Loved the book...

...but hated the ending! I just finished Trapped by Michael Northrop. If you got deja vu reading that sentence, it might be because Gentlemen, the book I just reviewed was also written by Michael Northrop.

 

I usually like to space out books by the same author, but that just didn't happen this time. Regardless, I liked this book more than Gentlemen, but I felt so cheated by the ending. The premise of this book is that seven students get trapped in their High School when a Nor'easter of unprecedented strength blows through their town. This book is taut and suspenseful, but I feel like the author could have done so much more with the story, plot and characters. Maybe sparseness is just his style. Hm. Actually having to use my imagination to fill in the gaps :) say it ain't so! I think the book could have been twice the length, easy. Despite these flaws, I would still recommend this novel. It would be a great choice for a book club, there is so much to debate and discuss.                           

Reba goes Graphic!

Finally! I'm happy to say that I have just read my very first Manga book! What series did I dive into, you might ask? Well, I just finished One Piece, Volume 1: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda. And you know what? It wasn't that bad! I won't lie, it took me awhile to get used to reading backwards, and from right to left, but I managed. I will admit though, that I had already seen some of the Anime of One Piece, so I was able to follow the story along easier than I normally would have. And you know what else? I might actually read Volume 2!

A Long Way Gone...

Over vacation, I also finished A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. While this was a touching, albeit disturbing memoir, I felt like it could have gone much deeper. There were times, and scenes, where feelings and emotions were raw, but I still felt like a lot was also glossed over. I wanted to know more about the narrator Ishmael, and his mental and physical journey. Beah goes from being a 12-year old, happy boy who loves music and rap, to a child soldier, hopped up on drugs and killing with a fierceness and savageness, spurred on by the will to live and revenge for what happened to his family and his village. Can you blame me for wanting to know more about the boy who was strong enough to live through this and tell the tale?

This book should be a must-read for several reasons, but mostly for a reminder of how lucky most of us are, and to learn to appreciate everything we have. I would recommend this book to older readers, the descriptions of violence and war can be graphic and brutal, but never inappropriate. They are a necessary component to the book, if we are to ever understand a fraction of what life was like in Sierra Leone during their Civil War. This book certainly puts things into perspective, while shedding light on a Global issue that should not be ignored or swept under the rug. 

It's Official! I would make a horrible boy...

So, I did it. I read a "boy book." It was called The Gentlemen by Michael Northrup. A male author, a manly name...and male characters...what more could I ask for? Well, maybe a book that I liked. Ouch, I know, that's kind of harsh. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. (OK, a quick aside...by now you all know about my obsession with book covers. No lie, it took me forever to realize that the boy on the cover was in a body bag. To borrow a Ron Weasley quote, "How thick can you get?")

Back to the story, this book focuses on four friends, Micheal, Tommy, Mixer and Bones, who excel at underachieving. After an altercation with a teacher, Tommy goes missing, and what follows is a suspenseful story that spirals towards disaster. I will admit, as I read this I was anxious and wanted to know what really happened to Tommy, and I found myself wondering how far Micheal, Mixer & Bones would go to find out the truth. This is an unsettling book, that doesn't give any easy answers, but overall, it fell flat for me. I'm not giving up though. In fact, I'm about to start Trapped, which is by the same author. You know I'll keep you posted!   

Need...Captivate...Entice...

Sigh. I'm a victim of my own obsession. Young Adult series with amazing covers.

When will I ever learn? But I'm weak. Can you blame me though? Check out this cover..

....the story? Yeah. Not as amazing as the cover. This is the third in the Need series by Carrie Jones. I felt like I was reading this book just to wrap it all up, and because I had already read the first two. The worst part? Total cliffhanger ending. I just have this feeling that there is going to be a fourth book. Advice? If you haven't started this series, don't. Unless you absolutely love paranormal romance and can't get enough. The featured paranormal "species"  in this series are Pixies. But fear not, fairies and weres make appearances too. Oh yeah, and a ghoul. Excellent. Vampires can't be too far behind.....

...In the Middle...

Once again...too many books, too little time. I've started A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah. This book has been on my radar for a very long time, and I have to thank one of my students, Cameron for finally getting me to read it. He needs to read it for a class, so we made a deal that we would read it at the same time. It's a very moving, intense book, and is making me very thankful for everything that I have.

I've also started Entice by Carrie Jones. It's the third and final book in the Need Trilogy.

In my queue....I currently have these books either checked out or on hold. Thank God vacation is next week! Trapped by Michael Northrop, Chime by Franny Billingsley, When the Game was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood by Stephen Puleo, The Creative Collection of American Short Stories, Gentlemen by Michael Northrop and Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. Yikes! Let's see how long it takes me to read them all!

How Mysterious....

I love a good mystery. I watched Murder She Wrote religiously (I still love watching repeats!) and I got hooked on Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, The Three Investigators, Trixie Belden, The Bobbsey Twins, Agatha Christie, you name it. If it was a mystery, I read it. So I just finished Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely. This is not really a Young Adult novel, but mystery lovers of any age would enjoy this book. In case you couldn't guess by the title, it was Inspired by Pride and Prejudice. The two main characters, Elizabeth and her Aunt Winnie are big Jane Austen fans. Aunt Winnie has just opened a B&B on the Cape and is hosting a Murder Mystery Dinner for New Year's Eve. Well, you guessed it. Instead of the staged murder by a troupe of professional actors, a guest at the party is really killed. What follows is a super fun mash-up of traditional whodunit featuring the usual suspects, with a dash of literary references thrown in for good measure. While there is nothing new or mind-blowing about this book, it's a fun read for fans of mystery.

Loved the title, liked the cover...did not love the book. It was OK. That's the perfect description of this book. Just OK. It was an easy, quick read; perfect for the beach or pool. The title character, Megan Meade is likeable enough, but the whole plot device to get her living with the McGowan boys in question was weak. She's an Army Brat who is sick and tired of moving. So, when her mom & dad get deployed to South Korea, she puts her foot down. Her whole reason for not wanting to move to South Korea was that she didn't want to leave her friends, school and sports behind. Yet, she ends up moving to another state anyway, to live with her dad's friends and their seven boys. Um, hello? How is that not leaving your friends, school & sports and life behind? But whatever. I was willing to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the book. And that's kind of what you have to do to enjoy this book. Just accept it for what it is, and don't look for deeper meaning.

April Fools Indeed

OK, Mother Nature. You win. You are the Queen of April Fools jokes. Snow, again? Really? Boo! I'm so ready for Spring! OK, enough about the weather. Let's talk about Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. I finally finished it!! (Great cover, hm?)

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved the March sisters, Rosie & Scarlett (the 2 main characters). They were feisty, strong heroines, but portrayed very realistically, struggling with feelings of guilt, loss, fear and love. In this retelling of Red Riding Hood, the wolves are called Fenris, and can cloak themselves as attractive men, the easier to lure young, unsuspecting girls in with charm and good looks. Rosie & Scarlett excel at pretending to be these young, unsuspecting girls, and once cornered, turn into fierce warriors. There is a lot of violence and fighting, but fear not, there is also some love and romance. There is one big plot twist, and I don't like to brag, but I totally guessed what it was. Go me! I don't want to say too much more, of give anything away, but if you like fast-paced adventure books with great characters, you will love this!

P.S.- I almost forgot-library shout out; A major part of the book was research done in the library. Hooray for libraries! Thanks Jackson Pearce!