Review: Best Shot in the West by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack, Jr.

Nat Love, or “Deadwood Dick,” was among the greatest cowboys who ever lived. Daring and dangerous when he needed to be, Nat was a natural at breaking broncs and shooting straight. A freed slave from Tennessee, Nat journeyed west to find work that rewarded his abilities.

A graphic novel, Best Shot in the West, is a dramatized version of Nat’s story mostly adapted from his autobiography. Is this fiction or nonfiction? Nat was a real cowboy. But the author’s note explains they dramatized certain scenes for the sake of the story’s flow. The inside cover describes the book as historical fiction while the Library of Congress subject heading inside says “Biography.” My library has it under Biography as well. It may be that the availability of factual materials on Nat and legends and myths about him make it difficult to create a totally factual story of Nat’s life. Ultimately, I am unsure but still enjoyed the story.

Like comic books, the story and illustrations are broken into panels with speech bubbles and blocks. Illustrator DuBurke’s paintings are muted but dramatically portray cattle stampedes and shootouts. The backgrounds are colorful while people and objects in the foreground are greyish. It’s an interesting technique but sometimes I wanted a clearer picture of people’s faces.

So, we all know that Hollywood tends to skew reality and Wild West films are no exception. But the exact ways that movies skew things may allude us...we know things are inaccurate but we’re not sure how exactly. This is the second book I’ve read about men from the Wild West and they were both African American and had amazing life stories, legends of their time, and  worthy of movies of their own. I would totally watch a movie about Nat Love. While reasons for Indian/Cowboy conflict are alluded to, especially when Nat is captured by an unusual tribe, adults may need to point out the complexities of why Indians conducted raids and why they captured Nat (instead of killing him) as the story is focused only on Nat’s perspective as a loyal cowboy.

Best Shot in the West is a story for kids interested in cowboys, horses, outlaws and crack shots. I recommend this story since it provides an important perspective on what it took to be a cowboy and what type of people cowboys were. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2012     Pages: 133     
Full Title: Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love
Illustrator: Randy DuBurke
Rating: 3.5 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: Lirael by Garth Nix, Read by Tim Curry

“When a dangerous necromancer threatens to unleash a long-buried evil, Lirael and Prince Sameth are drawn into a battle to save the Old Kingdom and reveal their true destinies.” Lirael, the second book in The Abhorsen Chronicles/The Old Kingdom series, begins deep within the mountains of the Calyr (those with the “sight,” who see the future). Lirael is parentless and sightless, an oddity in the Clayr household. She is young, too, only 14 and wants nothing more than to gain the sight.  To take her mind of her shortcomings Lirael takes a position as an 3^rd Assistant Librarian in the Clayr’s massive library.

The commentary on librarians and librarianship is hilarious if somewhat disconcerting to a future librarian. Lirael chooses the profession because she knows she can hide there and avoid people – a perfect job for an odd, quiet girl! Hmm. On the flip side, Lirael looks forward to the adventures she will have in the library when alone there: long forgotten corridors, chained books with protective spells, interesting ancient trinkets and dangerous creatures! Of course, Lirael opens one too many doors and the story really begins.

Lirael’s companion, the Disreputable Dog, is now one of my all time favorite characters. Smart and sassy this K-9 offers comic relief while proffering mysterious insights for Lirael to digest. “Does the walker choose the path or the path choose the walker?”  A dynamic character, the Disreputable Dog is begging for a walk one minute and guiding a dangerous mission the next. “Dog, I want a straight answer. Who or what are you?” asks Lirael. And dog the replies, “I’m the Disreputable Dog! And your friend.” *Watering eyes*

Garth Nix is a great writer. The content is great. He builds a unique but believable world and sets interesting characters in it. He is a great storyteller but also a good writer in a technical and artistic sense, too. He never complicates passages. I’m never stumbling over sentence structure. The diction is good which shows in the dialog and descriptive passages which made my skin tingle as much as they made me laugh. I feel transported in these stories.

I listened to the audiobook (samples) which is read by Tim Curry who did an outstanding job. I was leery at the idea of listening for 15 hours but, wow, it was worth it. I was sad when the end came. I looked forward to listening to Curry’s dynamic voice every day. So much so, in fact, that I drove to the neighboring town and got a library card there so I could check out the third book, Abhorsen, with Curry reading again. (Oddly, my library only owns Lirael in audio format.) Curry booms, leers, whispers, lingers, rushes and pauses in all the right moments making the listening experience theatrical. It’s not over done but done just right. 

Two tiny issues:

1) Notwithstanding Tim Curry’s awesome voice acting, the first two disks of the story had me worried that Lirael was going to be a dud. Lirael spends a great deal of time moping in the beginning. It’s not that she hasn’t cause to mope but I did want to reach into the story and slap her face, tell her to stop obsessing about herself, to stop waiting for things to happen to her and make something happen! Of course, this is exactly what occurs as Lirael grows up (minus the slapping). And when Lirael began her struggle to find her place in the world I began to like her very much.

2) Lirael is not a standalone novel. It’s not that the reader misses too much info from Sabriel to understand what’s going on in Lirael but the ending is very unresolved. Personally, this did not bother me at all since I am enjoying the story. As I am writing this I have already begun the third book (good so far!) and feel as though Lirael and Abhorsen are the same book, really, just cut in half.

If you are a fantasy fan I highly recommend this series. I fully expect I’ll be purchasing these books in some format. Definitely re-reads. Read my reivew of the first book, Sabriel, here.

Publisher: Listening Library, 2002     Duration: 14 hours, 44 mins on 13 CDs
Rating: 5 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: Sabriel by Garth Nix

Sabriel comes from a long line of necromancers. But instead of bringing the dead back to life, the Abhorsen family takes what has come back to life and returns it to death where it belongs. When her father sends a messenger from death bringing Sabriel his bells and sword -- the special tools of a  necromancer -- she knows her quiet life at school has ended. She must enter The Old Kingdom, her place of birth, yet foreign and lurking with danger, if she is to bring her father, trapped in death by an unknown evil, back to life.

Sabriel was a nice treat. It was classic high fantasy with swords and magic yet it was original. I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't think a story about necromancers would be my thing. But I was hooked from the first page. The idea of using bells as a magical tool was new and I enjoyed it. The descriptions were clear and easy to understand which was good because Nix has created a fascinating world with rules of its own. These "rules" are important in fantasy as they help build the setting and if you're going to bother writing fantasy then the creation of the world is very very important so you better do it right. And Nix does. The descriptions of the necromancer passing between life and death were nothing short of awesome.

The characters were interesting, too. I liked Sabriel. She was hard core and did not become obsessed with the romantic male figure. I appreciated that the focus of this book was not on a romantic relationship but an awesome story. It was refreshing. The secondary characters and villains were engrossing, too. I liked Mogget -- the magical being bound in a cat's body. It's sounds silly, I know, but Nix carries it off. 

Sabriel is a unique and adventurous tale sure to please teenage fantasy fans. This is some of the better storytelling I've come across in YA fiction in a very long time. Don't miss it! 

Publisher: Eos, 2004     Pages: 311
Rating: 5 Stars     Source: Public Library

Review: Redheart by Jackie Gamber

Redheart is an adventure story for fantasy readers who enjoy foreign lands and mythical creatures. It’s a soaring tale about outsiders who find friendship in each other. I enjoyed how several characters are connected in ways they are unaware but must figure out. It added a bit of mystery. My favorite characters were Kallon and the dragon hunter who must learn to work together even though they hate each other.

Summary: “Kallon Redheart lives with his back turned on his fellow dragons, on humans, and on everything he once understood. Riza Diantus is a young woman with dreams too wide to fit inside her village fence. Their unexpected friendship is risky in Leland Province, where drought has stripped the land and superstition has cowed its people. And the danger only grows. Fordon Blackclaw, Dragon Council Leader, resents Leland's time-worn venur system. He has inflamed tensions between dragons and humans to the brink of war. He wants to trample humans into utter submission, or wipe them off the face of the land. Anger erupts, scorching innocent lives in its path. When Riza is threatened, Kallon is the only one with the power to save her. But first, he must confront his past and the future he stopped believing in. He must claim his destiny." 

Much of the story is revealed through characters’ verbal interactions. While characters must interact I wished the third-person narrator would have narrated more of the story to keep the plot moving. This is probably just my reading preference, though. The age of the characters was a bit ambiguous but to me they all felt like adults. While some parts, like the dragon interactions, felt like a young adult novel, others, like Riza's interactions with the much older dragon hunter (though rather innocent), felt out of place. So, I had trouble determining what age range this book is for.

Redheart is the first in a series yet stands well on its own as a single read. If you’re looking for an adventure story or know someone who loves reading about dragons and magical kingdoms Redheart may be what you’re looking for.

Publisher: Seventh Star Press, LLC., 2011     Pages: 294

Rating: 2.5 Stars     Source: Free from publisher. Thanks, Seventh Star!

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Collins did a fabulous job! What a great ending to The Hunger Games trilogy. The plot had many little unexpected moments that thrust Katniss into difficult situations. I felt the secondary characters really came to life in Mockingjay. They all had important roles to play. The love triangle endures until the choice becomes clear to Katniss who, finally able to let the “act” drop for the cameras, can make up her own mind. I think she made the right choice.

I feel like I need to defend Katniss, our heroine. I know most people enjoyed Mockingjay but I’ve seen a few reviews of some who didn’t like it. They thought there was not enough gore or that Katniss became weak and allowed herself to be bullied. I didn’t find either circumstance to be true, especially the later.

What I liked about Mockingjay:

***************************Mild Spoiler Alert*****************************

-It gave a fairly realistic look at what happens to someone who goes through a traumatic experience. The truth is, that unless one is cold hearted, then killing someone, even in self-defense, is going to affect a person. Also, knowing someone you love is in constant danger is hard to cope with. I’ve been a military wife. I know what I’m talking about. But I can’t imagine having to watch someone I love be used and abused.

-When you’re sick physically, emotionally and psychologically it is easier to be taken advantage of. Even if Katniss had been unscathed by her circumstances it still would be difficult to know who to trust and how to act. What was a 17 year old to do? Spit in the face of district 13 who gave her people shelter just because she had suspicions? I don’t think so. 

******************************End Spoiler*********************************

Throughout the series, but especially in Mockingjay, I liked the focus on media. Almost as much as on the battle field, the war for the districts is waged on television. Katniss’ appearances on T.V. cause the balance of power to rock back and forth. The Fourth Estate, the watchdog, a.k.a. the media, is supposed to watch out for the interests of Everyman. But who’s watching the watchdog? I like the opportunities this series gives 

kids to think of larger issues in our society. 

Publisher: Scholastic, 2010           Pages: 390

Rating: 5 Stars                                 Source: I won this book from The Nerd’s Wife! Thanks!

Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

You know you’ve caught the Flare when:

• Your thoughts are hard to focus
• You aren’t afraid to drop 30 feet to the ground
• You’ve forgotten why you ever wanted to escape the Scorch

Thomas and the Gladers left the Maze only to begin another round of trials by WICKED (World in Catastrophe Killzone Experiment D). If you thought The Maze Runner was exciting then you won’t be disappointed with The Scorch Trials.

As Thomas’ memories slowly come back he figures out he is more connected to WICKED than he ever knew. The mind games keep the Gladers in a constant state of confusion and cause Thomas to question everything he knows about himself and his friends. To top it off, the Gladers are informed they have a disease known as the Flare which causes people to lose their minds and slowly mutate into zombie-like creatures known as cranks.

The cranks were creepy and not your typical zombies. Some of the not quite full-blown cranks are still able to talk and groups of cranks roam together in groups according to the stage of the disease. Definitely creepy. As was the setting. Dashner does a good job describing the crispy, sun-baked Scorch which the Gladers must travel across. Some of the descriptions were a little gruesome. This is a violent book. People get hurt and die which only adds to the mystery surrounding WICKED’s intentions.

Like Thomas, I never knew exactly what was going on, who to trust or what to expect. The only thing you can expect is that WICKED is going to run its experiments on the Gladers and will stop at nothing to get the data it’s looking for. I’m with Thomas – how can WICKED by good (no pun intended)? I’m really looking forward to the third book to find out what the trials are all about and how Thomas and Teresa are connected to it all. So, no you won’t get any definitive answers in this book – just the kind of answers that make you ask more questions.

As with the first book, The Scorch Trials is fast paced. Each chapter is short, only 3-5 pages long and ends with a teaser making it a good book for reluctant readers. The prose is fairly simple and linear but the plot is interesting and exciting. Dashner knows how to create suspense. It was the perfect book while I was busy in school and needed something fun to read.

The Scorch Trials is book two in the Maze Runner Trilogy.

Publisher: Delacorte, 2010.     Pages: 368       Recommended Age: 13 and up

Rating: 4 Stars                           Source: IC Public Library

Review: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Dystopian literature is a unique genre. It is often a subcategory of fantasy or science fiction which is right up my alley. I’ve always been drawn to “make believe” since I was a kid. It was a place where you could be more and do more. Add a backwards society on top of that other-worldly experience and you’ve got yourself one unique dystopia. In Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker, The Island of Doctor Moreau meets Pirates of the Caribbean to explore a bleak future of an unprepared people.

In Nailer’s world, the oil is gone and the “accelerated age” with it. With the addition of severe global warming, North America as we know it is forever altered. We find Nailer, a teenage boy on the light crew, stripping grounded oil tankers of wiring and staples by shimmying through ducts. When he finds a grounded clipper ship, a fast high-tech boat owned by the wealthiest “swanks,” Nailer thinks he’s struck the luckiest scavenge strike of all time. But its cargo proves to be even more valuable than the ship and extremely dangerous.

Nailer is faced with many moral and ethical dilemmas. As is the case is real life, answers are not always clear cut. What if no one would ever know about your decisions? What if you could help someone but it meant betraying someone you cared for? Nailer’s belief in loyalty, trust and family is constantly challenged. Through swamps and shanties, over ocean in luxury boats that fly, Nailer scavenges for a new life out of the rubble around him.

There was a lot of action going on but not enough focus on any one theme or relationship. I could appreciate the writing but the third person narration was a little flat for me. I was never caught up in the read or held on edge. I could see what was coming and the journey wasn’t interesting enough to make up for my foreknowledge. That being said, I do think young teenagers, especially boys, might be drawn to this book. It’s a rough and violent world Nailer lives in so be ready for a colorful cast and carnage. Although not particularly memorable for me, Ship Breaker was a fast and fun read.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2010     Pages: 326     Source: IC Public Library
Rating: 3 Stars     Recommended Age: 14 and up

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Who needs college when we have Rick Riordan to educate and entertain us?

My husband took a college course this summer called “Classical Mythology” and he kept coming home boring me to death with ancient stories of gods’ family abuses, murders and intrigues. I took a course awhile back in which we read Homer’s The Odyssey, The Oresteian Trilogy by Aeschylus (great plays, btw), and three plays by Euripides (which I also enjoyed). I even “stared” as the evil Medea in a classroom performance (in which my American Girl dolls, Samantha and Molly, played my dead babies. I dressed them in “togas” from pillow cases).

While the original Greek stories are full of drama, drama, drama The Lightning Thief offers a lighter approach to classical myths. While not a parody, The Lightning Thief was actually pretty funny.

I enjoyed Percy’s point of view as a 13-yr-old struggling with ADHD and dyslexia who finds out he’s a demigod – a child with one mortal and one immortal parent. He winds up at Camp Half-Blood (for demigods) to find himself in the middle of a family feud between the gods on Olympus. He accepts a dangerous quest to put things straight and to clear his name of theft.

Along his journey, that spans the continental United States, Percy encounters several mythological characters including Medusa (avert your eyes!), Ares (god of war), Hades (god of the Underworld) and my favorite scene of the book was with Procrustes (“The Stretcher”). Riordan brings these ancient characters into the 21st century in surprisingly clever ways while remaining true to the gods’ traits. The Greek gods are known for acting selfishly, constantly making mistakes on a colossal scale, and they are still at it in Riordan’s book.

This is a great adventure story for kids while teaching them about mythology. Why bother with Greek mythology at all? Our own society, or “Western civilization,” borrows much from the ancient Greek. From language to architecture, story-telling to mathematics, philosophy on education to government, our shared “Western” culture has been built on the work of many Greek thinkers. These myths investigate human qualities they thought were important – human qualities taken to extremes by gods, heroes and anti-heroes in order to test, if only hypothetically through story-telling, humanity’s potential strengths and weaknesses. This is just one reason why Greek stories are so interesting and still relevant.

Riordan’s story offers the best of Greek mythology. It tells us enough about a myth without revealing the often sexual/brutal natures of these myths. The book mentions that gods have affairs with mortals and sometimes between the gods. This is as racy as the book gets. I don’t think it’s any shocker to kids these days that some adults have affairs or how they complicate life.

Percy thinks he’s just a “mistake” to his immortal father (I teared up when he thought this). Other “half-bloods” struggle fitting in with step-family members. I think children occasionally feel, if only for brief moments, that they don’t belong in their family. In this way, I think any kid can identify with Percy and his desire to find “family.”

Other themes in this book are friendship (I loved Grover!), trust, betrayal and self-confidence. All around, this was a fun read. I really enjoyed the mythology and the story was original and captivating. I recommend readers be at least 9 (the vocab may challenge them but shouldn’t hinder their reading pleasure. However, plot twists may throw them). Readers may wish to keep a “glossary” of Greek names since they can be hard to keep track of. I was surprised there wasn’t one in the book.
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2005     Pages: 377     Source: Purchased from Amazon
Rating: 4.5 Stars     Recommended Age: 9 and up

Review and Giveaway: Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Sapphique is the sequel to Incarceron (my review), an epic fantasy by Catherine Fisher. I read Incarceron a couple months ago and really enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to read more about Finn the cell-born, Claudia the proud aristocrat, Jared the wise, Keiro the “oath brother,” and Attia the “dog-slave” girl not to mention the plotting Warden and the conniving Queen of the Realm.

Things don’t look good for those trapped in the heinous intestines of the world’s largest prison. Will the Queen win and obliterate Incarceron, damning its inhabitant? Or will Incarceron triumph and take total control. Where is the Warden? Where are the Keys? Does Escape exist? Who is this legendary hero, Sapphique? Does Finn even know who he is? Will Keiro’s bravado help or make things worse? If you’ve read Incarceron you’re probably dying to know the answers.

The characters are well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them more. Without his oath-brother’s presence, Finn is given the chance to step-up and prove himself. It was interesting to watch his development from tortured soul to commanding heir.

Claudia matures as she learns to see life through others’ eyes. She understands more fully that ending Protocol, the enforced low-tech aristocratic society, will mean her fall from luxury.

A new figure makes an appearance in the prison, the Enchanter. His role threw me a little and here’s why: I enjoyed the rational, “scientific” explanations for how the prison works and for how the Realm is run. As with most science fiction, there are devices that do amazing things – time travel, space travel, etc. – and the reader just accepts that they work, ya know? And I could accept how gadgets work in Fisher’s books, too. But the Enchanter brings the element of magic. Is it real, are we supposed to believe it’s real?

Mild Spoiler Alert: The asterisks below signal a spoiler-free zone.

Especially at the end, the explanations and loose ends were tied up with magic. I felt this was a cop-out and wanted what I had come to expect, a more “scientific” explanation if you will, for all the answers.

****************************************************

Ultimately, Sapphique was entertaining and a must read if you’ve read the first book. It did take awhile for me to become interested in the story again. But about half way through I began tearing up the pages to find out what the heck was going to happen! There are enough twists to keep things interesting. If you liked Graceling or enjoy fantasy with a sci-fi feel to it you might like these books, too.

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books, 2008 (UK version)     Pages: 470     Source: I won this book!

Rating: 3.5 Stars     Recommended Age: 12 and up

 

I'm giving Sapphique away to one lucky winner in the U.S. Click HERE to fill out an entry form!

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire, book two in The Hunger Games trilogy, captured my attention right away and I was gripped by the story for the entire read. A couple times I had to put the book down for a second, look up at my husband and gasp “No way!” to which he looked at me confused and then I went back to reading. This is a seriously entertaining series. If you haven’t begun The Hunger Games yet, you really need to.

Katniss and Peeta survived the brutal Hunger Games only to become unwitting symbols of resistance to the Capitol. The Districts have become increasingly disgruntled by the Capitol’s abuses. And Katniss’ refusal to be a pawn in the arena has sparked a fire that neither she nor Peeta can control. The Capitol hits hard in retaliation in an attempt to control “the girl on fire.” My reivew of the first book can be found here.

The characters developed nicely in the sequel. I liked getting to know more about Haymitch, District Twelve’s only other survivor/victor of the Games and Katniss and Peeta’s mentor. We really get to see why he has turned to alcohol and also, why he has learned to care so much about Katniss and Peeta and vice versa. We get to see Katniss’ mother more as she springs to action (remember she was mostly depressed and defunct in the first book). I liked seeing the mother daughter relationship being healed. And we see more of Gale’s family so, even while Gale is often absent, we learn more about him through his family.

There’s just as much action and adventure in book two. Things get violent as the Capitol closes in. You can feel the stress riddling the characters. It’s only a matter of time before the spark turns into a fire. As usual, I enjoyed Katniss’ strong personality. She deals with events as best she can. She’s a little head-strong but that’s definitely a quality needed for survival.

The romance between Katniss and Peeta, a forced pretense on her part for survival and genuine on his part, becomes even more complicated. How should she feel about the boy responsible for saving her life? But then there’s her best friend Gale? Oh, dear. I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m voting for Peeta. I reserve the right to change my mind. Lol. The romance is still rather innocent but they do get close and kiss often for the cameras. My slight concern for young readers is Katniss’ melt-down when she gets drunk one night. It’s not something she’s proud of and doesn’t happen again. But adults may want to mention that Katniss’ behavior here is not normal and that alcohol didn’t help her at all to solve her problems. This is a very small incident in the book and I wouldn’t let it stop adults from letting kids read it.

The writing is written with the same POV as the book one – in first person, present tense from Katniss’ perspective. As with the first book, it took be a few pages before I adjusted to the writing style but it was less of a problem for me in book two. Overall, I think Collins is a great young adult writer. I can’t wait for Mockingjay’s release in August!
Publisher: Scholastic, 2009     Pages: 400     Source: U of Iowa Libraries
Rating: 5 Stars     Recommended Age: 13 and up

Goop Soup: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie book 3 by David Lubar

Nathan Abercrombie, fifth grader, is in training to be a super-spy. But will he complete his training in time to save the city from a dangerous and subversive terrorist group? As if saving the world isn’t difficult enough, Nathan must cope with being a zombie, the living-dead. For everyone’s safety, he must keep this and his spy activity a secret from his watchful parents.

This is totally the kind of book I would have devoured as a kid. I adored The Magic School Bus books and in many ways, Goop Soup reminds me of the former series expect Goop is for an audience willing to read text with no pictures. Science abounds in Goop Soup as Nathan and his friends Mookie and girl-genius Abigail come up with solutions to world-crushing problems. Don’t have a temperature because you’re dead? No problem. Chemistry is here to the rescue. With a little help from BUM, the spy agency that has recruited Nathan, and his trusty friends, there is no problem that a little scientific research can’t solve.

I’m encouraged to see a new (to me) series that will excite kids about the sciences. I think it’s important for youngsters to know that science is something they can do and can be fun, not just a bunch of hard work.  And I think Lubar’s new book does that.

In the back of the book there is a Reader’s Guide with some excellent questions. Some require kids to do a little research while others involve written responses like poems and letters. Geesh, they were even fun for me to think about. I think Goop Soup will appeal to both boys and girls who like science or who are looking for an adventurous story. I definitely recommend this book to parents of young readers.

Publisher: Starscape, 2010      Pages: 176       Recommended Age: 9-12

Rating: 5 Stars                           Source: received for free from the author. Thanks, Mr. Lubar!

P.S. I really did like this book and receiving the text in no way influenced my rating. 
Check out David Lubar's website for info on his books, humor and more!

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

It’s hard for me to believe this book took three years before it emerged in the U.S. market. But I’m glad it’s here now. I hope it gets popular because I enjoyed this story and want to hear more about what other readers thought.

Claudia has prepared all her life to marry the prince. But as the wedding day approaches, the aloofness of her father, the Warden, and certain rumors spur Claudia to action. Questions must be answered. Finn, a cell-born without father or mother, scared and alone, is released into the world of Incarceron – a vast prison system, dark and dangerous, a great experiment gone wrong.

I totally read for plot. It usually can’t be helped but this time I became engrossed by the all the elements of plot. The exposition, setting and intro material about characters, etc, pulled me in. This is hard to accomplish. I usually can’t wait to get to the middle of a story and become worried that I’m wasting my time. There’s a lot of action and intrigue in the first few pages so I had no problem getting into it. The raising climax was nail biting. Where is the prison? How is it controlled? How is it that no one gets in or out? The climax is fairly predictable. We’re set up to know what to expect. And then, for the most part, it happens. But the resolution was great. I wasn’t sure about the prison’s location but at least one of my theories was in the ball-park. And I didn’t see the last bit coming (I don’t want to give anything away but it was a gasp moment). I am so excited I won a copy of the sequel, Sapphique (available this Dec. in the U.S.), because I am really intrigued by the futuristic society and the prison. I want to see how Claudia and Finn attempt to achieve their goals.

Let’s talk prose. Fisher uses third person narration in Incarceron and it works very well as she alternates between the two worlds. I enjoyed the “quotes” at the beginning of each chapter that were bits of Incarceron legend or the gossipy private letters between characters that are full of intrigue. This story is set in a technologically repressed future (creating a "high fantasy" feel) and a couple times I found the dialog sounds a bit too “today.” But it’s not a big deal and is probably just me being picky. However, there were some times I got lost. The descriptions can be hard to interpret. With a re-read I usually got what was going on. This is the only real drawback to this book. Nonetheless, I didn’t find they stopped me from wanting to continue. Incarceron is a fast read that reminded me of The Hunger Games. Both are fantasy set in the future, they feature a good dose of violence and action but, oddly, remain very innocent. I think the story is ok for younger readers but they may have difficulty with some of the tricky descriptions. But that doesn’t mean younger  kids (or adults) wouldn’t enjoy Incarceron. I sure did!

Publisher: Dial, 2010 (originally in G.B. in 2007)     Pages: 442
Rating: 4.5 Stars     Recommended Age: 12 and up    Source: IC Public Library

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army. - Scalzi 9

These are the opening words to Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, a science-fiction novel wherein humans compete with extra terrestrials for inhabitable planets. If you like action and adventure you’ll get it here since colonizing the universe incurs a lot of conflict. The colonizing officials find it expedient to recruit earth’s elderly, with life experience to draw from and nothing left to lose, and transform them into battle-ready soldiers. These recruits have no idea what they’re in for, literally, as earth is under an information quarantine. John Perry is one such recruit and this novel tells his native-earthling-turned-super-space-soldier story.

Scalzi has an abundant sense of sarcasm which is injected into John’s Perry’s first-person narration that I found amusing. The humor kept an otherwise serious colonial commentary feeling lighthearted and fun to read. The characters were great, especially some of the minor ones. There’s sort of a love story here but it’s secondary to the main plot. Speaking of which, it took awhile before the main conflict is revealed but it wasn’t a drawback for me. I was so engrossed in Perry’s transformation and his training that I didn’t get bored wondering what it was all pushing towards. I saw the end “twist” coming but it was still a great ending and was not disappointing for having figured how things would end. Scalzi’s descriptions of planets, aliens and technology were sufficient and enjoyable for me. If things get real technical I tend to get lost and bored. This was not the case with Old Man’s War. Overall, this was a fast and fun read. If you’ve never visited Scalzi’s blog check it out here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/. If you’re not into science-fiction you’ll find he posts on a lot of topics, book-ish and more.

Publisher: Tor, 2005     Pages: 320     Source: IC Public Library

Rating: 3.5 Stars           Recommended Age: 17 and up for language and sexuality

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

Fantasy or science fiction? In many ways, Graceling is classic fantasy. Cashore creates a new world, The Seven Kingdoms, and provides a map to help you keep your bearings. I never felt lost and the imaginary world isn’t very different from North America, but I enjoyed The Seven Kingdoms anyways. It’s a time before electricity with lots of dark tunnels and sword fighting. There are no wizards or elves but gracelings, individuals born with enhanced abilities, easily identified by their eyes. The ability aspect reminds me of X-men which is considered science fiction. But there’s nothing else particularly scientific about this story. I think it’s safe to say Graceling is fantasy that will appeal to fans of science fiction.

Cashore’s writing style was easy, fluid and fun to read. I would call this “light” reading but it wasn’t exactly childish either. It’s a nice medium between adult and children’s prose. The story is pretty captivating, starting in medias res, with a lot of action, secret councils and life-saving missions. I liked Katsa, the sixteen-year-old girl who struggles with the nature of her grace (aka ability) to kill. The violence she commits weighs her down and she wrestles with controlling her grace and not letting her grace control her. She’s a strong individual with an independent spirit which leads her to be rather stubborn at times. I liked that she wasn’t perfect and that she makes some mistakes. This book made me think about how I use my abilities. Some people are smart, good at making friends, financially successful, etc. but do we use our abilities to serve ourselves or those around us? In her youth, Katsa is manipulated but as she matures she learns that only she decides what her grace will be used for. There are some twists, dark secrets and, of course, a quest to set things right!

Causes for concern: These are reasons why my age rec. is so high. There are some mentions about menstruation (this doesn't really bother me but it's there). Katsa and her boyfriend have sex on several occasions (there isn’t much detail but there is an oh-so-convenient birth-control herb which seemed silly). Katsa is adamant that she will not marry and (this is what really bugged me) is willing for her bf to be unhappy so that she can be fulfilled. There is a lot of violence and descriptions of Katsa killing people. Just some things for parents to know and to talk about with young readers.

I enjoyed the story overall and am interested in reading the sequel, Fire. Check out the author’s blog: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/
Publisher: Graphia, Houghton Mifflin, 2008    
Rating: 3 Stars                                                         Source: IC Public Library            Pages: 471

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Stranded in the Canadian wilderness, thirteen-year-old Brian overcomes physical and psychological challenges in order to survive. Hatchet is fast-paced with short chapters making it a good choice for reluctant readers. The prose is simple and often repeats itself – the end of phrases being echoed in Brian’s mind. The repetition was frustrating for me and got in the way of enjoying the story. But this is likely a matter of personal preference. The fact that, not only does Brian survive, but he does very well by himself, with only shoe strings and a hatchet is rather unbelievable. That’s an adult talking. Every thirteen-year-old knows he or she is perfectly capable of doing just what Brian does. And that’s the magic of reading – a suspension of beliefs or seeing your “true” self reflected in the character. In the end, I enjoyed Hatchet and recommend it for late elementary/ early middle school students.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 1987     Recommended Age: 10 +
Source: IC Public Library                         Pages: 195
Rating: 3 Stars

Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon

At once, Chabon’s prose transports you over a thousand years into the past to a world of swordsmen and swindlers. If the text seems verbose, that’s because it is and the prolific use of virtually unknown and archaic words may get you down (especially we younger folk). My advice, just go with it and stop reaching for the dictionary. By page forty, many of the terms became self-explanatory and I enjoyed the story without worrying about them. And as far as the story goes, it’s great – a true adventure tale that reminds me of The Hobbit without the fantastic dragon. Don’t get me wrong, Gentlemen is historical fiction and not fantasy. But two unlikely friends, on the road in search of glory and fortune, do remind me of hobbits and dwarfs in Tolkien’s story. I’ve read Chabon’s short story collection, Werewolves in Their Youth (which I didn’t care for), but Gentlemen is completely different. It’s got plenty of humor, fight scenes, elephants and a twist I didn’t see coming. Chabon’s style is elegant and his recreation of a lost era masterful.
Rating: 3 stars                          Pages: with afterword, 204
Publisher: Del Rey Books Trade Paperback Edition, copyright 2007
Source: Barnes and Noble     More on this author at: http://www.southwestern.edu/library/writers-voice/chabon.html