Jo Burdett's Book Review...

A Kiss in Time By Alex Flinn

** Stars

A Kiss in Time is a retelling of the sleeping beauty story. Beautiful, Charming, Intelligent, and anything but modest Princess Talia is cursed by the evil witch Malvolia into touching a spindle on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. As the original story goes, instead of dying, the princess and her kingdom fall into a deep slumber, and a huge hedge grows around the kingdom, shielding it from the world. Three Hundred years pass as the kingdom sleeps. The point of view for the story changes to Jack O’Neill. Jack is on a tour of Europe, not enjoying himself very much. He has the attitude of a normal teenager, and thinks his parents sent him away so they can figure out what they want to do with him. When the reader meets jack, he’s coaxing his friend out of bed, and getting ready to dump the tour for the day, and go off adventuring. After a fight with the French doorman about how to get to the nearby beach, and getting the wrong directions, Jack and his friend Travis end up infront of a large hedge, the hedge that surrounds The Lost Kingdom of Euphrasia. The duo find Princess Talia asleep, and Jack wakes her up with a kiss.
The kiss is when all the trouble starts. Jack is thrown into the dungeon, Talia is blamed for the downfall of her fathers country, and Talia rescues Jack from the dungeons to ask that they run away together. Jack sells some of Talia jewels for Airfare, and the two fly home to America. The story plot moves quickly, but its thin. In some points, the author, Alex Flinn stretches the story of Sleeping Beauty too far. Talia faints and is visited by the evil Malvolia several times, almost to a point of redundancy. (And the fact that Jack thinks Talia is going crazy because he can’t see malvolia) Eventually, Talia returns to Euphrasia when her father appears at a newstation saying that the Princess of Euphrasia has gone missing. Upon Talia and Jacks return, Malvolia causes Talia to fall asleep again, and tests Jack with nightmares of his dad disapproval Jacks dream to be a landscaper. The Book ends happily, but leaves some things lacking.
Flinn tried to cram so many little details and things into the story, that it may have been better if she had made a sequel to this book. It may have worked better, and Flinn would have been able to add more to the plot, and make the plot move a little smoother. Talia’s whining and insisting that she is gorgeous and intelligent and completely modest is annoying, and tiring. Jack inability to care, and mild stupidity is equally annoying. I would recommend this book to someone who like retelling of classic fairytales, but for me, the fairytales are classic for a reason, and maybe the plots shouldn’t be messed with. For me, this book was not a winner, and I don’t think I’ll be reading any more retellings of Fairytales.

Review by Ana Stock

Swimming by Nicola Keegan
«««« (4/5 stars)

Swimming by Nicola Keegan captures the therapeutic attributes of competitive swimming. It is a great read for teen girls, which focuses a great deal on coping with family drama.


Philomena Ash, also known as Pip or Mena, was an Olympic hopeful since her father, Leonard, plunked her in the pool during her first aqua babies class. Growing up in Glenwood, Kansas Pip attended a Catholic school run by nuns. She had three sisters Roxanne, the drug addict, Bron who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and Dot, who Pip was concerned would become a nun. Roxanne’s drug addiction was no secret among the Ash family and Bron, whom Pip shared a room with, seemed to become stranger by the day. When real tragedy struck, Pip’s mother became a vegetable; she lived in her room under the care of their loving neighbor, June. June seemed to be the only thing holding the Ash family together. While the house full of women mourned, Leonard was flying his plane as his method of coping with the crazy family situation. When the family drama finally spiraled out of hand Pip found herself no longer enjoying her competitive swimming hobby and her swimming career seemed to be on the outs, until she decided that laying in bed eating junk food was no way of life. Pip began swimming for her competitive Dolpins team once again, only this time with greater force. She was approached by the Stanford coach with an offer to train with Olympic hopefuls in Colorado. Pip suddenly found herself being so strictly disciplined that she forgot about her family drama.

Keegan did a great job portraying the life of a swimmer and seemingly had an understanding of the therapeutic qualities of rigorous swimming. Pip became a young Olympian and continued her swimming career, until at the young age of 28 her body decided it was time to retire. Pip’s family was not supportive of her throughout her career, and the family seemingly crumbled apart, before Pip had time to soak it in.

Through Keegan’s loose style she captured the mindset of a young girl trying to block out all of her family drama through dedication to swimming. I would definitely recommend Swimming to teen girls, especially swimmers, because it is motivational. It is a book of steps to success which proves that everyone deals with bumps along the way, but you can not devote your time to finding all of the bad, instead devote that energy into finding what makes you happy.

What happens to Roxanne? What about Dot, did she become a nun? Did Pip’s mother ever shake her comatose state? Find out all of this and more by picking up a copy of Swimming by Nicola Keegan, I promise that you will not be disappointed!

Review by Ana Stock

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Fall in love with Ben...his last year, January 16, 2010

I think young adults and teens will enjoy this book about 18-year-old Ben's last year. During a routine sports physical, Ben finds out that he has a terminal illness and that, with or without aggressive medical intervention, he has about a year left to live. It's his senior year in high school and he decides not to tell anyone about the diagnosis and to forgo treatment. He has a few goals in mind, primarily to play football with his beloved brother and to get a date with his crush, the gorgeous volleyball player Dallas Suzuki.

Things don't go quite as he planned, but he does manage to cram a lot of life into the few months he has. The main part of the book centers on his interactions with his family, Dallas Suzuki, his friends, team members and other residents of the small town where he lives. Definitely the author crams a lot of discussion worthy themes into this novel including such topics as sexual molestation, abuse, racism, mental illness, and teen pregnancy. Ben's actual disease is never really identified nor is it the central subject of the book. The main premise of the book seems to be about relationships and not keeping secrets. There's a lot of semi-religious overtone, and at times, the discussion about Malcolm X seems to go on for far too long as do the descriptions of the football games and the American History classes.

All in all, a very enjoyable read. Recommend.

Johanna Kelly's Book Review

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrns

By Chris Crutcher

*****stars

Eric Calhoune has no friends. He is an outcast due to his large size. Then, in junior high he meets Sarah Byrns. Sarah Byrns’s name is synonymous with her condition. She has full body burns due to a mysterious accident that happened when she was three years old. They have each other to cope with bullying; they also fight back with a newspaper, Crispy Pork Rinds, which spreads outrageous rumors about the terrible people in their lives.
A few years go by, and Eric is a senior in high school. Sarah Byrns would be, but she fell into a catatonic state that has lasted over a year. Eric visits Sarah at the psychiatric hospital and talks to her, as if she is listening and talking back.
Eric joined the swim team, and started losing weight. He feels better, makes friends, and has confidence. However, he gorges himself so he can keep his weight high. He needs to stay “ugly” so he and Sarah Byrns can stay outcasts and relate to each other. He stays fat for her, even in her catatonic state. This explains the title.
This book is so multi layered; Chris Crutcher has made an impact on me once again with this fantastic book. Many issues are dealt with, including psychiatric problems, human rights, bullying, child abuse, alcoholism, premarital sex, religion, and many more. Crutcher doesn’t push beliefs on you; he makes you think about all the perspectives on issues, and helps you to better form your beliefs. This book is seventeen years old. However, I felt like I was there; the time difference doesn’t matter. If I could give Staying Fat For Sarah Byrns more than five stars, I would. If you are interested in this type of story, go read Deadline; it’s our book club book for this month!

Johanna Kelly's Book Review

Hold Still
By Nina LaCour
*** stars

Your best friend committed suicide the week before final exams. You don’t take your finals. You can only think about her throughout the summer. You wonder what you could have done to stop her. You know you can’t bring her back. Life has to go on.
This happened to a girl, Caitlin. Her life was perfect; she lived in a suburb of San Francisco, in a big beautiful house. She is very close to her best friend, Ingrid. They did everything together, and they shared the same passion—photography. However, Ingrid fell into a depression that tore her apart. Now, Caitlin has to live on with a big hole in her heart.
I gave this book three stars because it was an interesting read, however, pieces were missing. Honestly, it seemed a little too perfect. Quickly into the book, Caitlin makes new friends, goes to school, and succeeds in most classes. Of course, she keeps thinking about Ingrid, but it doesn’t tear her apart as it would me and most teens, in my opinion.
I would suggest this book to a person who doesn’t want a book with a happy, superficial plot, but who doesn’t want to think too deeply about depressing subjects. This book did not make me think too much afterwards, which I like books to do.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Grim and haunting, January 10, 2010

I rate books on how much of an impact they have on me and whether or not I will think about or want to discuss the contents after I've read the last page and closed the cover. The Road is a post apocalyptic novel that will stay with me a very long time. The bleakness of the journey that this unnamed father and son embark on is quickly evident -- they are going south but have no real plan and no endpoint or destination in mind. They traverse an unrelenting and very bleak landscape of ash and burnt out flora, fauna and civilization -- devoid of any life except for the occasional creature that bears little resemblance to what was once humankind. The man and the boy stick to the endless blacktop, the road -- the only somewhat permanent residual marker in a very changed world. They walk by day, pushing a metal grocery cart full of their meager possessions, avoiding the marauding bands of cannibals and even the lone survivors as trust is not a trait they can afford to have when it is survival of the fittest at stake.

Though the story is very grim, the love and protectiveness that the father has for his son is the only light in this otherwise very depressing narrative. They are all unto each other -- there is no one else and nothing else. Memories that the man has are soon discarded as his reality is faced with plugged determination -- a search for food, water, warmth -- merely to survive another day.

I'm eager to see the movie based on this book and hope it's a faithful adaptation. This is definitely a novel that I will think about time and again as it haunts me with its stark portrayal of whatever comes after "the end of the world as we knew it."
I gave this 5 stars, not because it was a pleasant story, but because of the impact it had on my psyche and my senses as I read it.
I can't really say I LOVED this book, but I did live it.
Recommend.

Attention Book Club!!

Exciting news -- we've been invited to go to hear author Chris Crutcher in February in North Kansas City -- we'll be doing a field trip!

In honor of this occasion, we're going to read Deadline - one of his most recent novels -- for our book club read this month. I have 20 copies ordered and on the way! Thanks to Johanna Kelly for her recommendation of this book. First come, first served and first on the bus!

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia, 18-year-old Ben Wolf elects to forgo treatment and keep his illness secret from his family and friends in an attempt to have a "normal" senior year at his small Idaho high school. Free from long-term consequences, he connects with his crush, frustrates his biased U.S. Government teacher, and tries out for football. However, Ben's illness slowly exacts its toll on him, and he begins to realize the consequences of keeping his condition hidden. Crutcher brings his signature blend of sports action and human emotion to this powerful novel. Emotionally spare but deeply touching, the relationship between Ben and his brother will resonate with many readers, while others may find the several strong father figures comforting. Secondary characters add humor and balance, though the government teacher's voice occasionally veers too far toward that of a right-wing pundit. Rudy McCoy, a former priest and child molester, evokes both compassion and revulsion through his confession of guilt and struggle to avoid hurting another child; reflecting Ben's secret-keeping behavior, McCoy serves as a foil for the destructive impact secrets can have. Some discussion of sexual molestation and child abuse is present in the text, but is not graphic or overwhelming in its depiction. Crutcher uses dark humor and self-deprecation effectively to avoid maudlin situations, and teens will appreciate the respectful tone of the work.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Stunning and wonderful..., January 3, 2010

Wow. My first read of 2010 is a winner! This YA novel is a jewel, a treasure of a book that will resonate with females from 5 to 50. Yes, it's ostensibly the story of a teenaged girl with a port wine stain on her face, but it's so much deeper than that. The reader follows Terra on a journey of self-discovery that includes revelations about the nature and meaning of true beauty.

It's somewhat the story of a dysfunctional family with an abusive father, yes -- but also about a mother who's a compulsive eater, distant brothers, an inattentive boyfriend, a self-absorbed best girlfriend, and a self-loathing main character who spends her free time making up her face and creating collages in a local art studio. It's also about meeting that one special someone who "gets you".

Terra meets Jacob after almost running him down outside of a coffeehouse. Thus begins the transformation of a lonely, controlled but ambitious girl into "iron goddess". Using map-making terminology throughout, North of Beautiful is an amazingly complex novel loaded with many interesting details. Terra, Jacob and their mothers embark on a trip to China that exceeds all expectations and transforms each of the travelers into the person he/she was ultimately meant to be. Just as Terra builds her collages, layer upon layer, the experiences each has in that country reveal the hidden beauty that every person carries inside.

I loved this book. Stop reading this review right now and order it. Read it and love it as I did. Pass it on to everyone you know!