Book Review-- The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

eBook
Release date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Author: Karen Thompson Walker
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for providing this eBook for review!

“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.” Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty. On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues. With spare, graceful prose and the emotional wisdom of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker has created a singular narrator in Julia, a resilient and insightful young girl, and a moving portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.

Wow. Wow, did I love this book.
One day, the world just starts to slow down. The days get longer and longer. The earth suffers and mankind must find a way to adapt--or not.
But life goes on like 'normal', and The Age of Miracles is the story of one girl and her family during this very odd time.

The research the author put into this book was seriously amazing. The changes and effects are just fascinating.
I LOVE how much detail she actually went into. And it's NOT boring science-y stuff, either. It's interesting and cool and scary!

Julia is a wonderful character. Very real and easy to relate to.

The writing is fantastic. It sucks you in right from the start and doesn't let go until you're done. I'm VERY impressed with Ms. Walker's debut novel. It doesn't read like a debut at all!

The ONE issue I have with The Age of Miracles is that it's NOT an adult book.
This reads as a YA novel, through and through-- albeit a YA novel for older teens because of the subject.
I'm worried that this book will fall flat because the publisher is marketing it as an adult book.
I REALLY hope that doesn't happen because this wonderful, terrifying, sad, sweet novel DESERVES to be read, praised and remembered!

I'd definitely recommend this book for older teens, 15+, and to you young-at-heart adults, too.
The subject of this book would make for some GREAT conversation with your teens!

Book Review-- The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Paperback-473 pages
Release date: May 24, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #1
Author: Kady Cross

In 1897 England, 16-year-old Finley Jayne is convinced she's a freak.   No normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch.   Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special . . . that she's one of "them."

As some of you know, I've been REALLY into Steampunk lately.
Even going so far as to put together a cosplay outfit for future cons.
It's a fun and fascinating genre, so I was really looking forward to reading my first Steampunk novel, The Girl in the Steel Corset.

This book reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes, with a bit of X-Men and Jekyll and Hyde thrown into the mix.

Finley Jayne is a GREAT character. I loved her from page 1, but she gets even better as the book progresses.
My favourite, however, is Emily. She reminds me so much of a character I used to play in an MMO. Irish, with a shy, self-conscious side hidden by her feisty nature.

Griffin and Sam are fine...but I'm DEFINITELY team Jack. Oh, how I fell for Jack Dandy. *swoon* ;)

The plot, while slow in parts, is unique and interesting. The Organites are a great concept--Like something out of a ST:TNG episode. Great touch.

This is a bigger book, so I think I'd recommend it for kids 14+, and for adults, of course.
I AM hoping we see a bit more romance between Finley and Jack in the second book. I'll be reviewing that one soon, so keep an eye out for it!

Book Review- One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau

Paperback
160 pages
Release date: March 22, 2011
Publisher: ECW Press
Author: Joey Comeau
Thank you to Nikki at ECW press for sending this copy for review!

Jackie has a map of the city on the wall of her bedroom, with a green pin for each of her trees. She has a first-kiss tree and a broken-arm tree. She has a car-accident tree. There is a tree at the hospital where Jackie’s mother passed away into the long good night. When one of them gets cut down, Jackie doesn't know what to do but she doesn't let that stop her. She picks up the biggest rock she can carry and puts it through the window of a car. Smash. She intends to leave before the police arrive, but they're early. Ann is Jackie’s best friend, but she’s got problems of her own. Her mother is chained up in the basement. How do you bring that up in casual conversation? "Oh, sorry I've been so distant, Jackie. My mother has more teeth than she’s supposed to, and she won't eat anything that’s already dead." Ann and her sister Margaret don't have much of a choice here. Their mother needs to be fed. It isn't easy but this is family. It’s not supposed to be easy. It'll be okay as long as Margaret and Ann still have each other. Add in a cantankerous old man, his powerfully stupid dog, a headless ghost, a lesbian crush and a few unsettling visits from Jackie’s own dead mother, and you'll find that One Bloody Thing After Another is a different sort of horror novel from the ones you're used to. It’s as sad and funny as it is frightening, and it is as much about the way families rely on each other as it is about blood being drooled on the carpet. Though, to be honest, there is a lot of blood being drooled on the carpet.

It's been a long time since the last line of a book had me laughing so hard I was crying. Flat-out howling with laughter--so hard I couldn't catch my breath.
Granted, it could have been because I was overtired--I WAS up until 4am reading this book. Yep, it's THAT good! (And also short.)

One Bloody Thing After Another is weird and wild and just plain awesome.
I can honestly say I've never read such a touching, horrific book....It was a pleasure to do so!

Jackie was a fascinating character. Insane, sad and REAL, but Charlie and Mitchie were my favourites. That old man and his old dog wormed their way into my heart at the word, 'ghost'. ;)

This is my first Comeau book, and now I'm dying to read more. His writing is wonderful. Evocative and slightly twisted.
Perfect for me, really.

Of course, I'm a strange person, so this book won't be for everyone. If you like weird, off-beat  horror/humour with a touch of LGBT romance, this is right up your alley!

YA Book Review- Swipe by Evan Angler

eBook
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Tommy Nelson (Thomas Nelson)
Series: Swipe #1
Author: Evan Angler
Thank you to Net Galley and Tommy Nelson for providing this eARC for review.

Logan Langley is just months away from his thirteenth birthday and the biggest day of his life- the day he will finally be Marked. The Mark lets people get jobs, vote, and even go out to eat or buy concert tickets.    Becoming Marked means becoming free. Or so he is told. Five years ago when Logan's sister went to get her Mark she never came back. Now Logan can't shake the feeling he's being watched... And then he finds the wire.

I don't often read middle grade books. I mean...I'm old. So why on earth would I read a book meant for middle graders? ;)
But this time, I'm so glad I did!

For a debut book, this is an impressive start. Swipe is full of twist and turns and mystery and thrills. It kept me turning the pages well into the evening!

Logan is a wonderful character. Flawed, smart, caring and very easy for young boys to relate to.

I was impressed that, although written for preteens, Mr. Angler didn't 'dumb down' his book at all.
Yes, it's more simple and easier to read than books meant for older kids, but he still uses the tech terms and larger words and he puts his characters in situations that he knows his intended audience can handle, and will enjoy.
All too often middle grade books are written seemingly without the actual readers in mind.
I love this author for realizing that, YES, 6th graders are an intelligent bunch!

The world created in Swipe is fascinating and wonderful. It's a whole new take on dystopian fiction, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book to--wait for it--BOYS! Yes, I'm so happy to say that boys, ages 10+, will love this book.
Of course, girls will enjoy it too, but please, moms, buy this for your boys! Those little men NEED books like this in their lives to help them realize how much fun reading really is! ;)

It IS book 1 in the series, and it DOES end on a cliffhanger--But that will just leave them begging for the next book, right? ;)

And please, let me know if you buy Swipe and what your kids think of it! I'd love to hear an actual middle-grader's take on this book!

YA Book Review-- Tomorrow Land

ebook
Source: Net Galley
Release Date: March 8, 2012
Publisher: NLA Digital Liaison Platform LLC
Author: Mari Mancusi


Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. And now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones of a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgrimage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all the while attempting to save what's left of the human race?


I love a good YA dystopian novel. That seems to be there current 'theme' since The Hunger Games exploded onto the scene, like vampires were the theme when Twilight hooked millions of teens and twi-moms.
And I'm much more okay with dystopian than I was with sparkly vampires!
So when I see a cool cover like the one above, and read a cool blurb like this book has, I try to snag it as quickly as I can.

Unfortunately, this is NOT a good YA dystopian novel. I wanted to like it. I really, really did. And I tried so hard. But it just fell flat for me.

Peyton is an interesting character and she's supposed to be the 'strong female' type that's so popular now. But she's just not. I found her mopey and gloomy and depressing most of the time.

And Chris? Ugh. There are NO 19 year old boys like Chris. Nowhere. Not even after the world ends will there be boys as cheesy and love-struck and whipped as he is. I mean, come on. He calls Peyton his Goddess. Constantly. Even in his own head. Ugh.

The book has such potential. I loved the idea of what happens to some of the human race after the apocalypse, and some of the fight scenes are wicked-cool, but the rest is just.....cheesy and lame. And not a good, funny cheesy. Just a bad teenage-romance, on-again-off-again, 'I love you', 'Now I'm pushing you away', 'Now I love you again', 'Kiss me in the middle of the apocalypse', bad kind of cheesy.

Although I can see that this book has gotten some great reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon, sadly, mine can't be one of them.

It's possible that teens who don't read a ton might like this book, and it IS an inexpensive long-ish ebook if that entices you a bit...but if you're looking for a good, strong, engaging YA dystopian novel, skip this one and grab Starters.
You'll thank me for it.

Book Review--Yellow Crocus

eBook
Source: Net Galley
Released: December 17th 2010 
Publisher: Flaming Chalice Press
ISBN 0984502203 (ISBN13: 9780984502202)
Author: Laila Ibrahim


"Mattie was never truly mine. That knowledge must have filled me as quickly and surely as the milk from her breasts. Although my family ‘owned’ her, although she occupied the center of my universe, her deepest affections lay elsewhere. So along with the comfort of her came the fear that I would lose her some day. This is our story... "


So begins Lisbeth Wainwright’s compelling tale of coming-of-age in antebellum Virginia. Born to white plantation owners but raised by her enslaved black wet nurse, Mattie, Lisbeth’s childhood unfolds on the line between two very different worlds. Growing up under the tender care of Mattie, Lisbeth adopts her surrogate mother’s deep-seated faith in God, her love of music and black-eyed peas, and the tradition of hunting for yellow crocuses in the early days of spring. In time, Lisbeth realizes she has freedoms and opportunities that Mattie does not have, though she’s confined by the societal expectations placed on women born to privilege. As Lisbeth grows up, she struggles to reconcile her love for her caregiver with her parents’ expectations, a task made all the more difficult as she becomes increasingly aware of the ugly realities of the American slavery system. When Lisbeth bears witness to a shockingly brutal act, the final vestiges of her naiveté crumble around her. Lisbeth realizes she must make a choice, one that will require every ounce of the courage she learned from her beloved Mattie. This compelling historical novel is a richly evocative tale of love, loss, and redemption set during one of the most sinister chapters of American history.


I feel like all I've been posting lately are gushing reviews! I guess I've been really lucky with books lately!
And here's another (mostly) gushing review!

When I read the blurb about Yellow Crocus, I was interested enough to want to read it, but wary because it sounded very similar to the HUGELY popular novel-turned-movie, 'The Help'.
I was so wrong!

The ONLY thing Yellow Crocus has in common with The Help is the mother/daughter bond the develops between nurse and child. That's pretty much it.

This story takes place over 20 years in the mid-1800's, before the Civil War and before abolition.

The sympathy the reader feels toward Mattie in this book will take your breath away.
Ms. Wainwright's descriptions of what the wet-nurse must sacrifice to care for her 'white child' had me in tears, but the relationship that develops between Mattie and Lisbeth is beautiful to behold.

As the book progresses, we learn more about how women (and men!) lived in those days...and it may make you angry. (It did me!)
Listening to Lisbeth's mother speak her thoughts often infuriated me. Thank GOD we've come a long, LONG way since then!

Mattie is a strong, wonderful character that comes to life within these pages. Witnessing her teach and mold her young charge-- with actions, not so much words-- was amazingly powerful.
The woman Lisbeth grows into is unheard of in that day and age...and a beautiful thing to see.

Now the not-so-gushy...
This book is much too short. Yes, a wonderful story is told...but it's not told as well as it could have been.
Too much time passes between some chapters and the reader is left wondering what happened during those years to Mattie and Lisbeth. The story lacks some of the depth that these missing pieces could bring, and I felt like I was left hanging. I wanted MORE.

But PLEASE don't let that sway you because this is a truly brilliant book and I feel blessed to have read it.

If you loved 'The Help', 'The Secret Life of Bees' or 'The Color Purple', you'll adore 'Yellow Crocus'!