Messenger

by Lois Lowry
published: Delacorte Press, 2006
pages: 169

Matty is growing up and the village he now calls home is in danger. He used to be able to come and go as he pleased through the Forest surrounding the village, but the Forest seems to be changing its mind as of late.  The villagers have been as well.  Matty notices and Seer, Matty's surrogate father,  is noticing too.  Seer warns Matty about these changes but it's up to Matty to figure out what exactly is happening and what he should do about it.

 Matty's role in this book is probably my favorite part of it.  I absolutely love this character and could argue that he might be my favorite character for the entire series.  His desire to help people has grown since we last saw him and it's very clear that he has change quite a bit.  Matty is still every bit mischievous and inquisitive as before, but now he has some wisdom and purpose to go with it.  He loves his role in the village as the messenger and the fact that the trees respect him.

There is a very strong political theme running throughout all of these books.  Seeing it so plainly took away part of the magic of the story.  I'm not a huge fan of blatant messages; I'd rather see something more subtle.  The concept of the Trademaster and his market is very intriguing, but the obvious vehicle for politics.  However, I do like the interactions between the Trademaster and the village people.  It's interesting to see what people are willing to do for what they want.

I loved that we finally get to see what happened to Jonas and Gabe.  It's no secret that they are alluded to in Gathering Blue, but it was nice to finally see them again as more active characters, to see what's become of them.  And there is still much more room to grow for both of them, but Gabe specifically.

Hopefully, Lois Lowry's final installment will answer any questions that this book didn't.  I look forward to reading it soon.


Stars: 4/5 

Praise:

"Lowry masterfully presents another thought-provoking, haunting tale in this third novel, a companion to The Giver and Gathering Blue."
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lowry moves far beyong message, writing with a beautiful simplicity rooted in political fable, in warm domestic detail, and in a wild natural world, just on the edge of realism."
     --Booklist, ALA, starred review

"Told in simple, evocative prose, this companion to The Giver and Gathering Blue can stand on its own as a powerful tale of great beauty."
     -- Kirkus Review, starred

Top Ten Tuesday: Underrated Books According to My Family

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (My pick) - Every opportunity I have, I plug this book because I don't think it gets nearly enough attention.  I absolutely love this book and cannot say enough good about it.  There's mystery and scheming and

2. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani (Mom's pick) - My mom loved the character's story in this book.  The family makes handmade leather wedding shoes and one of the granddaughters takes a real interest in their work.  It's a coming of age story that's centered around a young mid-20s, early 30s woman.

3. Thieves Like Us by Stephan Cole (Hunter's pick) - Hunter really enjoys it because of the main character and the plot is enticing.  It's about a group of teenagers that are hired to steal.

4.  Out of Darkness by Keith Terry (Rachel's pick) -  The premise of the book fascinated Rachel and for good reason. It's about a guy who is hired to study The Book of Mormon and assess it's authenticity.  It hearing her talk about this book makes me want to read it.

5. The Spenser Series by Robert B. Parker (Dad's pick) - This is one of my dad's favorite series and even though there was a television series based on these books in the 80's.  There are significant human psyche revelations that you wouldn't expect a detective series to incorporate.

6.  Glaciers by Alexis Smith (Leigh's pick) -  It's a very well written book on the shorter side but incredibly beautiful and poignant.  A character driven book about a couple days in the life of a girl who lives in Portland.

7. The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie by Jacyln Moriarty (Gabby's pick) -  This book is folded into three other books in a set of companion novels.  That's one of the reasons that Gabby likes it.  The series should definitely get more attention that it does.

8.  Jumper by Steven Gould (Lauren's pick) - Even though there is a movie based on this book, Lauren still thinks that it's completely underrated.  The movie is far from doing the book justice and most people don't even realize it's based off of a book.  But she loves it and swears that it is one of the best books she's read.

9.  Guitar Notes by Mary Amato (Also my pick) - I read this book a couple years ago and really enjoyed it, but I haven't heard much about it elsewhere.  I think people who love a good story that involves music would really enjoy this book.

10. Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes (Gramma's pick) - It's a wonderful book.  It was turned into a long running television show in the 40s and 50s and was also a movie.  Even though it got some time in the spotlight, Gramma thinks it should have had more.

Notable Quotable: Harper Lee (#44)

 

"They are certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
     --To Kill A Mockingbird

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (#7)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week hosted by Uncorked Thoughts.

Favorite Edition of the Books:

I grew up reading the American editions so naturally those are among my favorite editions.  I'm partial to the hardback copies of these books.  I've also always loved the English editions.  The spines of the English editions are really cool.  I love the solid blocks of color.  I have to say though I really like the new paperback box set that came out this year.  They are all very beautiful.

The Testing

by Joelle Charbonneau
published: Houghton Mifflin Books, 2013
pages: 336

Cia has dreamed of being chosen for the testing since she was a young child and now that she's graduating, her chance has finally come around.  Along with three others from her hometown, Cia travels to the capitol, Tuso City to begin testing.  What she doesn't know is just how dangerous and fatal the testing might become.  She has to decide who to trust, if anyone.  Her choices will dictate what happens not only to her but to others as well.  She must decide just what she is willing to do to pass the test. 

This book had the right amount of action and mystery that any dystopian novel should have.  However, it felt familiar to other books that are in the same genre.  Most notably, it felt very similar to The Hunger Games at times, which was sad because I really wanted this book to stand out on its own.  It definitely had the potential.  I did have fun trying to figure out where the cities were and which states they traveled through in the final section of the testing.

One aspect of the book I really enjoyed were the relationships formed between the characters.  Cia and a cast of intelligent, manipulative and cunning characters fight for twenty coveted spots in University.  This premise gives characters interesting motives and has me wondering about some motives that have not yet been revealed.  I especially like the Thomas/Cia and Michal/Cia relationship dynamics.  

This book takes the idea of getting into college to a whole new level.  The best of the best are the ones who go on to have important jobs in the government and roles in revitalizing the country.  The idea that the government is looking to restore the country using the best and the brightest is an idea that is unique to this series.

Joelle Charbonneau has begun a crazy journey with this first installment.  I cannot not wait to see how Cia and the others handle the fallout from the first book.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"The Testing is a chilling and devious dystopian thriller that all fans of The Hunger Games will simply devour.  Joelle Charbonneau writes with guts and nerve but also great compassion and heart.  Highly recommended."
     --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Rot & Ruin

"Trained  to rely on her wits, Cia must survive on her courage and trust her instincts, even when it means following her heart ever deeper into danger.  A surefire favorite for dystopian fans, The Testing crackles with suspense, passion and betrayal set against a scarred and brutal world."
     --Sophie Littlefield, author of Unforsaken

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters that would sit at my lunch table

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I've got my top five people today!

1.  Toby Cavanaugh (Pretty Little Liars) - Confession time: I haven't actually read any of these books but I absolutely love his character on the show.  If Toby is anything in the books like he is in the show, I think we would be friends if he were real.  He would definitely have a spot on my lunch table.

2. Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter) - She is everything that I wish I had been brave enough to be in high school, and even now sometimes.  I'd like to believe that we would be great friends because of her quirkiness but also her complete lack of caring what other people think.  I would definitely ask her to join me at my lunch table.

3. Turtle Wexler (The Westing Game) - Her intelligent snarkiness would be a perfect for lunch table conversation, especially if she had someone to bounce off.

4. Clay Jensen (13 Reasons Why) - He would be a good person to eat lunch with because he's willing to talk to those that don't often get noticed.  He's genuinely a nice guy.

5. Fred and George Wealsey (Harry Potter) - These guys would be the icing on the cake.  Everyone would laugh and it would be magical.  Plus they are truly decent people who know right from wrong.

This is my short list and I would give anything to eat lunch with these characters!

September TBR: Classics

In the spirit of the beginning of school, I thought it would be good to read some classics that I never got around to in high school and college.  These are all books that have captured my attention at some point and now I'm finally giving myself an opportunity to pick them up.

Currently Reading

• 4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie

Possible Candidates

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Atonement by Ian McEwan

September Releases

• Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither (Sept 16)
• I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Sept 16)

Book to Movie

• The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Sept 19)