Keeping Up with John Green

Although I came to John Green's writing too late and too old to be a 'nerdfighter', I fell in love with The Fault in Our Stars (and John Green) like any of his young army of fans. In fact, so did our entire book group to varying degrees. (You can read my brief review HERE.)

There is an extensive and wonderful article about him in The New Yorker called The Teen Whisperer that you really should read even if you haven't read any of his books at all. If it doesn't entice you to see what all the fuss is about, I'll be surprised.

THE TYRANT'S DAUGHTER (2014)

The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First sentence: My brother is the King of Nowhere.

It wasn't until after I had started reading that I realized this was a young adult title and it turned out to make no difference.

The story: When her father, the King, is killed in a coup, 15 year old Laila is forced to flee her unnamed Middle Eastern country with her mother and young brother.

From privilege to poverty, Laila struggles with the adjustment to living in the Washington, D.C. area.

Political deceit and conspiracy surround the family making the story a compelling read for all ages. Can Laila even trust her mother?

Being able to view our country through Laila's perceptive and questioning eyes is a useful and fascinating exercise, but there is more to the story than this. It provides an understandable introduction to the bleak conditions elsewhere in the world and to people who think differently than we do.

The story is told in first person and constructed in three sections. Each chapter has a one word title to help shape the story as Laila draws us into her world. Many of the observations require further contemplation. For example:

Around the lunch table everyone seems to have given something up-dairy, meat, gluten, sugar, carbs. Only in a land of plenty could people voluntarily go without so much.

Interesting characters, believable situations, and an intelligent narrator will keep you questioning and reading until the end.

An interesting note from the author follows the end of the story as well as a commentary by Dr. Cheryl Benard called Truth in Fiction. There is also a useful recommended reading list for young readers and adults.

As at least one reviewer commented that it may take librarians and teachers to 'sell' this book to its intended audience. The rest of us should encourage everyone we know to read this brave story.

Bottom Line: RECOMMENDED for all ages but especially YA (12 and up).

Title: The Tyrant's Daughter
Author: J.C. Carleson
Genre: YA fiction
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
No. of Pages: 304 pages
ISBN: 0449809978
Copyright: February 11, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: NetGalley

Disclaimer: Invited by NetGalley to request and receive this title for an honest review. This book is not available until February 11, 2014.

J.C. Carleson is a former undercover CIA officer. Her near-decade of covert service took her around the globe, from bomb shelters in war zones to swanky cocktail parties in European capitals. A graduate of Cornell University, she lives outside Washington, DC. Visit her website at www.jccarleson.com. (from Amazon)

45 POUNDS (more or less) by K.A. Barson (2013)

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (July 11, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0670784826
Source: Jackson District Library

K.A. Barson's debut young adult novel 45 Pounds (more or less) is a winner!

Someone wrote in one of the many reviews on Good Reads that although they liked the cover they would have preferred to see more of Ann. Personally I think the cover is perfect. Ann would never have wanted her picture out there for everyone to see. To me it's a great title and a perfect cover.

A few months ago there was an article about Kelly in the local paper. You can read it at MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot. I am always interested in local talent so I decided to check the holdings of the local library. They didn't list her book so I requested it be purchased. This past week I got a notice that it was available for pick-up!

 There is a little bit of language and a wedding between two women, but on the whole the book is very gentle in its approach to a difficult issue.

Catching Up - The Waiting Sky

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading "Donut Days", I decided to read another book by Lara Zielin and I was not disappointed.

Seventeen year old Janey is proud of herself for being able to constantly 'save' her alcoholic Mother and help eke out a miserable life. She resents her older brother, who has escaped and abandoned them.

Then her brother invites Janey to spend the summer chasing tornadoes on the plains. New friends and events help Janey to finally make life changing decisions. RECOMMENDED.

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Catching Up - The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I still haven't recovered from reading THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. It allowed me to know two amazing young people, who found joy in each other under the most difficult of circumstances.

Even after seeing tons of praise for this book, I wasn't inclined to pick it up until it was chosen for book club. How foolish of me!

Hazel Grace has stage IV cancer. A miracle drug, which doesn't actually exist, has kept her alive for several years. When she meets Augustus in Support Group (cancer took his leg), they tentatively begin a relationship.

This may sound like the usual boy meets girl story but the characters are uniquely drawn and the health complications make for an extraordinarily complex story that is very affecting. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

UPDATE: January 24, 2014 PARADE MAGAZINE article.

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Tim Burton to Direct Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Tim Burton to Direct Ransom Riggs Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. You can read what I had to say about it when I read it two years ago by clicking HERE.

Next Up

I have finished Gone Girl, the ultimate beach read of 2012, and need to write my review. In the meantime, I was once again enjoying the phase where I get to choose my next book.

Then I read this review on Carrie K.s blog BOOKS AND MOVIES and a new title - and a Young Adult one at that -  hopped to the top of the list. Check out what Carrie wrote HERE. The book is Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and it sounds like a gem.

An Update on Things I Really Don't Want to Know

Today I was skimming the new AARP (Feb/Mar 2012) Magazine and was struck by how much was interesting to me considering that I'm not THAT old (whatever THAT means). Then I happened on the article on trends called 50 Going on 15 - Why the best new fiction for adults is written for teens.

I have often said that I think YA (Young Adult) Literature is better written and plotted. In general, the shorter the book, the more carefully it has to be crafted. Maybe the increase in readership for teen titles comes, at least in part, from my complaint of the other day. In this literature, explicit sex and overly descriptive violence gives way to the importance of the storytelling . "Sales of books for children, teens, and young adults rose by 12 percent from 2008 through 2010. (Sales of adult fiction, meanwhile, rose only 3.5 percent.)"

Although YA/teen lit will likely deal with problems of that age group and many have a science fiction vibe, this has never lessened my enjoyment. Think: Hunger Games series, for example, a great apocalyptic story.  What have you read?

The Outsiders (1967)

The Outsiders by Christopher Sergel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having never read the book nor seen the movie, I finally got a copy of the play version since our local theatre group, Center Stage Jackson, will be performing it in February 2012. Of course, as a librarian, I'd heard about The Outsiders and S.E. Hinton's incredible personal story for years.(Susan Eloise Hinton wrote this amazing tale at the age of sixteen because she couldn't find things she wanted to read!)

The adaptation is excellent and the play is powerful. Now I understand why this story has meant so much to young people over the years since it was first published in 1967. It also parallels the gang clashes that were portrayed in the musical West Side Story. In The Outsiders the warring groups are the "Greasers" and the "Socs".

"This is a play about young people who are not yet hopeless, about latent decency in the midst of struggle, about not losing touch with the residual slivers of gold within us all."

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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2011)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The physical book is handsome with beautiful end papers and illustrated throughout with vintage photographs, which inspired the story to the author, Ransom Riggs. (You certainly don't want to read this on a Kindle, if in fact you want to read it at all.) The story is a bit contrived and it seems obvious there will be a series. Other reviews reveal a lot of enthusiasm for this story of a teen who learns that his grandfather's fairy tales may actually be real. In his search for answers, terrible things happen.

And I think that is a major problem: on one hand the story is charming and whimsical while on the other, it is dark and extremely violent.

But I loved the following quote at the end of the book:

"I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."

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The Swan Thieves versus 13 Reasons Why

And the winner is 13 Reasons Why. It might not seem like a fair match-up since The Swan Thieves is a very long, obsessive love story that weaves the past and the present together. 13 Reasons Why is a clever format for exploring teenage suicide readable in a day or two.

Neither book was outstanding.

I preferred Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, which gathered together castle ruins, old letters, and vampire lore to create a wonderful, if uneven, read. She used the old letter technique with less success in The Swan Thieves. Often the flashbacks seemed an interruption of the story rather than moving it along. After pages and pages the ending seemed rushed and less than hoped for. I was fascinated by the inclusion of information on how painters work and the historical information about the Impressionists. The author's website is extensive with information and lists of additional resources.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a young adult title that has been around since 2007. The author uses the device of intertwining dialogue: a voice on tape in italics and the reactions in the mind of the listener. The story is accessible (even to reluctant readers) and probably more accurate in its portrayal of teen angst that can lead to suicide than many other attempts to deal with this difficult subject. Another helpful and interesting website is provided as well as a presence on Facebook.

It took me forever to plod through The Swan Thieves. I devoured 13 Reasons Why in two days filled with other activities.

Suzanne Collins Has Her Say

If you aren't sure about Jennifer Lawrence (see below) playing Katniss in the Hunger Games movie, you better read what author Suzanne Collins has to say on the issue HERE.

Hunger Games News

Jennifer Lawrence

Early Word has shared the news that Jennifer Lawrence, nominated for an Oscar for Winter's Bone, has been selected to play Katniss in the Hunger Games. I don't know enough about her to comment. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Read more HERE.

January 2011 Releases That Caught My Fancy

I love discoveries and surprises and all these titles possess those elements.  


On January 4th American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt by Daniel Rasmussen was released bringing to our collective attention  "a stealthily organized uprising of 500 armed slaves dressed in military uniforms marching on and trying to conquer New Orleans" in January 1811. "Most were decapitated and their heads stuck on poles throughout the region as a gruesome warning against future resistance." The question, as always, is why we don't know about these events? After reading the extraordinary The Warmth of Other Suns (Isabel Wilkerson), I can't imagine not reading American Uprising. It is receiving extraordinary praise.

The next book that caught my attention was The Poison Tree, released on January 6th, and compared to both Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca and Donna Tartt's The Secret History, both of which fall into that Gothic category I seek out when the mood strikes."The surprises don't end until the last page of this twisted tale with its wonderfully evocative London atmosphere." The author is Erin Kelly.

Among Others was recommended by a Science Fiction, Fantasy lover, which I am not. However, his review described this books as magical, an interweaving of SF, Fantasy and a coming of age story like nothing he had read before. Written by Jo Walton this quote in another review caught my attention, "It doesn't matter, I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books." I know that feeling. This is a book approved for teens. The book was released yesterday, January 18th.

My last book on the list may be the most seductive. Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown was reviewed in the New York Times. The sentence that grabbed me was, "There is no problem a library card can't solve." Do I have to admit that I love this belief? And to top that off the sisters have a father who insists that everyone quote Shakespeare. What fun! Weird Sisters comes out tomorrow, January 20th.

The other thing all these titles have in common is that they are all written by first time published authors! What could be more exciting than to be there at the beginning?

I am Number Four (2010)

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another teen series in the Twilight vein. With all the hype for the movie, I wanted to see what the fuss was about. The premise is enticing. Nine children from the planet of Lorien have been hidden on earth after the destruction of their planet by the Mogadorians. The Mogadorians, who trashed their own planet's resources and destroyed Lorien, are now looking to kill the nine children and conquer Earth.

There are a couple of caveats. The nine, who as they age develop 'legacy' powers, can only be killed in order. Thus, the title I AM NUMBER FOUR.

A review on Amazon pointed out that the characters were flat and there wasn't much in the way of descriptive writing. I agree. But if you have a reader who loves science fiction, this isn't a bad choice. It's just not as sophisticated as a lot of Young Adult literature that's around.



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The Hunger Games (2008)

I finished The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, a few miles south of St. Louis, Michigan on the way to our Holt Family Christmas in Mt. Pleasant on December 26th. I don't like to read in the car but I had to know how this first part of the trilogy would end.

Science Fiction is not generally a genre to which I am attracted; but if the category is instead Speculative Fiction, "that extrapolates from some phenomenon or theory and postulates 'What if?' ", I am often intrigued. 

Although this is considered a Young Adult novel, the ideas are compelling ranging  from the huge gap between the ruling class living in obscene wealth while the rest of the population is near starvation to the emphasis on cruel mass entertainment. At some point Katniss remarks that everyone has broken some law or other to survive. You'd have to be blind to not see parallels in our own world.

Looking for Katniss

Book One

Book Two

Book Three

I just brought Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, the first book in the trilogy, home from the library last week thinking it was about time to see what all the fuss is about. Apparently the large group of readers has now moved past books two and three and are now waiting to see who will be cast as Katniss in the movie. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Early Word (the Librarian / Publisher Connection) has posted this link about who might be in the movie. Looking for Katniss

The Buffalo Tree (1997)

The Buffalo Tree by Adam Rapp


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I don't think I've ever been so depressed by a book in my life. It left me feeling sad even though the ending is hopeful. Written in the first person, we root for thirteen year old Sura to survive his six months in a juvenile detention center, where cruelty is the norm.

Author Adam Rapp has a new play that just opened on Broadway called "The Metal Children", which deals with an author doing battle with a small American town that has banned his YA book. Connecting the dots, I decided to read "The Buffalo Tree" to see what the hubbub might be about.

The book is disturbing to someone who grew up in the 50's and is nothing like the books I read. Was the world like that back then and we just didn't know? The adults in this story are non-human in the way they interact with the young inmates. There is no real kindness.

Using language that feels foreign and strange and hard to get a handle on adds to the feeling of alienation  - of being plopped down in an artificial, uncaring world.

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Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another exciting entry in the Twilight Series. Bella does get a little tiresome but the author knows how to spin a tale.


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New Moon (2006)

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I told the staff at my library that I had read and enjoyed "Twilight", they proceeded to put my name on the reserve list for the other titles, which I wasn't sure I was prepared to read. Having just finished "New Moon", I guess I will have to admit that I am hooked on Bella's story.

There was lots more excitement in "New Moon" with best friend Jacob coming into his own as a werewolf. When you try to explain the plot it sounds totally ludacris. But so far I am devouring these stories. I'll admit I sometimes scan-read paragraphs and don't linger over the prose.

Like the Harry Potter series, this book is getting young people (and no-so-young people) reading and that is a good thing. I just hope that readers move on to discover other authors and stories after like with Bella and Edward.

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