Jane Eyre ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."

 

"Primarily of the Bildungsroman genre, Jane Eyre follows the emotions and experiences of its eponymous heroine, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Mr. Rochester, the Byronic master of fictitious Thornfield Hall. In its internalization of the action - the focus is on the gradual unfolding of Jane's moral and spiritual sensibility, and all the events are colored by a heightened intensity that was previously the domain of poetry - Jane Eyre revolutionized the art of fiction. Charlotte Bronte has been called the 'first historian of the private consciousness' and the literary ancestor of writers like Joyce and Proust. The novel contains elements of social criticism, with a strong sense of morality at its core." I LOVED this novel. Jane Eyre is a respectable, yet fiery young woman that I wish I could be. It begins with a scary and well written childhood, and within a few chapters I could not put the book down. I have read classics that I have been so disappointed in, but this novel is truly worthy of the title "classic". The love story is so pure, and well worth waiting for. Mr. Rochester seems so unlikable at first, but you just can't help falling in love with him as the novel goes on. I was not crazy about St. John, but his purpose was necessary to give you a good scare. This novel gives great insight to the condition of living as a woman during this time period. Thank goodness that things have changed. I would have been very "strung up" if Reverend Brocklehurst had spoke to me the way he spoke to Jane. After I finished the novel, I wanted more even though the ending was perfect and filling. Beautifully written characters and Charlotte Bronte's style of writing is fantastic.  I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

And The Trees Crept In ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"Most people will tell you that he doesn't exist. Might be a bad feeling, or a trick of the light. Most people will say that he's a scary bedtime story to terrify the little children. They say that he is an urban legend or folktale, or a shadow on the wall."







After the creepy thrill ride that was "Dead House", I knew I had to read Dawn Kurtagich's second horror adventure. "And The Trees Crept In" is a sinister tale that makes your spine shiver and sparks chills that linger after the novel is finished. It is a strange, poetic, unsettling novel. So this will be a strange, poetic, and unsettling review.

It is a chilling English nursery rhyme, a folk story of three sisters and the horror they wrote about. It is also a manor house ghost story, the tale of two sisters escaping their abusive past only to find something much darker haunting their footsteps. It is also a psychological thriller, the story of a girl and her aunt battling a madness that twists the boundaries between delusion and reality, leaving them -- and me-- uncertain about the truth.

Stilla and Nori are memorable characters who caught my heart quickly. Stilla is the older sister, the protector, haunted by memories of her abusive father and strange mother they left behind. Nori is the baby of the family, mute but able to use sign language, vibrant and lively, the only light in the house hidden by the shadows. Aunt Cathy is well but beholden to the nightmares in her head, and Gowan, the strange outsider boy, offers love but also more secrets.

These four souls are trapped in a blood-red manor surrounded by an encroaching forest. The plot is told in narration, flashbacks, rhymes, and Silla's diary (yes, more diary entries). The breaks and fragments have the effect of setting you off balance, preventing you from seeing a clear sense of time and place. Dawn's writing is raw, mixed with grotesque imagery.

This novel is a lot shorter than it seems, so I think there is room for expansion.

In the end, it will knock you over, drag you around, and tease you. If you are looking for a horror book this Halloween season, then welcome to the "blood-manor".

I give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars.


 

October Book Club

Some juicy scandal for our second book club meeting of the school year! ~Elizabeth Barnes
Meeting Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 7:45am in the LIBRARY!
Discussion questions will be coming soon!
From Goodreads:



"At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices -- those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal -- that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in Testimony a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions." 

Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

"The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men."

Few cases were more aptly named than Loving vs. Virginia, which pitted an interracial couple - seventeen year old Mildred Jeter, who was black, and her childhood sweetheart, a 23 year old white construction worker, Richard Loving against Virginia's laws banning marriage between blacks and whites. After marrying in Washington D.C. and returning to their home state in 1958, the couple was charged with unlawful cohabitation and jailed. According to the judge in the case, Leon M. Brazile, "Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents... The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix." Judge Bazile sentenced the Lovings to a year in prison, to be suspended if the couple agreed to leave the state for the next 25 years.

The Lovings left Virginia and went to live with relatives in Washington D.C. When they returned to visit family five years later, they were arrested for traveling together. Inspired by the civil rights movement, Mildred Loving wrote to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy for help. The couple was referred to the ACLU, which represented them in the landmark Supreme Court case, Loving vs. Virginia (1967). The court ruled that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional.

This Documentary Novel was written beautifully. I am not a huge reader or a huge fan of documentary novels, but this novel was the best I have read in a long time. It made me understand the Loving vs. Virginia case and made me feel sympathy for the people who were involved. It also shed light on Civil Rights in the late 1960's. Poetic, and very illustrated with courage and hope.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the copy.

BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

Please answer the questions in the comments below. Please indicate which question you are answering in each of your comments. These questions were submitted by Elizabeth Barnes, Library Assistant.

1. What intrigued you the most about the cover of “The Dead House”? Did it give you a feeling of how the book would play out? 

 

2. Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more personality states. Which girl in your opinion is more real? Carly or Kaitlyn? Explain why. 

 

3. “Black Magic” is referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes. Why would Carly want to practice black magic to get rid of Kaitlyn? 

 

4. What are your thoughts about the communication between Carly and Kaitlyn in the diary, and how they would leave notes for each other, real or fake? 

 

 5. How did you feel about the format of “The Dead House?” Did you enjoy how it was set up in diary form? Including police reports, interviews, and psychiatric reports? Explain. 

 

6. What do you think really happened to Juliet after Nadia’s Halloween party? Did Kaitlyn kill her? 

 

7. What surprised you most about Kaitlyn's love interest, Ari? What surprised you about her “long lost brother” The Viking? 

 

8. What do you believe is so symbolic about “the dead girl” that Kaitlyn kept on seeing throughout the novel? 

 

9. The novel leads up to an incident of the entire school catching fire. Do you believe Kaitlyn set this fire on accident? Or was it an intentional suicide/self-immolation? 

 

10. This novel had many different characters and side characters. Who was your favorite character? Who was your least favorite character? Explain why.

September Book Club

A little horror to start the season off right!
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 28 at 8 am in the Library
Discussion questions coming soon.
From Goodreads:

Three students: dead.
Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, "the girl of nowhere."

Kaitlyn's diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn't exist, and in a way, she doesn't - because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It's during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary - and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.

Olivia Decoded (#2) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

 

 

 

 

"This isn't my Jack, who once looked at me like I was his world. The guy who's occupied the better part of my mind for eight months. This is Z, criminal hacker with a twisted agenda and an arsenal full of anger."

 

Olivia has spent the past year trying to get her life back on track. New school. New Friends. And a brand new attitude. If Olivia cannot break through "Z" and reach old Jack, someone is going to end up getting hurt.... or worse, killed.

 

The good girl meets bad boy is not anything new, however, the way things play out and the many things Olivia gets drawn into are certainly not like anything else I have ever read in any book.

 

Olivia was a lovely heroine. She hasn't had the best life, from her drug addict mother, to her hopping from foster home to foster home. But, she was still a genuinely good person. She had values that she couldn't compromise, which I think made her an admirable character.

 

Z, on the other hand was complicated. He delights in his criminal activities, seeing absolutely nothing wrong with them. To his perspective, it's basically like taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Also, he's manipulated people into the web, then left them to fend for themselves. But, I don't think he was a bad person. At least, not until he met Olivia. She reminded him of a sense of goodness. She made him rethink his life and see it from a different perspective.

 

When I initially requested "Olivia Decoded," I did not realize that it was the second book in the series. I believe that if I had read the first book, I may have enjoyed this book much more. If you have not started the series yet, then make sure you start at the beginning! 

 

Vivi Barnes has a great writing technique, and the characters are interesting. The overall storyline is very well put together. It is a wild ride of hackers, stalkers, secret identities, and romance.

 

Special thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the copy of "Olivia Decoded" by Vivi Barnes.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 

 



 



Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family, #1) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

 

"Looking for Narnia? You're in the wrong universe." 

 The three Beauchamp women - Joanna and her daughters, Freya and Ingrid - live in North Hampton, on the tip of Long Island. All three are keeping a centuries old secret: They are all three powerful witches forbidden to practice any kind of magic. Right before Freya's wedding to a wealthy bachelor, Ben Gardiner, a very mysterious and attractive man arrives in town and makes Freya question herself and everything else. When a young woman ends up dead, it becomes clear to them that it's their time to bring out their wands and battle between good and evil. 

The Beauchamps are our modern day witches who "survived" the Salem witch trials, just to unfortunately have their family ripped apart and sentenced to a half life. They were shut out of the "other world" and forced to live as humans do day to day, without the use of magic. Strange and even stranger things start happening in their sleepy town. People are becoming sick, animals are dying, as are a few ofthe local regulars. Joanna, Freya, and Ingrid had to come out of hiding and break a few rules to solve the mysterious events, and possibly end up changing the world of magic. 

Joanna, is the mother and healer. 

Ingrid, is the oldest daughter and charmer. 

Freya, is the youngest daughter and the lover. 

I have read many paranormal books, most of which I have enjoyed. Witches of East End was exactly what I expected it to be. Filled with drama, romance, and suspense. I was very excited to read something a bit different, vampires are not usually my thing. I very much enjoyed the dynamics of each of the characters. I loved how the book devoted time to each character in every chapter so I could get to know them on the same level. This is the first book in the series, and I could tell that Melissa de la Cruz was laying out  a foundation for more books in the future. It was a journey getting pulled into the world of a witch. 

Cruz's writing was very detailed and clenching. She did a remarkable job of bringing the town of North Hampton alive throughout the pages. 

The ending? A cliffhanger. But, it will keep the reader excited and full of suspense to know what the witches will be up to next. 

Special thanks to the Archbishop O'Hara High School Library, for letting me check out the first book and review of the school year. 

I give Witches of East End: 3 out of 5 stars. 

All The Bright Places ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

  

 

"The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count."

             The Fault in Our Stars meet Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart - wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die. Theodore Finch  is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of way to kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey  lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows Finch's begins to shrink. This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forema, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven. 

This is the sort of book that kind of sneaks up on you. You're not sure what kind of book it is at first. It seems intense and gritty and even a tad confusing. You notice right away that the characters are definitely messed up with deep rooted issues they need to work on. Then there is romance and profound conversations and soul searching and what seems to be light at the end of this dark, dreary tunnel. Then, BAM. 

It takes awhile until reality crashes down - almost at the end of the book, but it basically changes the whole meaning of the book. At least it did for me. One thing this book does is open your eyes to the realities of living with a mental disorder. A label. A thing that you can't see or control, but it defines you - if you let it. You're never quite sure what's wrong with Finch but you know there's something, and its unstable. He's had a rough childhood, raised by an abusive father and a mother who seems to not really question his bizzare behaviors. It is incredibly sad. Heartbreaking and eye opening. He is so messed up, and no one cares enough to even realize this is bigger than the simple teenage behavior. 

Despite his issues, Finch can be so spontaneous and fun, he sees the good in things, makes life into an adventure. He's definitely a compelling character; intelligent and blunt. His strangeness made me like him even more. He doesn't know who he is so he tries all kinds of styles, from 80's Finch to smart Finch. He doesn't let the side glances and rumors get to him all that much, he takes everyday in stride and that made me respect him. Though I assure you he doesn't take any crap either. He can take care of his own, even if he goes a bit on the extreme at times. Violet is also a very well developed character, but I didn't find her quite as interesting as Finch. I also had a hard time distinguishing her voice from his during POV switches. I had to keep reminding myself which perspective we were reading. I also found it very odd that she was the only one in her family who seemed to be affected by grief. Yes she lost a sister, but her parents last a child mere months ago and you would never have known. For how caring and involved they were it felt unrealistic to me. That's the only part that I would raise an eyebrow at, however. The rest of the Novel is written with such raw power, such realism, that you can truly insert yourself in these character's lives and feel what it feels like to be so... broken.

All The Bright Places made me think, and it made me cry and it made me realize that although everyone feels alone at some point in their lives, we really aren't. Theodore Finch may be a fictional character, but his mental illness and the way he struggles every day just to get out of bed are incredibly real. Even now, there's a huge stigma in mental illness: if you can't see it, then you are not paying enough attention to the world around you. Even now, every forty seconds someone commits suicide because of mental illness or because they felt like they had no other choice. 

This book might leave you a little emotionally drained but, it is the realest story I have read in a long time. 

I rate this book with 4.5 out of 5 stars rating.  

 

We All Looked Up ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

           

"Those who have much to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous."

         Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels: The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever. But then we all looked up and everything changed. They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end. Two months to really live.

                       We All Looked Up is a book about the world coming to terms with the world. 

I went into this book with high expectations. I've seen a lot of great reviews about how this book and how it breaks down barriers in high school. But, really I just thought it put some barriers up.

The book was pretty good I must say, with varied characters, well-fleshed-out issues, and an interesting setup. The ending didn't set properly with me I must say, but maybe it is just me. It definitely seems like a personal preference. Please don't take my rating to heart. 

The book introduces us to four high school students: Peter; the most popular guy in school who is an athlete and dating the most popular girl. Anita; the perfect A - grade student with strict parents who are forcing her into an Ivy League education. Eliza; the girl with a bad reputation. Andy; the slacker. Wallach does a great job of hopping from one POV to the next. It never feels stilted. It's also interesting how intertwined yet different all their lives are.

 As the book progresses we begin to see other sides of these characters and learn that their lives aren't so simple after all. They aren't high school cliches and actually have a lot more depth to them. Eliza is a talented photographer and has a bad reputation as a coping mechanism thanks to her mother abandoning her and her father on the brink of death. Anita is a talented singer who has been forbidden to sing by her parents and she is desperate to escape from their controlling clutches. Peter is bored with life and wants something more; something different. He is a Christian and loves to help out with charity. Andy is dealing with parents who aren't around much and a crappy best friend and is also a really talented musician/songwriter.

The best part of this book, by far, is the layers to these characters. I really connected with each and everyone of them. They aren't perfect, they all have flaws, but that only makes them more real and more relate able. 

The ending was too open for me, I did not like how it left the door open for you to continue thinking about what you would do in a similar situation. I wanted to experience a more of a closure feeling for the characters.

We All Looked Up, is extremely thought provoking that makes you really consider what is important and what matters. 

I give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.