The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger

Mystical, spiritual -- confusing..., December 15, 2009

I am not quite sure how to review this book as it started out well but then got bogged down by some excess detail that didn't add anything to the story, poems that were enigmatic, and a character - Beth -- who really ended up being irritating rather than engaging.
Her fixation on her smell and her complete lack of attention to personal hygiene throughout the book were disturbing and frankly, a bit gross. I was never sure exactly where this story was going. Lots of references to "pee", snot, body odor, greasy hair, etc.?!

Anyway -- Beth is a normal high school girl -- "a blonde geek with a 4.1 GPA" who wants to go to college when her plans are derailed by the arrival of a gold envelope and a note with the enigmatic message: You are more than you think you are. She, henceforth referred to as Aleph Beth, and cohort crush Richie (gorgeous of course) are led on a merry chase to New York where the mysteries of who she is and her mission are revealed through tarot cards, meeting other characters, and solved. Sort of.

Meanwhile, the other 6 complements of the "Seven Rays" are introduced in successive chapters but none of the stories are really told and it seems a gathering of a really motley crew with different "powers." Not sure even what these Seven Rays are supposed to ultimately DO.

There's a lot of vague sexual description -- quite strange actually since Beth and Richie don't actually engage -- but the nuances of what is happening are very clear. I'm given to understand that these 7 Rays have a mission and Aleph Beth is supposed to have 7 children by 7 different men. I am wondering if there will be a sequel because this novel really didn't provide a definitive ending!

I will have to give this book to some teens and see what their reaction is -- I'm a bit ambivalent!

Numbers by Rachel Ward

The numbers never lie..., November 27, 2009 This was a so-so YA novel about a girl who has the peculiar ability of knowing the date of a person's death by simply looking into his or her eyes. The premise was original and it started out well, but then the "on the run" narrative got bogged down and the conclusion was disappointing. Jem is orphaned when her mother overdoses on heroin. Four years later, she's 15 and living with a foster mum named Karen, avoiding relationships and living on the fringe because of her peculiar psychic gift for seeing the date of death numbers reflected in the eyes of the people she sees. She doesn't want this curse or gift and is drifting through her life knowing that she is going nowhere even as she attends school to pacify Karen and keep the social workers off her back. One of her fellow students, a tall boy known as Spider, keeps pestering her and following her around until they form a distant and grudging sort of friendship. After both get suspended from school, they decide to spend a day enjoying the city and end up hassling those in a queue for the London Eye -- a giant Ferris wheel. Jem notices something quite odd -- many of those waiting there have the SAME death date in their eyes! In a panic, she senses that something is about to happen and she and Spider are fleeing the area when a bomb explodes and many people are killed. During the ensuing chapters, Jem and Spider are on the run from police and others intent on figuring out if they were involved or if they were witnesses. Jem is haunted and plagued by the death dates -- for you see, she has seen Spider's. Can she change the date or influence these numbers in any way? The story is part adventure, part love story, part paranormal -- but most of the time, it is simply unbelievable. The book started of strong, bogged down in the middle, and then whimpered toward an unsatisfying predictable ending. Ms C.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Engaging and unique YA adventure!, November 8, 2009

Apparently I've been remiss in my exploration of all reading genres and missed out on this one: steampunk. Westerfeld explains in his afterward of Leviathan that it is a blending of future and past. Indeed, this novel is set in 1914 at the beginning of what comes to be known as World War I -- but in this unique tale, it is the battle of the Clankers vs the Darwinists. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans (Clankers) use weapons that are iron machines equipped with canons and guns. The British (Darwinists) have engineered weapons that are living fabricated creatures made out of multiple different species of animals, reptiles, worms, and mammals.

The story begins as young Aleksander Ferdinand, son of the Archduke and heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, is secreted out of his castle home by faithful family retainers in the middle of the night after the poisoning of his parents in Sarajevo. This band of nobles and Alek escape ahead of the warmongering Germans in their engine of war known as a Cyklop Stormwalker. In a parallel story, a girl named Deryn Sharp disguises herself as a boy in order to be accepted into the British Air Service as an airman. On her first day of training, she is stranded aloft in a Huxley airbeast but is rescued by the great whale airship, the largest in the British fleet, the Leviathan.

Prince Alek and his crew encounter some difficulty and engage in a battle or two before arriving at the designated safe house in the frozen Swiss Alps where they plan to wait out the war until Alek can safely be restored to his rightful place as heir to the Empire. Meanwhile, the Leviathan stops in London to pick up a very important passenger, Dr. Nora Barlow and her mysterious cargo, and are supposed to head to a rendezvous in the Ottoman Empire. The plot converges in the Swiss Alps when the Leviathan is injured and downed on the glacier by German pursuers. Alek and Deryn meet and urge their respective alliances to join forces to escape certain death and to elude those intent on killing them. What follows is high adventure on a newly redesigned Leviathan! Secrets still exist, however, and the final chapter ends in a way that makes the reader want to know more of the story.

There will be a second novel that will follow the Leviathan and its motley crew to the Ottoman Empire and the city of Constantinople.

I'm looking forward to the sequel. Enjoy the adventure, the fantastic science, and this tinkering with history. The illustrations, the map of the European Powers, and the cover invite closer inspection and add greatly to the story. Recommend!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

2/5 stars -- just another "fallen" angel book...

This vapid tale goes on for a long, boring time before we realize it's just another fallen angel book. The explanation for how and why Daniel is "fallen" is never detailed nor is anything about the relationships between the good and evil forces in this overly long first novel in a planned series (#2 Torment due out in September of 2010).

Luce is sent to some sort of odd reform school after the unexplained death of her boyfriend in a fire. His death and the death of other "mortals" in the story are not given any weight and no reasons for them are given to the reader. None of the characters in the story have any depth to them and the book seems to be an endless, almost ridiculous, whine by Luce about which of the boys in the school she should like and trust -- she is pursued by the charming Cam and is shunned and stood up by the handsome, mysterious Daniel. Why those two fallen angels are interested in her is also never explained. I found the whole story basically boring and any hoped for interesting details or back story is missing! We are left without finding out why Luce has undergone the reincarnations, why Daniel and Cam want her, and exactly what these two fallen angels and their minions are doing on earth.

The romance seems shallow although the author goes to great lengths to describe the kiss and longing that Luce has for Daniel but again, the many questions the reader might have are never answered and any interest developed in the plot is quickly quashed with only vague hints of what is going on. The story ends with a strange epilogue and the reader is left hanging.

Skip it.

Ms C.

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

How do you go on after your boyfriend goes on a shooting rampage?, November 2, 2009

This was an excellent YA novel about the aftermath of a school shooting. The protagonist, Valerie, was the girlfriend of the shooter and has to live with the consequences of being known as his ally and as the co-author of the "hate list" that instigated the bloodshed. Was she involved? Did she know he was going to do this?

Valerie returns to high school the fall after the shootings. She is shunned and feared, but tries to continue on. She's been in therapy and she's working through the feelings she has about her boyfriend Nick -- the guy she loved vs the boy who shot her classmates. How did she not know that he was planning this?

This is a well done novel about the aftermath of school violence. How people adapt, change, come to terms with the senseless act. The reactions of enemies, friends, family -- it's all here. There are no pat answers and Valerie isn't magically cured. The violent act changes everyone.

Recommend!

Ms C.

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Do not waste your time..., November 1, 2009

I heard the buzz earlier this year -- the new hot sub topic in the paranormal genre: fallen angels. I was interested -- I'm a high school librarian and I'm always wanting to have the latest books for students. The cover of this one looked intriguing and I ordered it. The most positive thing I can say is that it's a quick read -- other than that -- well, I'm not recommending this one.

I think the author was trying to create an Edward Cullen of Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) fame with this book - and I even assume it's the first of a possible series given the nature of YA literature to follow that route. Patch is no Edward Cullen and the main character in this story, Nora, is no Bella.

From the beginning (the characters meet in Biology class for heaven's sake -- note similarity), the premise and the story defy all logic and there is nothing remotely believable about the characters or the plot. Nora and best friend Vee are drawn into a ridiculous story about a fallen angel and various other angels and Nephilim (half angel half mortal). At least once on every page I had to suppress a gasp of disbelief and just shook my head at the antics of the characters in the book. Most of what happens in these pages makes the reader suspend disbelief to such a level as to be laughable. From Vee calling in a bomb threat to the climax in the school library -- the things that occur seem far-fetched and unrealistic even given the fantasy nature of the story. There is no point to this whole book!

I'm not recommending this one, nor will I read a sequel. Fallen angels may be the new hot topic but hopefully other authors will make it less of of an attempt at Twilight copycat and more original.

Ms C

Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Fairy tale "lite" is disappointing..., October 10, 2009

This novel, not really what I term as fantasy, was overly long and -- as other reviewers have pointed out -- had one of those unsatisfying cliffhanger type endings that nobody likes. Sure it's the first in a trilogy, but after slogging through over 450 pages of detail and description that should have been tightened up, one hopes that there will be some sort of conclusion to this story line.

The premise of the story -- two kingdoms at war for years. Why? Their societies and way of life is different. So? Despite the setup, the whole book seemed to be totally focused on Alera and whom she would marry. And something about a prophecy and legend. Funny, there wasn't a lot of detail about all that -- just mostly angst and longing vs duty and responsibility.

I didn't find any of the characters interesting or likable. Alera, the Princess and heir of the kingdom of Hytanica, seemed quite immature and definitely not regal in any sense of the word. She was probably supposed to be appealing as headstrong and independent but I found her whiny and irritating. The cliche of egotistical handsome suitor, the character Steldor, was completely predictable. Narian honestly seemed like an impudent, disrespectful jerk to me instead of an appealing mysterious stranger who Alera falls for and longs to marry instead of Steldor, the man her father has chosen. The King seems like a wimp and frankly, I wasn't that interested in any of the rest of them either.

I have read that this is categorized as fantasy, but only in the sense that this is a fictitious kingdom in an unknown land at some unknown point in time - likely medieval. There's no magic or fantastical creatures, etc., typical of the genre.
Teen girls might enjoy this but will likely be bored by the excessive minutiae concerning food, fashion, the layout of the castle and grounds, and many other unimportant bits of prose that lengthen the book rather than strengthen the tale. This novel is what I would call fairy tale "lite" and I won't be rushing to read Allegiance -- the second book in the series.

The author is just 16 so perhaps her writing will improve as she matures. This book would also benefit from some serious editing!
Ms C.

Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins

Ridiculous attempt at a thriller insults the YA audience...,

I have to ask the other reviewers who rated this book so highly -- what were YOU reading? It can't have been this superficially sketched attempt at a thriller that I just put down? There was no suspense. The heroine, Shaley (?) annoyed me as did the name of the band: Rayne. And the attempt at a Christian theme? Preposterous.

The story was bare bones and totally predictable -- it defied credulity and really annoyed me. The daughter of the 30s something "rock star" was supposedly some femme fatale that all these older men (pedophiles?) were in love with? Who were "always watching" over her? Come on! There were so many irritating parts in this book! I don't for one minute think that the authors have any idea what being in a popular rock band is like nor the way that a 16-year-old girl on tour with her mom would be acting. From the shopping spree to watching a suspect interrogation at the police station? And the body count -- ugh! And her loss of appetite for days? I am not even in the least impressed and, now that I think of all this, I ask, "Who would pay $10.00 for such a skimpy book?"

But, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe some teens out there would find this scintillating stuff? I'd like to hear from them. I flat out was not impressed with this book. I am going to put it to the test of teens I know and if they like it, believe me, I will post an update. I won't be looking for the second in this series.

Too scathing? Sorry -- this was a waste of my time. Fortunately it was really short so my torture wasn't long-lived. Skip it.

Ms C

Johanna Kelly's Book Review

Right Behind You
Gail Giles
4.5 stars

Isn't it amazing how one's life can change based on one impulsive choice? One choice that was made because of jealousy and pain. One choice changed Kip McFarland's life forever. Kip McFarland murdered a seven year old boy when he was only nine.

Right Behind You is a strong emotional story about guilt and pain. The story is different from most young adult books that I've read because its told from the point of view of the 'criminal' rather than the victimized. Its a great page turner!

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

I loved this!, September 17, 2009

OK, I confess, this was only the second or third graphic book that I've read. And the first and only memoir. It really was amazing how David Small used the art to convey the helplessness, anger, angst, and pain felt by a young boy who really didn't understand the life he was living or the condition he had. At age 14, a large "cyst" and a vocal cord were removed that left him basically mute and sent him on a dangerous trajectory in his young adult years. His parents were borderline fruitcakes and I'll let you discover why so as not to spoil it for you.
Thank heavens he had his artistic talents to give him some way to communicate.
I love David! This was a lovely story and I am so happy that the author was able to tell it. Very fast read.

High interest and drags in even the most reluctant reader.

Mrs. C.

Fantastic YA Fiction -- this is an example of the best!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins -- sequel to The Hunger Games

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this one now and reserve the next!,

This book is YA at its best. Rarely do I wait with this much anticipation for a sequel. After reading Hunger Games - one of the most circulated books in our school library -- I couldn't imagine that Suzanne Collins could duplicate that success with the second volume in the series. I was so wrong! This book was fantastic, and before you read the rest of this, go ahead and place your order for the book!

I really wasn't sure where the author would go with this second book in a planned trilogy. Where The Hunger Games left off, I thought we'd be back in District 12 planning a wedding or something. I didn't expect what transpired. So as to avoid spoilers, I can't say much more than that this novel is action packed, emotionally constructed, and brilliantly written. Suzanne Collins is a superb writer. The scenes are vividly described, the characters are the type that you want to take home, hug, and raise as family. I love Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the entire cast and crew of this world of Panem.

Hey out there -- this would make the best movie! I was glued to the pages and raced to the end of this novel -- sad when it ended on a cliffhanger because I don't know if I can bear to wait for the next volume in this saga.

I had preordered this novel for our high school library and bought copies for my nieces and nephews. Honestly -- this is futuristic fantasy at its best. Don't miss out...and yes, you must read the prior novel in the series before you read this one to get the full impact from it and the pleasure.

READ IT NOW!

The Amanda Project: Invisible 1 by Stella Lennon and Melissa Kantor

The start of a new series?

This is obviously the start to a new series and I would say that, given the content and the ages of the teens, this book might appeal to your average female middle school student. I believe that high school students might find it a bit too juvenile. Definitely doesn't contain any inappropriate content and isn't edgy in any way.

The mystery: where is Amanda? In fact -- WHO is Amanda? Seems that these three new high school freshmen have each met a different "Amanda" and now she has disappeared. None of them knew that she was friends with the other. As they talk, they discover that she was either concealing certain facts or was not being very truthful about where she lived, her family situation, and her background. When the three classmates, who are not friends, are called to the vice-principal's office, they are drawn into the situation by clues and hints that seem to appear out of nowhere. Is Amanda watching them try to find her? Why has she vanished and what does she want? Callista, Nia, and Hal find themselves trying to trace Amanda's activities and seek to discover what she wants from them. Along the way, they begin to discover that Amanda is drawing them together and they are beginning to figure out who they are as they piece the details together.

Some of this novel defies credulity given the ages of the teens. Their freedom to come and go seems a bit extreme and some of their escapades are a bit unbelievable, all things considered. There is more to the story besides the mystery of the missing Amanda as the author sets the stage for at least one upcoming sequel.

If you like your teen novels to have a clear purpose and a satisfactory ending, this book might not be the one for you. By the time I got to the end of the book, I really didn't care much about Amanda.

Ms C.

Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton

Teens looking for a quick, superficial read should NOT pick up this book.

Although it is short, only 131 sparse pages of free verse, the depth and range of emotion expressed by the main character is heartrending and poignant. The theme of the book is about being caged -- by dreams, by choices, and by circumstance.

I actually read through this book several times -- it doesn't take long as there is really not much on the pages. It's only when I stopped to think about it that I started having questions.

Our unnamed narrator tells the story of the day he came home to find his mother swinging from the chandelier, broken glass all around. Nearly dead, she is rushed to the hospital where she lies day after day on life support. Meanwhile, the young man tries to go to school and continue on with his life though he feels trapped by his mother' s suicide attempt and his father's inability to deal with the situation. He starts to question whether turning off the machines that keep her heart pumping is really murder, and he analyzes how he missed the important clues and ignored the needs she had even as he mourns her loss. For a moment I wondered if there was the best friend Jack mentioned in the novel -- or was Jack really our narrator -- used to convey behaviors and thoughts that our narrator was too frightened or embarrassed or ashamed to admit to.

The tale left a lot more questions than it answered. Resolution was not simple. The reader is left wondering, "what would I do?"

Ms C.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

A bit of a new twist on werewolf lore, August 30, 2009

I confess, I read the reviews on this book before I started reading it so I was perhaps expecting it to be a bit "more" of everything because of the high ratings it was given. My analysis after finishing: the story was a predictable and contrived, somewhat interesting but finally merely banal. I thought it was a little better than OK and I would recommend it to any teen girl who likes reading werewolf stories or sweet, paranormal romance. The tale involves a girl named Grace who falls in love with a werewolf named Sam. They can't be together while he is animal, but for a time they share human love during the waning days of summer and throughout some of autumn in Minnesota. Supposedly it is cold weather and climate changes that make the wolves turn from animal to human and vice versa.

That said, my main problem with the plot is that so many questions are left unanswered and left dangling at the end of the book. We are also given a trite explanation for Grace's continued human existence despite the fact that she was bitten by a wolf. The characters -- mostly wolves -- are stereotypical good guys and bad guys. Not much depth of character development there. Except of course for Sam who is the lovesick wolf, the "best" of the pack.

Now I must say that the part that bugged me most about the book, however, was the complete absence of adults in the lives of almost all of the teens in this novel. I realize that there are parents who are self absorbed, but I think the author of this tale got a little carried away and made them completely worthy of a visit by the local child protective services. Not only were they physically not present in their homes much, but they didn't interact with their children nor were they consulted when events transpired that might have necessitated a legal guardian being available. It just didn't ring true but then again, this wasn't probably meant to be realistic fiction -- more like fantasy!

Although not my cup of tea, I think the intended audience -- teen-aged girls -- will probably like this book a lot. The chasteness of the relationship between Grace and Sam, the longing and angst over their too short period of togetherness, will appeal to those who like that tension and who hope for a happy ending with true love conquering all.

Ms C.

Do you have a free hour? Need an elective?

Sign up for LIBRARY SCIENCE!

This course is designed to acquaint students with the organization and operational procedures involved in running a school library. Students gain skills in use and maintenance of the online library catalog, including data entry, check in and out, and materials management. Daily activities include assisting other students with research, book location and copy needs. Experience is given in shelving and processing books, displaying periodicals, fine collection, reference clipping, vertical files maintenance, and book repair. In addition, students learn how to use standard online research data bases and how to acquire materials through outside library systems. Assignments include reading a wide variety of young adult and other literature, writing reviews, and posting on the Celtic Librarian web page blog. Students also attend the OHS Book Club meetings and will facilitate at least one of the book discussions. Students contemplating taking this class should be highly motivated, very organized, love to read and talk about books, and be eager to learn more about research methods and the internet.

Contact Ms Crawford for further information.

To tell the truth...

The challenge: Micah wants to tell you the truth. She really does. Problem is, she's a self confessed liar. She lies about everything -- big things and small things. Deliberate wild lies -- like the time she told her classmates she was an hermaphrodite -- or when she pretended for two days that she was really a boy. She tells little white lies and and then admits to lies of omission. So what's the reader to think?

This is a wild story with an evolving narrative that is half revelation, half concealment. Is Micah to be trusted as she tells us what happened to her 'after hours boyfriend' Zach? Can we believe her when she describes her childhood and the strange events that shape her life and make her into what she is? Are we sure that things happened as she says they did? What of her parents? her friends? her favorite teacher?

I think teens will really enjoy this very fast-paced novel with some surprises and some "gotcha" moments along the way. Can't say much more without revealing a spoiler or two. Let's just say, the questions mount and some of the answers may perplex you.

Mature themes and content.

Ms C.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

"On July 16 and 17, 1942, 13,152 Jews were arrested in Paris and the suburbs, deported and assassinated at Auschwitz.” Those Jews were drug from their homes in France by FRENCH police following orders given by the Nazis. On the day that she was rounded up by French police, 10 year old Sarah Starzynski had locked her little 4 year old brother Michel in a cabinet telling him that she would be back to let him out when the police let them come back home. The families of men, women and children (most between the ages of 2-12 and most BORN in France) were not allowed to return to their homes; instead they were taken to the Voledrome d’Hiver and sequestered there in abominable conditions. They were separated by sex, husbands taken from wives and even worse -- mothers were torn from their children. These confused, hungry and mistreated citizens were loaded on cattle trains and taken in convoys to the camps.

This fictionalized account of the roundup and of the relationship of two families connected through an apartment on Rue de Saintonge in Paris is haunting and memorable.

The novel shifts from past to present with chapter changes, moving between scenes of Sarah as she is imprisoned in Vel D’hiv to American born, now French citizen and journalist, Julia Jarmond Tezac who is assigned the story when that tragedy is to be memorialized on the 60^th commemoration of the Vel’ d’Hiv’. Julia soon discovers that the French are largely ignorant of this deplorable event and their embarrassment at knowing that this was done keeps them from remembering those lost families – and in fact, many French families simply took over the homes and possessions of the former Jewish occupants. Sarah’s story affects Julia in ways she never imagined and completely alters her views of herself and her life. Julia becomes consumed with knowing what happened to Sarah and her family and begins a mission of discovery. What she learns provides a lesson and an admonishment for us all: Zakhor. Al Tichkah. (Remember. Never forget.)

Highly recommended - read with [[ASIN:0156031663 Those Who Save Us]] by Jenna Blum and [[ASIN:0307394964 Skeletons at the Feast: A Novel]] by Chris Bohjalian -- two other incredible novels that provide additional insight into how the horror of the Holocaust affected all of Europe in those very dark days of World War II.

Ms C