I really like that this was orange instead of pink. I like the art and the humor is fun, but I don't know that I could really handle another pink voluI really like that this was orange instead of pink. I like the art and the humor is fun, but I don't know that I could really handle another pink volume. (I say this knowing the next one will probably be pink again, but it's nice to have a break.) We're not breaking a lot of new ground in this volume--Babymouse still bows to what Felicia Furrypaws says until she reaches her breaking point, and then goes back to being herself again. But it's cute and funny, so it gets points for that....more
As with any collection, some hits, some misses. Not a bad read, but not one I'm likely to pass along to everyone I meet, either.As with any collection, some hits, some misses. Not a bad read, but not one I'm likely to pass along to everyone I meet, either....more
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. There were parts I really liked and some parts that didn't work for me. I'm not feeling articulate about it.
I did enjDidn't love it, didn't hate it. There were parts I really liked and some parts that didn't work for me. I'm not feeling articulate about it.
I did enjoy the little references here and there, like the existence of pictorial evidence of Batman starting from 1939. A good conspiracy story, but a little too neat in how it wrapped up each plot thread....more
Once upon a time, Alice got separated from her classmates on a field trip. Once upon a time, Ray came to take care of her. For five years now, Ray hasOnce upon a time, Alice got separated from her classmates on a field trip. Once upon a time, Ray came to take care of her. For five years now, Ray has been taking care of Alice, because he loves her. Once upon a time, things are not the way they look.
For five years, Alice has been living with Ray, while he abuses her physically, emotionally, and sexually. Alice is not without a plan for escape, but her plan involves dying, and anyway she knows she's not strong enough to follow through with it. She's been his love for 5 years, and now that she's 15 (and despite being starved, still fleshing out into a woman's body instead of a little girl's), Ray needs her to prove she loves him by finding what he needs: a new little girl to love and take care of. And Alice wants to do that for him, because once he has a new Alice, the old one can finally die.
This is engrossing, gripping, and a bunch of other superlatives, but most of all: disturbing. I'm not sorry I read it, but maybe I AM a little sorry I read it. This is dark, this is bleak, this is scary. This is not an uplifting tale of moral redemption. This is a chilling insight into victim-blame (Alice imagines the neighbors' reactions if she could get away: "and she never said a word. Why didn't she say a word? That's all she would have needed to do.") I can see this appealing to the A Child Called It fans, but I wouldn't hand it to young teens.
Didn't love this the way I wanted to, probably because Marisol doesn't interest me as a character the way Gio did. Overall, a good story of that firstDidn't love this the way I wanted to, probably because Marisol doesn't interest me as a character the way Gio did. Overall, a good story of that first love, that first adult relationship, and Marisol's struggle to remain true to herself while desperately trying to hold onto to the woman she loves. I was glad to see this come to the conclusion it came to--it said a lot about the characters' growth as people, and it showed that Wittlinger, as always, has confidence in her characters to do the right thing, even if it may not be the easy thing.
Still, there was something about this that held me back a little, and I find that with most of her books with female protagonists. Her male characters sound truer, more honest, to me than her female ones....more
I wanted to love this, never having read John Bellairs before, but... eh. It didn't light my world on fire. The ending didn't address many of the quesI wanted to love this, never having read John Bellairs before, but... eh. It didn't light my world on fire. The ending didn't address many of the questions I had... I dunno. I'll probably read more, but this sadly didn't wow me....more
Hilariously demented send-up of classic, "old-fashioned" type books. These are old-fashioned kids, and kids in old-fashioned books tend to be orphans;Hilariously demented send-up of classic, "old-fashioned" type books. These are old-fashioned kids, and kids in old-fashioned books tend to be orphans; ergo, these four should be orphans... and they set about a plan to become so. I don't know if it'll be as funny to kids without as much literary history behind them, but I'll probably hand-sell at least a few on it anyway....more
Not as strong as the others--he's really running on fumes here--but there were still some really great moments. Jokes that are set up early on and takNot as strong as the others--he's really running on fumes here--but there were still some really great moments. Jokes that are set up early on and take 80 pages for the payoff--that's the kind of book this is. 4 stars because it made me laugh anyway, but it's not the best of the series....more
It's been forever since I read the original, but this is pretty close in keeping with what I remember. A couple of dud stories, but some honestly laugIt's been forever since I read the original, but this is pretty close in keeping with what I remember. A couple of dud stories, but some honestly laugh-out-loud funny parts, too.
And for those who don't already know, Wayside School Louis Sacher is way different from Holes Louis Sacher. ...more
For once, Wilson is almost cheered by the Bad News Pie his mom is making--maybe whatever news she has will keep his parents from noticing that his glaFor once, Wilson is almost cheered by the Bad News Pie his mom is making--maybe whatever news she has will keep his parents from noticing that his glasses are broken. Again. Lucky for him, Mom's news is just distracting enough: her long-lost brother has been found, and is coming to stay with them. Wilson is shocked when his uncle arrives: he's not just a relative, he's a pirate, and he travels with a talking penguin. Captain Jack (the penguin) wants to learn to read, and Uncle Pirate (Bob) needs to adjust to life on land, so it's off to Wilson's elementary school--the most un-shipshape place imaginable. That is, until Uncle Pirate takes over as Captain....
This is a goofy, humorous story, reminiscent of the Wayside School books. Early readers will enjoy Uncle Pirate's nautical vocabulary, and will likely adopt "arh" and "matey" into their own speech. The zaniness of the school's faculty is at odds with the realistic portrayal of Wilson and his family, which makes one or the other seem wrong for the book, but kids will get a kick out of this wacky story regardless....more
Ender Wiggin’s eradication of the Buggers at the end of Ender’s Game cemented his reputation as the greatest military hero the world has ever seen. ToEnder Wiggin’s eradication of the Buggers at the end of Ender’s Game cemented his reputation as the greatest military hero the world has ever seen. To avoid jeopardizing the peace agreement between all nations, the great hero has to leave Earth and become governor of a new colony on a now-vacant Formic planet. But why does Ender agree to leave? What convinces his sister Valentine to go with him? What happens on the colony ship, and how does Ender cope with the knowledge of all that he’s done and all he still needs to do? This is the story of Ender’s days between the end of the Formic Wars and the events of Speaker for the Dead.
Ender in Exile is hailed as a direct sequel to Ender’s Game, but there are many references to events detailed in the companion Shadow series. By necessity, this book has to achieve a very specific narrative arc to bridge the gap from the end of the first book to the beginning of the second, and as a result the plot is stiff and forced. Pacing bumps along over irrelevant characters and plot points; stronger editing would help this over-long novel. The writing is pedantic, laced with political and biological jargon, and pushes some of Card’s own socially-conservative agenda. This is an optional read at best....more
It's nice to see that authors still try to write good dystopian fiction for middle school, even though The Giver set a ridiculously high standard. ThiIt's nice to see that authors still try to write good dystopian fiction for middle school, even though The Giver set a ridiculously high standard. This was pretty good--a society that has been formed based on only doing useful things, and useless things--sculpture, poetry, arts--are banned. Of course, our hero (Medford) is a talented carver, coaxing animals and other shapes out of the wood he works with, hiding his light under a metaphorical bushel (literally, under his bed). This alone would be an interesting story, but then a wind-controlling satyr blows in. I don't know that the story needed this extra fantastical element--I enjoyed the story from a more-or-less realistic standpoint, too. There was one moment near the end where the book teetered perilously close to sucking, but it managed to walk juuuuuuuuust this side of the Deus Ex Machina line.
Enjoyable, and great for middle-school readers!...more
A particularly unimpressive effort. The tales are brief, and Dumbledore's commentary on them really isn't that interesting. This volume adds nothing tA particularly unimpressive effort. The tales are brief, and Dumbledore's commentary on them really isn't that interesting. This volume adds nothing to the PotterVerse, and while it's a distraction for an hour or so, it's not a terribly interesting distraction. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't waste my time....more
On a study break from preparing for his A-level exams, Fergus accompanies his uncle Tally on a peat-digging trip when they find the body in the bog. POn a study break from preparing for his A-level exams, Fergus accompanies his uncle Tally on a peat-digging trip when they find the body in the bog. Police argue about which side of Ireland's north-south border the body is on and therefore who is responsible for handling this apparent murder case--but then the body is determined to be much older than any open murder case, possibly Iron Age. Fergus gets deeply involved in trying to unravel the mystery of who the girl was (as well as getting deeply involved with the archeologist's daughter, Cora), while trying desperately not to get involved with the other circumstances. The year is 1981, and Ireland is in the midst of the Troubles. Fergus's brother is on a hunger strike as a political prisoner, and his brother's friend coerces Fergus into ferrying small parcels back and forth across the border. This is a dramatic summer that will change everything.
The writing is sparsely beautiful; there is not a wasted word or plot thread here, and while the plot unfolds slowly, it is compelling and suspenseful from beginning to end. Major characters are richly developed; minor characters are developed enough to be distinct and realistic. There is a clear sense of the time and place, and this may be the only flaw in this excellent novel: the setting is so well-integrated into the plot that the reader would be helped by knowledge of Ireland's recent history, because many elements are not well-explained for those who have no background. Readers may puzzle over some of these details, but most can be understood in context, and any lingering questions can be addressed with minimal research. While the writing and some of the plot threads are accessible to bight middle-schoolers, this is a title that will do well in the hands of motivated high-school readers and adults....more
Not blown away by this, but liked it well enough. Naifeh's art is a little less cute than in Courtney Crumrin, darker and more ... angular? if that maNot blown away by this, but liked it well enough. Naifeh's art is a little less cute than in Courtney Crumrin, darker and more ... angular? if that makes sense as a not-literal descriptor. (okay, it's literal, too.)
I was so excited to find these two volumes at the used bookstore: I read the first issue of the comic when it came out, and I was intrigued. But the tI was so excited to find these two volumes at the used bookstore: I read the first issue of the comic when it came out, and I was intrigued. But the translation to a hybrid novel just doesn't work. As a half-prose, half-comic hybrid, we get entirely too much of Kate's voice: clear and distinct, but also bitter, angsty, and snottily disaffected. Some of the opening comics pages look familiar from the original comic, but as the book moves forward, the art becomes increasingly Disney-fied (not surprising, since Disney bought all Crossgen's properties, of which the Abadazad comic was one).
I'm not super inclined to track down book 3--for the best since it never got US release, and book 4 seems to be permanently canceled. So much for this 8-book series....more
I wanted to love this, really. But it seemed more like a collection of interrelated incidents than one full story. Some of the incidents I liked (The I wanted to love this, really. But it seemed more like a collection of interrelated incidents than one full story. Some of the incidents I liked (The Witch's Headstone, which was used as an isolated story in M is for Magic) but overall this didn't hold together for me. Maybe I set the bar too high; maybe it's me and not the book that disappoints. ...more
This is kind of what I've been looking for: a good, creepy story. Project 17 is sort of a Blair Witch Project in an abandoned asylum, with ghosts and This is kind of what I've been looking for: a good, creepy story. Project 17 is sort of a Blair Witch Project in an abandoned asylum, with ghosts and strange noises and bad feelings and all that. I enjoyed this. The writing is a little rough in patches (doesn't anyway say anything? It's all "he called," "I zinged," etc), but the characters all have distinct voices and personalities and the story is creepy, so overall I was happy with this. Yay!...more