Readspace

We read books and then tell you about them

Archives

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2 other subscribers

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

February 27, 2012 No comments

Bibliography: Miranda, Megan. (January 2012). Fracture.  New York: Walker Childrens. ISBN: 978-0802723093

Plot Summary: After 3 minutes under water, you’ll lose consciousness.  At 4 minutes, permanent brain damage can occur.  Death is possible at 5 minutes, likely at 7 and almost certain at 10.  When Delaney fell through the ice, it was 11 minutes before Decker pulled her out.  She should have been dead or in a coma.  Instead she walks out of the hospital and into a life that is changed.  Friends treat her differently, and a mysterious stranger seems to show up everywhere she goes.  But it is the strange physical attraction and response to people who later turn up dead that she can neither control or understand.

Critical Analysis:  Strong characterization, especially of Delaney, great tone and voice, feelings of loss, love and guilt alongside a dark and suspenseful tautly paced plot add up to a book that is more than the sum of its parts.  I finished this book several weeks ago but it has stayed with me.  First I identified with Delaney, a studious teenage girl who loves being with her best friend.  Rather ingenious in my book to have Delaney die and come back to life–signifies that transformation all teens go through.  How her friends react to the changed her is part of what makes the story heart wrenching.  And there is darkness…you can’t cheat death and not have darkness.  Darkness in Delaney, in Troy (who shares her gift (curse?), in people on their way to dying.  I don’t want to say too much, so I’ll stop there.  But I will say how refreshing to have a supernatural story that isn’t peopled with vampires, werewolves, angels, mermaids or any other mythical or magical creature.

Readalikes:  I was strongly reminded of Wake by Lisa McMann, dark and supernatural as well.  Whenever someone nearby falls asleep, Janey falls into their dreams.

Review Excerpts: “[A] captivating and intelligent story of love and death with a dash of the supernatural….The fluid writing, empathetic characters, and big questions raised elevate this paranormal romance into a haunting meditation on what it means to be human and to truly live. “–Publisher’s Weekly

“ Delaney is an engaging personality, and Miranda is able to sustain her protagonist’s sharp voice throughout. Mom, Derek, Troy, and several minor characters are realistic, distinctive, and interesting….readers will find Delaney delightfully genuine and her story compelling. “–VOYA

“This book works as a good teen drama plot with a supernatural twist, so many libraries will want this volume for those that only want a taste of the unexplainable. “–Children’s Literature

“The story sometimes seems to be headed toward the supernatural, and then it suddenly makes a sharp turn toward realistic science, and then back again. The love triangle, combined with the allure of danger, will carry readers through this story that pulls them back every time they might feel ready to give up.”–School Library Journal

“Teetering between tired, predictable romance and edgy thriller….An occasionally thrilling paranormal romance with enough spellbinding incidents to overcome the clichéd components.”–Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Pin It

Teen Lit , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Review: The Green Market Baking Book by Laura C. Martin

February 5, 2012 No comments

Bibliography: Martin, Laura C. (2011).  The Green Market Baking Book.  New York: Sterling.  ISBN: 978-1402759970

Review:  The premise behind this collection of recipes is to highlight recipes for all kinds of baked treats made without refined sugar.  Many of the recipes are also gluten free, dairy free or vegan.  The first part of the book contains an invaluable explanation of what all the different alternative sweetners used in the book are:  what they taste like, their consistency, and how to substitute with them in recipes.  Some are familiar like honey or maple syrup, but brown rice syrup was new to me, and I didn’t realize where sorghum came from.  In addition, two standard recipes to demonstrate the sweeteners and techniques are explained; one for chocolate chip cookies and one for white cake.

A proponent of local, slow food, Martin organizes the recipes by season, highlighting the best fruit, produce and flavors for each.  Some contributors recipes were altered slightly to fit the book’s purpose.  There is a list of all contributors with more information about them in the back of the book.  This is also a beautifully designed book with well-laid out recipes on thick creamy pages and beautiful colored drawings of fruit and vegetables.  There are also tons of side bars and notes to help even the most beginner cook.

I decided to try making Mexican Chocolate Cake with Vegan Mexican Ganache (p. 162-163).  First I had to search for some of the ingredients.  My regular grocery had firm tofu.  I had to travel to a specialty store to locate brown rice syrup.  I could not find grain-sweetened chocolate chips, so I used vegan chocolate chips.  Since I was apprehensive about how they would go over, I halved the recipe and made them as cupcakes.  The recipe was easy to follow and fast to mix up.  I did add the optional spices to the ganache.  The cupcakes looked good, and the flavor was good too.  The spices made it interesting.  I thought the texture, while moist, seemed a little gummy.  One person I shared them with was surprised to discover the ganache was made with tofu.

I would like to try some of the other recipes, and even just having the brown rice syrup in my pantry motivated me to look online for more recipes.  Am I going to give up sugar?  No, but I am now informed about other options and choices out there.

Pin It

Cooking Lit , , , , , , ,

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

January 16, 2012 No comments

Bibliography: Harbison, Paige.  (January 31, 2012). New Girl. Buffalo, NY: Harlequin Teen. ISBN: 978-0373210428

Plot Summary:  Only at Manderley Academy to please her parents, if being away from home and super hard classes were not enough, the “new girl” is faced with reminders of the girl whose place she took–Becca.  She is in Becca’s room, she has feelings for Max Holloway, the love of Becca’s life and strange hints of what might have happened to Becca who just disappeared one night.  She doesn’t want Becca’s life, regardless of what roommate Dana thinks, but what will happen if Becca comes back?

Critical Analysis:  A little contrived in places, this re-telling of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier mostly works.  Most of the contrivances take place at the beginning.  I wish the author could have figured out another way to get the new girl into the story and at the boarding school…her parents remember her 8th grade wish and apply as a surprise?  And she doesn’t tell them that she doesn’t really want to go so goes anyway for her senior year?  Hard to buy, especially since she spends so much, especially at the beginning, longing for home and family and friends.  I also found some of the re-imagining/re-telling to be a little, well, literal.  A costume party where Dana Veers convinces the new girl to wear the same costume as Becca–straight out of the original.

And yet, the whole cruelty and cattiness between some of the girls really works, as does the isolation and independence of boarding school.  As with the original, the character of Becca and the mystery of what happened to her overshadows everything–the new girl can’t escape.  And still, the new girl manages to overcome, to be herself, to like her life, her situation and to realize she is more than just some girl from Florida, or some new girl who took a popular girl’s place.  I think teens girls will really like this, and if other blog reviews are any indication, they won’t have read the original but perhaps now they will seek it out–and maybe the movie too.

Readalikes: Breathless by Jessica Warman–Katie didn’t expect to like the boarding school, she didn’t want to be away from her older brother Will.  She can just be one of the girls, and focus on swimming and schoolwork.   So why then does she tell everyone he’s dead?

Looking for Alaska by John Green–Miles “Pudge” Halter is abandoning his ordinary life, leaving for boarding school where he is surrounded by friends whose lives are everything except ordinary. When tragedy strikes the close-knit group, Pudge realizes that life is to be lived and love to be given freely.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier–the inspiration for the story, which has great teen appeal in its own right.

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced e-galley.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Pin It

Teen Lit , , , , , , , , , , ,

Review: Shelter by Harlan Coben

January 10, 2012 No comments

Bibliography: Coben, Harlan.  (2011).  Shelter.  New York: Putnam Juvenile.  ISBN: 978-0399256509

Plot Summary:  Mickey Bolitar is not having a very good year.  His dad is dead, his mom is in rehab, and Mickey is forced to change schools and live with the uncle he doesn’t really know.   When his new girlfriend doesn’t show up to school one day, Mickey grows worried and with the help of his new friends decides to look for her.

Critical Analysis:  I am a fan of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series.  I think that he has a knack for combining quirky characters with real pathos and lots of dry wit added in for good measure.  When I heard there was going to be a young adult series about Myron and Win, I was interested but wondered how that would work, as they did not meet till college. and Win is, well, not a character you would think belongs in many teen books.  So I was glad when the series about Mickey was announced.

Mickey is actually introduced in the last Myron book, Live Wire.  The beginning of Shelter is the ending of Live Wire from Mickey’s point of view.  I have been disappointed lately in bestselling adult authors who have written young adult books just to capitalize on this growing market.  (I was going to name names, but decided most people would be able to think of at least one…)

So it is both a relief and a delight to report that this is a good beginning to what I hope will be a long running series.  (I was going to be mad at Coben if that weren’t the case.  There are not enough books in this genre being written for teens today but we don’t need poorly written ones either.)

Despite sharing a talent for playing basketball, wisecracking  and a deep love for family, Mickey is not Myron.  I bet Myron wishes he would have thought to yell “Homework” whenever his parents were giving him grief.  Perhaps it is because he is a teen, but Mickey feels things more deeply, and is trying to find the balance between being independent and taking help from others.  Mickey’s friends are great, moving beyond the stereotypes they represent as are the stereotypical jocks who have it in for him.  (Shades of Myron again who just can’t seem to keep his mouth shut around meatheads.)  The secondary storyline about the Bat Lady who says his father might still be alive is intriguing and appears to be a thread that will run through at least the first part of the series.

I hope teens find their way to Shelter, and perhaps to the Myron books as well which aside from a great deal of violence are teen friendly.

Review Excerpts: “Shelter begins one of the oddest—and most appealing spinoff series in recent years….[T]he youngster copes with some adult-sized problems, including his father’s death, his mother’s drug abuse problems, switching high schools, and his new living situation. Everything seems less pressing, however, than the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of a new girlfriend.”–Barnes and Noble

“Edgy and action-filled, the novel has interesting, likable characters, and it should fly off the shelves.”
—School Library Journal

“Crackerjack pace and multi-layered plotting…”—Kirkus Reviews

“Coben’s semi-noir style translates well to YA, and the supporting cast is thoroughly entertaining. It’s a strong start to the series.”—Publishers Weekly

“Quite satisfying and points to a good deal of potential for what might come next.”—Booklist

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

 

Pin It

Teen Lit , , , , , , , , , , ,

Holiday Reading: Merry, Merry Ghost by Carolyn Hart

December 22, 2011 No comments

Bibliography: Hart, Carolyn. (2009).  Merry, Merry Ghost.  New York: William Morrow.  ISBN: 978-0060874377 (hc) 978-0061962929 (pb)

Plot Summary:  The late Bailey Ruth Raeburn is chosen to return to her old stomping grounds, Adelaide, OK just in time for Christmas and to help four-year-old orphan Keith meet his grandmother Susan.  When Susan decides to change her will to leave everything to Keith, someone makes sure that she can’t.  Bailey Ruth must catch the murderer and protect Keith.

Critical Analysis:  I have long been a fan of Carolyn Hart, especially the Death on Demand series.  When I found out she was writing a new series, I decided to give it a try, even though I am so tired and so over anything paranormal.  Well, am I ever so glad I did!  Bailey Ruth and the heaven she inhabits and the Oklahoma she visits are delightful all around.  Bailey Ruth is as feisty in death as she must have been in life, but her heart is in the right place.  I love the details of the world that Hart has created–Bailey Ruth’s ability to imagine a new wardrobe, to appear and disappear and carry things (but the items remain visible).  She pretends to be a police officer and provides clues to the sheriff.  She breaks all the “precepts” and is worried that she won’t get sent on any more missions.  In this series entry, lots of Christmas details and cerebration, a very dysfunctional family, and a very funny scene where Bailey Ruth and the ghost of the murder victim are pulled over while driving a car.  Well, and a murder.  Delightful and cozy and I recommend it highly (along with the others in the series.)  If you can get the audio version, even better, as the reader is excellent.

Review Excerpts: “When murder and mayhem ensue, Hart’s ghostly detective gets on the track of a clever killer. Bailey Ruth’s pleasure in her earthly wardrobe, her keen observations of the other characters and her unorthodox but expert sleuthing will engage readers from start to finish.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“A cute and cozy mystery.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library  audio book copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Pin It

Adult Lit , , , , , , , , , , ,
Powered by WordPress Web Design by SRS Solutions © 2012 Readspace Design by SRS Solutions

Bad Behavior has blocked 335 access attempts in the last 7 days.