Book Review: Long Walk to Water

Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park
Published by: Clarion Books
Form: Text for School
Big Themes: True Story, War, Refugees, Water, Family, Disease, Leadership

Goodreads

Summary:
This book is a dual narrative about two children in Sudan: a boy named Salva in 1985 and a girl named Nya in 2008.  When civil war reaches Salva’s home, he is separated from his family when he must run for his life.  Salva walks thousands of miles as a refugee, and most of the book chronicles the true story of his grueling travels.  Nya’s story reveals the state of current life in Sudan in 2008.  While violent and heartbreaking to think of what these children have endured, the ending of this book is hopeful and inspiring.

Kid Approved:
My students LOVED this book.  The book we read previously was Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, which is hilarious and has tons of kid appeal.  But most students said they liked A Long Walk to Water better, despite it being a much more serious book.  I had students getting upset when I’d announce that we were done reading for today, and many students would sneakily read ahead.  I’ve never had students so engaged in a book before.  They couldn’t believe it was a true story and loved seeing videos of the real Salva when we were finished reading.

Fast Read:
You could easily read this book in just a couple of hours.  I read the first two chapters one night, and when I sat down the next night to read a little more… I ended up finishing the entire book instead!  The story is gripping, especially knowing it is a true story.  But it’s also a slim book at 128 pages.  If you need a quick, but worthwhile read, definitely check this one out.

Dual Narratives:
The dual narratives do a beautiful job of accentuating certain themes in the book and drawing parallels between Salva and Nya’s lives.  I don’t want to spoil the book’s ending, but the ending is wonderful in how it connects the two narratives.  (My students LOVED the ending.)

Educational and a Reminder of How Lucky We Are:
I didn’t know anything about the country of Sudan before reading this book, and now my ears perk up whenever I hear mention of it in the news.  I have a better understanding of this region of the world now.

This book is also a great reminder of things we take for granted here in the United States, especially water.  We are so incredibly lucky to have access to clean water from the tap inside our homes.  I’ve taken to drinking less bottled water and more tap water since finishing this book.  There’s really nothing wrong with tap water where I live, and it’s much better for the environment for me to drink from the tap.

Overall Rating:
This is an excellent book for ages 11 and up (due to some violence).  This amazing true story will leave you inspired.  I give it 4 and a half stars.

Book Review: Raven Boys

The Raven Boys
by Maggie Stiefvater
Published by: Scholastic Press
Form: Autographed Hardback
Big Themes: Death, Psychics, Magic, Legends, Ghosts, Mystery

Goodreads

Summary:
Blue lives in a house full of psychics, including her mother.  And while Blue doesn’t have any special psychic abilities herself, that doesn’t mean her life is normal.  In fact, she’s been told that if she kisses her true love… he’ll die.  But what will happen when she is irrevocably drawn into the lives of four boys on a quest to find a lost Welsh king?

Autographed Copy:
I seriously love Maggie.  I’ve heard her speak several times, follow her blog, and have read every book of hers… except Scorpio Races… which I promise I will get to!  (I’ve started this book twice and… well… I don’t know what’s wrong with me!)  I pre-ordered this book from Fountain Bookstore and received a beautiful autographed copy, pictured below:

Originality:
This is probably the book’s biggest strength, and I think something we can come to expect from Maggie.  Especially with her two most recent books, Maggie is fresh and original in every possible way.  This book is so different from anything you’ve read before.  I can’t say, “It’s kind of like this book combined with elements of this book and fits inside this genre.”  You could even go so far as to say this book is a little strange, and even a fan like me wouldn’t disagree with you.  Before reading Raven Boys, would I have ever heard of ley lines?  Nope.  Would I have thought teenage boys with legendary Welsh king obsessions are hot guy material?  No way.  Even the names of characters in this book (Blue, Gansey, Ronan) are completely unconventional.  If you want to read something fresh and different, then Maggie is your girl.

Maggie makes me feel smart and edgy and cool:
Just look at the cover.  It’s not the kind of YA book cover I’m ashamed to walk around with.  That brushstroked raven is cool.  The title is serious with a no-nonsense font choice.  There’s no half-naked men or girls with hair blowing in the wind or dramatic dresses made of smoke or flowers or butterflies.  Even though I read books with those covers, they don’t make me feel like an intellectual when I’m out in public. (Oh the wonders of the eBook and hiding what you’re reading!)

And, not only is the cover cool, but this is also a smart person book because Maggie is a phenomenal writer.  She’s the kind of writer who makes me weep a little inside because her writing is so beautiful and eloquent and purposeful.  I feel smarter after having finished one of her books, like I’ve absorbed new writing techniques and observed a master writer.  And I am pretty proud of the fact that I’ve been reading Maggie’s books since before she hit the NYT bestseller list.  I’ve loved watching her find success and knowing before the rest of the world that she was a superstar.

Vivid Characters:
This was the strongest pull of the book for me.  I felt like these characters were real people, despite their very unrealistic names… Blue?  I’m a teacher, and I’ve seen some CRAZY names.  But I’ve yet to have a kid named after a color.

There were several reasons why these characters came to life for me.  The first was the multiple points-of-view.  A novel with multiple POVs is tough to write, but this isn’t the first time Maggie has done it.  In Raven Boys, we see the story from several characters, and I think getting inside their heads and each having a different outlook on the world really brought you closer to them as a reader.

The second reason why I felt these characters came to life was because Maggie does a brilliant job of showing instead of telling.  She doesn’t tell you that Gansey is obsessed with a Welsh King.  She shows you.  With Gansey’s notebook.  With his conversations.  With his actions.  She puts her characters in conflict and shows you who they are by how they deal with conflict.  One of my favorite characters was Adam, and he was a character who was revealed slowly through the conflicts he faces.

Pieces to the Puzzle:
Maggie has woven a complex story around lesser known mythology.  There is a lot we don’t know in the beginning, and as this is a series, still a lot we don’t know at the end.  I’m impressed with the story and mystery she’s created weaving together a legend, a murder, and a prophecy.  I adore books that deal with fate and strange coincidences and this book is full of them.  It makes me so happy.

At times there were things that happened or things characters said that I’m still not sure if I’m supposed to understand yet.  (Chainsaw the raven being one thing I don’t understand.) As the first book in a series, this is probably to be expected.  But it is holding me back from rating this a “five star favorite.”  I reserve the right to come back later and bump up the stars.  But for now, I want to wait and see how everything pans out.

Overall Rating:
This is a fresh and original story that is beautifully crafted by one of my favorite authors.  If you love a good mystery or legend and great characterization, then this is a must-read!  I give it four and a half stars.

February Debuts 2013

Each month I’ll be doing one post to highlight book releases by debut authors that I have my eye on.  Check back at the end of the month for reviews! Or feel free to try to sway my opinion to read other debuts as well!



Debut Author Challenge:
February Releases

Pantomime 
by Laura Lam 
Release Date: Feb. 5

Goodreads Summary:

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.
Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.
But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

What grabbed me:
This sounds like such an imaginative and unique story, and I love the cover!

City of a Thousand Dolls 
by Miriam Forster 
Release Date: Feb. 5

Goodreads Summary:

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.
Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

What grabbed me:

This sounds like a gripping and suspenseful read set in a fantastical world. Add a dash of romance to the adventure and mystery, and this sounds like my ideal read!

Pivot Point 
by Kasie West 
Release Date: Feb. 12

Goodreads Summary:

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

What grabbed me:

I love this concept of two completely different lives stemming from a single choice and how intriguing that she can see the possibilities and both options have serious pros/cons. I love everything about this premise!

Dance of Shadows
by Yelena Black
Release Date: Feb. 12

Goodreads Summary:

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you’re close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner’s heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .
Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister’s shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . 
Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed . . .

What grabbed me:
The cover is creepy but beautiful.  I did ballet up until middle school and will always have a fondness for it.  I love to read books that take me back to that past love.  Plus this sounds like a suspenseful read!

Dualed 
by Elsie Chapman 
Release Date: Feb. 26

Goodreads Summary:

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.
Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.
Elsie Chapman’s suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

What grabbed me:
Yikes!  Killing your twin?!?!  Definitely sounds similar to Hunger Games.  Looks like a fast-paced and exciting read!

Some debut novels from January that I purchased and also plan to read:

Which debut novels are on your list?

Hughes Reviews January ’13

January was a big month!  I came back from hiatus and posted almost every day!  Woot!  I probably won’t be able to keep that up because I don’t normally read that quickly, but I should still manage 1-2 book reviews a week.

I also have to thank my brother, Patrick, who created a bunch of new pretty graphics for my blog this month.  He designed the new background (which is similar to the old one but with photographs instead).  My mom is an amazing photographer and photographed the typewriter I got for Christmas (from my other brother) which is now featured in the background images.  Patrick also designed a button and the “Hughes Reviews Seal of Approval.”  The first book to be honored with the Hughes Reviews Seal of Approval was Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.

Here’s what went down on Hughes Reviews this January:

Reviews:
Behind the Story Posts:
Debut Author Challenge:
Top Ten Tuesdays:

Book Review: Level 2

Level 2
by Lenore Appelhans

Published by: Simon and Schuster for Young Readers
Form: Kobo eBook on iPad
Genre: Sci-Fi / Dystopian
Big Themes: Memories, Death, Reconciliation, Friendship, Love, YOLO

Goodreads

*Debut Author Challenge*

Summary:
Felicia died, and now she’s in Level 2 where she can play back memories of her life as well as share her memories with others. But what she doesn’t know is that there is a war going on that is preventing humans from moving on to the next level.

I’m going to start my review on a positive note, and tell you the things the author did well.  But overall, I was disappointed with this debut because of its unrealized potential.

Memory System:
This was the most interesting concept that Appelhans came up with.  Each memory could be played like a Youtube video.  It had tags, user ratings, and number of views.  I loved this concept and what it revealed to you as a reader when you saw what each memory was tagged as and what the ratings were.  This was a great intertextual detail and a fresh idea.  You also learn as the story progresses that users earn credits for each time their memories are viewed, and people with the best memories become “rich.”  This was sad for one particular character who didn’t have many positive memories to share, and thus was broke.  I even wish this idea had been explored even more because it was so fascinating.

Initial Mystery:
I was extremely intrigued for the first four chapters as to what Felicia had done wrong and how she’d managed to ruin her life.  The author gives you all these hints and clues as to Felicia having made huge mistakes that she regretted in her life, and as a reader, you understood not wanting to face the worst parts of your life.  It sort of set Felicia up as an unreliable narrator who wasn’t telling you everything, but with the memory system, you figured that you would find out eventually.

Vivid Flashbacks:
Flashbacks can often screw with pacing, but I found that the flashbacks were by far my favorite moments in the book.  Often the settings in the flashbacks were beautifully described and sensory experiences.  Some of my favorite scenes: musical goat trip, hearing Neil sing, the church game, and sushi with Autumn.

Problems I Had:
All my notes for the first four chapters were so positive, but as the story continued you can see my notes get more and more frustrated.  I’m going to try to divide my problems into categories.  I don’t necessarily blame the author for these issues.  These are things that editors and beta readers should have questioned and given her time to work on.

Lack of World Building:
I’m very confused because I’ve read reviews that praise Appelhan’s world-building.  I’ll admit that the flashbacks are vivid and beautiful.  I’ll concede that her memory concept is very cool.  But I found the actual world of Level 2 to be lacking in both detail and logic.  The only things I can tell you about Level 2 are that there are: never-ending hives, a lot of white, grooves, and crevices. Here is a sampling of questions I had while I was reading:

  • How do people find their way around?  This is never clearly explained.
  • How are the hives organized?
  • What is the key difference between life on Earth and Level 2?
  • Why do people have no hair?
  • How does materialization work?
  • If you can’t feel anything, because you’re dead, than why would you feel the after effects of being drugged?  Same with going off the drugs, why should you feel deprived?
  • Why can you feel some things and not others?
  • Why can you be wounded if you’re dead?
  • Why can you die?  If you’re already dead…
  • How can people be erased if their memories are accessible via the computer system they have?
  • Why do characters need rest if they’re dead?
  • If they can materialize anything they want, why would they choose an antiquated bow and arrow instead of say… a machine gun?

Appelhan chose a super tough setting to tackle in her debut novel: the afterlife.  But I’m not going to give her a free pass on logic just because it’s a mystical place.  I think if people had asked her some of these questions, and she’d been forced to think about the rules of her world, then we might have gained a clearer understanding of this fascinating vision of the afterlife.

Lack of Connection to the Rebellion:
I had so many problems with the rebellion.  First was the total lack of threat.  All we see in the beginning of the book are these blinking scanner things that don’t actually do anything to harm them.  And there’s people hiding and saying to be careful.  But we don’t actually see any of these scanners do anything threatening… ever.

Then we’re told there are these evil Morati angel people.  But we don’t actually see them… until chapter 19 (of 21).  We don’t know what they look like or have seen them actually do anything.  All we have to go on is what three people tell us about them.  You can’t keep you main antagonist off-screen like this for the whole book.  It doesn’t work.  If you want me to be invested in a rebellion, then I have to understand who/what I’m rebelling against.

We do get these weird zombie things.  They were kind of scary, but their appearance was brief (and not until chapter 17 of 21).  There were two zombies.  Two.  And they chopped their heads off, no sweat.  That was the biggest threat in the whole book.  Two zombies.

And my final issue with the rebellion is that we don’t meet many rebels.  We meet three: Julian, Mira, and Eli.  That’s it.  But then, at the end of the book, it says, “I see Mira and Eli leading a charge of several thousand rebel troops against the Morati palace.”  What?!?!  We only saw three rebels the entire book and suddenly there are THOUSANDS.  And this epic, huge battle… is only one paragraph and told to us from off-screen.  Felicia isn’t there.  Nor did we know of any plans of an epic battle to attack the palace.  And what is this palace?  Why would you keep this action off-screen?  You’re completely keeping your reader isolated from this rebellion.  I wasn’t invested in it at all.  I had no emotional ties to what was going on.

Felicia’s Role:
I get the vibe that Felicia was some sort of chosen one, and they needed her energy… to power the world?  I really did not understand.  Many times we are given really obvious hints that Felicia is super powerful and extra special.  Think like the Matrix and Neo being the One.  But I still don’t understand all the energy stuff or why she’s so coveted by both sides of the rebellion.

I was excited at the beginning of the book because I thought what made her special was that she had mad computer hacking skills.  And I thought she’d be able to use those skills in this world of Level 2.  But that never happened…  Instead Felicia has some special energy… and can materialize stuff really well… and gets over drugs fast…  (I still don’t understand the materialization process which seems to require no skill and has no limitations.)  If you’re going to make a character into the Chosen One, then I better understand why they’re so special, and in Felicia’s case… I didn’t.

Repetitive Structure and Writing Techniques:
I began to get really tired of cliffhangers at the end of every short chapter.  I felt like I was constantly getting splashed with ice cold water.  Ha!  Bet you didn’t see that coming!  Actually, after the first few times, if you toss ice water at me enough, I will expect it.  The cliffhangers grew repetitive.  There are other ways to end a chapter and still get the reader to keep reading.  You don’t have to always throw out a surprise.  Mix it up.

And there were some cliché similes that kept popping up at the end of paragraphs, such as:
“I almost feel like I’m a lab rat in some futuristic sci-fi maze.”
“…like a starving person begging for crumbs.”

Other Things that Bugged Me:
-Characters disappearing for pages and suddenly reappearing.
-When things were revealed.
-The big reveal about Autumn at the end.
-The big reveal about Julian at the end.
-The big reveal about Neil at the end.

(Don’t want to discuss the reveals because that would mean spoilers, but if you want to discuss, let me know.)

Overall Rating: 
I was really looking forward to this book, and while there were some things it did well, overall I was disappointed.  On goodreads, I gave the book 3 stars, but it would probably be more like a 2 and a half.

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters




Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For more information about Top Ten Tuesday and a list of upcoming Top Ten Tuesday topics, click here.
Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters


These are in the order that they occurred to me…


1. Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
She was the first person to pop into my mind, likely because she’s so evil… yet so pink… and a cat lady… She made all those rules and called Harry a liar.  And yet there was nothing we could do to stop her.  She wasn’t your traditional villain that you could fight back against, and so she was FRUSTRATING.  You wanted to fight back and couldn’t.

2. Rita Skeeter from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This was another frustrating character because she was a liar.  I must not like characters who lie.  I understood Harry’s frustration as she kept publishing false articles about him.  And just the image of her sucking on her Quick Quotes Quill makes me want to seethe.  And who wears lime green all the time?  Really?

3. Bella Swan from the Twilight series
Oh, Bella.  You frustrate me in so many ways.  I’m sure she is going to be on a lot of people’s lists.  I wish she’d been a stronger character.  I wish she stood up to Edward when he was being a manipulative boyfriend.  I wish she hadn’t just moped for months when Edward left her.  I wish she hadn’t been so focused on having sex with Edward.  I wish she had some interests outside of becoming a vampire.  I wish she had a vampire power that was better than making protective bubbles.

4. Seth from the Fablehaven series
I seriously LOVE this middle grade fantasy series, but I don’t think I reviewed it here on the blog… Need to remedy that!  Seth is a GREAT character, but I found him frustrating because he was a rule breaker.  If you tell him not to do something, he’ll do it.  If you tell him “SERIOUSLY! DON’T DO THIS OR YOU’LL DIE!” Seth will still do it.  He was the perfect balance to his rule following sister, but he still drove me nuts with all his rule breaking.  Though he made for great conflict and tension.

I seriously LOVE this series.  The later books are so, so good!

5. Romeo from Romeo and Juliet
Gah!  Romeo!  You are so emo and mopey and moody.  And you jump from girl to girl.  And then you do stupid stuff like kill your wifey’s cousin.  And then even stupider things like buy the most deadly poison to kill yourself.  You pretty much ruined your own life as well as Juliet’s in my opinion.  Poor Juliet.  She was by far the stronger character.

6. Tris in Insurgent
I did not understand why Tris was making certain choices in Insurgent.  I don’t have my copy of the book because it is loaned out, and my memory isn’t good enough to cite specific examples.  But allow me to quote my review:

“Four keeps showing Tris that he stands by her and cares about her, and honestly, I don’t know if I would have put up with some of the things Tris did.  Granted she just lost her parents and killed someone she didn’t want to kill, but some decisions she made caused my brain to scream a little in frustration.”

 7. Miranda from This World We Live In
Miranda went through so much in book one, and grew so much as a person, and then in book three she seemed to revert to her self-centered, immature self.  I was incredibly frustrated by this, and it kind of ruined the book for me.  A book I’d really looked forward to.

8. Cassia in Matched and Crossed
Cassia frustrates me because I don’t understand what she sees in Ky.  I like Xander, who is handsome, clever, and loyal.  But for some reason Cassia likes Ky the martyr.  I still haven’t read Reached, and I am still debating whether I want to invest time in finishing this series because I had a hard time with book two.

9. St. John Rivers in Jane Eyre
St. John Rivers is such a cold and emotionless character.  He has the makings of a good man: how he wants to be a missionary and how he looks after his sisters and Jane.  But he is so strange and cold.  When he is asking Jane to be his wife and to go to India with him, I wanted to scream at Jane because she couldn’t possibly be happy with such a cold man.  So I was probably mostly frustrated by him because I didn’t want Jane to end up with him!

10. Miss Havisham from Great Expectations
On the one hand, she’s a very memorable character.  On the other hand… GET OUT OF YOUR FREAKING WEDDING DRESS ALREADY.  Don’t you want to shake her and tell her to live her life???  Being jilted at the alter is terrible, but wasting your whole life because of one event is an even bigger tragedy.

I’m so excited to see everyone’s lists this week!  What characters were you frustrated by?

Book Review: Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith

Published by: Poppy
Form: purchased/paperback
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Big Themes: Love, Travel, Divorce, Fate

Goodreads

Summary:
Hadley is on her way to her father’s second wedding, and she’s not happy about it.  But then she meets Oliver, completely by chance, because she missed her flight.  Their chance meeting might make you believe in fate… and love at first sight.

Love the Cover:
Very rarely do I bring up covers in my reviews.  But I adore this cover.  I love the black and white with red accents.  I love the font choice.  I love the couple kissing as the rest of the world seems to fly by them.  I wish I could give a bonus to the person who designed this cover because they probably pushed me to pick up this contemporary read.

Hadley and Oliver’s Chance Romance:
I love that they met as a result of a missed flight.  I love the setting being in a busy airport.  I love their hushed conversations on the plane ride.  I love everything about their 24 hour romance.  Probably because I’m a sucker for the idea of fate, and I’d love to meet someone in this way.  Being out and about and suddenly being blindsided by love at first sight.  I could totally go for more contemporary books in this vein.

Hadley’s Parents and Family Issues:
On the one hand, I liked that Hadley had this inner conflict going on.  It gave her character depth and provided an emotional journey that I’m sure a lot of teens can connect with.  However, I found myself being frustrated by the frequency of flashbacks and emphasis on family drama because I really just wanted to read about Oliver and Hadley’s romance.  So my frustration was entirely selfish in nature because I just wanted to read the happy mushy stuff.  So the pacing felt slow when I was reading about the family drama, but I recognize that this content added depth to the story.

Overall Rating:
I gave this book three stars.  Keep in mind that I don’t really enjoy contemporary fiction, especially books that deal with real life problems (such as divorce and split families).  But the premise of meeting someone in an airport and the romance was lovely.  Most people adore this book, and I did enjoy it, but not enough to bump it to four stars.

Book Review: Opal

Opal
by Jennifer Armentrout

Published by: Entangled Teen
Form: purchased/paperback
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Big Themes: Love, Aliens, Twins, Bad Boy, Super Abilities

Review of Book 1: Obsidian
Review of Book 2: Onyx

Summary:
Opal has to deal with the aftermath of Onyx.  After the death of one character and the betrayal of another and the return of another character, Daemon and Katy must figure out what their next move is and how to handle the Department of Defense.  It’s kind of impossible to write a summary that doesn’t spoil the other books so pardon me if I’m vague.

Relationship Growth:
One thing that I love about this series is how Katy and Daemon’s relationship is steadily growing and changing with each book.  In the first book, their relationship is playful and fiesty.  In the second book, they are truly getting to know one another and they begin to take each other seriously.  In the third book, Katy and Daemon are working on more mature aspects of a relationship: communication, trust, and plans for the future.  Maybe I don’t read enough romances to speak on this, but I haven’t seen this kind of growth from book to book in a romance series before.  But I definitely like watching Katy and Daemon grow as a couple, and this is a major plus of the series for me.

Secondary Characters with Major Problems Not Easily Solved:
This is another area that I refuse to give away spoilers, but will be a challenge to articulate.  There is a large cast of characters, and Armentrout adds depth to each of them by giving them their own challenges and desires.  Armentrout doesn’t hold back at throwing REALLY tough situations at her secondary characters.  And then she also doesn’t allow these problems to be solved in the blink of an eye.  This is something I really respect because I get enormously frustrated when problems are solved too easily.  I also respect that her secondary characters are more than just names and faces.  I’m becoming quite the critic of books where there’s no depth to secondary characters because I see how much it adds to the story to give each character some depth.

Action and Pacing:
The action and pacing were different from the first two books in the series.  It wasn’t so much physical battles and explosions as it was reconnaissance missions and gathering intel, which created a different sort of tension.  I know that some readers stated that there was less action in this book, but I did not feel like the pacing suffered.  I still flew through this book just as quickly as I did the others.

Cliffhanger Ending:
For some reason, I thought this series was a trilogy, so when I got to the ending, I was doubly shocked by the cliffhanger.  Thank goodness there will be five books.  However, this is one of the cruelest cliffhangers ever.  EVER.

Overall Rating: 
This series has been a solid four stars across the board for me.  I really enjoy these books as fun, easy, quick-paced reads.  And I’m gaining a lot of respect for Armentrout because of how much thought she puts into her large cast of characters.

Behind the Story: Emotion Part 3

Owl & White/Red BookBehind the Story posts will be about what goes on behind the scenes as a writer creates their story.  I’ll be writing about my own writing process and sharing any tips or advice I’ve discovered on my own or gathered on the topic. Hopefully both readers and writers find these posts fascinating!
This week’s topic:
Emotion
The past two weeks I’ve been discussing emotional plots and emotional journeys from a writer’s perspective.  For previous posts:
What the Experts Have to Say
Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies
By Deborah Halverson
Pages 98-99 examine the differences between plot driven stories and character driven stories.  
Plot driven stories “put the action first” and “have an episodic feel to them as the characters move from event to event” and are often described as “page turners.”  Plot driven stories tend to appeal to boys and are often the following genres: adventure, fantasy, mystery, crime, thriller, and sometimes historical fiction.  One warning about plot driven stories is that characters can sometimes become stereotypical because the author wants to move the pace along instead of spending time on characterization.
Character driven stories “spotlight your main character’s emotions and psychological development” and “what happens isn’t as important as how the character reacts emotionally to what happens.”  The following genres are often character driven: contemporary-issue books, chick lit, multicultural stories, and coming-of-age themed books.  Some warnings for character driven stories are to beware of telling instead of showing, not to be afraid of action because it can reveal more about your character, and  to beware slow pacing from too much emotional wallowing and self-analysis.
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression
By Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
This is a very cool book.  Emotions are arranged alphabetically into entries similar to a dictionary or encyclopedia.  You can look up an emotion and it will give you:
  • definition
  • physical signals
  • internal sensations
  • mental responses
  • cues of acute or long-term feelings
  • what this emotion could escalate to
  • cues of suppressed feelings

It’s really an amazing little book.  Especially if you feel like you are overusing the same response for an emotion.  For example, your character keeps having stomach fluttering when she’s nervous.  If you look up nervousness, you get 33 physical signals and 11 internal sensations that indicate nervousness.  So awesome!
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers
By John Gardner
Gardner presents an interesting exercise for using description of setting to convey the emotions of the character.  His exercise: “Describe a barn as seen by a man whose son has just been killed in a war.  Do not mention the son, or war, or death.  Do not mention the man who does the seeing.”  Gardner says that a talented writer should be able to conjure a powerful image that evokes everything the man is feeling using the barn as a focus.
Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, & Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults
By Cheryl Klein
Klein has a short but wonderful chapter in her book titled, “Four Techniques to Get at the Emotional Heart of Your Story.”  My favorite part of the chapter was where she said, “Every scene has to have a point, and often it is an emotional point.”  When you’re revising a manuscript, and perhaps asked to cut scenes, you can ask yourself if this scene is a plot point or an emotional point.  She even goes so far to say that writers will often cut off after the action and right before the emotional point is reached.  This made me wonder if I had any scenes where emotions weren’t dealt with because I cut out too early.
How to Write a Damn Good Novel
By James N. Frey
Frey has a great section titled, “Inner Conflict and the Necessity Thereof.”  Basically, he writes that inner conflict is necessary for good fiction.  He gives several classic literary examples to illustrate his point.  He says that Godzilla doesn’t have the makings of dramatic fiction because there is no inner conflict.  Giant green monster tearing up your city, of course you kill him.  There is no internal battle of wills.  In Hamlet on the other hand, the prince wants to kill his father’s murderer but has an internal struggle against it.  This internal struggle is what grips the reader and makes great dramatic fiction.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of posts on emotion!  Let me know in the comments if you have another writing topic you’d like to see featured!

Links to Previous ‘Behind the Story’ Posts:

Book Review: Onyx

Onyx
by Jennifer Armentrout

Published by: Entangled Teen
Form: purchased/paperback
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Big Themes: Aliens, Twins, Bad Boy, Super Abilities

Review of Book 1: Obsidian

*This Review Contains Some Mild Spoilers*

Summary:
After Daemon heals Katy, there’s some sort of connection between them.  And Katy can suddenly do things that she couldn’t before.  And suddenly Daemon has decided that he wants to be with her?  He was such a total jerk, that Katy is having a hard time believing that he has true feelings for her, that aren’t just their special alien connection.  And then there’s the new boy… And the new threat of the Department of Defense which might be worse than the Arum…

Daemon Black:
In Onyx, “Jerk Daemon” becomes “Sweet Daemon” and I love it.  Don’t get me wrong, I like the whole bad boy thing, but when Daemon turns on the charm as he tries to woo Katy and prove his feelings for her, I was smitten.  There were some seriously sweet moments that melted my heart, but I don’t want to give even one of them away.  Part of the fun was seeing what Daemon had up his sleeve.

Raising the Stakes:
So the evil alien Arum were scary, but Armentrout introduces a bigger, badder villain in Onyx: The Department of Defense.  Actions in the first book have unforeseen consequences that up the stakes in the second book and put many characters in serious danger.  The action in this book is unbelievable.  You don’t know who to trust.  People DIE.  I praised Obsidian for being a page-turner, and Onyx is just as good if not better.  You won’t be able to put this book down.

Love Triangle?
I never wanted Katy to be with anyone but Daemon, but at the same time, I understood why Katy considered seeing the new guy Armentrout introduced in this book.  Daemon is complicated.  He’s an alien.  He’s been a jerk.  And when Armentrout brings in new guy Blake, with the blonde surfer guy look, I do understand why Katy considers seeing someone normal.  Though I still thought she was being an idiot because who wouldn’t want to be with Daemon… but whatever.  While it can be frustrating because second books always seem to introduce “another guy” I did feel like Armentrout justified and executed this love triangle pretty well.

Overall Rating:
This was an excellent second book in the series with growth in the characters, high stakes, and a plot with lots of twists, turns, and consequences.  Luckily, you don’t have to wait to pick up book three, Opal, because you’ll definitely want to start the sequel as soon as you finish Onyx.  Four stars.

My review of Opal will be posted on Saturday… Stay tuned!