Winter

by Marissa Meyer
published:
pages: 824

Princess Winter is kind, generous and well loved by the people on Luna.  She is also the stepdaughter of Queen Levana, which happens to be a dangerous position.  While Levana tries to secure her vision of world domination, Winter has been subtly undermining Queen Levana for years.  Disguising her strength in her biggest weakness, Winter decides it's time to do something about her stepmother and her personal guard Jacin, knows where to go for help.

The conclusion of The Lunar Chronicles is upon us.

I think I've said this in every Lunar Chronicles review, but this story is so much more than just a retelling of Snow White.  Sure, you get the Snow White story, but you have the fate of the world and Luna resting on a couple rebels too.  I was curious to see how different sections of the story would be represented and I wasn't disappointed.  I thought it was really cool that Snow White's seven dwarfs were represented in the other main characters.  It was never said explicitly that Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and company were the seven dwarfs but subtle hints and actions made it increasingly obvious. The way that Snow White is weaved into the more complex and ultimately engaging plot is incredible.

It was long for a good reason. With eight main characters to follow and for main story arcs to conclude, it is impossible to know exactly where everyone is all the time.  It's hard to balance them well and move the plot forward in an engaging fashion. To be honest, this was one of aspects of the book that concerned me before reading it. I think it is done fairly well in this book. There are definite periods of time where I wondered what a certain character was up to because they hadn't been apart of the central plot for a chunk of time. Cress goes missing for a while and so does Winter.  But for the most part, the page time is well balanced and the absence of certain characters provide more momentum for the story.

This book was so gratifying. Marissa Meyer threw me for a loop and then gracefully put everything together in the end.  She finished this story in a most unpredictable yet completely satisfying way. I am sad that my time in the Lunar Chronicles world is ending but I am looking forward to what Marissa Meyer will write in the future.

Stars: 4/5 

Praise:

"Yes, it's another one of Meyer's very fractured fairy tales, in which she offer a new amalgam of Grimm's fairy tales, science fiction, violence, women's lib, and romance."
     --Booklist

"Like the previous entries in this widely appealing series, this title features strong heroines taking control of their destinies set against a fully developed and imaginative world.
     --School Library Journal

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book!

The Tiger Rising

by Kate DiCamillo
published: Candlewick Press, 2001
pages: 128

Rob and his dad move to a small rural town in Florida after his mom dies to start over. The only problem is that he doesn't like school and nobody particularly likes him.  However, things begin to change when he finds a tiger and meets a girl named Sistine, like the chapel.

Rob and Sistine are complete opposites and it plays incredibly well in the story.  Rob likes to keep everything bottled up and put away and Sistine wears her emotions on the brightly colored sleeves of her dress, sometimes they're carried on her fists too.  They help each other figure out how to handle their own personal situations without ever really talking about how it affects them. I love that they become friends.   Their friendship is humorous and heartfelt.

This book is overflowing with symbolic meaning, some of it you don't consciously catch.  The tiger in the cage, the name of the hotel, the weather, Sistine and Rob's relationship, Rob's hobby - all of these things have a little bit of symbolic meaning that makes this short story so powerful, so palpable.

This story was a very short quick read, but it was incredibly well told and bittersweet.  Kate DiCamillo has such a way with words.  Everything she writes sounds little bit musical, and a lot like poetry.  She is able to tackle hard topics, such as a death of a parent, in a way that kids can understand and relate.  It's amazing to me how much I can feel for these characters even though I only get to know them for 128 pages.

Stars: 4/5

"Kate DiCamilo's sentences waste not a single word: they spin out, with the Florida mist rising off them."
     --Booklist

"A poignant story of loss and redemption"
     --Miami Harold

A 2015 Full House Reading Challenge book

The False Prince

by Jennifer A. Nielsen
published: Scholastic, 2012
pages: 342

When a noble of the court, Connor, picks four boys, they have no way of knowing that they'd be trained to impersonate the missing prince.  Sage and two other orphans must compete for their lives and the chance to be chosen; this deadly secret could be the end of everyone if it got out.  Everyone seems to have their own agenda and reasons for wanting to be chosen, and Connor is less than forthright with his motives as well.  The truth will come out, but who's truth will it be and which boy will make it out as the missing prince?

This book was so enchanting.  I was hooked from the very beginning.  Sage's ability to captivate the reader while being completely stubborn, snarky, and obstinate is charming.  He has a confidence in himself and his fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants attitude helped me become completely engrossed in the story.

The fast paced nature of this book really felt like an adventure.  You never knew what was going to happen to the characters next.  There was never a point in the story when I wished we could just skip to the next bit of action.  Everything built on itself which helped make me feel completely immersed in the story.

The mystery that lies in the folds of the story slowly reveals itself in a most unexpected way.  There is so much information to take in, the world, the characters, the intensity of the government.  It's a whirlwind of a story that's just beginning.  I didn't expect the plot twist and it was so wonderfully unexpected.  I was floored by it.

Jennifer A. Nielson is an incredible story teller; she had me bewitched from the first page.  I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of this trilogy!


Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Sage is deftly characterized through humorous first-person narration, quickly establishing himself as a beguiling antihero.... [A]n impressive, promising story with some expertly executed twists."
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrews self -possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel."
     --The Wall Street Journal

"A swashbuckling origin story... Sage is a quick wit, and Nielsen showcases it with terrific dialogue... chock full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys."
     --Los Angeles Times

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel
published: Vintage Books, 2014
pages: 333

The Georgia Flu swept in with little more acknowledgement than the common flu.  Twenty years later, there are few people left that actually remember a time before everything went down, a time of technology and gasoline and electric lights.  Kristen was young when the Georgia Flu struck but she managed to survive.  She travels around from settlement to settlement with a troupe people who perform the great works of Shakespeare and classic music.  Rarely do they run into trouble, they come across a town that will threaten the very existence of the troupe and Kristen's only home.

I don't think I've ever read a post-apocalyptic book where I actually witness the apocalypse.  Usually, I get to deal with the aftermath.  This book gives us everything from beginning to end and it's so so interesting.

The storytelling in the books is amazing.  It is captivating and moving and beautifully written.  It bounces around in the past and the present worlds, the time before the pandemic and the time after.  The stark differences between these two time periods are captured with phrases and illustrations of people interaction and the physical beauty of the world around them.  Every person in this story is connected in some fashion and as the story is unraveled the relationships and connections are revealed.  It really takes the small world aspect of life to its fullest.

I love that the group of people we follow post pandemic is a group of musicians and actors and their role in this life is to provide entertainment to the towns they travel through.  I love that they exclusively run Shakespeare.  It's so telling, what people in this novel choose to perpetuate and honor from the old world.  Shakespeare is one of those things, technology is another.

There's a bit of mystery to this story.  Things aren't always explained when they are first brought up.  Most of the time we get the answers we are looking for, but never in the time or the way we expect to get them.  This book feels so much like life, like I'm living my life with these characters, getting to know them a little bit at a time and not always through the original source.

The last line of this book sums it up beautifully without giving anything away.  "He likes the thought of ships moving over the water, toward another world just out of sight."

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"It's hard to imagine a novel more perfectly suited, in both form and content, to this literary moment."
     --The New Yorker

"[A] surprisingly beautiful story of human relationships amid...devastation."
     --Washington Post

"Soul-quaking....Mandel displays the impressive skill of evoking both terror and empathy."
     --The Los Angeles Review of Books

A 2015 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge book!
A 2015 Full House Reading Challenge book!

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

by Matthew Dicks
published: St. Martin's Press, 2012
pages: 311

Budo is as lucky as imaginary friends can get.  He's one of the longest living and he'd like to keep it that way.  Max needs him for every day life, and Budo would like to keep it that way.  His parents argue about sending him to a special school for help, but Max is content as long as everything stays the same.  He even likes his teacher.  However, Max's life is about to get rocked.  How could anybody see, especially Max, that major change is just around the corner and he'll need Budo more than ever to survive.

This book gives insight to a child on the spectrum.  It's one of those books I think most everyone should read to get a bitter understanding of disabilities and how children with autism in any capacity think and function.

Max is an incredibly bright kid and it's amazing to be to be able to see how he thinks and internalizes.  It's fascinating to see how difficult he finds it to make the simplest decisions like which pair of socks to wear.  He grows so much in so many little ways in the book, it's amazing how each little bit of change creates so much character growth.

It's interesting because one of the things that Max hates is change.  He likes things to be consistent and predictable. Yet, he isn't constant at all.  I would argue that he does the most changing in the book; his character growth is staggering.

Budo, Max's imaginary friend, narrates the story and has an entire life outside of Max which I find so incredible and confusing.  I'm still contemplating how someone that comes out of Max's imagination can be anything other than Max's conscience.  He's such an interesting character, complex in every way that a human would be.  He's loyal and considerate but also selfish and lonely, his spectrum of emotions knows no bounds.  I love that the story was told by Budo because he's only able to communicate with Max and other imaginary friends.  He gives an interesting point of view of the story and allows for dramatic irony to be used in a great way.  

Dramatic irony is used at it's best in the story.  I have a love/hate relationship with dramatic irony, here's why:  I love knowing all the details.  I love it.  BUT I hate that the characters don't know what I know.  I find myself yelling at characters because how could they have missed important information that was right in front of them.  Or how could that character be so blind!  I find myself stressing out for the characters.  It's a battle, but Matthew Dicks, employs dramatic irony is a best fashion.  He had me pulling hair and cursing under my breath.

Matthew Dicks writes an incredibly compelling narrative about a little boy and his imaginary friend.  The writing is captivating, I am excited to see what else he has to offer.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"A chipper narrative and lively climax make Dick's newest a fun read and engaging exploration of vibrant world of child's imagination."
     --Publishers Weekly

"...Dick's novel will appeal to those with a soft spot for vulnerable, kindhearted protagonists.  Dicks perfectly captures Max's autistic qualities, and Budo is an accomplished narrator.  An incredibly captivating novel about the wonder of youth and the importance of friendship, whether real or imagined.  Delightfully compelling reading."
     --Booklist

"An endearing tale of love, loyalty and the extraordinary power of a child's imagination."
     --Glamour UK

An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book!

Jurassic Park

by Michael Crichton
published: Ballentine Books, 2012 (originally 1990)
pages: 448

John Hammond had a vision and he made his vision a reality.  Now he needs Dr. Alan Grant along with Ellie Sattler to make sure everything on his special island is functioning correctly.  The mysterious vision in question, live dinosaurs.  Mr. Hammond has found a way to recreate the extinct.  His Jurassic Park is meant to be an exhilarating experience for families, but when his own grandchildren come to test it out, a couple little mishaps occur.  It's up to the people on the island to take back control and prevent the worst case scenario: dinosaur takeover.

This book is crazy.  I mean, I can't imagine reading this when it first came out.  We know a lot about dinosaurs now, but in 1990 dinosaur knowledge wasn't so common.  In fact, I can't decide if knowing about dinosaurs makes this book more or less frightening.  The storytelling was quite good.  I liked that there was a understandable technical side to the story.  The chaos theory thrown into the plot and explained by a character throughout the book, makes this story more plausible and destructive.

I usually devote my review time to characters I loved in the book, but it needs to be said.  Mr. Hammond is a deplorable character.  Everything about him is greedy and self-serving and he puts his park before everyone, including his grandchildren.  One would think that he would be protective of his own flesh and blood, but when it comes down to it Dr. Grant does most of the protecting.  And thank God for that because those kids would have been dead a hundred times over otherwise.

Aside from the time I spent being incredibly angry at Mr. Hammond, I spent quite a bit of time tense and scared for the characters.  There are some intense scenes with those dinosaurs.  I mean, they're dinosaurs so it's going to be scary, but I always forget how powerful words can be on a page.  I've seen the movie a dozen times and this book is right on par when fear is involved.  I put the book down a couple of times because I didn't want to know what came next.

Michael Crichton created a complex world in which the morals of humans were questioned and personified through terrifying dinosaurs that were as dangerous as they were beautiful.  I can safely say that I would never visit an island of dinosaurs, but I would definitely marvel from afar.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Frighteningly real...compelling...It'll keep you riveted."
     --The Detroit News

"Crichton is a master at explaining complex concepts in simple terms."
     --Library Journal

"one of the great storytellers of our age...The best Michael Crichton novels are...edifying reads, whose gripping plots contain real ideas."
     --Newsday

An Alphabet Soup Challenge book. 

Snow Like Ashes

by Sara Raasch
published: Balzer + Bray, 2014
pages: 416

When the Kingdom of Winter was conquered by Spring, it left them enslaved and without magic.  Meira doesn't even remember it happening, only that it did, but she is living with the consequences.  Along with seven other Winterians refugees, Meira is searching for a way to get their magic and ultimately kingdom and people back from the power-hungry Spring kingdom.  She is willing to do whatever it takes to restore Winter to it's former glory, what she doesn't realize is that her destiny might not be her own to claim.  Greater powers are at work and she has to deal with them.

I haven't read high fantasy in a long while and I wasn't even sure this would be high fantasy but it was and it was so good.  I loved diving into a new realm with magic and war and people torn across lands.

Let's cut right to the chase, I freaking love Meira.  She is fierce and loyal and determined. Yes, she's selfish at times and doesn't always think about what's best for her kingdom when her own fate's on the line, but you you be willing to sacrifice yourself at all?  Her character development in this book alone makes me excited for the rest of the series.  Quite a bit of her character development comes with new understanding about her situation.  It's hard to stay stagnate when the world is constantly changing.  Meira may start off slightly selfish, but she sheds that quality when she realizes what's at stake for her and the Winter kingdom.  It takes her some time, but she really comes into her own.

The one thing I don't like is the love triangle.  It feels a little bit unnecessary, especially given the fact that there are so many more pressing issues at hand.  I get that she is a teenage girl and her best friend is ridiculously handsome and boy number two cares about things deeply, but let's focus on the fact that the Winterians are all enslaved, shall we.

The pace of this book was incredible.  I flew threw it, without even considering how well it was paced.  All I cared about was finding out what happened next.  The natural ebb and flow of the story line work very well, packed action and moments of discovery and explanation.

Meira and company have captured my heart and made me crave more from them! I cannot wait for the rest of this series.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Snow Like Ashes is a thrilling tory with unforgettable characters set in a stunning fantasy world that had me quickly turning pages.  I want more!"
      --Morgan Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Kingdoms

"The plot and writing are superlative...Highly recommended."
     --School Library Journal

"A new society, a grand adventure, and a first romance, all rolled into one big fantasy epic."
     --Booklist

The 100

by Kass Morgan
published: Little, Brown and Company, 2013
pages: 323

When one hundred juvenile delinquents are selected to go back to Earth almost a hundred years after human evacuation, they will have to figure out how to survive a terrain they've only dreamed of, that is of course if they don't die from radiation from the Catalytic war.

Please be warned this book is NOT the TV show.  They share some characters, a setting, and a basic plot.  Other than that the book takes a turn for its own, which is a good thing.  After I wrapped my brain around the vast differences between the show and the book I began to enjoy this story.

This story is told from four different points of view; Clarke, Bellamy, Wells, and Glass. Each of these kids have a very different way of looking at their situations. One is the chancellor's son, one is the older brother of a teen prisoner, one is the daughter of two dead scientists and one is in love with a boy her mother disapproves.  Their voices are distinct and provide unique views of the situation.  I really enjoyed each perspective and found they each added a dynamic to the story that enhanced the read. 

This book was very fast paced. It flowed from one point of view to the next pretty seamlessly which is great because of how many narrators were telling the story.  Usually when there is more than one character telling the story, I favor one voice over the others.  That wasn't really the case with this book.

In this book we hit the tip of the iceberg in terms of values and moral ambiguity.  I anticipate much more moral grey area in the two final books in this trilogy.  I love when characters struggle with right and wrong; it always leads to character development and man I love good character development.  We have characters who have hidden agendas and secrets they want kept.  We have characters who genuinely want to help, but don't know how.  It's fun (I'm not sure that's the correct word) to see them all interact and fall into miscommunication and deceit.

This books takes us through only the beginning of these characters' stories.  The cliffhanger at the end was really good.  Even if I hadn't watched the series before, I would have wanted to read the sequel right away.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"[Readers will] be drawn in by the Lord of the Flies-style tension that builds as the teens struggle to set up a new society on a battered Earth, and by the smoldering romances that hang in the balance."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Dark and riveting... A mash-up of The Lord of the Flies, Across the Universe and The Hunger Games."
     --Booklist

An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book.
A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book. 

An Alphabet Soup 2015 Challenge book. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah J. Maas
Published: Bloomsbury Children's, 2015
pages: 416

Feyre is the only reason her family has survived their recent years of poverty.  However, when she accidentally kills a Faerie while out hunting, she must face the consequences of her actions.  She is dragged to a mysterious land she knows only from stories and nightmares.  Feyre discovers that her captor isn't an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries.  As her feelings for him begin to change, the looming threat against the faerie world grows.  It's up to Feyre to stop it, or lose Tamlin and the others forever.

I love Beauty and the Beast, but before this, I had never read a retelling of this fairytale.  Man, I chose the perfect book to read for retelling.  I loved reading this book, knowing a little bit about what was going to happen, but not how it was going to happen.  One of my favorite things about retellings is the incredible way in which authors take a familiar story and make it their own.  Right from the beginning this book exuded originality.  I loved the discord between the mortal and faerie realms.  The history between those two world was a perfect spring board for this story.

I loved that the "beast" part of the curse involved ornate masquerade masks rather than a true beast transformation.  It was a nice nod to that aspect of the story. The subtlety of the curse in this book was brilliant.  Because the story is told from the point of view of Feyre, the reader is just as blind to any hints Tamlin and his court might be dropping about the curse, which makes for a great revelation when Feyre starts putting clues together.

The characters in this book are so fascinating.  I absolutely love Lucein, for his charm and humor and his undying loyalty to Tamlin.  I love his snarkiness and his quick wit of exchange with almost everyone he meets. Feyre's character development is probably the most intense because the story unfolds through her eyes.  We get to watch her go from blindly hating the faeries to slowly falling in love with one of the strongest Fae.  It's entertaining when the narrator gets confused about their emotions.  Tamlin and Feyre's relationship is beautiful.  I love how their interactions slowly change over the course of the book.  It's a beautiful thing to watch people fall in love and be stubborn about it at the same time.

This was a great beginning to a new series that I will follow to the end!  Amazing story telling by Sarah J. Maas. (P.S. there's a map and it's cool!)

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"A gorgeously written tale as lush and romantic as it is ferocious.  Absolutely spellbinding."
     --Alexandra Bracken, New York Times bestselling author

"Simply dazzles...the clamor for a sequel will be deafening... Maas' Throne of Glass series has been a smash hit...this new series is primed to follow in its footsteps.
     --starred review

"A dazzling world, complex characters and sizzling romance.  Feyre is a charming heroine with a perfect amount of flaws and strengths, and her chemistry with Tamlin is wonderfully tangible."
     --Top Pick

An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book.
A Full House Reading Challenge book.
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book.

Code Name Verity

by Elizabeth Wein
published: Hyperion, 2013 (originally 2012)
pages: 339

 When a British spy plane crashes in Nazi occupied France, two women (and best friends) are left to fend for themselves.  Only one has a chance at survival; one has been captured by the Gestapo and has been given the choice: reveal her plan or face execution.  She's been given as much paper as necessary to write down her confession and any pertinent information about the British war front.  With each word she writes, she discovers more about herself and her best friend Maddie.  Will the information she gives be enough to save her from the enemy?

Holy crap this book through me for a loop.   It was so cleverly written and masterfully deceitful I couldn't always tell what was fact and what was fiction.   It is a beautiful tale of friendship, war, tragedy, and sacrifice.  The writing was simply amazing!

I loved that there were two strong well rounded female characters telling the story.  Not often do you get a WWII novel where the main characters are women fighting in the war.  Juliet and Maddie are very different but they complemented each other incredibly well and gave a compelling documentation of what was happening.  They felt incredibly real, like I had just met and become friends with them.  They quite literally jumped off the page.

Usually when there are multiple voices telling the story, they alternate in some fashion, but this book was segmented.  The first half, one girl and the second half, the other.  I'd never read a book organized like this before and I was pleased that it didn't throw me off like I thought it would.  I got used to one voice, but because of the nature of the book, it felt like we already knew the other voice before she became the main storyteller.

Elizabeth Wein has created a novel that rivals that of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.  Both story of WWII and both compelling and completely engrossing.  Code Name Verity is an excellent read.  I cannot wait to pick up more of Wein's work.

Stars: 4/5 


Praise:

"A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"This book is written in a brilliant way.... Elizabeth Wein makes it always be believable and realistic as it is from the point of view of a young woman.... Everyone should read this incredible and heart wrenching story of two girls."
     --The Guardian (UK)

"Between this and her follow-up, Rose Under Fire, Wein is revealing herself to be a new master of young adult historical fiction....Filled with twists and turns, Code Name Verity is not for the faint of heart."
     --Rolling Stone

An Eclectic Reader Challenge 2015 Book. 
A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 Book.
The 2015 TBR Pile Challenge Book
An Alphabet Soup Challenge Book.

Savvy

by Ingrid Law
published: Puffin, 2010 (first published 2008)
pages: 368

Mibs Beaumont is turning 13 and unlike most 13-year-olds she is expecting an extra-special gift, her savvy.  These magical powers come to her family during this time and Mibs is hoping it will be something amazing like her brothers' abilities to control weather and electricity.  But when her mom receives a call that their dad has been in a car accident, all attention shifts.  It becomes Mibs's mission to get to her father to prove that her new power can save him.  She'll do just about anything to accomplish it, even if it means getting other people into trouble as well.

This story may follow Mibs, but it's not just about her.  The cast of characters that willingly follow her on her adventure is enthusiastic and fun.  Traveling with Mibs are her older brother - Fish, her younger brother - Samson, the paster's kids - Bobbi and Will Jr, and Lester - an unfortunate man who got caught up in trying to do the right thing.  They all have secrets that they attempt to hide from one another but the truth comes spilling out along the journey.

I love how these characters interact with each other.  I enjoyed seeing Bobbi step into the protective older sibling role while trying to maintain her teenage apathy.  It was fun to see Fish trying to control his savvy while being in emotionally charged environments and situations. The kids collaboration of deceiving the adults in this book was so fun to read, I laughed quite a bit.  I know I would have never thought of anything like what they got away with, it's impressive.

The writing is as quirky and fun as the characters and because it's from the voice of Mibs herself, it just adds to each of the character's likable quality.  You can practically see her thinking up phrases to express herself.  It's amusing and imaginative; there are several phrases in the novel that I wish I would have thought up!

Magical element in this story is subtle and beautiful.  While the premise of the story is centered around Mibs getting her savvy and figuring out how to use and control it, the magic doesn't take over.  Their family lives a relatively normal life and they are surrounded by normal people.  Quite a few of the savvies are things that people would think a coincidence if they were used.  Mamma Beaumont likes to think of savvies as enhanced talents.  Everyone has talents, but savvies just happen to present themselves in extraordinary ways.  It's fun to think about what kind of savvy I would have, the possibilities are endless.

Ingrid Law has created an imaginative and interesting story for anyone who loves a good fantasy novel.  I look forward to reading more of her in the future.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Law displays both a fertile imagination...and a dab hand for likable, colorful characters...[a] marvel-laden debut."
     --Kirkus, starred review

"...[Law'] a natural storytelling who's created a vibrant and cinematic novel that readers are going to love."
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Law's storytelling is rollicking, her language imaginative, and her entire cast of whacky, yet believable characters delight...wholly engaging and lots of fun."
     --Booklist, starred review

Fairest

by Marissa Meyer
published: Feiwel and Friends, 2015
pages: 222

Queen Levana wasn't always queen.  She wasn't always so powerful that people feared her.  Once, people pitied her, made fun of her, ignored her.  She made that all change.  This is the Levana's story.

This novella was a great insight to how Levana became the ruler she is in The Lunar Chronicles.  It was shorter than I expected, but it did give us character development for Levana.  How she went from being a young teenager to the ruler of Luna.  I felt a bit sorry for Levana in the beginning of the novella.  It is clear that her family experience is far from positive and her sister is cruel.

While this book doesn't make me any more sympathetic towards Levana, it does help me understand her a little bit more.  It makes me nervous for the future of all the characters I love in this series and for those that I'm just meeting.

We get a little look at a little of Winter backstory as well.  This little taste of the series is almost enough to hold me over until Winter comes out later this year.  I am so excited to see what happens in the conclusion of this series!

For people asking whether or not they should read the rest of series first, I would say yes because there a small spoilers for Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress in this story.  You could probably skip this book, but it is very captivating and exceptionally dark.  I loved reading it.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Bestselling author Marissa Meyer reveals the story behind her fascinating villain in Fairest, an unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death."
     --New York Times


A Full House Reading Challenge Book 

Matilda

by Roald Dahl
published: Puffin, 1998 (originally 1988)
pages: 240

It isn't Matilda's fault that she was born into a family that doesn't understand or care for her.  They don't notice that at five and a half years old she can do double digit multiplication and read classics like Moby Dick and Charles Dickens.  They barely notice that she is old enough to go to school.  At school, Matilda and her friends face the terrifying Trunchbull.  Miss Honey is one of the few to acknowledge Matilda's extraordinary gifts.  But what makes her special, also has the tendency to get her in trouble.

This book was incredibly enchanting.  I found myself immersed in Matilda's world, wanting to read the books she read and have class with Miss Honey.

Matilda is everything I wanted to be when I was younger, brilliant and nice with powers.  The only thing about her life that saddens me is that her parents were completely neglectful.  She may be extraordinary but her life is run of the mill.  I love that Matilda just takes things into her own hands when it seems the adults around her either can't or won't.  She is incredibly imaginative and clever for someone not yet six.

I grew up watching and loving the movie and I am delighted to say that this book has given me the same feelings that the movie did.  The only thing I wish is that the book gave more information.  I would have enjoyed learning a bit more about Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey, and even Matilda's family as odd as that sounds.  There are many cringeworthy Trunchbull moments and great sweet Miss Honey moments.  This book is just so fun.

I've always loved Roald Dahl's imagination and Matilda now sits right up there with The BFG for me.  I'm glad I finally picked up this book and read it!

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Funny, witty, fresh...Dahl at his outrageous best!"
     --The Baltimore Sun

"A funny book  with a child's perspective on an adult world.... Children will be waiting in line to read it.
     --School Library Journal, starred review

"A tour de force that kids will undoubtedly love"
     --The New Yorker

"Roald Dahl has done it again.... Matilda will surely go straight to children's hearts.
     --The New York Times Book Review

A 2015 TBR Pile Challenge book.
An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book.
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book.
A Full House Reading Challenge book. 

Dorothy Must Die

by Danielle Paige
published: HarperCollins, 2014
pages: 452

Amy Gumm is just a girl from Kansas that nobody particularly likes, not even her mother.  But when a tornado sweeps her off her feet and she lands in Oz, Amy's world is turned upside down.  However, this Oz doesn't look like the Oz of the books or the movie.  Dorothy has taken control and zapped the magic from the land.  Amy meets a cast witches and wizards who have decided that she is the only one that can save Oz from Dorothy's tyranny.  The only question is, can Amy be the person everyone wants her to be; can she really kill Dorothy?

One of the things I thought was so cool about this book is it took old favorite characters and twisted them, made them new.  Dorothy still has her lion, scarecrow, and tin man but they are far from the characters we met in the original.  Dorothy is nothing like the sweet mild-tempered girl she's supposed to be either.  I love that the characters surprised me and that they were strange and eerie, mad even.  It was nice to hate characters that I had previously loved.

While Amy is an out of the ordinary, hot-tempered, very relatable girl, I found her annoying at times.  She whined quite a bit for being transported to a previously considered fairytale land.  Granted, Amy did have very good reasons for whining, (like, she had no clue what she was doing and no one would tell her) it still grew tiring.  Also, I know she's a teenage girl but please can we not focus on how attractive she finds every teenage male in this book.  There are way more important things to think about.

I do like that Amy uses aggression as a defense mechanism and she has the potential to harness it into something productive.  The whole idea that someone who is considered nothing by everyone at home can be considered someone great is beautiful.  It teaches importance, everyone is important even if they don't agree.

This book made me angry, but in a good way.  Here's why:  I didn't know it was part of a series, therefore I expected wrap-up and closure at the end of this novel.  I did not get that.  Instead, I got the set up, the why-isn't-this-ending confusion and the holy-crap-when-does-the-next-book-come-out panic.  I am relieved to know that I only have to wait until the end of March. Gah!  This book snuck up on me and I will try to wait patiently for the next book in this series.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Reader's of Baum's books will take special delight in seeing new twists on the old characters, and they will greet the surprise climactic turnabout with the smugness of insiders."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"Gone are the days of rainbows, Lollipop Guilds and pretty much anything to sing about in a major key.  For those willing to go on a quest with a heroine more attuned to our times than the Dust Bowl era, there's no place like it.
     --USA Today

"Paige delivers a solid, intense, and strange narrative that draws deeply on its source material."
     --Publishers Weekly

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book.
Alphabet Soup Challenge book.

War Horse

by Michael Morpurgo

published: Scholastic, 2007
pages: 165

In 1914, Joey, a beautiful farm horse, is sold off to the army and thrust into the grueling war that tests not only the soldiers he accompanies but himself as well.  Leaving behind a farm boy whom he is determined to see again, Joey bravely marches forth spreading his courage to the soldiers.  Will he survive this devastating war and make it back to his true master or will he get caught up in the war like so many others before him?

This book was very endearing.  I like that it was told from the horse's point of view.  There are lots of stories that feature men gone to war, but we don't often see a book told from someone else's point of view.  Joey gave a unique perspective, offering insight to personal connections he made with soldiers and civilians from both sides.

There were moments when this book read a bit slow, but the pace picked up after a while.  It just seemed to be inconsistent.  There's a natural ebb and flow to the pace of any story and for the most part it was fine, there was just a moment or two when I felt pulled out of the story because it slowed way down.

This story is a story of hope in a moment of utter hopelessness.  World War I was a long war and so many people died fighting.  This book took all of that and laced in a story of loss, hope, survival, friendship and love between a boy and his horse.  One of the reasons this story is beautiful is because it is simply told.  Joey is not on a side of the war, he is just part of it.  Using that, we see the humanity in everyone and not just on winning side.  We see good German men and good British men, and we see bad German men and bad British men.

Michael Morpurgo took a common topic and made it genuinely unique.  I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm going to have to watch the movie now!

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"...listeners get a unique and perceptive views of World War I.... And excellent choice for fans of historical fiction."
     --School Library Journal

"Joey's ability to understand the language wherever he is--England, France, Germany--reinforces the novel's antiwar message, and the terse details speak eloquently about peace."
     --Booklist

An Alphabet Soup Challenge Book

The Big Over Easy

by Jasper Fforde
published: Viking, 2005
pages: 383

Humpty Dumpty has died and it's up to Inspector Jack Spratt and his new partner Mary Mary to figure out if his death was accidental, suicide, or murder.  However, things get a little more difficult when the hero of the police world, Inspector Chymes decides he wants the case.  Spratt has to work creatively to make sure the case stays in his hands.

This book is absolutely ridiculous.  It's references to nursery rhymes and childhood characters are absolutely absurd.  I was so completely entertained by this idea, I kept waiting to see who would show up in the story next.  Mary Mary and Jack Spratt are beautiful main characters that complement each other well.  The idea that these nursery characters could be involved in crime in the aptly named town of Reading is incredibly entertaining.

One of the things I find most entertaining about this book is that these nursery rhyme characters exist in a world side by side with normal humans and aliens that they have beckoned to Earth.  The catch is that the nursery characters don't know that they are nursery characters.  They believe that they are normal humans like everyone else.  So there's this deja vu type feeling they get when they begin to live out their story.  It's hysterical.

After the initial enjoyment of the nursery rhymes turned crimes, it was a bit slow and Mary Mary was more than just a bit annoying.  She was everything a naive newcomer to the crime scene in Reading would expect to be.  She took bait, she blindly followed without questioning, she was as one might say "quite contrary" to everything.   I got seriously annoying with her, but at some point in the novel she had some character growth.  Yay!

Plot takes many many twists and turns as seems only natural for the Nursery Crimes Division and just when you think you know who committed the crime, guess again, the story spirals in a different direction.  This story is entertaining, engaging and all around fun. I don't know why someone hasn't done this before. I will be reading more Jasper Fforde in the future.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"[Jasper Fforde] knows a thing or two about leaping into new worlds...it's hard not to see what all the enthusiasm is about."
     --Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"A wonderfully readable riot... [A] cleverly plotted, magically overstuffed yet amazingly digestible book... This summer's perfect beach read for eggheads."
     --The Wall Street Journal

"As if the Marx brothers were let loose in the children's section of a strange bookstore."
     --USA Today

The Blood of Olympus

by Rick Riordan
published: Disney-Hyperion Books, 2014
pages: 516

Gaea will rise unless the Greek and Roman demigods work together to stop her and the Giants.  As Nico and Reyna take the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half-blood, Jason, Percy and the rest of the crew make their way toward Athens on the Argo II.  Both groups must complete their mission if they wish to stop Gaea from destroying the world.  Will they be able to unite the camps of demigods or will the obstacles prove too great for these heroes of Olympus.

As with all stories, this one had to come to an end.  Honestly, I wasn't getting my hopes up because lots of endings have let me down recently.  But, I needed to know what happened to my favorite demigods and if all hell broke loose.  This also happened to be the first Olympus book I had to wait for and it was an extremely long wait!  After having the entire series back to back, I knew it would be irritating, but I did not expect to like this series as much as I did.

There were plenty of voices to finish telling this story, which can be difficult if each voice isn't distinct enough to tell the difference between them.  In this book, each character's voice was unique and defined.  I loved seeing the story play out through everyone's eyes because each demigod saw things slightly different.  It allowed for characters to have moments with each other without having the entire crew present, which was crucial since there are nine or so main characters.  Even though each character didn't get even page time, I'm okay with that.  This is possibly my favorite part of these books, the storytelling from all the different points of view.

My biggest annoyance with this story is the climax seemed to be over too soon, like the entire series was building up to this potential fight with Gaea and then it was done.  I won't say much more because of spoilers, but I wished there had been more here.

Rick Riordan seems to be the master of greek and roman god storytelling.  I fell in love with the characters from the first Percy Jackson book and read steadily until the very end.  These characters will always have a spot in my heart. Well done Mr. Riordan, well done.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

The Death Cure

by James Dashner
published: Delacorte Press, 2011
pages: 325

In this last installment, Thomas and the other survivors are fed up with WICKED and it's games.  It has taken everything from them, their life, memories and friends.  Thomas, Minho and Newt decide to take a stand and when they do whatever is necessary to beat WICKED once and for all, the danger gets worse.  They trust no one but themselves.  The time for lies is over.  The time for answers is now.

I oscillated between loving this book and hating this book.  Sometimes I wanted it to go on forever and other times I just wanted it to end.  There were quite a few moments during this book where I just wanted to put it down and wash my hands of this trilogy.  I wanted alternate endings, a plot twist that revealed all the characters from the three book alive and well.  However, my requests were not granted which left me with a heart full of feelings.

It was very easy to get attached to the characters in the series and I loved learning more about them as I read the books.  All of the characters to some degree are relatable, maybe not as a whole but there was an aspect in each character that help me understand where they were coming from.  That's one of the best thing about these books and in particular The Death Cure.  I wanted everyone to win. Even part of me wanted the bad guys to win, not because they deserved to win but because their goals ultimately were for the greater good of humanity, they just happened to be going about it the wrong way.

The humanity in this book breaks characters, but moves the story along quite nicely.  I wasn't sure how this book would end and I wasn't really sure I would like how it ended.  When the ending came, it left me grieving for those we'd lost along the way and hopeful for the future.

As is with any trilogy these days, it's hard to end on a satisfying note.  James Dashner pulled this trilogy off nicely and gave hope for the future of his characters.  I look forward to reading anything her writes in the future.

[Edit: I hear that he's writing a prequel to this trilogy!]

4/5 Stars

Praise:

"Wonderful action writing-- fast-paced...but smart and well observed."
     --Newsday

"Heart pounding to the very last moment."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"Breathlesss, cinematic action."
     --Publishers Weekly

The Scorch Trials

by James Dashner
published: Delacorte Press, 2010
pages: 360

Now that they've made it out of the Maze, Thomas and the rest of the Gladers have to travel across the Scorch without the aid of WICKED in two weeks.  There are no rules in the Scorch only people that want them dead.  Will they survive and make it to the safe zone in their allotted time or suffer the in the unbearable heat and danger of the Scorch?

The predictability of this books was split; there were definitely some parts that I saw coming, but there were so many more that just blindsided me.  It was incredible to read and truly have no idea what would happen next.  Some questions were answered but all of those answers led to even more questions.  This book is a maze of information, misinformation and plot twists.  It definitely kept me reading!

There did seem to be quite a bit of sleeping and passing out, which is good for showing the passage of time, but it also was slightly annoying.  I'm not sure Thomas needed to pass out so much to further this book along.  The book as a whole is quite fast paced, there's a lot going on, but then those moments of sleep and passing out alter the pace significantly.  It slows it down in an awkward way and then abruptly picks back up where it left off.

This book continues to dive into the characters, stretching and growing them.  Minho, Newt and Thomas excel into their leadership roles, each relying on their on strength as much as each others strengths which builds the bond between them.  Along with the old familiar characters, several new intriguing ones introduced.  Not sure, where their loyalties lie, Thomas and the others skirt around them as much as possible until they are forced to interact.  Trust is a huge issue in this book, which is only natural but who each person decides to trust offers insight to the characters.  I wondered if the guys would trust anyone but themselves, given their circumstances, but you'll be amazed with their decisions.

This series is going to be the death of me.  As soon as I'm done with this review, I am going to pick up The Death Cure.  Well done, James Dashner, I am completely and utterly under this series' spell.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Wonderful action writing--fast-paced...but smart and well observed."
     --Newsday

"Breathless, cinematic action."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Heart-pounding to the very last moment."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"Take a deep breath before you start any James Dashner book."
     --Deseret News

Son

by Lois Lowry
Published:
Pages: 393

Claire was just doing her job.  She was a Vessel; she carried the Product at age fourteen.  She didn't know that she'd become attached, that she would love and long for her son once he was born.  When they took him away, it became her mission to find him.  She came from a community where she was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible.  Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means sacrificing what she holds dear.

This book is the answer to the rest of the sort of connected series.  It brings back old, well loved characters from the other books and gives you new exciting and lovable one to attach yourselves to.  I found myself smiling every time one of my old favorites came back into this story.  It was as if I were a proud parent watching them grow and prosper.  Baby Gabe has reached his teenaged years and become a genuine young man.

Claire is one of Lois Lowry's strongest characters in this series.  Each of the characters have a driving force that propels them, but Claire's is one that kept me reading late into the night.  I couldn't put this book down.  In fact, when the book was over, I wanted more.  I wanted to see character interactions when everything was said and done.  That being said, I love how it ended.  I love that it wasn't quite an ending but it felt finite.  Even though we see an ending, it is clear that the story is just beginning for some of the characters. 

Lois Lowry took her time creating this world and these characters and this was definitely the conclusion I wished for these much loved characters.  I give Lowry a grand well done.

Stars 4/5

Praise:

"Son is a tender conclusion to this memorable story, and definitely the best of the books in this sequence since The Giver itself."
     -- School Library Journal

"Written with powerful, moiving simplicity, Claire's story stands on its own, but as the final volume in this iconic quartet, it holistically reunites characters, reprises provocative socio-political themes, and offers a transcending message of tolerance and hope."
     --Kirkus Review

"Lowry is one of those rare writers who can craft stories as meaningful as they are enticing."
     --Booklist, stared review