I love Kate DiCamillo’s books. They’re all so magical and captivating. And this one was no exception. A lovely story about a china rabbit doll and hisI love Kate DiCamillo’s books. They’re all so magical and captivating. And this one was no exception. A lovely story about a china rabbit doll and his journey. Judith Ivey does a fabulous job narrating. ...more
First, I did not finish it mainly because my library loan was due and there was someone waiting for it. That being said, I may or may not get around tFirst, I did not finish it mainly because my library loan was due and there was someone waiting for it. That being said, I may or may not get around to finishing it. More on why below.
I liked the premise. I know little of Russian mythology, and so a story that weaves in Russian myths and gods sounded fascinating. The story started off strong. I liked how the author wove the main myth into the narrative. A lot happened within the first few chapters . . . and then.
Well, I’m on chapter 17 out of 28 and hardly anything has happened. Some teasers on the myth side. Finally some vague references to the bear, a couple repeated vague prophecies/omens, and one quick reference about the nightingale. That’s it. There was the big expo leading up to the necklace, the giving of the necklace, and then nada. One small mention of it and then ???
I want to like Vasya. I want to root for her. But other than the whole priest versus old gods thing, there’s not much to root for. Speaking of the priest, he just makes me mad. And the whole women have two options—marriage (solely to produce children) or the convent—ugh! I know it’s historical fiction, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.
Overall, I’m not really impressed. I understand the main plot action is coming up, but frankly, she’s dragged it out too much. And from what I’ve read from other reviews, the ending is rushed. So that’s why I’m not sure I’ll ever pick up this book again.
I will say that the narrator on the audiobook, Kathleen Gati, is fantastic. Her pronunciation is amazing and she’s really the only reason I’ve stuck with it this long. First, I never would’ve gotten through all those Russian names and words had I been reading a paper copy (I highly recommend the audiobook for that reason). Second, I think she’s made the story more exciting by her narration. 5 stars to her, but 3 for the overall story. Maybe it gets better, but for now, I’m bailing....more
This book is a young-YA, I'd say aimed at the Harry Potter books 1-3 age group. At least that's how it comes across to me. Overall, it's okay. NothingThis book is a young-YA, I'd say aimed at the Harry Potter books 1-3 age group. At least that's how it comes across to me. Overall, it's okay. Nothing spectacular or special. A fun story if you suspend your disbelief and just ride the story as it is. You can't think about it too much and you must remember the target age group.
That being said, it's still just an okay story. Alfred is the most self-aware "average Joe" ever. I've never read any character who's more middle-of-the-road, not-really-good-at-anything, and yet completely understands that about himself. In fact, he has some rather philosphical views of the world, much more advanced than what you might expect in a 15-year-old. I felt at times that I could have a good philosophical debate about how Alfred compares to Siddhartha. But I digress.
The book lacks any real character development. Alfred kind of gets swept up in this adventure, but throughout, he remains rather a bumbling oaf. He flip-flops between having rather philosphical views of the world (which do seem a bit advanced for someone his age, but *might* be explained by his circumstances) and an almost moronic stupidity (only some of which can really be explained by his age). The other characeters either aren't around long enough to have any development (view spoiler)[unless you count Uncle Ferrell's death as "character development" (hide spoiler)].
The world building is minimal. It's the real world (yes, Knoxville, Tennessee is a real place), but one in which the legend of Excalibur is not so much a legend as fact. But then there are spies, magic (of a sort), secret organizations, sword fights, fast car chases—it's all a rather odd mix of things packed into one book.
The story itself is fun (but only if you suspend your disbelief). The pacing is decent, but the chapters are short. Of course, it is written for a younger audience. Overall, it's okay. 2.75 stars rounded up to 3.
My one pet peevewith this book is directed to Scholastic, the publisher of the edition I read. The book is a large paperback, larger than most I own. But the text is not proportionate to the page size. There's a good 2" margin at the bottom—wasted space. And when I chapter ended on the right hand page, then next left-hand page would be blank because Scholastic put the start of every chapter on the right-hand page. WASTE OF SPACE! It also disrupted my reading flow to constantly come across the blank page, particularly since there are 55 chapters. And of course, the publisher counts the blank page in the page numbers, so the book has a good 40 extra pages than it really is. ...more
I started out rooting for Xifeng, despite her narcissism (which I originally thought she'd outgrow). But about halfway, I started feeling less investeI started out rooting for Xifeng, despite her narcissism (which I originally thought she'd outgrow). But about halfway, I started feeling less invested in her story. And at two-thirds of the way through, I just couldn't care less about her. The few redeeming qualities she had were gone. And even with anti-heroes, you have to like them, want to root for them. I think the best example of an anti-hero that was done well is Elphaba from Wicked. But Xifeng, well, let's just say I started rooting for "The Fool." Xifeng just turned out unlikeable and the conflict unrealistic.
The other characters were rather flat. No real depth, except maybe for Shiro. But overall, his role is fairly small. Most of the characters are forgettable or simply plot devices.
The world building was weird. It had a feel of Asian-inspired, but it seemed superficial. There's magic, but it's some weird type of black magic that's kind of explained (view spoiler)[hello Serpent God being (hide spoiler)], but again, the author just touches the edge of it and doesn't provide enough depth to make it work (like is the magic more a cult-like use? Does the society approve of magic use? Does the society even know magic exists?). Overall, the world was basically a generic fantasy world slapped with a few Chinese-esque names. There was a background of politics, but it wasn't ever developed so it came across as a shallow attempt to justify the storyline.
And speaking of the storyline, the plot is weak. The premise was intriguing - a Snow White retelling with this book focusing on the rise of the Evil Queen. But it was kind of boring. There's no real challenge or conflict. Everything just falls into place for Xifeng. And there are several holes in the story.
I ended up skimming the last fourth of the book. This had a lot of promise but failed to deliver. In the end, I was just bored and ready for it to be over. 2 stars....more
An imaginative retelling of Cinderella with a couple fun twists. I’m usually doubtful about retellings (because I normally love the original fairy talAn imaginative retelling of Cinderella with a couple fun twists. I’m usually doubtful about retellings (because I normally love the original fairy tale), but picked this one up because I didn’t immediately connect it to Cinderella.
Overall, I found it a charming & sweet retelling. However, I found that the pace of the story flags in spots and Ella, although cursed in one way, seems blessed in others as escapes often come too easily for her. But a winning combination of memorable characters (Lucinda is a hoot) and a charming setting (a medieval realm complete with centaurs, ogres, giants, gnomes, & elves) make up for the novel’s few shortcomings.
I listened to the audio version read by Eden Riegel, who has an excellent voice to read the first-person POV that the book is written in....more
A rather light read with a happy ending. A bit like a steamier Hallmark movie—predictable but fun.
I liked that Ledi not only was a woman of color (whoA rather light read with a happy ending. A bit like a steamier Hallmark movie—predictable but fun.
I liked that Ledi not only was a woman of color (who are terribly underrepresented in literature, especially as MCs), but a woman of science. Ledi also had good character development and her flaws made her that much more believable.
Thabiso, on the other hand, was a bit more stereotypical with less character development. Early on, he shows some growth and depth, but that’s never explored or demonstrated further. A bit disappointing that he was the typical spoiled prince.
Overall, an okay read. I ended up skimming chunks of it. Good for those days when your brain is tired. But not sure if I’ll keep reading the series....more
Unpopular opinion alert. This was my first Christina Henry book, and sadly, I don't get the hype around her books. This wasn't quite a 3 star read, buUnpopular opinion alert. This was my first Christina Henry book, and sadly, I don't get the hype around her books. This wasn't quite a 3 star read, but maybe a bit more than 2.5. But I rounded up to 3.
This is a retelling of Peter Pan, but like Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, this book centers on Jamie's (aka Captain Hook) origin story and forces us to ask the question, who is really the villain? Because history is told by the victors.
The basic premise of the Peter Pan story is here—Peter lives on an island (Neverland) and goes into the "Other Place" to find "lost boys" and brings them to the island to play. But unlike the Peter Pan story (either the original or the Disney version), this one had a strong Lord of the Flies vibes with wild boys running mad on their own island, splitting into factions, and perpetrating unrestrained violence on each other as well as the pirates.we see Peter as selfish, only collecting boys for his amusement. In constrast, Jamie cares and nutures them, protecting them where he can, but still believing in Peter's idyllic version of the island.
The two issues I had with the book are the story was slow and the characters felt one-dimensional. As to the slowness, after the first couple chapters, I found the story slowed. It felt repetitive and much like filler to move this from a novella to a novel.
The characters I found to be rather superficial. Yes, they are all children, but children can have complex interrelationships. These children in particular are all ones from unhappy, unpleasant circumstances (abusive homes, homeless, etc.). Although, Jamie was more serious, the depth of his character isn't brought out until the last 50 pages or so. I thought the book focused too much on the action and not enough on the themes (e.g., lack of responsibility of childhood, the pros and cons of growing up).
It wasn't until chapter 12 (part III) where I felt the story picked up the pace and it got to the essences of this retelling. But in the end, I was not surprised. Yes, we all know the actual ending (Jamie becomes Captain Hook), but even before that, I found it pretty predictable, unlike Wicked where even though we know she's destined to be the Wicked Witch of the West, the ending wasn't that predictable.
This book tiptoed around the hinted dark themes of the original story but never adequately devled into them. I wanted more focus on the themes, more questioning responsibility versus freedom, adulthood versus childhood, villains versus heroes, but this book focused more on entertainment that trying to devle into any of these questions. Again, I think Wicked did a better job of exploring those types of questions.
Overall, this book didn't add anything to the original story for me. It lacked the magic that the original story had and sadly, I foresee this being one of those books that I've forgotten I've read....more
While I thought the book started off a bit slow, mainly because I didn't think Aru's voice came across very well through the first chapters, the storyWhile I thought the book started off a bit slow, mainly because I didn't think Aru's voice came across very well through the first chapters, the story did pick up and overall, I enjoyed it.
This is a middle-grade book. Both the main characters are twelve years old, and the story definitely fits that age. For example, Aru refers to the Matrix, which was released in 1999, as an "old movie." So I am clearly not the target demographic. And while there are a few pop culture references (Frozen, of course, is referenced), the book isn't bogged down with them.
What I really enjoyed was experiencing an MC who wasn't the typical Caucasian female character. Aru is of Indian descent and the book centers on Hindu mythology. I know very little about Hindu culture or mythology, so I enjoyed learning something about it. I also appreciated Aru's individual personality, which I found was well developed. At first, I didn't care for her, but she grew on me as her story came out.
I did think the book was a bit long and dragged in parts. But again, I'm not the target demographic and this story wasn't written for me. So that may just be my age showing. Same with the cutesy chapter titles—I think that will appeal more to the target demographic.
Overall, a fun story centering on Hindu mythology. I'm not going to rush out and buy book 2, but I'll definitely check it out of my library at some point. I think middle-grade readers will really enjoy this book....more
Interesting premise with loads of promise—myserious old book, archive librarian, mermaids, traveling carinval, family secrets. Unfortunately, that wasInteresting premise with loads of promise—myserious old book, archive librarian, mermaids, traveling carinval, family secrets. Unfortunately, that was all lost in a lifeless execution.
The story starts out strong, setting up the mystery with the arrival of an old book. Like Simon, I wanted to solve the puzzle, see what the connections were, understand the story. But after a strong start (basically chapter 1), the story becomes slow and dull. I made it to chapter 16, about halfway through, and realized I was forcing myself to read the next line. I skipped to the last chapter, skimmed it, and felt weary that I wasted so much time for such a lackluster ending.
The story jumps back and forth from Simon in the present time to a traveling carinval in the late 1700s. Simon's story is written in first person POV and the other part is third person POV. So it felt awkward switching back and forth.
The characters come across as two-dimensional. No real depth. More like paper figures. Simon in particular is a weak character. I never really understood his motivations and felt his character development was lacking.
Overall, a disppointing read to what I had expected to be a fun, fascinating one. Maybe my expectations were too high. While the writing itself was okay, the story exectuion left much to be desired. DNF'd at 50%....more
Like TPB, this is a fun action-adventure. A YA novel“Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles....”
Like TPB, this is a fun action-adventure. A YA novel with loads of piratey goodness. Overall a fun read except I’m annoyed at the ending because it doesn’t really end, just stops. Clearly there will be a book 2. ...more
A heartfelt, charming fairy tale about a boy named Peter. Kate DiCamillo has a rather magical way of seeing the world and it reflects in her writing—tA heartfelt, charming fairy tale about a boy named Peter. Kate DiCamillo has a rather magical way of seeing the world and it reflects in her writing—the prose was lovely. At its heart, the Magician's Elephant is a story of love, hope, and magic. I cried at the end because it was so beautiful, so perfect. And the illustrations by Yoko Tanaka were, in a word, charming. I would love to see the originals.
Two of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Do you think," she said, "that elephants have names?" "Oh yes," said Sister Marie. "All of God's creatures have names, every last one of them Of that I am sure; of that I have no doubts at all." Sister Marie was right, of course: everyone has a name.
"Magic is always impossible . . . It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between."
I'm not a huge fan of retellings and even less of a fan of YA retellings. And even though this isn't a straight retelling of Disney's The Little MermaI'm not a huge fan of retellings and even less of a fan of YA retellings. And even though this isn't a straight retelling of Disney's The Little Mermaid (yes, it uses more of Disney's version than the original Hans Christian Anderson version], it does reinforce my belief that I'd rather just read the original story.
Overall, the story is okay. It's a fairly easy read (or quick listen in my case). It does lend homage to Anderson by weaving in Danish history, particularly the witch-burning centuries, and mentions several Danish kings, including King Christian IV, who was obsessed with witchcraft. The Øresund Kingdoms did exist and the Øresund strait is a real strait that forms the Danish–Swedish border. The story also mentions the infamous "witch" Maren Spliid, the best-known victim of the witch persecution in Denmark.
But that aside, the story is overly predictable and the character building is weak. Yes, retellings are predictable in that we already know what happened (which is why I rarely read them). But a few authors have given a new life to some stories. Unfortunately here, the author basically took Maguire's formula in Wicked (i.e., villain origin story) and applied it to the Sea Witch but without the incredible prose, developed world, or well fleshed out characters. Here the characters are two-dimensional. The two princes were exchangeable. Okay, sure, one was a bit sweeter and more romantic, which was a nice change. But neither had a definite personality. And then Anna and Evie. The flashbacks were annoying that they kept referring to the girls by their hair color. In particular, Evie could have been such an interesting character, but she fell short. A simple girl loves boy story without getting into the more complex issues of social class and societal expectations that the author danced around but never really addressed.
This story also relies too much on the Disney version (maybe this is a Disney publication, in which case, that's just sad). Some of the dialogue and scenes were pulled right out of the Disney movie., which while I did enjoy, greatly watered down the original. And honestly, the foreshadowing was so in-your-face it was sad. If you went into this story knowing nothing of either the original or the Disney version, it didn't matter because you immediately knew what was going to happen.
So, a fun, easy read (or listen), but nothing new or interesting. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I do love the cover and the narrator, Billie Fulford-Brown, does a good job....more
I picked up A Monster Calls and couldn't put it down. Such a poignant and beautifully written story. I don't have the words to do it justice. And the I picked up A Monster Calls and couldn't put it down. Such a poignant and beautifully written story. I don't have the words to do it justice. And the illustrations by Jim Kay are fantastically wonderful. All I can say is go read it....more