she does have isn’t juicy enough. Love interest. Sorely lacking. Anyone who can understand what she wants and where she’s coming from.

Enter Claire. Innocence emboddied, wearing a Tinker Bell shirt with faerie wings, surrounded by taunting peers. Violet decides she’s perfect. Claire, never having fit in, is happy to have a friend. And one who defended her.

Their early adventures are innocent enough. A visit to a transvestite bar. A trip to an underground concert, where Violet finds her love interest in the form of the godly Flint Cassidy. But her unwilling slip into humanity leaves her wounded, when she realizes she fell for an act like any other girl. Determined, she makes the most of it, and takes her script to his agent, who gives her a receptionist job in exchange for helping her with it.

Claire is first excited, soon after worried. Violet comes to school less and less, eventually isn’t there at all. The poetry class they signed up for together also becomes Claire’s alone. As she gets deeper into her relationship with the teacher, Violet isn’t there to listen, or warn her. Claire too finds herself injured and lost.

But even the darkness can’t keep them apart. After all the misunderstandings and apologies gone awry, their friendship prevails. Life in the desert, away from the cruelties of the big city, awaits.

Violet’s portion of the story should appeal to any movie buff. Claire’s to anyone who’s ever felt alien, finding solace mostly in paper and pen. A very quick read, which might or might not keep you up at night to get to see how it turns out, and one of my all time favorites, I highly recommend Violet and Claire to any and all.

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Ophelia | Lisa Klein

Posted by Jaemi on June 28th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★★There seems to be something in the tragedy of Hamlet that speaks to us all. I think I myself have seen three different movie versions, though I never did make it all the way through the one I most wanted to see. Reviving Ophelia and Ophelia Speaks are both still on my shelf from when I read them years ago. Lisa Klein, who once taught English, has here given us yet another version of the story.

Through Ophelia’s own eyes we watch her life unfold. The loss of her mother at birth, a hardened father, a dear brother. But her father’s courtly aspirations soon separate Ophelia from what little family she has, leaving her stranded amongst ladies who want little to do with her. Still, her matron Elnora is kind, and she has Queen Gertrude’s favor. In these things she is happy, and for a time, learns to keep it so.

While she will never take to her sewing, and is still prone to speak her mind, Ophelia has learned the arts of observance and wit. And Elnora, much pleased with her cures, has left her to study not only herbs, but whatever she chooses as often as she likes. The life of study, which she knew growing up, more suits her.

But still life at the castle feels like nothing more than a cage to her. A sentiment which Prince Hamlet, returned from study abroad, commiserates with. Though each knows it to be wrong, still the pair are drawn together with a strength it is beyond them to deny. Horatio, Hamlet’s most trusted friend, becomes their only ally.

For a time, all is well. They have their love, and while hiding it strains Ophelia, and indeed causes her to lose the Queen’s favor for a time, she would not give it up for anything. But upon the heels of their secret wedding comes much woe.

King Hamlet is slain. Too close to his passing, his Queen remarries his lustful brother, who is not fit to rule. Hamlet, claiming to have been told the truth by none other than his father’s spirit, becomes possessed with revenge. A path down which Ophelia cannot follow.

Soon all are drawn into the plot. The gentle Horatio, Ophelia’s father. Indeed, having stumbled upon the truth, and after showing her perhaps the largest kindness he ever has, her father is killed. By none other than her own husband. A sorrow she cannot fully express, as no one knows. And while Hamlet tried to come to her himself, his wretched state left him barred entry.

On and on the madness continues. While first a pretense, Hamlet is soon lost to his mind. Ophelia, following with her own pretense, hoping with it to win invisibility, at times seems lost as well. And is also brought to realize that she works against herself–drawing more attention rather than less.

With the help of trusted Horatio, she devises a plan. Brewing a potion, she fakes her own death–though a little too closely for comfort. The life she knew being lost for all time, Ophelia flees to France, where she is taken in at a convent.

Long fearful of her past, she does not fully divulge the truth to anyone until the birth of her son has come to pass. Those who did not already know some of the truth are quickly won over when they hear the news. And while the past will always haunt her and the future will bring fear, Ophelia has learned much through her entrance to motherhood, and looks on each new day as a gift.

_________________

I really, really enjoyed this book. I think it’s a great take on the historic Tragedy, and wouldn’t be surprised to find schools putting it to good use. Klein should be much pleased with her Ophelia, who transcends, despite all odds.

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The New Policeman | Kate Thompson

Posted by Jaemi on June 28th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★☆☆I was given this book by our Teen Librarian, who knows I like fantasy. I took a pause from my library books to give this one a go. It’s definitely one of the more original stories I’ve read of late. It feels odd to say that. But then, if I were Irish, maybe I wouldn’t be saying it. Funnily enough, Aengus and the Dagda made an appearance…I found that an interesting coincidence, so close to my taking a leap out of my norm and reading Dream Angus.

So. J.J. Liddy comes from a musical family with a somewhat tarnished past, which involves his grandfather, a flute, and a priest. The flute and priest disappeared, and the family was never able to live it down. But upon learning the full story from his mother, J.J. finds a renewed pride in who he is and his music.

Which leaves only the problem of time. Which there is never enough of.

Busses are always late. Chores barely get finished, homework is never done. J.J. takes it upon himself to find a way to buy his mother time for her birthday, which she can’t believe is already approaching again. While off delivering cheese to a neighbor, he is taken to a souterrain and shown a secret. An entrance into a mythical land. A land which once had no time, but now does.

Time there moves much slower than in his world, though, so J.J. has a hard time truly worrying about it, even though there’s something nagging constantly at the back of his mind. He picks up a stray dog, meets so natives, learns some new tunes.

Back home, his parents are frantic. Eventually he’s gone so long, the woman who sent him on his way comes to retrieve him, only to be misdirected. J.J. is busy helping Aengus Og to seek out the time leak. The “fairies” want their ways back. The “ploddies” want their time.

After running out of ideas, Aengus takes J.J. to see his father, the Dagda, who admits to knowing the leak is close by. This in turn, through a set of somewhat surprising circumstances, leads J.J. to the answer to the riddle. More than one riddle, even.

As someone who knows how it can be to blink away spans of time as large as 6 months, I found the whole time leak idea really fascinating. As a musician, I really liked the heavy musical influences as well. These people were all about it. And dancing.

Between each chapter is a little tune, which some might skip over, but which I read as part of the story. Had I read more of it at home, I might have taken out my own flute or clarinet to give them a go. It was definitely something that set it a bit apart.

I’d recommend it to any fantasy fiend, or music lover. And to anyone who wants something a little bit different.

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Blue Bloods | Melissa De La Druz

Posted by Jaemi on June 28th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★½Schuyler Van Alen leads a mixed-up life. She attends a prestigious NYC school, where she doesn’t fit in with her peers, except her best friend Oliver, and though her family used to be one of the wealthiest in the city, their holdings are now few and money sparse. She doesn’t know her father, her mother has been in a coma in the hospital for most of her life, and she lives with her foreboding grandmother.

When the uber-boy at school suddenly takes an interest in her, she doesn’t know what to think. And despite herself, she finds herself drawn to him. A fact which his twin sister takes much issue with.

After being invited to join The Committee, an elite society everyone at school knows about, Schuyler learns some startling things about herself and her family that she isn’t sure how to deal with. As it turns out, Schuyler isn’t human. And her best friend Oliver isn’t just her best friend. He’s a servant of sorts. And the dog she mysteriously found–also not an accident.

As mysterious deaths continue to plague the Blue Bloods, a secret from deep in their past comes forth. Silver Bloods. Fiends who feed on and kill Blue Bloods. Schuyler and her friends struggle to solve the mystery, losing much in the process. Left with many questions and nearly no answers, all Schuyler knows is its her mystery to solve, and only she can do it.

A very creative take on vampires and vampirism, which will leave you eager for the next installment.

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The Hour of the Cobra | Maiya Williams

Posted by Jaemi on June 27th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★☆Picking up not long after she left off in The Golden Hour, Williams’ new adventure covers much more territory than the first.

Xanthe Alexander, while enjoying a short reprieve from her twin brother Xavier, is overly busy beating herself up. While out on the porch studying math to distract herself, she happens to notice something in the pond. Much to her shock, she realizes it’s her best friend Rowan. As it turns out, she, Rowan and Nina have been called back to Owatannauk, Maine to assist in a special project: collecting historical items for customers of the curio shop.

After a brief run-through of Egyptian history, the trio are costumed and sent on their way. Xanthe, pleased to finally have something her brother does not, has lost sight of the mission almost before it’s begun. When Xavier later shows up in Alexandria, she loses it completely. Though the children have been forewarned not to interact with anyone important, when Xanthe accidentally runs into Cleopatra while exiting an alleviator in a Temple of Isis, she finds it all too easy to let the girl believe she is the godess she’s come to worship.

In secret, she begins making trips to see the princess as she ages, following her through history. Moody and distracted during the day, it doesn’t take long for the others to figure out something’s up. She feeds Rowan a lie to pass on to the others, but Xavier knows her better than that, and follows her on her next visit. Furious as she is at the discovery, it turns out to be the least of their troubles, as they get stuck overnight in the wrong year, and return to Owatannauk only to find they’ve created an alternate branch of the universe and are stuck out of time.

With the help of the alternates in the new Owatanauk, and Rowan and Nina, Xanthe and Xavier, or Isis and Osiris, scheme up an incredible plot to return history to its correct path, which is their only chance to undo the damage, and return to their own time.

A much heavier read than the first of the series, The Hour of the Cobra covers far more territory than The Golden Hour, but is equally enjoyable. I’d recommend reading them in order, only because most of the mystery of Owatannauk is told in the first book, though there is a brief summarization for the reader at the beginning of this story.

A tale of jealousy, friendship, teamwork and faith, The Hour of the Cobra is well worth a look.

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The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor

Posted by Jaemi on June 27th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★★As Alyss Heart watches the goings-on in celebration of her seventh birthday, all she can think is it’s boring, and her father isn’t there. She doesn’t understand why she has to sit through such things, and to top it all off, her best friend is late too. When Jack of Diamonds catches Alyss and Dodge, her best friend finally arrived, together dancing, he runs off to tattle, and Alyss and Dodge escape through a secret passage. Alyss, who had never been outside the castle, is thrilled to be in Wondertropolis.

Upon returning to the palace, Alyss finds a kitten waiting for her. Though she has no idea where it’s come from, she eagerly scoops it up, only to have it leave her behind, as it takes off into the palace as if on a mission. Which, in fact, it is, as Alyss will learn when it shows up at her party and morphs into The Cat, her Aunt Redd’s most lethal assassin, half cat, half human.

Redd’s siege of the palace costs many lives, including those of Alyss’ parents. Alyss herself has been sent through the Crystal Continuum with her mother’s bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, who takes her to the Pool of Tears–their only hope of escape. Separated while in the pool, Hatter winds up in France while Alyss pops out of a puddle in England.

It will be 13 years before Hatter is able to track her down. By which time she will have convinced herself that Wonderland was nonsense, and will be engaged to be married on Earth. Wonderland, meanwhile, has fallen into decay under Redd’s evil rulership.

It’s up to Hatter and Dodge to bring Alyss back, in hopes she can make it through the Looking Glass Maze, defeat Redd, and take her rightful place as Queen.

_____

Some might find this view of Wonderland disconcerting, as the book jacket actually jokes. I, myself, enjoyed it thoroughly and can’t wait for the next installment. Alyss and her cohorts are great characters, and Wonderland as described herein a truly incredible place. If you’re a fan of the legend, I recommend giving this version a look. If you’re a fan of fantasy, definitely pick this one up.

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Perfect | Natasha Friend

Posted by Jaemi on June 26th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★☆An honest look at the harsh turns we can take in life when tragedy hits and the people you’d normally depend on are unable to be there for you. For Isabelle, it’s her mom. Ever since her father died suddenly a couple years past, her mother has become a different woman. An English Professor, she’s dropped to teaching part-time, no longer seems to care about her appearance, and does not discuss her late husband. In fact, she’s taken all of his pictures off the walls. For Isabelle, this only makes things harder.

To make matters worse, she hates the way she looks. An issue severely aggravated by the fact that her younger sister has dubbed her “Belly.”

After being caught throwing up by said younger sister, Isabelle is forced to go to Group. She hates the idea, but has no choice. And is caught totally off-guard when the most beautiful girl in school walks through the door.

Soon Ashley and Isabelle bond, and start spending more time together. Ashley, often left home alone, has a huge house with no end of food, and the binge-purge fests that take place there leave Isabelle feeling off-kilter for days afterward. It seems great at first–no hiding, no lying. But soon the novelty starts to wear off.

Time spent in Group, and also solo therapy sessions, is starting to impact Isabelle. She’s beginning to realize she eats when she feels bad. That maybe this is a coping mechanism gone horribly wrong. At home, her mother’s fits of mood start to anger her. At Ashley’s the un-ending food starts to grow old. It isn’t the same.

Once she first gets the words out of her mouth, about how her dad is gone and how much she misses him, everything starts to get easier. Not simple, not fun, but possible. Like asking to celebrate Hanukkah. Going ahead with it even when their mother says no. Asking for her aunt’s help to set up the decorations, and the family tree April did for school, using pictures of their dad they found hidden under their mother’s bed.

Bulimia is a hard cycle to break, but with a support network slowly forming, and a better understanding of herself and her motives, Isabelle begins to see a light that had been hidden from her. And suddenly “fine” doesn’t seem only a lie. It seems within reach.

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Dream Angus | Alexander McCall Smith

Posted by Jaemi on June 26th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★½☆☆I don’t actually know anything about the myth of Angus, had never heard of The Dagda, so I had nothing to draw on in terms of comparing this telling to the myth itself. Therefore I can’t say how it compares, or even if I was missing anything by having no prior knowledge.

One of the titles in Canongate’s The Myths series, Dream Angus centers around Angus, a God of Love and Dreams. Born to Boann, after she was tricked by Dagda, Angus is quickly stolen from his mother and handed off to one of his kin. All who encounter him are the better for it.

Upon eventually learning of his true parentage, Angus, with the help of the man who raised him, takes Dagda’s kingdom from him, much to the liking of his subjects.

Interweaved among his own tales are other stories. An unknown newly-wed couple. A pair of brothers who are to be separated. A pig-keeper. Sometimes the connection was easy to see, other times not, but somehow it all fit.

This is a book very different from my usual fair, which I find makes it hard for me to write about well. The writing was good, and the tales were definitely interesting. Inspired me to at least take a peak at the other Myths books to see if I might like to read them as well.

If you’re into myths yourself, obviously this ought to be up your alley. If you’re looking to stray from your normal fare, I’d also say it’s worth a look. It should get your brain working, if nothing else.

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Behind the Curtain: an Echo Falls Mystery | Peter Abrahams

Posted by Jaemi on June 26th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★★This is the second of the Echo Falls Mystery books, which began with The Rabbit Hole. The main character, Ingrid Levin-Hill, is a middle school student sleuth, who loves, loves, loves Sherlock Holmes.

In this installment, Ingrid’s quiet little world starts to go topsy-turvy. Her brother, the only Freshman on the High School Varsity football team, turns moody. While spotting him one night (much to her chagrin, as Ty is lifting far more weight than she could ever help him with), she notices his back is covered with pimples–also unusual for him, though she doesn’t know what to make of it until later when a randomly understood comment in Health class catches her attention. Steroids can cause acne.

Meanwhile, Ingrid’s father has become a different sort of person–sullen and cranky. Working all the time. No fun to talk too. While she feels a hidden issue of the local paper announcing a new hire at the Ferrand Group, where her father works, must have something to do with it, since she was never supposed to have seen that paper, there’s not much she can ask about it. Besides, he seems not to hear her most of the time anyway.

Then comes the finding of a Mexican pill bottle in her old childhood tree house, finding Ty’s DVD player missing only have it to return (and the pill bottle disappear). The new assistant soccer coach beaming the head coach in the head with a ball and acting innocent. The weirdness is adding up, and Ingrid is sure it has to mean something.

When she’s kidnapped the morning of MathFest she knows something is going on. Only she has no evidence to back herself up, when all is said and done, and finds almost no one believing her.

____________

This was an exceptionally fun book to read. I think maybe even a little better than the first installment, though admittedly I can’t remember much about it other than it left me looking out for this one. They don’t need to be read in order either. While this book makes some references to the other, it’s nothing really central or that will leave you lacking any pertinent information.

Ingrid is a really vibrant character, and watching her mind put things together, with and without the help of Sherlock Holmes stories that she can recall at will, is great fun.

I don’t usually go in for mysteries, but I wouldn’t want to miss one of these. Eagerly awaiting book 3.

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Chasing Vermeer | Blue Balliet

Posted by Jaemi on June 26th, 2010 No Comments


Rating: ★★★★★This book was a lot of fun to read. It reminded me a little of a Da Vinci code for younger minds, only in some ways this book was a lot trickier. Throughout, there is a pentomino code, and another hidden code which I never tried to decipher, although I saw the clues. Codes aren’t my thing. But I was still pulling out a notebook to decrypt the letters going between two friends in certain chapters.

I think this is a really original and unique book, that looks at things in all sorts of ways–ways we might usually not. The range of topics covered is somewhat broad, but they flow together, and while in some cases the thinking behind it all seems highly advanced, at the same time, younger people tend to be much more open to “crazy” and wild ideas than some of their more learned counterparts who “know better.”

If you like mysteries, puzzles, or art, definitely give this book a read.

_____

This is one of the books I’ve most enjoyed in the past few years. I’ve never read anything quite like it, and it has a bit of something for everyone. Mystery, puzzles, codes, excitement. The idea of an elementary class unraveling an injustice that far outlives them is just great.

The basic story revolves around Vermeer’s paintings, how many he did in his life, and how many were correctly attributed. Something you’d think was above the heads of grade school kids, but their class is anything but usual.

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