Review: Eleanor & Park

Whenever there is a lot of hype and publicity surrounding a book release, I've found that it rather suits me to wait a few months and let the dust settle a bit before I actually pick up the book.  This tends to prevent the dreaded book-disappointment-due-to-inflated-expectations syndrome, a horrible situation I've fallen prey to more than once and largely caused by over-exuberant marketing departments making promises they simply cannot keep. (Remember Night Circus? Ahem, case in point. I'm still waiting for my money back on that one.)

And so I've learned patience.

No way was I running out and grabbing the new Rainbow Rowell novel everyone was talking about early last spring. Nope. Not me.

Eleanor & Park was released back in February of this year to a wildly enthusiastic young adult audience. While this novel easily fits the genre, now that I've read it I would suggest that it easily transcends genre boundaries and belongs in the adult literature category as well.

Eleanor is a new transfer student to the local high school in Omaha, Nebraska and it is abundantly clear to Park - and everyone else - that she is never going to fit in with her odd fashion sense and the huge chip on her shoulder. Furthermore, Eleanor couldn't care less what people think of her. They can all go to hell in her estimation. Her anger with the world might be easy to write off as typical teen angst, but Eleanor has a very good reason to be furious with the world. Poverty, abuse, and neglect form the foundation of her home life and it is this dirty little secret she is determined to hide from the world.

Enter Park. A normal teenager, if ever a word could be applied. As an Asian-American growing up in what is quite possibly the whitest city in America, Park is no stranger to feeling like an outsider. Perhaps this is where he finds common ground with Eleanor. Or perhaps he is simply the first person who has ever treated her with a modicum of respect. Whatever the reason, Park and Eleanor fall in love. And if you dust the cobwebs off your memories of that time in your life, I'm pretty sure you will recall the intensity of that first love.

And now we get to the heart of the story. Because at this point, Eleanor & Park could have been just another teenage love story in which the author manages to capture the intense, yet predictable emotions on paper rather well. In other words, just another John Green novel. This novel, however, takes your reading experience much, much further. Take away the predictability of that John Green book you love so well, but leave the emotions laid bare. Now throw in an uncomfortable, but necessary, examination of societal mores and values (think: Lionel Shriver) and the end result is a novel that is a contender for one of the best of the year, if not one of the best young adult books ever penned.

Yes, I said that. Ever penned.

Because Eleanor & Park is not simply a story about first love. It is about acceptance, it is about choices, it is about the hell adults inflict upon our children, it is about poverty, it is about abuse, it is about bullying, it is about shame. It is about all of these issues - and more - laid bare for all of us to see. This is why we read books. And if we are very patient, every so often a novel like this comes along to reward us.

Eleanor & Park is one of those stories that, with just a few different choices by the author, would have been just another mundane book sitting on the shelf next to a hundred others exactly like it. Instead, a brilliant young woman turned this story into an unforgettable stamp upon the reader's conscious. Buy it. Borrow it. Steal it. Whatever. Just get your hands on a copy at some point. Okay?

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's

Date: 2013

Pages: 336

Source: Library Audiobook Download

Rating: 5 Stars. And then some.

Review: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Jacqueline Kelly's debut young adult novel, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, accomplished a remarkable feat...it became a Newberry Honor Book in 2010, the year following its release.  Not bad for a first novel, right?  We probably shouldn't be surprised.  Jacqueline Kelly is the poster-child for overachievement.  Not only did she attend medical school and work in that field for many years, she then decided to try her hand at law and attended law school, as well.  After working as a lawyer for some time, she decided that writing novels would be an interesting change and (of course) her debut wins a Newberry.

It's tempting to hate her, isn't it?

But after reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, A Reader's Respite simply can't hate her.  The book is too well-written.  Set in a small Texas town in 1899, Calpurnia Tate is our eleven year old protagonist who, as the only daughter amidst six brothers in her well-to-do family, struggles daily to find a sense of self in her world.

It's only natural with six brothers that Calpurnia would, much to her hassled mother's dismay, grow up with tomboy tendencies.  But now that her teen years are quickly approaching, Calpurnia's mother has decided the time has  arrived to turn her daughter into a proper, turn-of-the-century young woman.  This, you can imagine, wreaks havoc with our young heroine's plans to become a celebrated naturalist in honor of her personal hero,  Mr. Charles Darwin.

Callie's only real ally is her reclusive Grandfather, a man everyone else in the family goes to great lengths to avoid, but a man who has taken a shine to his only granddaughter, recognizing and encouraging her curiosity in the world around her.  Callie is full of amusing observations and opinions about life as a young girl in rural Texas.  Thankfully, the author has taken care to ensure that Callie, as an eleven year old, remains true to an eleven year old.  No adult voice coming from a child here.  Thank goodness.

It should be noted that the similarities to Alan Bradley's heroine Flavia de Luce are startling.  Both are eleven years old.  Both have a charming interest in science (Flavia is obsessed with chemistry, Calpurnia a naturalist).  Both are largely misunderstood by their families who largely ignore them.  Both books were published within a year of each other and both of authors have Canadian roots, which just goes to show how much talent comes from north of the border.

Unlike Bradley's books, Calpurnia isn't part of a series.  It's a charming, solo novel that is aimed towards young adults, but like most really good novels of the genre, provide much more enjoyment for the not-so-young-adult audience.  At 350 pages and too-large margins, this is a quick read and the perfect book to pick up from the library on a winter day.  (That's where we picked up our copy!)

New YA

While A Reader's Respite can't claim that John Stephens wrote an entirely original new Young Adult Fantasy/Adventure in The Emerald Atlas, we can tell you that originality aside, this was a rollicking good ride.

Time-travel, dwarfs, evil warloards, benevolent wizards, and one very pissy Russian countess all come together to present the adventure of a lifetime for three young orphaned siblings in this first-book-in-a-series.  Shades of Middle Earth and Narnia abound throughout the story, but one can forgive that in light of the well-rounded characters.  

Kate, Michael and Emma have been shuffled around various shabby orphanages for as long as they can remember and this latest one is the worst yet.  Oddly, they seem to be the only three children there.  And when they discover a strange book in a forgotten room, their adventure - and the mystery - begin.  Resourceful without being overly-precocious, the children start to piece together the mystery of their vanished parents and encounter a magical world that exists within our own, albeit hidden from view.

Geared towards a YA audience, none of the plot or dialog is simple or insipid which makes this a fun read for adults, as well.  And talk about a fast-moving plot....yowza....A Reader's Respite had to stop in our tracks several times and re-read a paragraph or two just to make sure we were keeping up.

But the best part of this novel?  The fully-developed and often quirky secondary characters that abound throughout the novel.  Stephens didn't skimp in this department and for this reader, it made all the difference between just another Lord of the Rings/Narnia/Harry Potter knockoff novel and a fresh, new voice.

At 400+ pages, this isn't a skimpy book.  But it was engrossing and fast-paced enough that we blew through it in about 48 hours.  Stephens has our attention.....where's the next installment?

Inauspicious Beginnings

Just a few days ago, A Reader's Respite was merrily wishing each of you a year of good reading in 2011.  Too bad we forgot to wish the same for ourselves.  If we had, mayhap we would have been spared the absolute disaster newly released by Delacorte Press, entitled Vixen.

With a glitzy cover just begging for the impulse-buy rack at Barnes & Nobel, Vixen is the first of a proposed trilogy (Dear God, help us) marketed for the Gossip-Girl generation.  Set in the 1920s, the storyline follows a rich teen socialite who wants nothing more out of life than to follow her heart and be a flapper.  Of course, she has to overcome some obstacles first:

1. Her evil betrothed (think of him as a 1920s version of The Bachelor)
2. Her insanely jealous, but not as rich or beautiful, BFF
3. Her mysterious, but beautiful, cousin who has a deep, dark secret

Any of this sounding familiar, folks?

If you happened to have read any one of author Anna Godbersen's The Luxe Series (a travesty in and of itself), alarm bells are likely going off in your head right about now.

Because Vixen is almost a carbon copy of Godbersen's books, from the main protagonist who just wants to follow her own heart to the conniving BFF.  Author Jillian Larkin simply changed the setting from New York to Chicago and cut out some paper-doll flapper clothes and slapped them on her characters.

Similar to The Luxe books, there is absolutely no historical fiction value here.  The historical part only serves as a costume for the characters to wear.  There is no essence of the time period despite a few catch-phrases of the times ("you're the bees-knees!"), one would assume the setting is present day.

An overload of rich-girl scheming, drinking, and back-stabbing make for an extremely predictable plot (maybe because it's been written before) with awkward dialogue and no historical merits whatsoever.

the incomparable Zelda

If the era of the flappers interests you, you'd do far better to reach for Nancy Milford's excellent biography of the original flapper, Zelda Fitzgerald.  Through Zelda one comes to understand that being a flapper wasn't just about bobbing your hair and smoking a cigarette.  It was a state of mind and a way of life that women were adapting to break free of the chains (and corsets) that restricted them throughout the Victorian era.

Ultimately, Vixen and its sequels are simply Delacort's effort at a quick cash infusion.  And with such a huge marketing campaign behind it, coupled with the truth that trash sells, it will likely meet with large success.

In the meantime, A Reader's Respite is starting our New Year's Resolution List:

1. Don't be suckered in with a glitzy cover and a vague historical fiction description
2. (not sure, but we'll be adding to the list as the year goes on....)

Postscript:  Our copy?  In an unfortunate twist of events, we ended up with two review copies (that's twice the pain).  Just because we didn't pay a cent for it doesn't mean it gets a good review.  We calls them as we sees them around here.

Jennifer Donnelly Rocks Our World....

Yes, we know A Reader's Respite has been a tad scarce lately.  But it is the holiday season and we all know what that means:  every person in America feels compelled to jump on an airplane and fly somewhere.  Which means that our day job is keeping us very, very busy.  And no matter how many times we make the announcement, "We thank you for your business," well, it's a lie.  A big one.

A Reader's Respite is, in fact, not very grateful for long airport security lines, overcrowded and delayed airplanes, and people creating their own little Tent City in the airport next to our gate.  Go home, please.  Go home and stay at home and be merry around your own hearth and tree.  Read a book.

In fact, here are two books that might spark your interest.  Jennifer Donnelly is perhaps best known for her historical fiction series, The Tea Rose Trilogy.  But did you know she also writes young adult historical fiction?  And she writes it very well.

Her most recent publication is a young adult novel called Revolution.  The story vacillates between present day and the days leading up to the French Revolution.  When  troubled teen Andi Alpers finds herself unwillingly whisked off to Paris with her father to sort out her angst-ridden life (you know it's fiction right there, when someone is unwillingly whisked off to Paris....), she unexpectedly uncovers an old diary written by a girl, Alexandrine, who is caught up in the Revolution of 1789.

Donnelly does an excellent job of bringing the Revolution to life, both for Andi and the reader.  It doesn't ever lose it's YA feel, however, although teens are likely to appreciate Donnelly's understanding of their angst.  Moments of humor in present-day Andi's life take the edge off of the tenseness of Alexandrine's diary and as the novel reaches it's climax, the lines between present day and the past become increasingly blurred.

We enjoyed Revolution enough to take note that Donnelly had written an earlier YA historical fiction novel, A Northern Light and of course, A Reader's Respite couldn't resist buying a copy.  While we merely enjoyed Revolution, we were blown away with A Northern Light, a novel which made the American Library Association's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults list.

Donnelly took the 1906 murder of Grace Brown in the Adirondack Mountains (a case that inspired Theodore Dreiser's classic An American Tragedy) and created full,  rich historical fiction with some of the most beautiful characters to grace the pages of a YA novel.

Grace's mysterious death provides the backbone for a plethora of fictional characters who leap to life.  Young Mattie, who desires nothing more than leaving this small northern town to pursue a college eduction (something that rural young women simply do not do in 1906).  Her family, her neighbors and friends are painted so vividly by Donnelly that at times it sweeps your breath away.  Mattie's choices - or seemingly lack thereof - are heartbreaking and oh, so real.

Unexpectedly, it is the death of young Grace that leads Mattie to the answers she needs and ultimately, will change her entire life.

Both novels are good reads and well worth your time, but in the end we recommend that you buy a copy of Revolution for your favorite teen and buy the copy of A Northern Light for yourself.

Happy reading.  And stay away from airports.

Cuteness Aside, You Still Need a Plot....

Title: Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl

Author: Daniel Pinkwater

Genre: Young Adult/Middle Reader

ISBN: 978-0-547-22324-7 

Book Source: Amazon Vine Program

Grade:  C

A Reader's Respite got suckered in by another cute cover, damn it.  We can't help it....we're cover whores.  Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl is being touted as a companion book to two previous Pinkwater books:

Although we haven't read Pinkwater's two related books, we felt fairly confident that a companion book could be read as a stand-alone.  Wrong.

As it turns out, companion book is actually publisher-speak for this book has no real plot and is just skating along on some cute characters, a few lines of witty dialog and the laurels of the author's previous two books. 

In other words: cute, but sucky.

There are plenty of fun little characters, including our protagonist Audrey, the title-mentioned Cat-Whiskered girl ("I do not have a problem with my appearance - I am a nice-looking girl with lovely whiskers") who comes from a different plane of existence to Poughkeepsie, New York, where she meets an insane college professor, a new friend named Molly, a wise-woman named Chicken Nancy, the giant Harold and what appears to be a horrible monster, The Wolluf.

Despite being a Young Adult/Middle Reader book, there are plenty of references only adults will understand:

Professor Tag appeared from around the corner of the building.  He was wearing a woman's dress, sort of - it looked like he had made it out of a big window curtain....

"Hello, Professor," I said.  "Yes, I came to see you."

"Thank you," Professor Tag said.  "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

As compelling as the characters and dialog was, however, A Reader's Respite never did find a plot.  At one point, it seemed the characters might be searching for aliens.  There were several references to flying saucers (and their drivers, who apparently enjoy the apple fritters we serve up here on Earth), but in the end that came to nothing. 

We also thought for a while that the plot might be Audrey's quest to find out about her long-lost parents, but that, too, came to nothing.

In the end, we were left with a patchwork novel....plenty of great pieces that didn't come together.  Perhaps if we had read Pinkwater's previous novels (which were very well received, both critically and popularly), we would have found more enjoyment.

The saga ends here....at least for us it does

If you've been reading this blog for any significant amount of time, you'll be familiar with A Reader's Respite's hateful relationship with Anna Godbersen's The Luxe Series.

We've only kept buying the books because of our overwhelming guilt that came with publishing such scathing reviews. We were pretty sure that Godbersen would forgive just about anything if enough money was pouring in (we know we would).

Well, the vicious cycle ends here with the third book in the series, Envy. Yes, we are aware there is a fourth book, but it's only available in hardcover right now and our guilt isn't $25 worth of guilt, thankyouverymuch.



Now you'd think that by book three, the teenagers-having-soap-opera-sex thing would be long past. They should be all grown up and able to have consensual promiscuous sex judgement free, right? Wrong.

You see, the time lapse between Book One and Book Three is only one short year. And in that one year, we've seen the belles of 1899 New York society run amok with no supervision, scheming and sleeping with boys right under their parent's noses.

But by the time we get to the Book Three, Envy, the chief protagonist is sixteen (now seventeen) year old Diana. Not only was Diana sleeping with her older sister's fiance in previous books, but in this latest installment we find her copulating with random men in hallways of New York's finest homes, whilst a big ol' ball is going on in the next room.

Again, folks, this is the year 1900. *sigh*

It's clear that Godbersen has no intention with messing with this tried-and-true method of teenagers-embroiled-in-sex-and-scandal masquerading as Young Adult Historical Fiction. Why meddle with success, right?

Read it if you must, if only because it's a good lesson to be AWARE of what your kids are reading. Then give your teen a copy of Penman's The Sunne in Splendour and introduce them to real historical fiction. They'll thank you for it later.





Well, happy holidays to all of you.....A Reader's Respite is happily giving away these first three books of The Luxe Series! Included is The Luxe, Rumors, and Envy. Just leave us a comment and on December 1st, we'll announce a random winner. :)

BOO

A Reader's Respite set aside much of October for holiday themed reading. For some reason, Halloween is our favorite reading season. Perhaps it's the arrival of cooler weather and a roaring fire in the fireplace. Whatever it is, there are certain books that beg to be read this time of year.

Our favorites this Halloween?



Last year, around this time, A Reader's Respite was fortunate enough to win a copy of Erika Mailman's astounding historical fiction novel, The Witch's Trinity. Erika was kind enough to send an inscribed copy to us and we greedily tucked it away, waiting to savor it this October.

It was so worth the wait.

Set in a small German hamlet in the 16th century, Mailman uses sparse, beautiful language to recreate the conditions in a town that is slowly starving to death, filled with neighbors who have laughed, loved and grieved together for years,who suddenly turn against each other in their desperation.

The Catholic Church, limited understanding of the world around them, and lingering superstition of the Dark Ages come together in a perfect storm and give rise to the trails of witchcraft that swept through the continent.

Mailman has the gift of making the reader feel as if you are there, facing the same excruciating decisions. Would you do the right thing, even if it meant certain death? What lengths would you go to in order to protect your children? All this in less than 300 pages. Wow.

Can you tell how much we loved this novel?




Another book we had shelved away was Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. We told ourselves that we were waiting for Halloween to read this one, but if the absolute truth be known, A Reader's Respite was reluctant to read it because we were worried we'd be disappointed.

We weren't a huge fan of Coraline, Gaiman's other hit children's novel that was recently turned into a gorgeous visual smorgasbord on the big screen.

Perhaps that our expectations for Gaiman were simply too high.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

The Graveyard Book was the perfect Halloween read. Gaiman creates a magical tale of a boy raised in a graveyard by kindly ghosts. Bod (short for Nobody) is the only survivor after his family was murdered when he was just a baby.

Taken in by a wonderful cast of spooks at the local graveyard determined to protect him, he grows up learning lessons that only the underworld can teach him, while the murderers who killed his family relentlessly pursue Bod to finish off the job.

This one was filled with uncanny observations on the human condition and characters you will fall in love with. Is anyone really surprised that this book, too, is headed for the big screen?


So if you're a list person like we are and you haven't read these fabulous novels, you might want to jot them down and put them on your Halloweenie reading list for next year.


So go forth and have a fun-filled Halloween, everyone. Stay up late, eat all the kid's candy, and curl up with a spooky book in front of the fire.

Have you ever been fooled by a book's title?

We're just wondering, 'cause A Reader's Respite sure was.

Earlier in the summer, we were sent a copy of Sarah Ockler's new young adult novel entitled Twenty Boy Summer. The novel lingered on our shelves for some time because we never could quite summon the energy for a teenage boy-fest story.


So last night, A Reader's Respite finally got around to flipping the book open to chapter one.....and four hours later we closed the book after finishing the final chapter.

Suffice it to say that Twenty Boy Summer is much, much more than a book of teenage hormones. Shame, shame on us for falling for the oldest trick in the book: judging a book by it's cover.



Ockler has penned a gripping tale of first love, death and the grief of a family who doesn't know how to let go. The emotions are gripping and real. Truly, we don't think anyone could have done a better job capturing the enigma that is teenage grief. (And as someone who experienced a loss eerily similar to this as a teenager, we know of which we speak.)

Yes, yes, the book also deals with some controversial subjects like teenage girls losing their virginity along the way (and to echo the narrator, what's up with the phrase "losing" one's virginity, as if it were carelessly misplaced?) so if you're thinking of a particular young adult in your life who might like this novel, you might want to read it yourself first if that's your kind of thing.

This is an eloquent, heartbreaking story but one that offers hope. No one could have captured the teen voice better than Ockler.

Highly recommended.

(And if you happen to find our virginity floating around out there, please return it. We seem to have misplaced it around 20 years ago.)






Your turn! If you want to give this novel a try, leave a comment and then check back in on October 15th to see if you were randomly chosen to receive your very own copy. International entrants always welcome!

Move Over Nancy Drew, There's a New Game in Town!

Who devoured the Nancy Drew mysteries as a child? When A Reader's Respite was a fledgling young reader, we found a collection of Nancy Drew books in the attic and never looked back. Granted, the books were musty, the spines damaged, and some of the pages written on by some previous generation, but we loved those books.




Later on, we graduated to the more contemporary (for the 1980s, anyway) Trixie Belden mystery series. Not only was Trixie more up-to-date, but her best friend Honey owned horses and that was a deal-maker for us at that age.



But what is there for our newest generation of pre-teens? Vampire books? Gossip Girl? Turn of the century sexcapades masquerading as historical fiction? We think not.

A Reader's Respite is simply smitten with author Susan Runholt's new Kari + Lucas Mystery series! If you haven't heard of these books yet, trust us, you will.

Runholt's young protagonists are sharp, witty, kind-hearted and genuinely engaging characters. Their adventures are told by Kari in one of the most unique voices to come along in years. The adventures are steeped in history, art and literature as Kari and Lucas find themselves swept up in mysteries around the globe. Sound fantastical? Believe it or not, each story is completely plausible. You see, Kari and Lucas travel with Kari's mother, a writer for an international teen magazine.


In the series debut, The Mystery of the Third Lucretia, Kari and Lucas find themselves embroiled in the mystery of a newly-discovered Rembrandt painting. Don't know much about the Lucretia paintings? Don't worry, Kari will fill you in:

"Lucretia was this woman who supposedly lived in the sixth century BCE. This was, like, when they used to have gladiators. She was married to a Roman soldier who was always bragging about what a wonderful, good, pure, loving woman his wife was.

When he was off fighting some war, a guy named Sextus Tarquinius, one of his rivals, sneaked back to Rome and flirted with Lucretia to try to get her to have an affair with him. She wouldn't, so he raped her.

Now back in those days it wasn't bad enough that a woman had that kind of thing happen to her. What made it even worse was that it totally wrecked her reputation. A lot of women who got attacked like that would have been kicked out of their house. It was the kind of thing that makes my mother go on and on about what a rotten deal women have always gotten. I have to admit, it does seem pretty unfair.

Anyway, Lucretia was a truly good person. So she called her husband and her father back from the war and told them about what had happened to her. They said it wasn't her fault and it wasn't that big of a deal. But because it was so dishonourable, she picked up a dagger and killed herself. Can you believe that? Even though she didn't do anything wrong!

By the way, I'm not making this up. This may not be absolutely true, but it's a real legend. Google it."
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia, by Susan Runholt

Now if that short excerpt isn't enough to convince you that this series is fun and unique, I don't know what will.

The Mystery of the Third Lucretia was released to all sorts of acclaim (even Booklist loved it, surprise surprise) and Runholt is following up with the next book in the series, entitled Rescuing Seneca Crane. This time, the girls find themselves in Scotland rescuing a kidnapped young piano protoge. Music, history and architecture abound in this second installment, which we daresay is even better than the first.





Now I hear you all wondering for what age group these books would be appropriate? The protagonists are fourteen, so you'd have to make your best guess from there. But we can't recommend them highly enough and trust us on this, you'll want to devour them yourselves!

How to do it wrong and how to do it right. Sort of.

Yes, we know it seems as if A Reader's Respite is really picking on poor Anna Godbersen for her Luxe Series lately. But it is a series and since each successive book of the series seems worse than the last, who are we to turn down such fodder?


As most of you know by now, A Reader's Respite has been plodding our way through this horny-wealthy-elite-teenager- New York Society soap opera set in 1899 that's being billed as "historical fiction for teens."

We lamented the first in the series here, then later questioned our messed-up rationale for purchasing the second in the series here.

Yet even knowing what we were in for when we turned to that first page, we masochistically pressed onward. This time, we were rewarded with even more unrealistic hormone-crazed rich teenagers in turn-of-the-century New York having sex every chance they got. And trust us, you have no idea how many chances these societal teens had to have sex. Evidently, the sexual revolution actually occurred in 1899 New York.

They also found ways to fake their own deaths, blackmail each other into marriage (hey, at least the marriage part is an improvement), and run away with the stable help to California. Even their maids get in on the action here by acquiring a bit of cash and are perfectly able to sneak their way into the highest social circles with no one being the wiser.

But the icing on the cake? Well we won't ruin it completely for you, but suffice it to say that it involves a bearskin rug, a teenage girl with an older boy, lots of sex and all with in the confines of said girl's bedroom which just happens to be located within one of New York's most distinguished homes.



Clearly, parental supervision did not play a large role for teenage societal girls back then. Who knew?


Now all of this is not to claim that no one engaged in sex in turn-of-the-century New York. The birth rate of the time clearly refutes that. But if you'd like a better sense of high society scandal during this time period, we'd recommend that you turn to Paula Uruburu's new non-fiction expose of Evelyn Nesbit, entitled American Eve.



Not familiar with Evelyn Nesbit? Why, she was the original "It" girl, of course. The first supermodel, if you will. At only 16 years old, she was the most photographed woman of her time; the epitome of female beauty in 1900.



So it's not surprising that Evelyn inspired great passion in men and even greater scandal when her millionaire New York society husband murdered her lover.

True story, folks. The trial was a sensation and Evelyn became a legend in her own time.

Author Paula Uruburu's research is meticulous and while sometimes the book gets a bit heavy with hyperbole, the portrait of New York society at the turn of the century is stark and real.



With nary a bearskin rug to be found anywhere, thank goodness.






Now on to the giveaways.....A Reader's Respite is happy to offer a copy of American Eve to one lucky entrant. Just leave a comment here (all comers welcome, any country, any where) and on August 31st, we'll announce a winner, so be sure to check back and see if it's you!

And for those of you who find yourself intrigued by the trainwreck of The Luxe Series, just be patient and A Reader's Respite will be offering a giveaway of the entire series not too far in the future!

Review: Starfinder

Starfinder: Book One of the Skylords, by John Marco



Did any of you ever read fantasy books as a child? A Reader's Respite did and has fond memories of hiding under our blanket at night with a flashlight reading the likes of Madeleine L'Engle and Anne McCaffrey. Fantasy books and childhood seem to go hand-in-hand and it's always been our considered opinion that when we leave those fantasy books behind, it signals the end of childhood innocence and wonder.

In the tradition of the memorable Young Adult fantasy writers comes the first in a new series by John Marco, entitled Starfinder: Book One of the Skylords. It is here that we meet thirteen year old Moth, who lives in the city on the edge of the world and harbors dreams of becoming a Skyknight, the most elite of all pilots.

Of course his dreams will lead him on an incredible adventure and thus begins what turns out to be a very well-written and richly-imagined fantasy tale in which Moth is transported to another world beyond his own.

Well-developed characters abound (we wish half of the adult novels we read could do this as well) and there is a subtle moral to the story, something all young adult novels ought to contain. Marco deftly walks a fine line here, managing to keep the story out of the shallowness of simplicity and yet still draws the reader into a richly imagined world.

If you have fond memories of childhood fantasy books, you'll want to read Starfinder and we'd be willing to be this one will make it's way onto your permanent bookshelves. If you have kidlets, we're thinking ages 11-13 ought to make a nice fit for this book, but you'll want to read it yourself, too.

If A Reader's Respite gave away starred reviews, this one would be a five. Kudos to Marco for creating what we are hoping will become a classic in the young adult fantasy genre!

And in case you were thinking the author's name sounded familiar, Marco is the author of two well-known adult fantasy series: The Lukien Trilogy and Tyrants and Kings. A Reader's Respite has added both series to our Leaning Tower of Pisa TBR Pile. *sigh*




Title: Starfinder: Book One of the Skylords
Author: John Marco
ISBN-13: 978-0756405519
400 pages
Publisher: DAW Hardcover
Date: May 5, 2009

Still not certain? Read these reviews, too!

Medieval Bookworm
At Home With Books
The Tome Traveller
Shooting Stars Magazine
In Search of Giants
Back to Books
Bookfoolery and Babble
Fantasy Book Critic
Steph Su Reads
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
The Book Smugglers
Becky's Book Reviews
Wagging the Fox

Starfinder has been on tour with TLC Book Tours. Kudos to TLC for choosing a quality book to showcase!

Review: The Luxe

The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen


Oh dear. Where oh where do we start?

Not too long ago, A Reader's Respite couldn't help but notice that inside every bookstore, prominently displayed in the Young Adult section, was a series of historical fiction aimed towards teens. There appeared to be three books in the series and because historical fiction and young adult are two of A Reader's Respite's favorite genres, well, we bought a copy of the first book in this series by author Anna Godbersen. It's titled The Luxe.

The Luxe (and we're still not sure of the exact meaning of this title), as it turns out, is basically a lurid soap opera for teen girls set in the wealthiest circles of 1899 Manhattan's Grand Society. The storyline is so preposterous that A Reader's Respite really must share. You're gonna love this:

Elizabeth Holland is the toast of Manhattan society. She is young, stunningly beautiful, and heir to one of New York's oldest families. She's also doing the horizontal hokey-pokey with the stable boy every chance she gets. Evidently this is what all young, pedigreed girls do in the year 1899.

Elizabeth's BFF, Penelope is gettin' busy with New York's most eligible bachelor, Henry Schoonmaker and wants desperately to snag poor Henry in marriage. Evidently the phrase "why buy the cow when you're getting the milk for free?" hadn't made it's way into the elite Manhattan society in 1899.

Things start to get interesting when Henry's dad forces him to ask Elizabeth to marry him. Needless to say, Elizabeth and Penelope's BFF relationship loses the FF portion at this point.

This leaves us with Diana, Elizabeth's younger (that's right, YOUNGER) sister who spends her time making out with strange men in coat closets during societal balls. One of whom, is Henry Schoonmaker. Yes, the same Henry who is schtupping Penelope and engaged to Elizabeth. But this is different because Henry and Di are in looooooove.

A Reader's Respite was left burning with questions...

1. How does it all end? (Predictibly, as it turns out.)
   
2. Who cares?
   
3. Who in the hell marketed this lurid tale to young girls?
4. Who in the hell actually believes that young girls in 1899 high society behaved/dressed/spoke this way?
5. Who keeps giving this book 5 stars on Amazon?
   

*Sigh* While we may not ever receive the answers we so desire, we're pretty content to tell you that while the writing isn't bad in and of itself (no typos, good grammar, etc), the concept of this story as historical fiction is a sham at best. One need only look at the gown on the cover. Take note that strapless gowns were not appropriate evening attire in 1899.

The sad part is, all the author would have to do is change the time period from 1899 to 2009 and it would have been entirely believable. But then it would have been called just trash.

I know, I know, you're looking for the part where A Reader's Respite offers to give away the book, but GASP, it's not here!

We laughed so hard at this novel that we've decided to read the two sequels just to keep our sense of humor finely honed. Look for reviews in the future and when we've finished with the trilogy, we'll hold a grand giveaway of all three books. Sound like a plan?

If you've been dying to read this book, don't despair....there are respected reviewers who liked it. As a matter of fact, it seems that A Reader's Respite is the ONLY reviewer who didn't...go figure.

Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings
Gimme More Books!
A Patchwork of Books
Everything To Do With Books
Exclusively Books
Debbie's World of Books
Stop, Drop, and Read!
Beth Fish Reads
Tower of Books

Review: Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska, by John Green


In A Reader's Respite's continuing foray into the Young Adult genre, we keep finding novels that astound us. We have moments when we are convinced that there the Young Adult genre produces more sophisticated, complex talent than any supposed adult-oriented genre.

2006 Printz Award winner Looking for Alaska is no exception. A Reader's Respite was blown away by the sophistication of this novel.

Author John Green weaves a mesmerizing tale of three boarding school students in the deep South. Our narrator, Pudge, is a scathingly witty outcast whose dry commentary concerning his classmates (and himself, for that matter) hooked us from page one.

Boarding school is a fresh start for Pudge and he relishes the opportunity to reinvent himself (doesn't happen) and start a quest for the Great Perhaps (does happen). As with most boarding school experiences, however, it is the new friends he discovers that will change Pudge's life forever, including the girl of his dreams, Alaska. But like Pudge, each of his new friends have their own demons to evade. Most are successful. One is not.

The darker side of this novel is about the choices we make, especially as teens, and the impact those choices have on the people around us. Any well-written young adult novel that touches on suicide invariably begs for comparison with Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (click here if you missed A Reader's Respite's review of that one).

The verdict?

Looking for Alaska wins, hands down. Why?

1. The depth of characterization is nothing short of masterful.
2. The boarding-school prank scene (which runs approximately 5 pages) had A Reader's Respite laughing so hard tears ran down our face and we literally peed a little in our jammies whilst reading before bedtime. Mr. RR was intrigued by this and when we read the passage out loud to him, we both laughed longer than we have in ages. And laughter is good for a marriage.

It's pretty clear by this point what our recommendation is. If you haven't read it, you're missing out.




More reviews just in case we didn't convince you:

The Book Muncher
In Spring it is the Dawn
The Until Midnight Reader
All the World's a Stage
Write Meg!
bookboy.net
Miss Print
Fluttering Butterflies
Fizzy Thoughts
Book Addiction

Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

A Reader's Respite is abandoning our normal review format for this book.

Why?

Because if you haven't read this soon-to-be classic yet, you're missing out. Really missing out.

Originally published in 2006, it has been said that Irish author John Boyne wrote the entire first draft of this stunner in only two and a half days.

Two and a half days. Wow.

Now if you haven't even heard of this book, a full plot synopisis would spoil the story. Suffice it to say that story is set during WWII and is told from the viewpoint of a nine-year-old boy.

Oh, and the ending?

The ending is one of those jaw-dropping, never-saw-it-coming endings. A Reader's Respite turned the last page, rested the book on our lap and simply sat there in awe and wonder for a full fifteen minutes....the ending is that amazing.

Just read it.


Now.


Then come back here and share your thoughts with A Reader's Respite.





Title: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Author: John Boyne
ISBN-13: 978-0198326762
224 pages
Publisher: OUP DUMP LIST
Date: May 31, 2007 (pbk.)


Different strokes for different folks: some more reviews

Blue Archipelago
Out of the Blue
Jo-Jo loves to read!
Melody's Reading Corner
The Sleepy Reader
Book Obsession
Reading Adventures
Wondrous Reads
Maw Books Blog

Review: Coraline

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman






The Down and Dirty

Young Coraline isn't all that happy with her life. Her parents work too much and, as young children are wont to be, she's bored. But when she discovers her alternate life behind a hidden door, she begins to think that her real life isn't so bad. Evil lurks behind every corner as Coraline tries desperately to regain her "old" life.


The Literary Criticism

Advertised for ages eight and up, Coraline is, for all intents and purposes, a horror book for kids. Scary, but without the gore.

And although I haven't interviewed any eight year olds on the matter, I suspect Gaiman largely succeeds in scaring the pee out of them. The alternate world Coraline stumbles into strangely mirrors her own, containing another set of parents who, despite their outward declarations of love and devotion, don't seem quite right. (Black buttons instead of eyes are a pretty big clue here.)

The alternate world Gaiman creates is quite well thought-out. And while the themes of the novella may not be original, the conveyance of it certainly is.

As rich as the plot is, however, there is something lacking in Coraline. We know she is a kind girl and even quite a smart girl. But that's about all we ever get to know. Ultimately, she's rather one-dimensional in a cardboard cutout sort of way. Perhaps this was by design, but I missed getting to know Coraline.



Our Recommendation

Hmmmmm. Here's the brutal truth: the thrill just wasn't happening for me. By no means is this an awful book. It won a Hugo Award, a Nebula Award, and the Bram Stroker Award.

I read it. I didn't hate it.

But neither am I running out and buying copies for every kid I know.



Maybe I missed something. It's been known to happen.






I do, however, have high hopes for the forthcoming film version.







While A Reader's Respite chose to purchase a copy of Coraline, you can read it for free courtesy of Harper Collins.




Title: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
ISBN-13: 978-0061649691
176 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date: 2006



Other Thoughts on Coraline from Blogland

Crescent Moon Reviews
Musings of a Bibliophile
Book-A-Rama
Children's Book Reviews and Then Some
Life More Abundantly
Eclectic Obsessions
Ravenskya's Reviews
Marny the Bookworm
BeccaThesaurus
BookTalk

Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak






The Down and Dirty

It's a simple story, really. A young German girl named Liesel is delivered to foster parents in a small town outside of Munich while Hitler rises to power. Her life is changed forever when her family hides a Jew in their basement.

The Literary Criticism

The beauty of this story lies in it's simplicity. The ease of the storyline allows author Markus Zusak to focus on the human condition. Interestingly, Death is chosen to narrate the story. This takes a bit of getting used to as the reader gets accustomed to Death's "voice." As it turns out, Death is a brilliant narrator who masterfully foreshadows the story, compelling the reader to turn the page.

This novel is chock full of poetic and simple illumination about the human condition. Evil exists in the world and while the universal question of "why?" cannot ever be fully answered, Zusak reveals both the beauty and ugliness of the world through his young characters.

Liesel calculated that there were four more reading sessions like that with Frau Holtzapfel before the Jews were marched through Molching.
They were going to Dachau, to concentrate
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

You may well be wondering where the title The Book Thief figures into the story. That's easy: Liesel, a good girl at heart, feels compelled to steal books and the impact of books on her life cannot be overstated.

Indeed, the power of the written word is laced through the novel. The witholding of words when books are banned and the misuse of words to accomplish evil deeds are an important theme.

The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing. There would be no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or worldly tricks to make us feel better.
What good were the words?
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Zusak's words are simple yet powerful and even illuminating. The novel is certainly well-written.


Our Recommendation

This is a young adult novel, but recommended for teens and adults alike. The story is certainly a powerful one and probably ought not to be missed.

Diversifying My Bookshelves (and a book review!)

You Smell Dead, by Chris P. Flesh


What a great title. What a great pen name.

I couldn't resist.

I bought it.

I read it.





The Down and Dirty
Franklin Ripp died. He died because in the town of Snickering Willows, questions are forbidden. And when you don't stop to ask questions, it's pretty easy to wind up dead.

Snickering Willows is home to the Mystery Meat Factory and that pretty much explains why questions are forbidden in this town. But despite his early death, the underworld returns young Franklin to the land of the living in spirit of true love, although there's one condition: Franklin has one school year in which to actually kiss his true love Lilly if he wants to remain in the land of the living.

It all sounds pretty simple except for one small problem: Franklin returns to life as the undead and his undead body, although alive, is a little, errr, decomposed after being buried for three months. After all, formaldehyde can only preserve so much for so long.

So Franklin, or Freekin as he comes to be called, has to find a way to win back dear Lilly in a slightly unattractive state. Oh, and he has to solve the mysterious illness that seems to be striking down the entire town and find his missing dog while he's at it.




The Literary Criticism
Doesn't the synopsis sound like a great book?

It's not.

Perhaps it is the annoying narrator who detracts from the story or maybe it's because the presentation seems a bit juvenile, even for a middle reader. Or maybe it's the overwhelming stereotypes that are perpetuated in the story: the pretty cheerleader, the big jock on the football team who bullies everyone, and so on.

The ending is clearly formulated to leave room for the next book in the series, but so much so that it is entirely chopped off with no resolution to the main obstacles presented in the story.

Additionally, I admit to being a tad disappointed because this book is the first in a series and you all know how A Reader's Respite feels about series.





The Recommendation
Perhaps you might have a young 4th or 5th grader this might work for? It may well be a book that is good for getting young kids to start reading on their own for pleasure, although I'm a bit doubful about it's appropriateness for kids of that age when the title of the series is Pretty Freekin Scary, which is a play on character names, but still.

There are a plethora of young adult and middle reader novels out there that are fun for adults to read, too. Sadly, this wasn't one of them.


Title: You Smell Dead
Author: Chris P. Flesh
ISBN-13: 978-0448446820
176 pages
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Date: September 6, 2007

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY, by Jay Asher







The Down and Dirty
Hannah is dead at the tender age of 16. Tragically, she took her own life. But she's left something behind: a box of thirteen audio tapes that she hopes will explain the reasons she chose to kill herself.



The Literary Criticism
Thirteen Reasons Why is Jay Asher's debut novel that deals with some powerful subject matter: teen suicide. I was prepared for preachy. I was prepared for condescension. But I wasn't prepared for what I actually read, which turned out to be a brutally honest exploration of both the victim and those left behind (he invalidates neither) wondering why and how such a thing could have happened.

Author Jay Asher has a rare, special touch with his readers. He actually understands that most mysterious and elusive of creatures: the teenager. Hannah's reasons for killing herself would appear, to most adults, inconsequential. But Asher understands that her reasons are very, very real to a teenager and he treats them with the seriousness they deserve. Likewise, he is able to convey the angst of her classmates who are left feeling confused, guilty and vulnerable while they try to make sense of the tragedy.

And yet Asher is still able to subtly provide answers and lessons, including our moral responsibilities to our fellow human beings, the subtle signs of suicide and how we unknowingly exacerbate it.

Looking back, I stopped writing in my notebook when I stopped wanting to know myself anymore.
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

Perhaps the most powerful scene in the novel revolves around Hannah's last effort to reach out for help from her high school guidance counselor. Asher brilliantly depicts a counselor who wants so badly to help Hannah, but simply cannot because of his inability to see the problem through the eyes of a teenage girl.

There is, as it turns out, no one person to blame for a tragedy like this. Anyone could have stopped it along the way, but tragically no one did.

Our Recommendation
Very highly recommended for both teens and adults. If you have a teen in mind for this book, I would recommend that you (or better yet, their parents) read it first to ensure that the seriousness of the subject matter is, in your view, appropriate for them.






Don't miss the author's awesome blog, The Disco Mermaids!

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
ISBN-13: 978-1595141712
304 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Date: October 18, 2007


Additional Reviews in BlogLand:

Fizzy Thoughts
The Thin Red Line
S. Krishna's Books
Bookroom Reviews
By The Book Reviews
Fumbling With Fiction
In Bed with Books
Reading and Ruminations
Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them!
pretty to think so
tiny little reading room
Eclectic Obsessions
Hole in the Wall
Book Therapy
Young Adult Book Reviews
Apothegm
The Harmony of Writing
iRead