The Kingmaker’s Daughter – Philippa Gregory

Posted on July 29, 2012 by EHL

Little Anne, nearly nine years old, is processing into the throne room at the Tower of London, come to pay her respects to the Queen who will be crowned tomorrow.  She steps forward to make her curtsey and is stunned by the beauty of this woman, and the warmth of her smile.  A smile just for her.  Later she is reprimanded for praising the Queen, for she is Anne Neville, daughter of the most powerful man in England, Richard, Earl of Warwick.  The Earl is most upset with King Edward IV.  He had put Edward on the throne and planned a grand and advantageous marriage for him.  Then Edward secretly married a nobody, Elizabeth Woodville.  Now Anne and all of the Warwicks are expected to dislike the plotting and grasping Queen.

Warwick can’t give up his dream of being the power behind the throne and he considers his daughters, Anne and Isabel, valuable only as instruments to be used for his benefit. The girls are raised to value the welfare of their father and to do his bidding without question.  Isabel is married first, to a contender for the throne.  When Warwick’s attempt to make his son-in-law king fails, little Anne, only 14, is married to another contender.  And the wars continue.

Philippa Gregory first told the story of the reign of Edward IV in The White Queen through the eyes of Elizabeth Woodville. This time she tells it through the eyes of Anne Neville.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the events unfold in another light.  I got out my copy of The White Queen and re-read some passages to see history from both points of view.  I was left wondering just what really happened.  Another excellent historical fiction novel from the prolific author.

Galley review    Publication date 8.14.12

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Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 – Richard Paul Evans

Posted on July 25, 2012 by EHL

Following the common storyline of superpower kids fighting evil, Michael Vey is a very good read for the target audience.   Teen Michael Vey can produce a killer electric shock upon touch, but he is a nice guy.  Often bullied at school, he is caught using his ability to fend off his tormentors.  Cheerleader Taylor sees him and confides that she too has special abilities.  Together with Ostin, their super intelligent sidekick, they discover the reason for their powers and learn that someone is after them.  Evil scientist Hatch is rounding up the electric teens and using their powers to highjack the world.  Fun characters, fast pacing, and plenty of action make this a winner for teens.  The added bonus is that it is good clean fun – no sex, foul language, or drug use.  There is a good deal of violence and torture that comes when evil people mess with electricity.  The sequel will be available on 8.14.2012 – Rise of the Elgen.

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Liar & Spy – Rebecca Stead

Posted on July 23, 2012 by EHL

The author’s award winning style in When You Reach Me is evident in Liar & Spy, but with a more straightforward storyline.  When Georges’ architect father loses his job, the family must simultaneously move into an apartment and deal with the mother’s hospitalization.  At the new apartment, Georges makes a new friend, Safer, who involves Georges in the task of spying on their neighbors.  It is a fun, light-hearted book.  The best part comes at school when Georges learns that “uncool” kids can ban together to become the “cool” kids.  Who determines who is cool and who is not?  Liar & Spy is a quick read and enjoyable.

NetGalley review      Publication date 8.7.12

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Something Strange and Deadly – Susan Dennard

Posted on July 23, 2012 by EHL

I was dreading another zombie novel, and was pleased that this is more about necromancy and the determination of strong characters to fight evil forces.  Against the unique backdrop of the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, the author explains the rules of high society and the value of marrying off daughters to sustain wealth.  Since the death of her father many years earlier, Rachel and her mother strive to maintain the illusion of wealth and have pinned their hopes on the return of her brother from his schooling and travels abroad.  But dear brother has gotten himself mixed up in necromancy.  The Dead are rising and somehow he is involved.  Spirit Hunters have been hired to fight the necromancer who is raising the Dead and Rachel seeks their help in finding her brother.  Rachel is a Victorian era heroine with plenty of determination and quickly learns that whacking the knees of the Dead is the best defense.  A dash of romance spices up the action with more to come in future installments.

Galley review   Publication date 7.24.12

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Before You Go – James Preller

Posted on July 23, 2012 by EHL

A dramatic car accident begins the book.  The story then switches to a teen’s summer job at a fast food place on the beach.  The author spends the first half of the book introducing Jude and his friends and family and explaining the family tragedy that occurred six years earlier – the drowning of Jude’s little sister.  I could see the accident coming – the shift back to the opening scene of the book.  Once again, Jude must deal with the loss of someone so very close to him.  The writing is slow, perhaps in an attempt to weave an introspective book on love and loss and life.  Jude’s character is the most realistic, with his moodiness and actions.  However, Jude’s friends are all a little too perfect.  Corey is the ultimate best friend and Becka is the ultra-understanding and forgiving girlfriend.  The book reads like a pop culture dictionary with so much explaining to references made by Jude.  Best for teens who crave books with a melancholy tone.

NetGalley review   Publication date 7.17.12

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Life Happens Next – Terry Trueman

Posted on July 21, 2012 by EHL

This is the follow-up to the author’s January 2001 Printz Honor Award winning book, Stuck in Neutral.  It helps to read the first book but this novel can easily stand on its own.  I have waited twelve years for this publication and it is well worth the wait.

Shawn McDaniel is a young teen with profound cerebral palsy.  He has a brilliant mind trapped in a body that does not work.  No one knows he is smart – he has no way of communicating.  Shawn is telling his story and shares his positive outlook on life.  He has the most amazing patient, nurturing mother and a protective brother and sister.  His father loves him but couldn’t deal with Shawn’s disability so he makes sporadic appearances with the family.  Debi, an adult cousin with Down ’s syndrome comes to live with them after her parents die.  She brings along her annoying dog, Rusty.  Shawn is terrified of Rusty until one day when Rusty lies protectively on him while he has a seizure.  Debi and Rusty are the only ones who truly see Shawn, that there is someone wonderfully intelligent in the dysfunctional body who is aware of everything.

With characters based on the author’s close family members, the author clearly describes Shawn’s feelings of powerlessness and frustration.  He also provides insight into the behaviors of those with Down’s syndrome.  The brilliance in the writing is that this is not a depressing book; rather it is filled with optimism and a celebration of life.  It is about the daily connections that we make and the need for kindness, empathy, and caring.  Highly recommend!

Galley review    Publication date 8.21.12

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Burn Mark – Laura Powell

Posted on July 21, 2012 by EHL

In modern day England, witch burnings still occur, but now there is a more scientific way to prove someone is a witch.  Bells will give a telltale chime if a witch attempts a hex, and every witch gets a small, purplish mark on their skin when their powers emerge around adolescence.  Contact with special iron materials will stifle a witch’s Fae, their source of power.  Acts of witchery are illegal, so all witches must register themselves within a few days of getting the Fae.  At registration, they receive iron cuffs to stifle their powers. 

Lucas, the son of a prominent government official, realizes he is a witch and immediately registers.  It is then discovered that he is actually one of the most powerful types of witches.  Since the news of an official’s son getting the Fae would be disastrous, Lucas’s abilities are kept secret.  Lucas becomes an undercover agent for WICA.  In this role, he assumes the identity of someone else, and works with an organized crime ring made entirely of unregistered witches.  He befriends Glory, a young witch who only recently obtained her powers too.  Together, they work to uncover vital information about a case, and what they discover will shock everyone.  This paranormal tale intertwines the world of magic with mystery and crime, and the characters grow with plot development.  However, the pacing was slow and tedious.  It will take the patient reader to stick with the story.

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The Unquiet – Jeannine Garsee

Posted on July 20, 2012 by EHL

Rinn’s bipolar disorder has wreaked havoc on her and her family.  Promising to stay on her medication, Rinn and her mother seek a fresh start in her mother’s small home town in Ohio.  Her new school has a ghost, an evil ghost of a girl who was a classmate of her mother.  The ghost seeks vengeance against those who bullied and killed her.  Or is there really a ghost?  Have the voices in Rinn’s head come back so that her psych medications are not working?

This is a rather long YA ghost story and I almost gave up on it because of the catty teen girl characters when Rinn is making friends at her new school.  I had to remind myself that this is a YA novel, not adult, and yes, teens love that type of dialog.  I am so glad I stuck with it.  The pages spent on character introduction were essential so the ghost’s effects on their behavior could be effectively displayed.  All that girl catty chat stops when the killing takes over.  This is one vicious ghost!  The way the author weaves Rinn’s bipolar disorder with the ghost’s influence is magnificent.  Every part of the story pieces together quite perfectly and unfolds at just the right time.  The last quarter of the book flies by – nonstop and the ending . . . eerie!  Highly recommend

NetGalley review    Publication date 7.17.12

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The Red Chamber – Pauline A. Chen

Posted on July 20, 2012 by EHL

In the spring of 1721 Lin Daiyu and her father are nearing the end of the Forty-Nine Days Mourning, keeping vigil beside her mother’s coffin.  A strange man appears, like them, wearing mourning robes of un-dyed hemp.  At first her father doesn’t recognize him, then cries out in surprise.  The man is her mother’s older brother, with whom there has been no contact for many years.  During dinner that evening Uncle Zheng explains that Daiyu’s mother, estranged from her family since her marriage to Lin Ruhai, had written to her brother, requesting that after her death Daiyu be taken north to visit her family.  So over her objections, she was hurried away and transported by barge from Suzhuo to the Jia mansion in Beijing.  There she finds a life of luxury and leisure, living with the extended family in the unmarried women’s compound.   She also finds a life of loneliness and boredom.  And she finds herself in a society where women are regarded as property to be used for the benefit of the family. Her grandmother, Lady Jia, is a domineering, angry old woman and the other young women are quiet and reserved. Her only true friend is Snowgoose, her grandmother’s personal maid.

This new world of wealth and privilege vanish in an instant when the Emperor dies and his successor seeks to destroy those who might be unfaithful to him.  The males in the family are imprisoned.  The women are thrown out of the house with all of their possessions confiscated, and are reduced to living in a tiny apartment, subsisting on the sale of the jewelry they were wearing.

The Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, set in the early eighteenth century, is a massive work with many characters and complicated plot.  In her foreword, Pauline Chen says that she has not attempted to remain faithful to the original plot, but has reimagined the inner lives and motivations of the three major female characters, paying homage to this masterpiece in order to share it with a wider audience.

With an abundance of details, the look into everyday lives of the very wealthy upper class in another time and another culture was fascinating.  The interaction between the characters was complex and thoroughly engaging.  I just loved this book.

Galley review   Publication date 7.10.12

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Sky Dragons – Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey

Posted on July 20, 2012 by EHL

A deadly plague has killed most of the dragons of Pern and without the dragons, there is no defense against the next thread fall.  Trying to save Pern from devastation, a group of dragonriders go back in time led by Xhinna, the first female blue dragonrider, and the first female weyrleader.  They arrive at a deserted island and begin to create a new home where they hope to breed enough new dragons.  There they must fend off the tunnelsnakes that feast on dragon eggs and ferocious Merows that feast on everything.  There are plenty of other obstacles, not the least of which is Xhinna’s struggle to have her authority recognized by the male riders.  And there are babies everywhere.  This is a really fertile bunch.

I didn’t expect this book to be the “old” Pern.  Todd is not Ann. No one is.  Her writing was great, capable of transporting the reader to another world.  He is a competent writer, but his style is different and he doesn’t write with the same color and depth of character.  His books are usually enjoyable, though.  But this book just wasn’t polished . . . there were too many characters popping in and out and I was confused much of the time. There really wasn’t much of a plot. It didn’t add to the lore of Pern, only rehashing the old theme of “timing it” to save the planet.

 NetGalley review    Publication date 6.26.12

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UnWholly – Neal Shusterman

Posted on July 2, 2012 by EHL

Spoiler alert – Please read Unwind first before reading this review.

Unwind, one of my favorite dystopian thrillers, is another masterpiece by Neal Shusterman and so engrossing that I was a tad reluctant to read the sequel in fear of disappointment.  UnWholly is book 2 in The Unwind Trilogy, so there will be another coming.  I will not summarize the book – any attempt at summarizing will take the thrill out of reading the story.  As the middle novel, it continues the storyline without the unique punch in Unwind because the idea of unwinding has already been presented, but it sets everything up to explode in the final book.   Our favorite trio of Connor, Risa, and Lev are back but separated.  The burden of leadership is consuming Connor who has the lives of hundreds of AWOLs to protect.  Risa, stoic as ever, should play an even bigger role in the final book.  I like the growth of Risa and really like her last chapter.  Levi, now Lev, is my favorite; transforming from pious tithe to rebel to unwilling saint and back to rebel.  New characters are introduced and become pivotal.  Cam is so cleverly written, speaking in metaphors.  The inner workings of Starkey’s mind are exposed to reveal how a leader/dictator/? comes into being.  Told from every character’s point of view, even the dead planes, the author nails his craft.  The chapters are short, with the chapter title identifying the character’s point of view, so it the story shifts are easy to follow.  Every character is so well thought out and written without an errant word anywhere.  One character I wish I knew more about is Hayden – really feel for the guy and the position he was in with no right answer, his own Kobayashi Maru (Star Trek reference for you younglings).  Final thoughts – EXCELLENT!  Highly Recommend

Galley review  Publication date 8.28.12

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Monument 14 – Emmy Laybourne

Posted on July 2, 2012 by EHL

This engaging survival, disaster book is also a study of social dynamics and society’s response to catastrophe.  Some rise to the occasion and some fail miserably.  Set in the small town of Monument, Colorado, a sudden massive hailstorm hits with hailstones enormous enough to crash in the school bus roof.  Two school buses are forced off the road and into the parking lot of a superstore (think Walmart) where one crashes yielding casualties and death and the other drives through the closed store doors.   A series of natural disasters have rocked the world throwing the world into mass chaos.  The fourteen grades K-12 surviving students represent many races and social types:  smart, jocks, flirtatious, shy, etc.  The closed superstore creates a safe haven from the storm until mass chaos breaks out.  The nearby biochemical warfare storage unit has sprung a leak releasing gasses that cause hallucinations or extreme violence.  The students have to seal off the air to keep them safe but also closed off from any possible help from the outside.  They elect a leader, develop daily routines and deal with one problem after another.  It’s a good read.  The target audience, teens, will gobble this one up.  The characters are spot on, the dialog is credible, the action is non-stop.  Told from Dean’s perspective, who describes himself as rather wimpy and just average, is an everyday kid who rises to the occasion.  I rooted for NIco, the boy scout at every turn.  In a disaster, turn to the scouts! It is important to suspend belief in many parts of the plot and story.  (The parents head off to the airport without retracing the school bus route and finding their kids?)  It’s fun to think about having the run of a superstore.  Most would behave exactly like the kids in the book do.  Until the older teens discovered the store’s alcohol and pharmacy’s pain medication, this book was perfectly fine for grades 6 and up.  There are some sexual situations but not overly explicit.  Well-written and non-stop, I enjoyed it.

NetGalley review    Publication date 6.5.12

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The Importance of Being Seven: A 44 Scotland Street Novel – Alexander McCall Smith

Posted on July 2, 2012 by EHL

Once again we are provided with a glimpse into the lives of the Edinburgh residents of  Scotland Street, and once again it is a delight, filled with humor and philosophical musings.

Matt and Elspeth are settling into life as newlyweds.  Elspeth is pregnant . . . with triplets!  This naturally requires a move to a larger flat, with all of the attendant problems.  Domenica , Angus and Antonia decide to spend a holiday together in Tuscany.  Cyril, of course, tags along and has a wonderful time.   Pat has reentered the picture and Bruce remains a jerk.  And then there is young Bertie.  Dear, sweet, long suffering Bertie, who is still tormented by his helicopter mother’s constant hovering.   Bertie is longing to be seven, when perhaps, just perhaps, things might change.  He is years to be free of yoga classes, psychotherapy and Italian lessons.  In the meanwhile he manages to take his infant brother, Ulysses, to school for show and tell.  And somehow he misplaces his mother, which causes him to realize that one must be careful what one wishes for.

This is the sixth book in the series, which began as a compilation of daily episodes written for the Scotsman newspaper.  It is helpful to have read the other books, but not necessary.  It’s a sunny, charming book and it makes me smile.

Galley review   US Publication date 8.21.12

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Seraphina – Rachel Hartman

Posted on July 2, 2012 by EHL

A truce between dragons and humans was reached years ago that allows dragons to live amongst humans only when they take a human form.  There are factions of people and dragons that resent the treaty and set plans in motion to bring about another war.  The story opens with the funeral of the prince who was found beheaded when he was out with his hunting party.  His death is blamed on dragons, since biting heads off is rather common way that dragons use to end things.  Seraphina is a talented court musician, something of a prodigy, who hides who she really is.  Her father did not know his wife was a dragon until she died giving birth to Seraphina.  Half breeds are not thought to exist and for Seraphina to acknowledge she is half dragon, an abomination, would be unthinkable.  She teams up with the intense and dashing Prince Lucian to solve the murder and stave off unrest between the races.

Exploring themes of prejudice and bigotry, the story is waylaid with extraneous details (i.e. the different saints), and a maddeningly slow plot.  Seraphina’s mind garden of grotesques that she can communicate with in the real world is difficult to follow.  The last quarter of the book does pick up but it comes much too late.  I never connected with the character of Seraphina.  She is glum.  I am confused about the intended audience as this book requires a great deal of patience to complete.  The book is receiving many favorable reviews but it wasn’t memorable for me.

NetGalley review    Publication date 7.10.12

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Earth Unaware – Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

Posted on July 2, 2012 by EHL

An unusual object is noticed by the spotter on a mining ship, El Cavador, far from Earth in the Kuiper Belt. A few ships manned by families search asteroids for metals in this remote region.  The new object is quite large and moving much faster than normal.  It couldn’t be an alien ship.  Or could it?  Should the El Cavador send this information on to others now or wait until more is known?  Unfortunately, a series of problems keep the message from being sent and now Earth is in danger.

This prequel to Ender’s Game  was a disappointment.   It is basically a space opera with a lot of improbable action. It’s the kind of sci-fi that was written in the 60’s with none of the flavor and nuances I have come to expect from Orson Scott Card.   This is the novelization of the Formic War Marvel comics and doesn’t have the depth found in Card’s past novels.  It remains a comic book, just without the pictures.  Perhaps best for fans of the Formic War comics and ready for a novelization of the story.

NetGalley review   Publication date 7.17.12

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