ARC Book Review: Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Title: Far From You
Author: Tess Sharpe
Publisher: Disney - Hyperion
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions:  The cover is pretty, but I don't really see the connection to the story itself.  There isn't really anything to make it stand out on the shelf. 

Review:
Sophie Winters is a survivor.  She survived a car crash that left her with a limp, physical limitations and a crushing oxy addiction.  She survived getting clean with the help of her family and she survived a brutal attack that left her best friend murdered and her locked away in rehab.  As she returns home she must face a new reality without Mina and with all eyes on her.  Under this intense scrutiny Sophie is determined to find out what actually happened that night and bring the killer to justice. 

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the book.  I don't read a great deal of mystery but, when I do, I tend to find them fairly predictable.  Far From You, however, kept me guessing for quite some time.  The mystery was solid and the plotting was well done, with tidbits of information keeping the story moving.  Sophie was a great narrator who was aware of her own limitations, but did not whine about them.  I was happy that this choice allowed me to see Sophie's struggle with her addiction in a very realistic way.  She avoids certain triggers and fights through cravings with breathing and mantras.  I have never read anything else that so thoroughly understood the constant struggle of addiction.

Where this novel really shines is in the story of love and friendship between Sophie and Mina.  It is not your conventional love story and was actually not something I was expecting.  Despite being the character who as died, Mina is not portrayed as a flawless saint as we so often do of our dead.  She is shown to be a girl who had some serious trust issues, who was childish and tempestuous and who may have put herself into a very dangerous situation.  Yet, as a reader, I truly liked her sense of fun and her unwavering loyalty to Sophie in her time of need.

The story plays out by jumping through time to points in and around several key events: the car accident and recovery, the development of Sophie's drug addiction, Sophie getting clean, The lead up and day of the murder, and the present day.  I had thought, upon starting, that this would quickly get confusing but each shift is marked by how long ago it was and what age Sophie was.  This allowed me to follow very easily and, if a reader were so inclined, you could even make a timeline of the events.  This approach actually worked very well to allow the secondary story to be fleshed out as well as to create a sense of suspense in the primary storyline.

This novel does have some adult themes and a considerable amount of swearing.  While it certainly didn't take away from the story, I would be careful about recommending this to readers who are a little too young.

Tess Sharpe has created a fan in me.  I am signing on for whatever else she has in the works.       

Notable Quotables: 

"Sometimes we were downright ruthless to each other.  For once, it isn't some cotton-candy idea of her; it's who she was, in all her maddening, heart-squeezing truth."

"I'm too in love with the idea of more and numb and gone."
 
Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing, Sex between teenagers
Violence: Statutory Rape, Gunplay, Hand to Hand Combat, Attempted Strangulation, Murder by Gunshot
Inappropriate Language: Ass, Whore, Fuck, Piss, Bitch, Jesus Christ, Shit, Dyke
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking, Abuse of Prescription Medication

Book Review: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Title: Lost Lake
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: MacMillan
Release Date: January 21st, 2014
Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions:  I do like this cover, but it doesn't quite have that magical feel for me that Allen's other books do.  I think it is sort of missing something and I would have loved to see the alligator featured somewhere. 

Review:

Lost Lake in Suley, Georgia has been home to Eby and a group of regular visitors since she and her husband bought the magical cottage ground.  As the population ages and visitors are lured away by a new waterpark attraction, Lost Lake is beginning to be forgotten. Eby agrees to sell the property and prepares to spend one last summer in the place so beloved by so many.  Kate has spent the last year in a fog, mourning the death of her husband.  She took a backseat as her mother in law, Cricket, managed their affairs of her and her daughter, Devin.  On the morning that they are to move in with Cricket, Kate's eyes finally clear and she realizes how miserable Devin's life has become.  On a whim, they escape to the one place where Kate felt happy and at peace: Lost Lake.  Once there, Kate begins to discover that the world still holds magic and romance and that returning to her old life may be more difficult than she expected.

I have read all of Sarah Addison Allen's books.  I am a huge fan of her special brand of magical realism and the way that her characters find those elements that have been missing in their lives.  I will admit, Lost Lake started off a little slow.  I was finding myself more inclined to do other things in the evening rather than rushing through my mommy routine in order to jump back into this book.  By about halfway, this issue resolved itself and I became much more invested.  The plot was a little predictable overall, but still held moments that were pleasantly surprising. 

The characters were all very well fleshed out and dynamic.  I would have liked to see a little more of Devin's point of view as her alligator-chasing was one of my favorite elements on the novel.  I also throughly enjoyed Selma and her charms.  She had an ability to snag any man, even enticing him away from his wife, but a finite number of chances to do so.  I would love to see a novel or novella that featured her or others that practiced her brand of magic.  Other character highlights included Bulahdeen and Lisette.  I loved the way that Allen incorporated their backstories and added depth to them and to the novel itself.

Sarah Addison Allen has a wonderful way of interweaving magical elements with a contemporary story in the most believable way.  No one doubts that ___ sees an alligator, or that Selma's tiny charms weld magnificent power of men.  The book abounds with beautiful coincidences could never be mere coincidences and show how mysterious and miraculous life can be.  Ultimately, Lost Lake is a story of family, grief and the power to overcome loss at its most painful.  Every character experiences growth through this story and it is their strength and love for one another that allows them to forgiveness and hope.

Lost Lake is a wonderful story and an excellent addition to the already impressive list of Sarah Addison Allen.  I fully believe that for as long as she is writing, I will be reading her books. 

Notable Quotables: 

"Like heat from a fire, the closer to water you are, the stronger you feel it."

"Just when you think you know the ending, it changes."
  

Book Review: That Time I Joined The Circus by J. J. Howard

Title: That Time I Joined The Circus
Author: J.J. Howard
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: April 1, 2013
Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: This cover is so pretty.  I love the backdrop of stars and the slightly blurred image of the circus.  The colors are muted and add to the ethereal quality of the image.  I'm not usually a fan of the almost pencil thin font, but in this case I think anything bigger would have covered too much of the night sky. 

The Gist: Lexi Ryan has lost everything, her best friend, her father, her home and her future.  She spends her last few dollars tracking down the last known whereabouts of the mother who abandoned her - a traveling circus.  Once there, Lexi works hard to make a life for herself with jobs that range from cleaning cages to telling fortunes.  Just when she is starting to settle in, a piece of her past shows up out of the blue and Lexi must finally face the demons that thought she had left behind. 

Review: 
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed That Time I Joined The Circus.  It is a wonderful coming of age story that was surprisingly poignant.  Lexi is dealt a seriously devastating blow.  She loses her father, her best friend and her home all in the same night.  Facing a remarkably different future than the one that she expected, one would expect her to wallow in self pity, but Lexi Ryan is not that type of girl.  She is strong, independent and determined.  She sets off on a journey to find her mother, unsure of the outcome or destination.  When she finds that her mother is not at the circus as she expected, Lexi pulls up her boots and finds a way to be useful.  She does have a tendency to be self-deprecating, but it never bothered me in the way that it does with most characters.  Perhaps because she is never whiny about it and is willing to work hard to support herself rather than to rely on others.  There are also some great secondary characters who, and I hope the author is thinking along the same lines that I am, could support their own stories in upcoming books. 

This is not a particularly fast-paced story and there is very rarely a sense of urgency, but, for some reason it kept me enthralled from the very first page.  I think the setting played a strong role in that.  The backdrop was beautiful and whimsical.  I have read a few books set in circus' before, but none made it feel like a home for the characters in the way that this one did.  The constant musical references added charm and character.  By the end, I was searching each song on youtube and listening to it for the entire chapter.  In fact, if you check out the author's website, you will find a chapter by chapter playlist as well as one that includes all the music played outside Lexi's fortune teller trailer - have I mentioned how I LOVE when authors include these little extras?

Full disclosure: YES, ladies and gentlemen, this story did have multiple love interests.  BUT, they did not form your typical love triangle and the resolution felt right and very mature.  The one thing I do wish is that there had been more development of Lexi's relationship with her father.  If I had gotten to see a little more of their home life I think that the rest of the events in the story would have had a little more of an emotional impact.

I have to give cudos to J.J. Howard for writing a book that involves late teenagers, relationships and some (possibly) sexual behavior, but without including anything that would make me pull it from my classroom shelves.  From one teacher to another, thank you.

Given the beauty of this debut novel, I will be sticking around for anything and everything Ms. Howard writes in the future.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Allusion to more
Violence: Fist Fighting
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

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

Early Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules 
Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: This cover doesn't do much for me.  Firstly, the main character is Asian, this model is .... not.  I don't like that.  If the person on the cover is meant to represent a character, then make them look like that character.  No white-washing please.  Secondly, the expression on the model's face is bland, I would prefer her to look upset, or angry or determined or ... something.  Thirdly, the tear, while eye catching, seems off somehow.  Perhaps it is because it starts in the very middle of her eye, perhaps it is because it doesn't wash away any of that heavy eye makeup.  I do like the font and am thankful that, although Kagawa is already a successful author, her name doesn't appear bigger than the book title.

The Gist:  In Allison Sekemoto's world vampires rule with an iron fist and humans are treated as no more than cattle.  Here she fights for survival alongside other scavengers, constantly aware of the threat lurking in the shadows.  When her daring leads to a deadly attack, Allison is offered a choice: die on the dusty street or become what she loathes most. 

Review:  The Immortal Rules is one of those rare YA novels which combines an interesting world, and an action packed plot with a strong, capable heroine. Allison is not your average YA female, she pulls her weight and doesn't depend on the men around her to act as her savior.  She never balks at an impossible situation and she doesn't whine.  When she is faced with a task and other issues threaten to steal her attention she says things like "I would sort all this out later" and "though I hated this, I forced myself to concentrate".  Despite her claims to own the keys to lonerville, Allison continually surprises herself, and the readers, by risking herself in order to protect that people that she is supposed to think of as nothing more than food.  

The world that Kagawa has created combines the dystopian elements of a post-plague city ruled by bloodthirsty vampires with the heart-thumping zombie-like "Rabids" who stalk the lands outside.  The rabids are terrifying, difficult to kill and can erupt beneath the very ground you walk on.  Their mindless quest for blood creates exciting battles and heart-thumping moments as we push for human survival.  As Allison travels with a pack of humans, ever conscious of their tempting vulnerability, she struggles with her hunger and fights to pull together the tattered remains of her humanity creating a sense of suspense as we wait for the inevitable.

While the second half of this novel is ruled by action, the first half does contain a certain amount of info-dumping, mostly through Kanin - Allison's maker.  I did not find this too distracting as the world Kagawa has created is a very interesting one, but I do wish that the character of Kanin had been a little more animated in his lessons.  I am very confident that, now that the world building has been established, the other books in this series will scarcely give the readers a moment to breathe.  

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Either
Sex: None
Violence: Vampirism, swordplay, gunfights, violent attacks by "rabids"

Inappropriate Language: Whore, Bitch, Bastard
Substance Abuse: None

Book Review: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Title: Kill Me Softly

Author: Sarah Cross

Publisher: Egmont USA

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: The white rose dipped in blood speaks to innocence lost and is an image that stands out among the plethora of girls in pretty dresses that make up a huge chunk of YA novels today.  However, I am not a fan of the title font.  It seems a little too weak against such a stark image.  

The Gist:  Mirabelle has spent her entire life listening to the rules and sanctions set forth by her Godmothers.  Now, as her 16th birthday draws near, she is about to break their biggest one: returning to the place of her birth, Beau Rivage.  Here, Mira encounters a world where fairy tales take a dark turn and everyone has a role to play, whether they wish to or not.

Review:  In Kill Me Softly Sarah Cross creates a fairy tale world that interposes with our own.  It lies, just beneath the surface and can be seen by anyone willing to peer through the veil.  However, these are not your disneyfied princes and princesses fending off colorful dragons and over-the-top Queens (though, don't get me wrong, Maleficent scared the CRAP out of me as a kid) instead, Cross takes inspiration from the original Fairy Tales which feature evil plot twists, casual murders, the hacking off of limbs and buckets of blood. 

Against this backdrop of Happily Ever After gone wrong, Mira meets Blue, a boy who does everything to push her away and his brother, Felix who does everything not to.  As a character, Mira is a little difficult to like.  She is often rude and ungrateful, which seems completely out of character for a person who, up until now, has blindly followed her Godmother's orders.  It feels a little unreal that a character who is so quick to anger, did not question these rules or show any sign of rebellion prior to her slipping away in the middle of the night.  Blue, on the other hand, is a character who does everything possible to make Mira dislike him but she (and the reader) cannot help but root for this wounded hero.  Whenever I hit a section where Mira was spending time falling in love with Felix, I found myself itching to turn each page, hoping that Blue would be waiting on the other side.  The "love" that Mirabelle claims to have for Felix, feels forced and wrong but shows it's importance by the end of the story (much like Romeo's "love" for Rosaline).  

The plot is interesting but more character based than action based.  Because Cross weaves together a number of fairy tales (some of which are less likely to be recognizable to most readers) we have a vague idea of where the story is headed, but are still able to be surprised by plot twists.  I do believe that the novel is a stand-alone and I hope that this is the end of Mirabelle's and Blue's story.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed my walk through Beau Rivage and would very much like to read the tales of some of the other characters.  This world is simply too interesting to let go of so easily.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up, this one is NOT for your 12 year old!
Gender: Female, though some males may enjoy the clever re-working of well known fairy tales
Sex: Intimate touching, talk of sex
Violence:  Loss of limbs, murders,

Inappropriate Language:  Bitch, Shit.
Substance Abuse: Underage drinking.  Smoking.