Audio Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: Caedmon
Release Date: Aug 22, 2006
Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: Meh.  Boring imagery - doesn't do the book justice.

Review: What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said?  I was never forced to read it while in school (or university), but it has remained on my list of classics to read.  To be honest, I knew very little about it prior to starting, but I can now see why it has become a staple in so many classrooms.  The writing style is fluid and prose beautiful, without being inaccessible for today's students.  The historic setting transports the reader to a slower time that is often looked upon with nostalgia and longing.  However, the subject matter soon turns and reveals the dark underbelly of this society.

The part about this novel that I truly loved was its characters.  Scout has an incredible voice and she interjects a wonderful sense of humor to a plot that would otherwise have gotten far too serious for young readers.  The author managed to write a child that is precocious, innocent and most importantly - believable.  The adult characters are also wonderfully drawn, with strengths and flaws

The audio version of this book was fantastic for my traffic-ridden commute.  The pace was slower than many of the other books I have listened to and the prose flowed like smooth chocolate - which worked very well to keep me calm, I must admit.  Sissy Spacek was an great choice as narrator and she did a wonderful job of embodying the voice of Scout.

I truly enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird, and it has inspired me to seek out other classic YA in audiobook format.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Discussion of Rape
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Audio Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Listening Library
Release Date: Dec 2, 2010
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is cute, but pretty typical of YA romance novels.  Not something that would grab my attention on a shelf. 

The Gist: Anna has been sent to Paris against her will.  Her father has signed her up for a year at the School of America in Paris.  There she meets Etienne, suave, charming and ... taken.  As they grow closer, Anna learns about friendship, desire and love.

Review: Anna and the French kiss is one of those books that everyone seems to love.  It was remarkable 1) how many of my Goodreads friends had read it and 2) how many of them raved about it.

I was not able to join them.

The writing was great.  The romantic scenes were sweet and exciting.  You cannot beat a setting like Paris.  However, I hated both Anna and Etienne.  When characters or scenes annoy me, I have a tendency to skip or skim over them.  But while listening to the audio book, I wasn't able to do that.  Instead, I found myself yelling at both Anna and Etienne for being idiots.  They were both hypocritical and got angry at each other (and the other characters) for actions that they themselves committed earlier or later.  They danced around each other for an entire book and were constantly doubting the other's feelings.  Etienne was the "beautiful boy" that every girl wanted and Anna was the girl that every boy immediately lusted after.  Come on.  No girl is so hot that every male within sight falls at her feet and she HAS NO IDEA!  This called for some serious eye rolling.

I read several reviews that claimed that this book was HILARIOUS.  I did not get that.  The only humorous passages that I can recall were where Anna was being a complete klutz (I hate the typical pretty, klutzy girl character) or acting like a moron - which annoyed me more than they amused me.  The other characters only served to move the plot along and/or reveal information and did not really get a life of their own.  

I could rant and rave about all the nit-picky things that I didn't like about this book BUT I can completely understand why teens love it.  It was cute and romantic (even though I only wanted the characters together so that they wouldn't force their special brand of idocracy on anybody else).
 

No more Stephanie Perkins for me.  I am far too cynical for this type of book.


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Talk of sex
Violence: Physical fighting
Inappropriate Language: Dick, Bastard, Shit, Prick, Fuck, Slut, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse:  Underage drinking

Stacking the Shelves (12)

Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

EARCS I Got This Week:

ARC Book Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Dec 18, 2012
Rating: 5/5 (Quite possibly the #1 pick for 2012)

Cover Impressions: Very nice cover.  Dark colors that portray the overall mood of the book and eye-catching imagery.  Can't wait to see how this theme continues through the rest of the series (Dear God, please let this be the first in a series). 

The Gist: When children begin to die from a mysterious disease, it is discovered the those survivors are left with dangerous and frightening powers.  A new special forces is quickly formed and the children are rounded up for "rehabilitation".  At the age of 10, Ruby enters Thurmond and witnesses unspeakable horrors.  When she escapes at the age of 16, the is quick to realize that it is not just the camps that had been the setting of these atrocities, but that the entire country had transformed into a dark and dangerous place. 

Review: I can see already that this is going to be one of those reviews where I simply cannot do justice to the fabulosity of this book.  Just a few chapters in, I found myself exclaiming "holy crap this is good!" and that didn't cease until the last page was turned.  I am beyond excited for the upcoming release date and cannot wait to get a copy for my classroom.  The Darkest Minds transcends issues of gender and genre preferences in the same way that The Hunger Games did.  It is exciting, fast-paced and full of genuine emotion. 

The world of this novel is horrible, but all too possible.  Terrifying parallels can be drawn between the rehabilitation centers and concentration camps during WWII.  It seems that danger lurks around every turn and almost no one can be trusted.  The world building is intense and details are slowly unraveled as we move forward in the plot. 

The characters are wonderfully well written and developed so that the reader comes to love them, but also recognizes that they are flawed in a very realistic way.  Their relationships are so genuine and the romantic angle is weaved into the plot so that it supports the action, rather than stealing center stage.  The villains (about whom I cannot give many details without spoiling the storyline) are equally well written and aided the plot in becoming one of the more exciting and horrifying ones that I have read this year.  

I do not even know what else I can say.  I am still reeling from the ending and wishing I was able to spend more time with these characters.  Books like The Darkest Minds, are the reason I continue to love YA and why I get excited about bringing titles like these to the attention of my students.  Alexandra Bracken, the YA world awaits news of the next release with baited breath - please hurry!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Mind Control, Concentration Camps, Execution, Possible Rape
Inappropriate Language: Asshole, Shit, Piss, Bullshit, Fucking, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Book Review: Undead by Kirsty McKay

Title: Undead
Author: Kirsty McKay
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: Sept 1, 2012
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: Prior to reading the book, I kinda liked the cover.  The contrasting colors worked well together and I liked the image of the cheerleader/zombie killer.  However, having read the book, I don't like that the cover image doesn't feature the main character.  The cheerleader character is anything but kick-ass, and doesn't really deserve cover billing. 

The Gist: During a school trip rest stop, Bobby hides out on the bus in order to avoid her heinous new classmates.  When they are emerge craving brains more than burgers, Bobby and a handful of survivors must fight to escape and to get to the bottom of the this strange outbreak.

Review: I will admit, this is an odd choice for me.  I love recieving review copies from Scholastic, but this is one that I definitely would not have chosen on my own.

You see, I have issues with zombies.  I don't generally watch movies or tv shows or read books about zombies because they make me uncomfortable.  I know, that is kind of the point.  But, I find that I cannot relax with this type of fiction because I am constantly waiting for the next attack and I spend a great deal of time yelling at the characters to "keep moving", "look behind you" or "stop talking and pick up a freakin weapon!".  For the sake of a book that isn't all that bad, I will try to put my personal issues aside.

Undead opens with Bobby, who has just returned to the UK from living in the US for several years.  Her parents thought it would be a great idea to send her on a pre-school trip to get to know her new classmates.  Instead, Bobby has spent the trip counting the minutes until it is over.  When those same students mysteriously die and are raised as zombies, she is forced to cooperate with a cheerleader, an uber-geek and a delinquent in order to fight for survival.  Bobby is strong willed and determined.  She will take risks and has a very take charge attitude.  The other characters don't add a whole lot and were pretty one dimensional and forgettable.   

The plot featured some odd twists and turns.  There were times of flat out action, followed by lots of lag.  I also couldn't understand why these kids weren't better prepared.  Surely they have seen a zombie movie or two, so why weren't they grabbing food off the shelves and making weapons instead of wasting time having EVERYONE gather around to watch video feedback?  The storyline also featured an odd conspiracy theory that is never clearly explained - I was left with more questions than answers.  The humor in the writing just didn't work for me and the constant fighting among the teens got old fast. 


As with most Zombie books, this one suffers from a severe case of "anything that can go wrong - will".  I personally, find this incredibly frustrating.  I am left rolling my eyes and yelling "oh COME ON!".  It also featured the typical: Thank God we are safe - oh wait, we really aren't" type ending.

Clearly zombie books are just not for me but I can see where this would appeal to other readers, especially teens looking for something exciting.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: zombie attacks
Inappropriate Language: None, Pseudo-Swears
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking

Book Review: Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Title: Ungifted
Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is super cute.  The colors are great and the image of the robot is fun.  I can see where this would appeal to kids.

The Gist: Donovan Curtis doesn't know why he does the things that he does.  He just gets an itch and before he knows it, he is in a world of trouble.  When his biggest mistake yet inadverntantly leads to a mix up that gets him labeled as "Gifted", Donovan is thrust into a world of the super-smart and the super-geeky.  As he struggles to fly under the radar, he becomes more involved than he ever thought he would and starts to see the Academy Geeks in a whole new light.

Review: 
Ungifted is a well-written middle grade novel.  It is a fun, light story that is perfect for young readers and easy enough for reluctant readers.  The plot progresses steadily and has some very light hearted moments.  I enjoyed watching Donovan as realized that the gifted kids were fun and interesting and that they were his true friends.  Some of his actions left Donnie a little unlikeable, but he did manage to grow by the end of the novel.

The other characters are cute, if a little stereotypical.  I enjoyed Noah the most and was amused by his constant yearning to be expelled from the Academy.  Chloe was also a cute character, but I felt the romantic element a little unnecessary and distracting.
  
I wasn't a big fan of the alternating narrative.  Perhaps if it had been less random and had a little more development among fewer characters, I would have enjoyed it more.  I also noticed an odd undercurrent of public school bashing.  Admittedly, as a Canadian, I am not fluent in the issues plaguing the American school system, however, as a teacher, I felt a little insulted.  We do the best we can with what we are given and I felt that the author wasn't giving that process credit.

I can see this book appealing to boys (as most of Gordon Korman's books do) and being an enjoyable read for those reluctant readers.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence: Bullying
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Book Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn

Title: Beta
Author: Rachel Cohn
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Oct 16, 2012
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions: The color covers are pretty but it feels like someone went a little overboard in photoshop.  The tattoo and violet eyes would have been much more impressive if they had been part of the original photo shoot rather than being added later.  I do like the stark, unfeeling expression on the model's face.

The Gist: Elysia is a Teen Beta Clone.  Her entire purpose is to please the family that has bought her - by whatever means necessary.  Living in the island paradise of Demesne, life is idyllic and easy.  But, as Elysia starts to learn about the underbelly of the island, secrets begin to unravel and she learns that the life of a clone may be more complicated than she ever imagined.

Review: Beta had a great premise: a world where clones are created to serve the elite, where slavery is allowed because the clones do not have a soul.  Against this backdrop, we meet Elysia, one of the first Teen Betas - an experimental type of clone that has not been fully tested.  Entering the world at 16, Elysia becomes the companion for a group of teens and is allowed a glimpse at the secrets underlying this tropical paradise.  The first few chapters showed a great deal of promise, however things went downhill from there. 

I could not develop any feelings for the character of Elysia.  I could understand the flat affect at the beginning of the book as a result of her being newly "born", however, I was looking for growth over the course of the novel and I didn't get it.  I felt no connection with her, or her predicament.  I also found that Elysia made a rather large leap from complete compliance to utter anger and violence with little indication that this was coming. 

The relationship factor in this book was maddening.  We have a case of insta-love, followed by a completely one-sided infatuation that bordered on being completely pathetic.  In an attempt to make her paramour feel something, Elysia encourages sexual exploration and drug use.  To me, it felt very much like a "if I just do this, then he will love me" situation and that made me sick to my stomach.  That being said, once the first love interest is out of the picture, Elysia very easily accepts a new man, proving that she clearly does not have feelings for anybody - despite her arguments to the contrary.  This weird love triangle at the end felt like it had been tacked on simply to garner interest in reading the sequel. 

The first few chapters were rife with infodumping, but, beyond that, there was some action and time to learn about an interesting world.  However, once Elysia finds her love interest the plot grinds to a virtual stand-still.  I can barely even remember what happened during these chapters other than playing a weird video game, doing drugs and eating.  Despite the politically charged atmosphere and Rogue Clone issues bubbling beneath the surface, we are forced to endure trips to the beach and endless talk about swimming (I get it Elysia - you like the water, now MOVE ON!).
I was very disturbed by the unnecessary drugs, nudity, sex and rape in this novel.  It seemed like every few pages featured a mention of 'Raxia or of someone getting near naked for no reason.  Even if I loved this novel, there is NO WAY I could recommend it for my students. 

I will not be sticking around for the sequel to Beta. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Nudity, Sexual Experimentation
Violence: Rape, Murder
Inappropriate Language: Slut, Whore, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse:Use of imaginary drug, 'Raxia
Other Issues: Cutting, Slavery

Stacking the Shelves (11)

Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Books I Got This Week from Scholastic:

Books I Bought This Week:

 The Taliban Don't Wave is actually fiance's book, but I am including it because it came in the same package.  I am super excited about I Am Number Four because it is the first book we will be reading for the Junior High Book Club that I started at my school.

Audio Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Author: Kami Garcia
Publisher: Brown
Release Date: Dec 1, 2009
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover has some beautiful elements but, for me, it feels like it is missing something.  The script is stunning, the trees create a fantastically creepy atmosphere, but I keep looking for something else to rest my eye upon and there just isn't anything.  If I were designing this cover - I would have added a full moon so we at least had a focal point. 

The Gist: Ethan Wate is counting down the days until he can escape the small town of Gatlin.  He spends his days barely tolerating his classmates and his nights struggling to hold on to a girl that he has never met.  When Lena Duchannes arrives at Stonewall Jackson High School, everyone can tell she is different.  Ethan finds himself seeking her out and will soon discover that they have a mysterious and powerful connection.

Review: 
I have encountered this book (and the others in the series) off an on throughout my forays through the world of YA.  In reading the synopsis, however, the whole mysterious romantic connection turned me off from picking up the book.  Then I encountered the trailer for the movie to be released in 2013 and it looked so good I just had to give the book a shot and decided to try the audio version.

Let me tell you, it was loooooooooong.  Normally, I find audiobooks make my commute better and make dealing with traffic a heck of a lot easier (just more time for the book!).  But this one left me frustrated.  I found myself yelling at the characters as they whined about their lives.  Boo hoo, my home town is boring (Ethan) Wah Wah my life is weird and full of magic (Lena).  I swear, if I heard Lena say "I am going to go dark" one more time I was going to throw my ipod under the wheels of a semi.  It was even more irritating because the underlying plot was great.  It had lots of mystery, great settings and interesting characters.  But it seemed that just as I was getting some answers and seeing the plot progress, we would revert to moody Lena, queen of complaining.  I really wanted to shake her - you have super-fun powers, DO SOMETHING WITH THEM!  While Beautiful Creatures had a wonderfully creepy setting and some fantastically exciting scenes, there was just too long in between them and I got tired of waiting.

I was not a huge fan of the narrator, though he was competent enough.  However, at one point, the narration switches to Lena and a female voice.  I did not like her at all!  This new narrator displayed little to no emotion and it completely pulled me from the world that the author had created.  Because this occurred during a particularly important and action-filled section of the book, it was incredibly jarring and ruined those emotional moments for me.

This book is also guilty of perpetrating one of my pet peeves: the uncaring school.  As a teacher, I take a real offense when I encounter books that feature teachers and administration who turn a blind eye to the blatant bullying that occurs in their school.  I take a special offense when the teachers and administration become and active part of the problem.  Yes, there are bad teachers out there.  Yes, there are bad principals out there.  But the majority of us did not get into this profession so that we could ignore the obvious distress of our students. 

The ending of Beautiful Creatures left me unsatisfied.  There were just too many questions left unanswered and, while I want the answers to them, I am just not willing to read/listen to the next book just yet.  Especially as other reviewers have noted that it is even more angsty than the first.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Fist-fighting, Magical attacks, Stabbing
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Piss (there may be others but I forget)
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, cigar smoking

Stacking the Shelves (10)

Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Books I Got This Week from Scholastic:

EARCS I Got This Week (these are actually from a few weeks ago):

Books Bought This Week:

First Lines: October 2012

The first words you read can often set the tone for the entire story.  I thought it would be fun to keep track of the first lines of the books I read each month and share them with you.  Below are the first lines for all the books I read in October.

 Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch

"Glenn followed the hum of machinery out to the edge of the forest."

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"August 25, 1991.  Dear Friend, I'm writing to you because she said that you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party, even though you could have."

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

"I think I killed a girl who looked like this once."

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

"There were only two kinds of people in our town; the stupid and the stuck."

Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki

"Every town has its share of secrets."

 Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

"Imagine this: You're in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves."

 Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirsten Cronn-Mills

"If radio is the medium of the ugly person, then I can live my life as a voice, and the world will be perfect."

 Beta by Rachel Cohn

"It's me she wants to purchase."

 Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

"Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge."

Undead by Kirsty McKay

"I would rather die than face them all again."

My favorite first line this month was from Girl of Nightmares.  I love how it speaks to the tone for this series.  

My least favorite line was from the Ghost of Graylock.  While I liked this book, that particular line was a little cliche and overdone.