Fever 1793

by Laurie Halse Anderson
published: Simon and Schuster, 2000
pages: 272

Mattie Cook was focused on one thing when the rumor of the fever hit: growing her family's business.  The coffee shop was situated far from the docks and the mosquitos, the seeming source of the fever. Only dock workers and others close to the docks became infected. But when the death count begins to rise and the fever spreads, people begin to evacuate Philadelphia. Mattie and her family have to make a decision to flee or to stay and take their chances. With their choice, they begin a new fight - one for their survival.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that the story was centered on an event that actually occurred in history.  Even though most of the characters are fictional, some of them were real people trying to survive in a real yellow fever epidemic.  I find it fascinating how the world of fiction and reality collide so well in this story.

It took me a while to get into the plot of the book. I was not completely engaged until about a hundred pages into the book, which I think is quite a bit of the story for a 272 page book. I held on because I love Laurie Halse Anderson as an author and I have always enjoyed her books. That and it's a prize winning book which made me think there was something to the story that I hadn't figured out yet.

I was not drawn to the characters in this book very much, but I did really enjoy Grandfather. I thought he had the right mix of wisdom and spunk that kept Mattie going when she could have very easily given up on her journey.  I think she saw the spunk in her grandfather which allowed her stubbornness work to her advantage in parts of the book. When everything felt lost, she was able to keep going.  While I admire that, I didn't connect with her on a personal level.

The story was intriguing and I am glad I read this book, but I definitely liked some of Laurie Halse Anderson's other books better.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"The plot rages like the epidemic itself."
     --The New York Times Book Review

"Readers will be drawn in by the characters and will emerge with a sharp and graphic picture of another world."
     --School Library Journal

"A gripping story about living morally under the shadow of rampant death."
     --The New York Times Book Review

"A vivid work, rich with well-drawn characters."
     --VOYA

The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie

by Jaclyn Moriarty
published: Arthur A. Levine Books
pages: 491

Bindy Mackenzie has always been the top student in her school. She is an incredibly disciplined and hard worker, some may even call her an overachiever.  She considers herself the kindest and most inspiring student in her year.  Unfortunately, she is alone in consideration.  At the beginning of the year, she is put into a group with unlikely friends who help her discover that she is in danger.  Apparently someone wants to kill her, and the clues are in her carefully documented life.  They have to figure out who wants to kill her and why before time runs out.

I was very unsure about this book to begin with, mostly because of the narrator.  Bindy Mackenzie's personality shines through her documentation of year 11 and while it is excellently executed, I found it hard to get into.  I was skeptical that someone so ordered and formal could also entertaining and inviting.  To be frank, she was kind of annoying.  Yes, it did take me a bit, but I finally started to enjoy Bindy's commentary and her portrayal of the other characters.

The voice of this book is just so ridiculous.  While the story seems very far-fetched, anything is up for grabs at Ashbury High. I had to extend my suspension-of-disbelief for this story.  It could happen but highly unlikely that it ever would happen.  I will say that is was almost entirely unpredictable, the twists and turns were welcomed and brought new life to the story.

One thing I did really enjoy was the connections back to some of Jaclyn Moriarty's other books.  I've only read one of them, but characters and situations are referenced from the other books.  Even though these were passing moments, I thought they were fun and clever.

Now that I'm getting used to Moriarty's writing style, might pick up another one of the Ashbury High stories.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"The novel - written entirely in letters, diary entries, e-mail, etc. - is fast and funny but not frothy.  Moriarty's story is complex, original, and unpredictable enough that it's much more than a guilty-pleasure read."
     --The Horn Book Magazine, starred review

"Moriarty's characters speak in voices as playful and inventive as the novel's format.... An unisial novel with an exhilarating pace, irrepressible characters, and a screwball humor."
     --Booklist, starred review

"Moriarty's novel keeps readers guessing - and...laughing out loud - all the way to the end."
     -- USA Today

Feed

by M.T. Anderson
published: Candlewick Press, 2004
pages: 308

Everything begins when Titus and his friends take to the moon for spring break.  They meet Violet, a smart and beautiful girl with an affinity for quietly defying the feed. Shortly after meeting Violet, a crazy hacker causes all their feeds to malfunction, beginning a spiral of events that might just decide Titus and Violet's fates.

It's strange to me that most of the characters can be so vapid and yet they are complex in a world that is continually striving for simplicity. There's a moment in this novel where Titus explains that one of the feed's jobs is to know him better than he knows himself.  He inexplicably trusts this bodiless voice to make all his decisions for him.  I find this fascinating and also horrifying.  I get chills thinking about a society where people, for the most part, don't think for themselves.  That's why Violet's character is such an interesting contrast to Titus and his friends.  She has the ability and the determination to question the feed and it's importance.

To be perfectly honest I would have like this book much more if it were written differently.  I get that this is a satire of today's society and culture, but I almost couldn't get past the language in this book.  Using shortened words like "meg", the nonfunctional "like", and casual slang like "brag" every ten words got to be quite annoying.  It is lazy and obnoxious, which might have been the point.  (It reminds me of text-speak that we use today, which scares me.)  I might not have finished this book had I not known that the language was part of the purpose of it.

So if M.T. Anderson's desire with this book is to strike fear and determination for the prevention of this kind of society, he has succeeded, at least he has with me.  Anderson has definitely given me quite a bit to think about.

Stars:  3/5

Praise:

"This satire offers a thought-provoking and scathing indictment that may prod readers to examine the more sinister possibilities of corporate-and media-dominated culture.
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The crystalline realization of this wildly dystopic future carries in it obvious and enormous implications for today's readers -- satire at its finest.
     --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"M.T. Anderson has created the perfect device for an ingenious satire of corporate America and our present-day value system...Like those in a funhouse mirror, the reflections the novel shows us may be ugle and distorted, but they are undeniably ourselves.
     --The Horn Book, starred review

How To Be Popular

by Meg Cabot
published: Harpertempest/ HarperCollins
pages: 288

Steph Landry made one mistake in sixth grade that has followed her into unpopularity for five years.  The entire town has a saying about "pulling a Steph", coined by the queen of the popular crowd.  When Steph finds a book on popularity, she decides that this book is her best chance to overcome her unpopularity.  How well will this book work, and will there be any repercussions?

Meg Cabot was one of my favorite authors in middle school.  I read so many of her books. Each book has a memorable character that could have been my friend.  Again, she creates an endearing character with ideas of her own, whether or not they are ridiculous.

I remember a time where I thought it was very important to be popular, or at the very least well liked.  However, I never schemed to make popularity a reality.  This is something about the book that I thought was pretty entertaining.  It takes that dream so many people have and creates a step by step process to which popularity can be achieved, something I know I would have killed for in middle school.  (I'm sure others would have too.)  It also shows how friends react to the idea of changing identity, and the effects obsession can have on someone and the people around them.

It was fun to go back and read another Meg Cabot book.  While I had a good time reading it, I will say that had I read this book when I bought it (in 8th or 9th grade) I would have enjoyed it much more than I do now.  Despite that, I think this book is entertaining and clever. Good for anyone looking for a fun, light read.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Despite featuring upperclassmen, Steph's aboveboard actions and mostly pure thoughts make this a fun and light text suitable for a younger audience wanting to read about older teens."
     --Kirkus Review

"This endearingly funny book looks at the pain of feeling unpopular."
     --VOYA

Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell
Published: Yearling
pages: 184

Karana lived on an island her tribe named for the blue dolphins that circle it.  She lived in happy seclusion from the rest of the world until one day some Russian hunters came for otter pelts.  She suddenly finds herself alone on this island, waiting for someone to find her and take her away from the loneliness.  In that time, she learns the ins and out of the island she's called home and discovers what it means to be herself.

The writing in this book is very well done.  The narrator starts as a 12 year old, and grows as she tells her story.  The writing grows with her.  It's as though we are actually in the mind of this girl.  Even though we don't understand her language, we get her thoughts as though we did.  She describes some animals and people in her language, which is cool because as the reader we have to decipher what exactly she is talking about.

This book is very well written and it gets into the mind of a young girl growing up on her own.  However, the story itself didn't keep my attention for very long.  I didn't read more than 20 pages each time I sat down to read.  This book took me a lot long than it should have given the length.

I do appreciate that there was a section in the back of the book that explained where the story came from.  I was surprised to find out that that this story was a recreation of actual events.  Even though there is very little information about the actual woman that lived on an island by herself for 18 years, her story is intriguing.  Had I known this was based on a true story, I might have enjoyed the book more.

Stars: 2/5

Praise:

"A haunting and unusual story."
     --Library Journal, Starred

"Strange and beautiful, revealing courage, serenity, and greatness of spirit."
     --The Horn Book Magazine

"Island of the Blue Dolphins has the timeless enduring quality of a classic."
     --Chicago Tribune

Tuesdays with Morrie

by Mitch Albom
published: Broadway Books, 1997
pages: 199

Mitch Albom graduated from college and began his successful career as a sports writer and columnist.  His life began to change, however, when he saw his favorite, and long forgotten, college professor on an episode of Nightline with Ted Koppel talking about his terminal illness.  Mitch decided that it was time to visit his old "coach" and possibly say goodbye for the last time.  What Mitch didn't know was that Morrie would once again teach him more than he thought possible.

I knew nothing about this book, and how surprised I was to learn that this was a memoir of a dying man.  When I started it, I almost didn't want to continue but I am glad I did.  I didn't know that I would get attached to a man that had died almost 15 years ago, someone that I had never met.  Now, I wish I had.

Morrie's life at the surface seemed ordinary, but this books sheds light on the man Morrie really was, a professor, a coach, a friend, and a loved one.  Mitch Albom elegantly shares Morrie's life in conversation and short flashbacks.  The little bit we get of Morrie's past shows a great deal about his character.

Dealing with Lou Gehrig's disease is no small feet, and even though it had me in tears by the end, I am glad I read this book.  It made me think about how I am living my life and what I need/want to change about it to live to the fullest, the way Morrie had.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"As sweet and nourishing as fresh summer corn...the book begs to be read aloud."
     --USA Today

"A wonderful book, a story of the heart told by a writer with soul."
     --Los Angeles Times

"One of those books that kind of sneaked up and grabbed people's hearts over time."
     --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This is an Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge book.

Dreamland

by Sarah Dessen

Published:  SPEAK, 2004

Pages: 250

When Caitlin's sister runs away, her entire life begins to change.  She takes up cheerleading and starts seeing a mysterious boy by the name of Rogerson.  Caitlin quickly falls into a new routine, spending more and more time with her new boyfriend.  What happens when being with Rogerson becomes a bigger problem than being without him?

As someone that doesn't read the backs of books, the topic covered in this story surprised me.  When a book covers a topic like abuse, rape or eating disorders, to name a few, I feel like there should be a trigger warning attached to it.  I'm not saying that people should never write about these topics, because they should! I just didn't expect this story to be so heavy.  (It's kind of my own fault for not reading the summary.)

Aside from the startling topic, Sarah Dessen works wonders with her characters, developing a situation that feels so real, and in many lives is real. Though, some of the characters were frustrating.  I just wanted to yell at them to pay attention to Caitlin, to read the signs.  In this way these characters feel real.  People are often too caught up in their own lives to see what's going on around them.  I think Dessen captured this exceptionally well in her characters.

This book not only provides a story worth reading, but also gives the reader an opportunity to think.  I thought a lot about this story and abuse.  After discussing it with a friend, I realize that this books paints a great (for the lack of a better word) picture of how hidden a bad relationship can be.  If you don't already know the signs, it's hard to register them as unusual.  There's a partial eye-opening experience and the reader becomes privy to thoughts that might occur during this kind of relationship.  Sarah Dessen gives everyone an opportunity to talk about real dangerous situations.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Deamland is the secret story of many contemporary teen relationships. Compelling reading."

     --SLJ, starred review

"An affecting and believable portrait of a teenage girl drifting into a kind of dreamland.  You can't help being pulled in by Caitlin's story."

     --The Horn Book

"It's not only the plot that's vivid; the characters are also intensely real. Another pitch-perfect offering from Dessen." 

     --Booklist, starred review

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green and David Levithan
Published: Speak, 2011 (first published Dutton, 2010)
Pages: 310

When Will Grayson meets Will Grayson, they aren't expecting each other.  In fact, the first is buying a souvenir for his best and gay friend, Tiny Cooper and the other is meeting an internet friend.  Little did they know that their meeting is the catalyst for events that lead to the most entertaining musical to ever hit the high school stage.

Tiny Cooper is one of the funniest characters I have ever had the pleasure to read.  In addition to being completely gay, I mean that in the very best way, he is charming and so outgoing it hurts.  I laughed so much while reading about Tiny's musical, who would have thought to write a musical about themselves? Tiny Cooper.  That's who.

I was very excited to actually see the musical in the book.  I am a self professed lover of musicals so this just made my day.  The lyrics to the songs are priceless and entertaining and the scenes are wonderfully obnoxious.  I can't help agreeing with Will Grayson, the best friend, that Tiny is altogether too much to handle.  That, however, doesn't stop me from enjoying him and the rest of the characters.

The Wills are not quite opposites, just different guys with the same name and a shared Tiny.  They both, however, are having problems of their own.  To a certain extent Tiny, whether intentionally or unintentionally, helps them realize how to go about dealing with their problems.  They are, eventually, brutally honest with themselves and with those they love.  As characters, they are incredibly dynamic.

I give mad props to John Green and David Levithan for coming up with this idea and for writing it.  I am so glad because the world needed this book.  If these authors ever get the itch to write together again, I hope they don't hesitate.

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a complete romp.  [It is] so funny, rude and original that by the time flowers hit the stage, even the musical-averse will cheer."
     -- The New York Times Book Review

"Will have readers simultaneously laughing, crying and singing at the top of their lungs."
     --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"It is such a good book. [Green and Levithan] are two of the best writers writing today."
     --NPR's The Roundtable

It's An Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge book!

Book Challenges 2013

It's that time of year again! It's time to join some challenges. I've got a couple familiar ones and a couple new so let's get started.

First up:

The 2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge, hosted by Reading with Tequila.

RULES: Participants can read any books from the list of books recommended by bloggers in 2012.  You can decide to read books only from the top 25 or from the entire recommendation list.  Rereads do not count towards your total books.  (All formats acceptable: audiobooks, e-book, etc.)
recommended books

The Levels:
Level I: 5 books
Level II: 10 books
Level III: 15 books
Level IV: 20 books
Level V: 20 + books


Level I - 5 books
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
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Second:
2013 TBR Pile Challenge, hosted by Roof Beam Reader.

RULES: Read 12 books from your "to be read" pile.  Each of these books must have been on your bookshelf for at least a full year.  They must be published before 1/1/2012, anything before that is fair game. Create a list of book with two alternatives just in case one or two of your original picks end up in the "can't get through" pile.  Books must be read and reviewed to count as completed.  The 15th of every month there will be a post where you can post your reviews.


1. Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey (1968)
2. Uglies - Scott Westerfield (2005)
3. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan (2010)
4. Dreamland - Sarah Dessen (2004)
5. Feed - M.T. Anderson (2002)
6. Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom (1997)
7. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott (1868-69)
8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (1847)
9. Island of Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell (1960)
10. Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson (2000)
11. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie - Jacolyn Moriarty (2006)
12. How to Be Popular - Meg Cabot (2006)

Alternates:
Kissed By An Angel - Elizabeth Chandler (first published 1998, 2010)
Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
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Third:
The Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge, hosted by Book'd Out.


RULES:
This challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2013.  Create a blog post committing to your participation.  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advanced.  You have to read a book from each of the genres listed below.  You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 21st 2013.  Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement or the challenge image badge to the post.

This years genres:

1. Translated fiction - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 
2. Historical mystery - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
3. Romantic suspense - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
4. Made into a movie - Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garci and Margaret Stohl
5. New Adult - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
6. Urban Fantasy - Valiant by Holly Black 
7. Dystopian - Legend by Marie Lu
8. Memoir - Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
9. LGBT - Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
10. Action Adventure - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
11. Humour
12. Published in 2013 - The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
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Fourth:

Dystopian Reading Challenge 2013, hosted by Blog of Erised.

RULES: The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.  The books must include some form of post-apocalyptic theme and be full length.  All formats are allowed as well as rereads. Sign up for the challenge with the linky on Blog of Erised's challenge post.

The Levels:
Recruit: 1-6 books
Rebel: 7-12 books
Revolutionist: 13-18 books
Leader: 19+ books

I have chosen Recruit: 1-6 books
1. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
2. Legend by Marie Lu
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Prodigy by Marie Lu
5.
6.
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Fifth:
This is more of a personal challenge. I've been reading off a book list since 2007, but last year I stopped reading from it as much as I usually do. This year I would like to create a nice dent in the list again. There are over 450 books, so it shouldn't be a problem. It's the Teenreads Ultimate Reading List if you'd like to take a look.

My goal is 10 books off the list this year.

1. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
2. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
3. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
4. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
5. Legend by Marie Lu
6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer 
7. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
8. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
9. 21 Proms edited by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft
10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
11. Feed by M.T. Anderson
12. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
13. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
14. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
15. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
16. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson