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Joan Aiken writing at her very best was a perfect companion. Well travelled, cultured, with a wealth of personal experience, and the ability not just to tell a gripping story, but to draw the reader in to the very process of writing. What she loved was to hold her audience in a […]
This famously haunting picture, and its resonant title, which some have taken as the manifesto of the Spanish painter Goya, was the inspiration for Joan’s science fiction fantasy The Cockatrice Boys. Her magpie mind was constantly on the alert, moving between the news of the day, the scientific discoveries that were changing the world, […]
Candlewick, 2007
Jane is ready. She has her sketchbook (one of the most important things in her life), her obnoxious brother Michael and her mother. Everything is packed. The beach is calling. It's a beautiful day, clear and perfect. Jane couldn't ask for a better one. She heads toward the water and start swimming. And that's about all she can remember.
Her brother Michael remembers it all to well. The water turning red as Jane is pulled onto the beach. The shock of seeing her mangled body. The ambulance pulling up and taking his sister away. He caught it all on camera, and it's this footage that changes Jane's life.
It's a long road to recovery for Jane. The pain, the loss of her arm to a shark, the rehab...it's something she can't psychologically get through. She knows it will take time, and she knows her life now has changed. The sketchbook she always carried around? Useless now. Everyday tasks at home? Can't even accomplish those. And don't even talk about going to back to school. Not now, not with the everyone seeing and knowing what happened.
First it's the newscast, then the letter begin to come in, not in a trickle but en masse. Everyone encouraging her, praying for her, hoping for the best. But all of that doesn't matter unless Jane decides to make is matter personally for her, and she is not feeling it. Until a boy named Justin enters her life and makes an impact.
But is Jane ready to begin again? Can she accept her new normal?
Bingham writer a beautiful novel in verse through Jane's eyes from the first struggle to the continuation of her new life. It's about Jane's journey that pulls the reader in, from her interminably hospital stay to her trying to overcome the obstacles she faces within and without herself. Bingham also inserts letters and external dialogue within the verse to not only give readers first person perspective, but third person as well. This is a quick read and is perfect for this summer because....
Candlewick, 2013
Bingham has recently come out with a sequel to the novel entitled Formerly Shark Girl. They say one year can change your life. Jane knows this all too well, but in a day, not a year. The reader sees her emotional and physical progress in this sequel and how much stronger she has become. Again, Bingham inserts letters from strangers asking how she is and how inspirational her story has become. A perfect ending to Jane's last year in high school and all the changes in her life that have taken place in 365 days. Bingham ends this novel with the possibility of another...or maybe not.
COMMON CORE PAIRS: Hamilton, Bethany. (2006). Soul Surfer: the true story of faith, family, and fight to get back on the board. MTV Books
Capuzzo, Michael. (2003). Close to Shore: the terrifying shark attacks of 1916. Crown Publishers
By: Lizza Aiken,
on 6/6/2013
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Russ Tunney, Artistic Director of The Nuffield Theatre and long time Aiken admirer has adapted and premiered a gloriously funny and faithful stage version of Joan Aiken’s classic children’s book The Wolves of Willoughby Chase which is just celebrating its 50th Anniversary. The adaptation is published today by Nick Hern Books in a practical edition […]
What if you could have ‘All You’ve Ever Wanted‘? Joan Aiken liked to imagine just this sort of dangerous wish going horribly wrong, and it became the title story of her first book. The wishes in question are not made by her sensible heroine, the ill-starred Matilda, an orphan of course, who is brought […]
Little Brown, 2011
Min is mad, but more than that, her heart is broken...
Min doesn't have a lot of friends, but the ones she does have are loyal and close, with Al being her closest friend. Between him and the avant-garde movies she loves, her life is really good. Until Ed Slaterton showed up....
She was "arty;" he was an athlete. She had a free-spirit; his was defined by his friends. Min was under the radar; Ed was the one girls wanted to be with and guys wanted to hang with. Her lifestyle was nostalgic; his was trendy. Both of them showed each other a new world.
It was a complete accident, their meeting. She searched for him, he handed her a beer (which Min poured out discreetly). They talked that night and soon, this led to another meeting, then another...and then they became a couple.
And everyone wondered why they were together. But Ed knew, with all of his heart, that Min was different and he loved the fact that she wasn't just another pretty face. Min was secretly, than openly, thrilled about being Ed Slaterton's girlfriend, even if it meant she had to sacrifice some things, including her favorite coffee shop.
But today, she wants no part of Ed. Nothing about him in her life is the cleansing she needs. So she takes everything they ever shared, including a:
pinhole camera
toy truck
plant pod
oily kitchen towel....and so much, so many more.
They go in a box, along with her story of why they broke up.
The premise of this book is simple. Each chapter contains an item and the story that goes along with it in chronological order. Told from Min's point of view, the reader becomes entangled in her story and the curiosity quotient is raised of how, not especially why, Min broke up with him. But this book is unique in another very different way. Daniel Handler writes with dangling participles galore. It will take a reader to fine tune the voice in their head to follow the pattern his writing takes on, including the ever important comma pauses he uses. It is also because of his stylized writing that Min's character truly comes out, filled with emotion and packed with meaning. Handler also creates the town Min lives in and the world of film she loves, not with the branded names of coffee houses, Hollywood, and music, but with care, choosing imaginative names to convey the feeling each name evokes.
Simple book, intricate writing....two very different styles that compliment and run alongside the two main characters in this book that reflect Handler's writing. Interspersed throughout are deft, well-spaced illustrations of each item Min discards. Recommended for high school (9-12).
Sidenote: it has been a long time since I've read a book that was actually sewn. Also, this is a heavy book (literally, not figuratively) with glossy thick pages. Not your typical YA book, and one that definitely stands out.
With over one hundred books published in her lifetime, Joan Aiken has contributed so much to the lives of her readers that some characters have lived on as a part of their own history, like old friends. Everyone has that aha! moment as with the taste of Proust’s famous Madeleine, when they catch sight of […]
Title: Black Irish
Author: Stephan Talty Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Review: The sanctity of a local Buffalo, NY church is forever compromised when the maimed corpse of Jimmy Ryan is discovered in the basement. Tied to a chair, eyelids cut off as if he were made to look at something, the sight of Ryan's body sends a shock through the town. Author Stephan Talty describes the southern part of Buffalo, the County, as having a "small-town feeling". Its best days behind it, the County is a place where news travels fast and nothing stays secret for long.
Enter Absolam "Abbie" Kearny. Despite growing up in the County, she has always been a kind of outsider. Adopted at a young age by John Kearny, a local police legend, she has now returned to follow in her father's infamous footsteps. Tasked with the Ryan case, she is quickly met with resistance from the local townspeople and police.
The County is mostly made up of Irish immigrants. As Abbie digs deeper into the murder, connections, both historical and personal, begin to reveal themselves. As further murders occur, Abbie struggles to stay ahead of the killer. The Buffalo police run an investigation parallel to hers, and Abbie soon finds herself a suspect in the case. As the tension rises Abbie is forced to question her sanity and family history, all culminating in a shocking twist that is sure to leave readers riveted.
With his debut work of fiction, Stephan Talty instantly places himself among the great modern thriller authors such as Dennis Lehane and Tana French. Like Lehane and French, Talty manages to maintain exceptional characters, setting and suspense without ever sacrificing the integrity of his writing. This novel could have easily become a standard thriller, but Talty daftly takes his time to build each character, allowing the suspense to stay at a constant boil. In Abbie, Talty has imagined a believable protagonist, whose flaws and vulnerability allows readers to connect with her emotions and desire to succeed. I was hooked on this novel from beginning to end. Fascinated by the serial killer who tells, "his autobiography through corpses", I was shocked at the final turn that the events took. This exceptional novel has everything thriller fans have come to expect and gives them more than they could ever have hoped for.
Title: I’d Know You Anywhere
Author: Laura Lippman Publisher: Harper Collins, Inc.
Publication Date: September 17, 2010
Review: After seeing this book on Stephen King's Best of 2010 list for EW, I became curious about this novel. Most reviews I read prior to beginning this story were mixed at best, so I really wanted to read this and form my own opinion.
In the mid 80's, an insecure young man named Walter abducts young Elizabeth. Unlike his previous victims, who were quickly raped and killed, Elizabeth travels with Walter for nearly forty days, and is only raped once. While traveling with Walter, Elizabeth witnesses the abduction and murder of another girl.
Now, many years later, Elizabeth (now called Eliza) is a seemingly normal wife and mother, helping her family deal with their recent move back to the US from London. With the arrival of a letter from Walter, who is awaiting execution on death row, Eliza is forced to face her past and reveal secrets to her family and herself.
In this mesmerizing novel, Laura Lippman twists what could have been a straight forward thriller into an introspective narrative about a woman's unwillingness to accept her past, and the ways in which previous events shaped her into the person she has become. Readers will delight in the steady pacing and wonderfully drawn characters in this must read novel.
Balzer +Bray, 2013
Juliet once knew the life of luxury, but that is far behind her now. Her reality is working as a cleaning woman, rubbing her knuckles bare scrubbing the bloody floors of the surgical hospital to keep her off of the streets. Even if Juliet isn’t working on the streets, she still must fend off those who have enjoyed seeing her and her family’s fall in society and feel she should be treated as such.
Her father is dead, but he caused enough damage to ruin Juliet and her mother’s future without him. But one item, a drawing of a vivisection taken from her father’s journal, leads Juliet to seek out the person who owns this. And that one item will also lead her down a dark and dangerous path. This ripped page from her father's personal journals is all the confirmation Juliet needs to motivate her desire to seek the truth, and leads her to Montgomery, an old friend and former servant.
What he tells Juliet is beyond belief. Her father is alive, living on an island as a recluse and using Montgomery to go for supplies when needed, regardless of how odd or dangerous those may be. Juliet demands she goes back with him, even though his friend Balthazar makes her uneasy.
The journey is more than anyone bargained for, and when Juliet finally reaches the island and understands exactly what her father, Dr. Moreau is doing, the true horror begins. Juliet’s life is also in danger due to an aberration Dr. Moreau has created that is beginning to kill the natives and will think nothing of killing the humans….madness has taken control.
Shepherd has taken the classic tale of The Island of Dr. Moreau and created an alternate re-telling, which includes many of the same characters but in a slighty variegated form. This story is as chilling as the original and readers of historical fiction and horror fiction will find themselves mesmerized. Juliet is a strong female character trapped not only physically on an island but emotionally as well as she battles between her desires and fears. Although Shepherd doesn’t write in detail about Moreau’s creations, the reader can most certainly “see” them through the small details she does provide. I'm firmly grounded in the camp of readers that thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a bonus, the cover is as enthralling as the story told within it. Recommended.
Title: The Guilty One
Author: Lisa Ballantyne Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: March 19, 2013
Review: Daniel Hunter is no stranger to lost causes. In fact, there was a time, not too long ago, when he himself was seen as a lost cause. His mother was a junkie, so he spent most of his childhood dependent upon the state to place him in proper care. He always felt a constant need to look after his mother, even sacrificing his own needs for her benefit.
But then he went to live with Minnie. At first, he treated her like all the other foster parents, eager to leave and return to his mother. But there was something different about Minnie. A widow who lost her husband soon after the shocking death of her only daughter, Minnie seemed just as damaged as he was. Soon, the two formed a bond, and Daniel finally seemed to find a home.
Then the betrayal happened. While Daniel was beginning his studies as a law student, he discovered a secret that Minnie had kept from him. This information was simply too much to handle. Suddenly Minnie changed from a loving mother figure to just another person who betrayed his trust. In that moment, Daniel vowed never to speak to her again, and to create his future on his own.
Fast forward a few years, and Daniel is a successful solicitor working in London. His own troubled background has provided him with the unique ability to defend troubled youth. After the unexpected death of an eight-year-old boy, found dead in a playground, he is called to defend the eleven-year-old neighbor, Sebastian Croll, accused of murdering the other boy. Instantly, Daniel feels a connection to Sebastian. The young boy is surprisingly aware of his situation, and consistently declares his innocence. But there is something unsettling about the boy. He seems strangely fascinated with the details of the other boy's death, and displays an unusual interest in topics that most would find disturbing.
Despite this, Daniel agrees to defend Sebastian. Immediately, the media latches on to the story, shining a light not only on the lives of the victim and accused, but on Daniel as well. As the case begins, Daniel learns of the death of Minnie. Now, as he embarks on arguably the most important case of his career, Daniel finds his past colliding with the present, forcing him to remember his past actions, and atone for his own personal guilt.
In The Guilty One, author Lisa Ballantyne has crafted a genuine story of believable characters facing the harsh realities of our time. She calls into question the practices of juvenile trials, and the effects such events have on the mental and physical health of those involved. Each chapter alternates between the present events of the trial Daniel's personal flashbacks. In doing this, Ballantyne lets to story slowly unfold, maximizing both the suspense as well as character development. She beautifully creates connections between the past and present events, bringing and inevitable coherence to the entire narrative. Despite the often unpleasant subject matter, especially in the details of the small child's death, I felt emotionally connected and moved by the characters and events that unfolded. The ending, while not necessarily expected, left me satisfied and craving even more time with the characters that a grew close to. This is an exceptional novel of emotional depth and lingering suspense.
Title: Private
Author: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Series: Jack Morgan (#1)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: June 28, 2010
Review: I'll admit it, sometimes I just feel like reading a quick, entertaining, James Patterson novel. With a really crazy schedule that barely left time for sleep, let alone reading and reviewing novels, I knew I could count on Patterson to provide a non-taxing read that I could pick up in short bursts and not be completely lost with. Unfortunately, its the entertainment factor that seems to be more hit or miss when it comes to Patterson's recent efforts. As he has grown into a novel-producing brand, releasing numerous books with various co-authors, the quality of his stories seems to have suffered. With all this in mind, curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself plowing through one of Patterson's latest series novels, Private.
As any reader of any of Patterson's novels can attest, pace is rarely an issue. I easily found myself 80 pages deep into the book with no problems, but was surprised at the amount of time the authors (Maxine Paetro co-authors this narrative) spent setting up the characters and upcoming action. The novel follows former Marine pilot Jack Morgan who, after inheriting 15 million dollars from his imprisoned father, starts his own private investigation firm. Within 5 years, Jack's company, Private, quickly becomes a success with branches around the globe. Jack oversees the LA branch, and has recently become very busy with three urgent cases.
To start things off, his best friend, Andy, has called him to investigate the murder of his wife, Shelby. As is always the case, Andy is the police's prime suspect, but Jack knows Andy would never kill the wife he loved. Jack tasks Private with finding the real killer before Andy is hauled off by the LAPD. In addition, Jack's uncle Fred, a high level executive of the NFL, has hired Private to investigate the possibility of referees fixing games through bad calls. With several examples, the evidence seems to support this theory. Jack’s firm has to prove this case before it reaches the public and completely destroys the integrity of the game. Finally, there is the case of the schoolgirl killer. Thirteen girls have been killed and even stranger, none of the killings were done the same way. With the rate of the killings quickly rising, Private is in a race to catch the killer before more innocent lives are lost.
This is probably one of my favorite Patterson novels in recent memory. Considering some of his other attempts, the characters were generally well thought out, and the mysteries were intriguing without ever getting completely over the top. With all the cases coming to a satisfying, if somewhat predictable, conclusion, this novel was brisk while still providing enough entertainment to make it an enjoyable read.
Title: Heat Lightning
Author: John Sandford Series: Virgil Flowers (#2)
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publication Date: September 23, 2008
Summary: Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliant suspense that have always made his books "compulsively readable" (Los Angeles Times), this is Sandford writing at the top of his game.
Review: Someone is killing Vietnam War Veterans. Each time, the deceased man is left at a veteran's memorial with a lemon in his mouth. After two of these murders, it is clear to Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator, Lucas Davenport, that there is a connection. Unable to devote his own skills, (Davenport is featured in Sandford's "Prey" series), he calls in the only man who can clean up the mess. It is time to call in the man he hired to solve "the hard stuff".
Enter Virgil Flowers, the thirty something detective, whose quirky, off the cuff reputation is as well known as his ability to solve the cases that no one else can. To say Flowers doesn't fit the standard law enforcement mold would be an understatement. He keeps is blond hair at shoulder length, wears rock band t-shirts and cowboy boots, occasionally writes for national outdoors magazines, and keeps in contact with various women and ex-wives, all of whom he has fallen in love with. Despite all of this apparent baggage, Flowers gets the job done, and he does it well. As he begins investigating the deaths of the veterans, he realizes that they are being killed professionally, as if they are each being checked off of a list. When he discovers the connections, he is immersed in a global conspiracy dating back to the time of the war.
There is no denying Sandford's ability to create riveting mysteries with relatable characters. He writes with an urgency that keeps the plot moving, never allowing the suspense to ease. As I read, I continued to be sucked deeper into the mystery as each twist and turn was unveiled. Virgil Flowers has a charismatic everyman charm that forced me to root for him. It has been almost a year since I read the first Virgil Flowers novel, and I forgot how much I enjoyed the world that Sandford has provided. There is a kind of timelessness to the story that will surely appeal to any mystery fans. With two solid novels, this series is quickly becoming my new favorite!
Creating her own period of alternate history gave Joan Aiken the freedom to exercise her endless imagination, but also provided her with the opportunity to use a variety of stored information from her wide ranging reading and her life-long fascination with all kinds of study. These elements, combined with an absolutely riotous ear for dialogue […]
2013. G.P Putnam's Sons (imprint of Penguin)
They came way before, nestling into the quiet brains of the sleeping, waiting and biding their time.... Eighteen years later, they showed themselves, their ship hovering like a giant green eye in the sky, silent. Everyone watched it for ten days, hoping for some kind of communication or sign. Their unease grew, but if these aliens were trying to kill, wouldn't they have done it by now?
On the tenth day, the attack began. Electricity and power shut down by a massive EMP. At first people were thinking that it would be restored in a few hours, but it didn't happen. The mayhem grew, causing worldwide panic, and few died.
Then the second wave hit. This was planned methodically and with precision. The result were giant tsunamis taking out cities, countries, entire chunks of the earth as we knew it. Millions died, and without any electricity there was no hope of rescue. But they weren't done yet.
The third wave was the most deadly. They used nature to attack humanity, spreading a deadly virus that killed. If the second wave didn't kill you, this one would. Millions more were killed in this wave, with a few who lived through it because of resistance to the virus. Humans became an endangered species.
The fourth wave was the first direct assault from the aliens. The silencers...tracking down humanity and killing them point blank, no questions asked. They used drones and foot soldiers to locate colonies and wipe them out. No mercy. Whatever you called them, they were the enemy.
Cassie saw her family die, and now alone, she struggles to survive, holding the last remnants of her old life, a teddy bear her little brother loved. Beside the bear is her protector, an M-16. Cassie knows survival depends only on yourself, never any other person. One will make you invisible, two will make you a target.
Little did she know that there was a 5th wave, the deadliest of all...
Told in four teen perspectives, Yancy writes an incredibly in-depth dystopian novel that is noticeably more sophisticated. The reader walks beside Cassie, a tough kick-A girl who knows the reality even when it frightens her; her little brother Sam, an innocent kid who wants protection but becomes the ultimate pawn; Ben, a popular athletic boy who finds himself defending his life and those of others as a soldier; and Evan, who escaped attacks through isolation and ingenuity. Although it is the characters that capture the readers' attention,it is the psychology behind the attacks and how it affects survivors that gives this novel an edge, pulling the reader through the story until realization dawns on them about what exactly is happening. The pace is fast and the writing is spot on for anyone wanting hardcore dystopian science fiction. You had better buy not two copies, but three or four because they will be quickly checked out and on demand. The book trailers are equally compelling (found on
http://www.rickyancey.com/ ). HIGHLY recommended!!
One of the very worst things you can hear as a child coming home to find that your room has been ‘Spring Cleaned’ must be: “Oh you didn’t want that did you? I thought you’d finished with it.’ This was clearly a memory from Joan Aiken’s own childhood, and she turned it into one of [...]
Walker Books, 2013
Mallory knows the definition of isolation because she’s living it right now. Her mother avoids her; Colleen, her best friend, is forbidden to see her; and Brian…..well, he’s dead.
Mallory was the one that killed him, but she was never charged with murder. Although she’s technically free, it doesn’t seem like it. Brian’s mother is constantly parked in front of their house waiting and watching. She can’t help but bump into Dylan, Brian’s younger brother and knowing he sees a murderer. The whole town looks at her differently, whispering behind her back. The best thing her parents can do is remove her from the situation.
On the day Mallory enters Monroe Prep, she knows her past has followed her, thanks to the dean’s son, Jason. For her, it was dislike at first sight. For him, it was a new target. Then comes the dorm debacle, with her roommate moving out as soon as she hears about Mallory’s past. No matter where she goes, the isolation follows. Krista and Taryn, part of the Monroe student elite, snubs her and makes sure everyone else follow suit. Herd mentality at its best.
But at night, Mallory knows she’s not alone. Something or someone has followed her, getting into her room at night, whispering to her. She sees a car near campus, waiting just outside the gates…too much like home. So, she copes with all of this through sleeping meds, but she still hears the Boom Boom Boom of Brian’s heart, still hears his voice, and sees his searing handprint on her shoulder. No one can help, not even Reid, the person Mallory allows closest into her private life.
And then the unthinkable happens and Mallory is once again center stage….
Megan Miranda has written a provocative psychological mystery that interweaves stories both known and unknown. In traditional format, the reader gets to see the viewpoints of all the major characters in the book, but it’s the main character and her battle with the trauma she went through that will carry the readers into wanting to know what will ultimately happen to her and who exactly is involved. The reader will question which character they can trust, and which ones they find culpable. The cover is equally dynamic, also hinting at the mystery hidden within the pages. Is someone getting framed? If so, who and why?
Those looking for a thrilling read will be sure to enjoy this one.
This marvellous moment of realisation occurs to Mori, the heroine of Jo Walton’s Among Others but could be a life saving discovery for any lonely child – and every child is in danger of loneliness as soon as they start to wonder about the world they have been born into. Joan Aiken was a lonely [...]
Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0312642969
464 pp.
ARC provided by publisher
Marissa Meyer fans will not be disappointed in Scarlet, Book 2 in The Lunar Chronicles. It has all the heart-pounding action, humor, and touches of romance that Cinder has.
Scarlet centers on Scarlet, the granddaughter of Michelle
Book:
The Theory of EverythingAuthor: J.J. Johnson
Published: 2012
Source: Review copy from the publisher specifically for the Cybils
Ever since her best friend Jamie died in a freak accident, Sarah's been on a downward skid. Her grades have slipped, her snark quotient has gotten cranked up to 11. All her other friends have drifted away, and even her ever-patient boyfriend, Stenn, is starting to get fed up. And her parents, well, they've waved the end of their rope bye-bye a long time ago.
Sarah knows she's got to get a handle on her life and her relationships before she ruins all of them, but every time she gets close to feeling good, she feels as if she's betraying Jamie's memory. She knows Jamie wouldn't have wanted her to be sad forever, but how can she possibly be happy without her best friend?
I openly admit, I hadn't heard of this book before it got a finalist slot in the Cybils. I read the author's first book (
This Girl is Different) and liked it, but oh, god, a girl grieving the death of her best friend? Pass the Kleenex, we're in for a long night. I prepared myself for Bad Behavior, Meaningful Conversations and/or Blinding Revelations, Deep Connections with others who've Been There, and possibly a New Love.
Then I started reading, and I realized that I was in more capable hands than that.
What I liked best was how Sarah took responsibility for her own recovery. She makes an effort not to be so snarky, she tries to reach out to other people instead of pushing them away, and she really works at being a better person. She even takes a job at a Christmas-tree farm to make amends, and she defies her parents to do so. She does this not because she has a Blinding Revelation or a Meaningful Conversation, but because she's been aware of her downward trend ever since it started. When she makes the reasoned decision, (quite early in the book, too!) that she needs to start dragging herself out of the pit, she
works at it. She isn't great at it, especially at first, but she tries and sometimes succeeds, and it's from that place that her life starts to get good again.
There is a Wise Old Mentor character, Sarah's boss. He's a little stock. But he's also one of the first adults in awhile that trusts Sarah to do things that are hard for her, and in a way, that's the theme of the whole book. Pulling herself out of the darkness and back into life again is the hardest thing Sarah has ever done. It may be the hardest thing she will ever have to do. But ultimately, she is the one who has to do it.
I have a quasi-obsessive relationship with Erin Kelly’s work. When I see a new book of hers soon to be released, I pre-order it, because I must have it as soon as possible. She is further proof that the Europeans are really kicking our ass in the literary realm.
I first met her through The Poison Tree (which is still arguably my favorite of her books). She’s British; I’ve never been to London, so she painted a world for me in Poison Tree of youthful gluttony, violence, and horror, surrounded by Brit charm and vengeance. How can you not love that? Then came The Dark Rose, another thriller filled with regret, angst, and sex. Do you see a pattern here? Erin Kelly loves characters who linger in darkness, but her books are not downers; they’re just creepy and they have a way of making you squirm.
Her most recent opus, The Burning Air, was only released in America weeks ago. I pre-ordered it (duh), so I had a copy in my hands day of its release. Did I read the synopsis? Nope. The book could have been about two kids playing on a swing set, and I would buy it simply because Erin Kelly wrote it—and when she writes, she doesn’t just put words on a page. She uses words to create images that stay with you for hours, days, weeks after you’ve put the book down.
The Burning Air is no different than her first two fantastic pieces of literature. This one follows the close-knit MacBrides as they plan a weekend visit to the family barn in Devon, following the death of their worshipped matriarch, Lydia. The grown up kids arrive with their children and all their significant others, including a new addition to the family—a strange, quiet girl named Kerry. Together with their father, they plan to scatter Lydia’s ashes at the barn, the place where they spent so many happy days with dear mum.
As expected, things go incredibly awry. I’d love to tell you what things go awry, but of course, I can’t. Where’s the fun in ruining the suspense? I will say … you’ll never see it coming.
Erin Kelly has a telltale modus operandi: she loves jumping around in time. This book takes place in the “present,” but all things that happen in the “present” are based on things (horrible things) that happened in the “past.” Kelly also often jumps from character to character, developing entire segments from different character perspectives. Although she is a genius at both of these literary techniques, her true mind-boggling skill rests in her use of suspense.
Just like in The Poison Tree and The Dark Rose, there are moments in The Burning Air when I had to stop, reread, reread again, and then shout, “Oh, no she didn’t!” I tried to keep Jake abreast of plot developments, but as soon as I explained one aspect, the next day, there would be a new twist, and Jake would be left asking, “But I thought you said <insert character name> was crazy,” when in fact, <insert character name> is completely sane but surrounded by a crazy situation. No one keeps me guessing like Erin Kelly.
Feel free to jump in to this, her newest release. I promise that once you’ve finished, you’ll go back and read her others. Not only can she make guts and gore sound beautiful, but Kelly redefines the phrase “page-turner.”
Putnam, 2011
The year is 2130, and the Republic with its Primo Elector is now in control. The citizens of the different parts of the new Los Angeles must fight against two fronts – the colonies trying to destroy the regime and the terrible sickness that decimates the poorer sectors of this new nation.
June doesn’t know about this struggle. She and her brother Matias live in a high rise, literally above all the chaos the Republic tries to hide. She and Matias are some of the precious few to receive the vaccinations to ensure their health. Although her parents died when she was little, Matias takes more than excellent care of her. In fact, June is the only one to go through the Trial with a perfect score, leading her into the ranks of those loyal to the Republic.
Day lives a life of theft, deceit and invisibility. Lurking in the shadows of the poor sectors, he sees the lack of food and healthcare take the population into despair. The only way he knows how to alter the situation is to fight against the Republic and steal what should be shared with all citizens – the vaccinations needed against this new outbreak. The Republic knows about him, but his elusiveness has created a shadow figure for them. They know he’s there, but not what he looks like, where he lives, or how he manages to do the things he does.
June and Day’s lives will emerge one fateful night that will send them both on a quest for revenge…
Marie Lu writes an excellent dystopia novels that fans of this genre will fly through. Her characters are colorful and jump out of the page, but it’s the future of the world as we knew it that permeates the reader’s emotional response. Told in two voices, the reader gets to intimately know both sides of society as well as be privy to each character’s thoughts and personal lives. If you have readers who clamor for more dystopia titles, hand them this one....
Fiewel and Friends, 2012
Radley remembers her parents dropping her off at the airport so she help with relief work for the children of Haiti. It’s a passion of hers and has decidedly changed her life, but not as much as when she returns back to the United States.
Upon arrival, she knows something is wrong. First of all her parents are nowhere to be found. Secondly, the way the soldiers treat her after she lands is beyond the typical TSA thing most passengers coming back from overseas deal with. There’s a sense of urgency, danger. Radley returns to a different United States than when she left.
The American’s People’s Party has taken over the country. With the assassination of the President, the United States is left in turmoil with a renegade government trying to take control through force. Radley realizes this right away. Now there are curfews, bank accounts are drains, and travel restrictions are tight. There are also APPs everywhere, catching those that break the rules and beating them.
All Radley wants is to go home and find her parents. But her path leads to even more devastation, both emotional and physical. Everyone is desperate, and personal survival above others is dominant. Little food, roaming soldiers, broken homes. Radley has heard Canada is a place of safekeeping, so that is where she begins her trek…and also where she encounters people and places that will change her life.
Karen Hesse is a beautiful writer and this is more than apparent in this YA dystopia novel. Her words blend with the personal photographs she uses that are scattered throughout the book. This book is also unique in its genre. Hesse centers her book around the journey and how the main character changes emotionally through it from the people she meets and the places she stays. While other dystopian books have a flair of action-packed situations with daring and fearless characters, Hesse’s book takes a gentle approach, looking more at the weakness of her character and how she becomes stronger. It will take a different reader who can adjust to this change in genre to enjoy this pictorial novel with a nearly poetic flair.
Simon & Schuster, 2012
Three weeks ago, on the day of her birthday, Taylor got the most horrible birthday present of all. That was the day she found out her father had cancer. Worse still, he had perhaps three months left. So to make the most of it, the Edwards family will carve out their last summer together, not apart at different camps or working in the law firm. This time, family comes first.
The last thing Taylor wanted was to pack up with her family and stay the summer in their lake house on the Poconos. Her older brother Warren has only university classes on the brain, and her much younger sister Gelsey will be doing barre exercises and continuing to practice her ballet. Besides not connecting with her siblings, there is something else that makes Taylor truly not want to go....something awful she did the last time she was there.
Summers at Lake Phoenix were not always so terrible. Taylor remembers her best friend Lucy and all the conversations they shared, the sleepovers they had, and how she idolized her. She also remembers Henry. He was her first boyfriend, the guy she first held hands with, and the one who gave her that first kiss. Now, she dreads facing them again and what will happen if they ever bump into each other.
Once there, Taylor feels like she's stepped back in time. The lake house was the same as it was five years ago - nothing has changed. Even the town itself hasn't changed a lot. The cafe is still there along with the PocoMart and the signs in front of everyone's home. A few things have changed though, like new neighbors and the fact that Henry's house is now occupied by someone else.
As they get settled in to a new routine of summer living and her father's failing health, Taylor's memories flood back and soon she finds herself face-to-face with her first kiss and her used-to-be best friend. And the summer begins of being lost then found...
Matson delivers again and an emotionally charged and beautifully written book. She is able to combine the most basic emotions a person carries and interprets them through her characters, especially that of Taylor. While other YA books may put parents in a secondary role, Matson brings them to the forefront as the catalyst in all of the character's lives. Her allusions are striking as well and readers should be able to pick up on these while reading or through hindsight. There is a word of caution with the book though. Don't read this in public, at school, or near little children. Why? It's not because of content but....well, I dare anyone who hasn't read this not to cry, and it's not the quiet crying thing either. It's the deep sobs and the tears that won't stop. Really....And that is a sign of authentic writing by an author who can really touch a reader's hidden emotional side. Think Sparks' The Last Song or Green's Fault in Our Stars - Matson's book definitely has that pull. Recommended (along with tissues and a caution to remove contact lenses!)
By: Lizza Aiken,
on 4/16/2013
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Joan Aiken’s passion for history often led her to wonder ‘what if’ things had turned out differently. What if, for instance, Jane Austen’s early novel, originally entitled ‘Susan’ and sold to a publisher in 1803, and which then languished unpublished until she furiously bought it back for £10 thirteen years later, had in fact appeared, even maybe without the knowledge of its author, and had been in the pocket of a young nobleman who ran away to join the Peninsular wars in Spain at the beginning of the 19th century.
The young man falls in love, and marries an aristocratic Spanish girl who dies having his baby, and he watches over the boy, disguised as a groom until his own death, when he leaves a letter, and his treasured book to the boy, Felix Brooke, with a message telling him to seek out his long lost family in the city of Bath, England where the action of Austen’s novel takes place. For Joan Aiken imagines that this is in fact Jane Austen’s early novel, ‘Northanger Abbey’ which was written in the full enthusiasm and confidence of youth, and is a delightful parody of all the Gothic romances so popular at the time. It is also a description of an innocent abroad, a heroine with a head full of fantasy from reading too many novels, who finds herself alone in a dangerous world struggling to make sense of the behaviour of unscrupulous villains or apparently solicitous friends with nothing but the world of fiction to guide her. This is much the same world that the Spanish orphan, young Felix Brooke encounters, but in a truly wild and Gothic landscape with terrifying brigands and murderers, mountain tribesmen looking for a human sacrifice, pirates who specialise in the kidnap of children, with only the assistance of Austen’s novel to sustain and comfort him.
In Joan Aiken’s Go Saddle the Sea Felix is recounting his story:
“The book, Susan, was an odd tale about a young lady and her quest for a husband; to tell truth, I wondered what my father had seen in it, that he had even carried it with him into battle; I found it rather dull, but since it had been my father’s I kept it carefully (his bloodstains were on the cover).”
Later in his adventures, having escaped various perils by the skin of his teeth and the use of his not inconsiderable wits, Felix has time to look into the book again, and reconsiders:
“I had opened it at the place where Miss Susan, going to stay with her great friends in their abbey-residence, is terrified at night by a fearful storm and the discovery of a paper,hid in a closet in her bedroom, which she takes to be the confession of some wicked deed of blood – only to find, next day, that the mysterious paper is naught but a washing bill! For the first time, this struck me as very comical; yet, reading it through again, I could see that the writer had represented the poor young lady’s terrors very skilfully; just such a nightmarish terror had I felt myself among those unchancy people in that heathen village – and yet for all I knew, my fears were equally foolish and unfounded! I began to see that this was not such a simple tale as I had hitherto supposed, but must be attended to carefully; and I gave my father credit for better judgement than I had at first…wondering what kind of man my father had been..and hoping that some person in England would be able to tell me more about him.”
In an article for the Jane Austen Society, Joan Aiken describes with relish the content of Mrs. Radcliffe’s bestseller, The Mysteries of Udolpho, which Austen had gleefully satirised:
“If we take a look at the works of Mrs. Radcliffe, we can easily see what tempted the youthful Jane Austen to poke fun at them…[they were] enormous historical canvases splashed over with forests and beetling fortresses and dark crags in the Appennines. Mrs. Radcliffe went in for immense casts of characters on a positively Shakespearian scale (she was in fact much influenced by Shakespeare for whom she had great admiration); she had stabbings and shootings, suicides and assassinations; interspersed, for comic relief, by long scenes with garrulous Shakespearian-type servants; she had immensely complicated family relationships, long-lost relatives in every possible connection, suggestions of incest, mysterious resemblances, and, besides all this, a large number of startling, apparently supernatural occurrences..”
From this we can see that these writers had an equally powerful influence on Joan Aiken’s own work, and by setting her novel, Go Saddle the Sea in just such a rip roaring Gothic world of her own in 19th century Spain, and with a nod at Austen’s own parody, she could have the best of all worlds!
Go Saddle the Sea is the first of the three ‘Felix’ Novels just about to come out in gorgeous new editions in the UK
For more details about all three books visit the Joan Aiken page at Random House
or visit the Felix pages at The Wonderful World of Joan Aiken
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By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 4/18/2013
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As I child, I understood the poetic magic of origami even before I knew the name of the art. One of my great-great aunt's many skills was paper-folding. She could swiftly make an origami bow tie appear out of a paper scrap. That fascinating talent was as magical ability as anything I'd ever witnessed, and it was always an honor to receive one of her tidy, crisp bow ties.
Since it's National Poetry Month, the kids and I picked up a few new poetry books at the library. One picture book we particularly like has an origami theme --
Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stinger.
The summary on the copyright page states that the book is "a collection of poems about origami animals." In reality, the
Fold Me a Poem is much more than a collection. The poems, read together in succession, collectively tell a story about an imaginative boy who plays with his origami creations all day long, from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he falls asleep in his bed at night. The short poems are rather like private thoughts as he brings the origami animals to life, folding them into splendid creatures and playing with them afterward: "Forty bright sheets / of colored paper, / a world of animals. / Who will be next?" The animals race each other, hide, and get into trouble. Even the boy's cat joins in the fun, by attacking and injuring a poor pink ostrich during a "wind storm" produced by a fan. The cleverly designed square book has end papers that look like origami paper. In total, the book contains 32 original poems; it does not include instructions for creating origami animals -- however, the illustrator in her end note mentions various book resources.
This poetry book provides wonderful inspiration for showing children how to capture their own thoughts in poetry form on paper! All children need to do to write their own poems is describe their own play. O'Connell's poems are written in many different forms including haiku, apostrophe (poems of address), mask or persona poems, and process poems, making the book a useful springboard for teaching these styles. Lauren Stringer's painted illustrations beautifully accompany the poems and are instrumental in helping the reader visualize the poems. Stringer skillfully captures the origami creatures -- folding origami is hard enough, but painting all the shadows, showing the folds through illustration takes real talent indeed!
As for favorite poems, I adore "Night," a poem that tells how the boy adds his own star to the night sky. My son likes the poem "Tub" mostly because the illustrations for the poem show many of the origami creations waiting for a ride on an origami boat, including a bandaged ostrich. My daughter especially likes "Mystery" because it fully captures the wonder and joy of creating your own origami. Anything, yes, anything is possible with a little imagination.
Fold Me a Poem
by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt (April 2005); ISBN 9780152025014; 32 pages
Book Source: Borrowed from our local library
I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) Related Links:Kristine O'Connell George - Author WebsiteLauren Stringer - Illustrator WebsiteTeacher's Guide - Fold Me A PoemBaby Chick in Egg - Origami and Poem
Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day! When thinking about combining origami and poetry, we chanced upon a verse by the brilliant children's poet, Aileen Fisher. The poem "
Baby Chick" questions how a chick knows its way out of the egg. We've created a neat origami project to go along with the poem (plus the paper egg shell makes a neat, handy pocket to tuck the poem into!)
The directions to fold the chick and egg origami can be found at
http://www.kutchuk.com. The design is made from a single piece of paper. This is an easy, beginner origami project for kids. I created a pdf template with folding guides to make it even easier to fold your own origami if you'd prefer to use that instead. One is full color and the other can be colored-in by a child. Make sure to print with page scaling set to "none" or
unclick "fit to page" so that it doesn't resize the document. Click on the google doc links below to print your own copy (clicking on the image won't work).
To extend the poetry in a pocket idea and fold a poem, you could have your child write the poem on the paper before folding it into the chick/egg shape! Or, if your child can't write, print out the poem and tuck it into the pocket formed by the folded egg shell.
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By: Naomi Bates,
on 6/6/2013
Bingham has recently come out with a sequel to the novel entitled Formerly Shark Girl. They say one year can change your life. Jane knows this all too well, but in a day, not a year. The reader sees her emotional and physical progress in this sequel and how much stronger she has become. Again, Bingham inserts letters from strangers asking how she is and how inspirational her story has become. A perfect ending to Jane's last year in high school and all the changes in her life that have taken place in 365 days. Bingham ends this novel with the possibility of another...or maybe not. 
By: Ethan,
on 5/16/2013
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By: Monica Zepeda,
on 3/10/2013
Her most recent opus, The Burning Air, was only released in America weeks ago. I pre-ordered it (duh), so I had a copy in my hands day of its release. Did I read the synopsis? Nope. The book could have been about two kids playing on a swing set, and I would buy it simply because Erin Kelly wrote it—and when she writes, she doesn’t just put words on a page. She uses words to create images that stay with you for hours, days, weeks after you’ve put the book down.
Just like in The Poison Tree and The Dark Rose, there are moments in The Burning Air when I had to stop, reread, reread again, and then shout, “Oh, no she didn’t!” I tried to keep Jake abreast of plot developments, but as soon as I explained one aspect, the next day, there would be a new twist, and Jake would be left asking, “But I thought you said <insert character name> was crazy,” when in fact, <insert character name> is completely sane but surrounded by a crazy situation. No one keeps me guessing like Erin Kelly.
This is so intriguing! You are so mean to tease us with the wealth of styles, settings, characters, tones and audiences that Joan writes in, about and for. And here am I still hoping to acquire a copy of the out-of-print The Cockatrice Boys!
You also draw attention to Joan’s life as a traveller, Greece here, Spain for the Felix books, Nantucket and Wales for example for Dido stories, all far cries from the common view of her as a quintessentially parochial English writer (albeit one with extraordinary imagination). Desperate now for an authoritative biography…
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm! I never know if I am overdoing it, as obviously I am a committed fan – but as you say, there is such a wealth of material, let alone background, that I am keen to share (and get some feedback about!) so that it is not lost, and I guess this is a good way of dipping a toe in the water…
No, I don’t think you’re overdoing it: there’s more to Joan than just the Wolves Chronicles and it’s important to put it out there.