Book Review: Sovay

Sovay by Celia Rees

SUMMARY: England, 1783. When the rich and beautiful Sovay isn't sitting for portraits, she's donning a man's cloak and robbing horse-drawn carriages in broad daylight. But what started as a mere distraction quickly turns serious when Sovay lifts a wallet full of documents from one of England's most powerful and dangerous men. Finding items meant to incriminate her father for treason, Sovay realizes that her family's support of the French Revolution is known far beyond the confines of their country estate. Riding as a man, Sovay sets out for London to save her father and her family's reputation. The roles of thieves and gentry, good and bad, and men and women are interchanged to riviting effect in Celia Rees' newest and most dazzling historical saga yet. (adapted from the back cover)

OPINION: I am a huge fan of Celia Rees' book Pirates!, which is a swashbuckling tale of female pirates set against the backdrop of the colonial slave trade. This book is in the same vein, with a courageous female main character who defies traditional roles is a very unconventional way. I liked that a traditional ballad provided the inspiration for the main character and her initial robbery of her betrothed. But I didn't find it at all believable that someone so distinctive looking could successfully rob multiple coaches so close to her home without being caught, or at least accused, in a way that would have ruined her. As the story progressed, I felt like the author was trying to cram too many subplots and events into too few pages. I also grew frustrated with the amount of historical information that had to be conveyed for the reader to understand the relationship among Sovay's family, English politics, and the French Revolution. Nonetheless, the character of Sovay was very compelling, and her personality alone kept me reading the book. I do love a strong female heroine! Overall, I would recommend this book only to dedicated readers of historical fiction.

And the Gold Goes to...

...David for his performance in yesterday's Dance Dance Revolution Tournament! The silver medal went to Genni, while Imade and Katie tied for bronze. A total of 18 teens competed yesterday for fame, fortune, and love of the game -- ok, so the fame only goes as far as this blog and the fortune is more like a Gamestop gift certificate, but really, we play for the love. Besides, who needs the Olympics when there's a dance-off at your local library? We had a great time with our three tournaments, though I got knocked out during the first round of each one! Maybe I should have stuck to Monopoly or cards, which our non-competing teens enjoyed on the side...

Book Review: The Resistance

The Resistance by Gemma Malley

This book will be released on September 2, 2008.

When I read The Declaration last year, I said that I could forgive some of its shortcomings if they were addressed in a sequel. And so it has arrived. The Resistance follows Peter and Anna as they start their lives together. Even though they are Legal, they have to navigate a very tricky path because they are teens in a world of old people. They have not signed the Declaration or started taking Longevity drugs, and this makes them suspect. Not to mention that they are members of the Underground movement to get rid of Longevity! Even as Peter infiltrates his grandfather's pharmaceutical company, his grandfather is manipulating both Peter and Anna to his own ends. To understand this book, it is necessary to have read the first one. Additionally, I am hoping for a third one that will wrap up some of the loose ends. That said, this book has an exciting and fast-paced plot that picks up soon after the end of The Declaration. The more Peter finds out about the new Longevity+, the more frightening this story becomes. It raises a lot of questions about scientific ethics in areas like pharmaceuticals, stem-cell research, and reproductive rights. Nonetheless, sometimes the discussion of ethics takes over the narrative, which makes the book lack the subtlety of the best dystopian novels. For better treatment of similar subjects, I would recommend Double Helix by Nancy Werlin and Unwind by Neal Schusterman.

Book Review: Ghostgirl

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Review by Kaitlyn B.

Personally, I couldn’t get through this book. It was really frustrating for me. The main character was obsessed with being popular even though she was dead. I thought that the fact that she was dead would make it more interesting, but it didn’t for me. She annoyed me to the point where I just couldn’t keep reading it. So, if you like the type of books where the main character is striving to be popular than you would really enjoy Ghostgirl, otherwise, I would suggest reading another book.

Book Review: Hurricane Song

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
Click on the book to see which libraries own it.

SUMMARY: Hurricane Katrina is raging and you are inside the Superdome! Miles has only lived in New Orleans with his dad, a musician, for a few months when Hurricane Katrina hits. Father and son haven’t exactly been getting along. Miles is obsessed with football; his dad’s passion is jazz. But when the storm strikes, they’re forced to work through their differences to survive a torturous few days in the Superdome. (adapted from the back cover)

OPINION: I am a big fan of Paul Volponi's book Black and White, which deals with how two boys, one black and one white, are treated in the justice system after commiting a crime. And I have to give Paul Volponi credit for addressing challenging race issues in Hurricane Song as well. However, he is a NYC guy, and it shows. This book seemed very generic to me in its treatment of New Orleans culture, Hurricane Katrina, and life in the Superdome. Maybe I just take in a lot of news, but I didn't really feel like he explored much new territory. However, the father-son relationship was really a driving force in this book, and the way they built a relationship through music added a layer of complexity to this straightforward story. This is a quick read that is a good introduction to the realities of Hurricane Katrina. Check it out if you enjoy contemporary fiction with an urban edge.

Living Like Larry

I recently read a Time article about people who have stripped down their lifestyles, just like Larry in The Gospel According to Larry. One guy invented the "100 Thing Challenge" and is blogging about his purge of stuff. Other people have vowed to only have items they use daily in their homes.

Reading the article definitely made me feel like I have too much stuff! BTW, if you feel the same, box up your old books and items to donate to the library book sale and yard sale. I have three boxes in my garage already! Just ask Mrs. Heise (the secretary) before you decide to bring a carload of stuff over to our garage.

Book Review: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

SUMMARY: The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school--that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE, the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes computer class. Cammie Morgan is a second generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year shes already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways with her bare hands. But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks shes an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him knowing, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's beginning her most dangerous mission: falling in love. (adapted from the back cover)

OPINION: This book combines James-Bond style spy training with ordinary high school romance in an entertaining and humorous summer read. Despite the extraordinary intelligence and training of the Gallagher Girls, this story definitely qualifies as chic-lit! I really enjoyed the scheming it took for Cammie to evade her school's high-level security to meet Josh in town. (I have a thing for secret passages and bookcases that turn around.) Cammie's lack of knowledge about real boys and relationships creates some hilarious situations as she tries to keep her cover story straight. And Josh is a great guy who is totally worth it. Eventually, though, there arrives the moment of truth...during Cammie's CovertOps exam, no less! Pick this one up if you need a quick and fun read. But if you like more gadgets, action, and bad guys in your spy books, try the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.

MORE INFORMATION: There is already a sequel to this book, called Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, as well as a third book to be released next summer. And if you can't get enough of the Gallagher Girls, visit Ally Carter's website!

What I've Been Reading

Well, I have just been sitting around waiting for the baby to be born. And the midwives told me that I have to rest a lot to keep my blood pressure down. So this means I have gotten a lot of reading done! Today, I read two books and tried a third. Here's the rundown:
(Click on the book covers to see which libraries own these books.)

Life Is Fine by Allison Whittenberg
Since Allison Whittenberg is coming to our library this fall (!!!), I thought I'd better read her newest book! The irony of the title was apparent as soon as I opened Life Is Fine. Samara's father was never part of her life, her mother is completely uncaring, her mother's boyfriend has taken over the house, and she has no friends except a chimp at the Philadelphia Zoo. A chance encounter with a substitute English teacher and his random poetry reading gives Samara a glimpse of actual learning, and an actual friend. But this is not one of those feel-good life-changing student-teacher books. Grounded in the realities of urban life, Samara learns to take small steps toward creating and controlling her own future.

Tim: Defender of the Earth by Sam Enthoven
This action-packed sci-fi thriller reads like a summer blockbuster movie: two top-secret experiements backed by the British government rampage through London in an epic battle! One is TIM, a genetically improved clone of the tyrannosaurus. The other is Professor Edward Mallahide, who has mastered the science of nanotechnology by giving himself over to be part of his nanotech swarm. Brawn meets brains, and only one can survive! This is a great summer read that will keep you turning the pages. If you like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Alex Rider series, another action and adventure books, this one's for you.


The Sky Village (Kaimira, book one) by Monk Ashland and Nigel Ashland
I love stories about future societies, and this book's post-apocolyptic scenario sounded promising. Plus, my interest was piqued by the mysterious connection between Mei, living in a sky village in China and, Rom, living in the ruins of Las Vegas. But this book, first in a projected five-book series, ultimately failed to capture my imagination. Supposedly, Mei and Rom each carry a gene that makes them part human, part animal, and part machine. However, the descriptions of this future society were not deep or subtle enough to make me care. I didn't even get halfway through before I stopped reading.

Book Review: Talent

Talent by Zoey Dean
Reviewed by Alexa

Writer Zoey Dean brings readers a story about a middle school girl, Mac, who sets out to find her niche. Her best friend Becks is already an awesome surfer and her other best friend Coco has been training with a famous dancer over the summer. So Mac, feeling out of place, decides to pursue what she already knows, talent scouting. She discovers Emily while Emily is vacationing in L.A. with her mom and best friend. Mac knows Emily's her one big shot, but as everyone else in Hollywood knows, acting is a hard gig to play, and Mac takes you on quite a ride as she wows the directors with Emily! It's hard to imagine that these girls are only twelve and doing what they're doing! But in today's world, things move fast and everyone starts young. Zoey Dean has captured it to a T, and Talent will capture you.

Book Review: Night Road

Night Road by A. M. Jenkins
Reviewed by Alexa

Night Road is a unique take on civilized vampires. Cole, the main character, is a nomadic vampire who is called to New York by his old friend Johnny. Johnny needs a favor and Cole is the best guy for the job. Unfortunately for Cole, the favor turns out to be an out-of-control newborn vampire named Gordon. Johnny knows Cole can give Gordon the best vampire education around. Reluctantly, Cole agrees, and he, Gordon, and Sandor, the newborn's creator, set out to begin training. Author A. M. Jenkins writes from a clean, determined, and fresh perspective. Night Road is an interesting and insightful novel that is a gift to all of us vampire fiction junkies!

Book Review: Gone

Gone by Michael Grant
Review by Meg

Click on the cover to see which libraries own this book.

SUMMARY: It is just a normal day at school. That is, until everyone over the age of 14 mysteriously disappears. All of the sudden, dozens of children are left without families, without supervision, and with new, inexplicable powers that they can't quite control. Chaos ensues as everyone tries to come to terms with their sudden ability to start fires, or suspend gravity, or move from one place to another in the blink of an eye. The arrival of new children from a school for ill-behaved rich kids throws everything further into insanity, as does the strange barrier that has appeared around town, keeping them from knowing what is happening on the outside. And of course, the threat of their 14th birthday looms over everyone's heads...

OPINION: While the plot is intriguing and will keep you hooked until the last page, this book did have some problems. The one thing that kept distracting me was that the 13-year-olds act more like adults than the children they are. The budding romances seem far too adult for a group of kids, as does the sheer evil nature of some of the antogonists. Are eigth-graders really capable of blackmaing adults or attempting virtual genocide? Additionally, there is an inexplicable "dark force" that is neither properly explained nor entirely logical, once the explanation for the state of the world is given. Overall, this book is a good read, but could have used some additional answers to make it truly excellent.

Book Review: The Loser's Guide to Live and Love

The Loser's Guide to Life and Love by A. E. Cannon
Review by Koumudi

Overall this book was okay, not the best and not the worst. The plot was one large cliche, and cheesy doesn't even begin to describe the ending. Yet, the characters were dynamic and the writing was good. In fact, sporadic portions of the book were pretty funny. This is definitely a feel good book. It's an excellent choice for a light read, but it is not something that I would pursue over and over.

Teen Summer Reading Club

If you haven't turned in a slip for teen summer reading yet, why not?! It's easier than ever, with no registration and no requirement to read library materials. That's right...read whatever you've got already and still get credit! Win a prize every time you read five books, enter to win weekly prizes, and automatically get invited to our end-of-summer prize party! You can't lose!!

Visit the teen summer reading display in the

children's room to pick up your materials!

Big Bad Bug Report

Yesterday, 24 people came out to our teen summer reading kick-off event, Big Bad Bug Movies! Our screening of the 1954 cult horror classic Them! went really well. You can't beat giant mutated killer ants for hilarity. But when we got to Men in Black, the library's copy of the DVD was in terrible shape and wouldn't play. Luckily, Beth ran downstairs and got another movie. But it wasn't what we had planned! We will definitely show MIB another time. Anyway, we had air conditioning, food, and prizes, so it wasn't all bad. And everyone was very patient, so thanks for that!

Book Review: The Otherworldlies

The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler

Review by Meg

Fern has never been a normal kid. She's got colorless eyes, burns in the slightest bit of sunlight, has awful stomachaches for no real reason, and can get her dog to do anything (even climb a tree). But when she closes her eyes in English class and opens them on the beach, it becomes apparent that there's more to her than meets the eye. As it turns out, she's an Otherworldly--or, to use the more common term--a vampire. And not just any vampire, either. She's one of eleven extremely powerful vampires with abilities previously unheard of in vampire kind. This has made her a target for the singlemost feared vampire in the world, Vlad, aka Dracula. This was a good book with an intriguing plot, but it had its share of problems. First, the constant use of vampire slang occasionally made coversations difficult to follow. Also, there were points at which the plot seemed to drag on and on without ever really going anywhere. The ending also seemed rather abrupt, although that could be easily fixed by a sequel. On the whole, though, the plot's twists and turns kept me intrigued even through the slower bits. A solid book overall, especially from a fairly new author.

New New New

Yup, the books keep coming in! We have been getting a lot of extra copies of the summer reading books for UD schools, as well as new teen fic and nonfic:

FICTION

• Cherry Heaven by L. J. Adlington
• The Diary of Pelly D by L. J. Adlington
• I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
• Airman by Eoin Colfer
• Night Road by A. M. Jenkins
• Cheater: A Novel by Michael Laser
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
• At the Sign of the Star by Katherine Sturtevant
• The Last of the High Kings by Kate Thompson
• Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
• The Empty Kingdom by Elizabeth E. Wein (Mark of Solomon series)

NONFICTION

• Race: A History Beyond Black and White by Marc Aronson

Book Review: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
This book will be published on July 8, 2008.

SUMMARY: Emily Black's parents blew out of their rural hometown in 1974 on a motorcycle with no thoughts of coming back. But when her mother hit the road to follow the exploding music scene, Emily's father was left to raise an infant alone. And the only place he knew how to do it was in his hometown of Carlisle, Wisconsin. It wasn't exactly the punk rock lifestyle he had intended, but he still raised Emily differently than her peers. And it showed. At first directionless and chafing against small town gossip, Emily channels her passion for music and longing for her mother into a punk band named She Laughs. If anything will bring Louisa back into Emily's life, it will be the music. With moderate local success, the band moves to Chicago hoping to hit it big. Instead, they hit personal and professional roadblocks that almost derail their dreams. Abusive relationships, drugs, poor management, alcohol, and other bad decisions bring She Laughs to the breaking point. This is a story about living hard core and living to tell about it.

OPINION: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone is a saga of pain, loss, and music. It spans decades, telling the stories of both Emily and her mother as they each seek out a solution to their personal pain. At times, this book read like a punk chronology rather than a narrative, but the strong central characters always emerged to take back their story. The characters are flawed in such realistic ways that I cared about their struggles through problems with no easy answers. While I found many parts of this book moving, what drew me in most was the complex relationship between Emily and her father. It is rare to see such a devoted father in a teen book, especially one as alternative as Michael. He is more of a peer to Emily in some ways, yet cares for her throught challenging times as only a parent can. And I loved him for it.

MUSIC NOTE: Joey Ramone lent his name to the title, via a Sleater-Kinney quote, but the Ramones are not a real presence in this novel. It's a nice tribute to a very recognizable punk band, but doesn't contribute to the plot other than as a metaphore. Nevertheless, this book will make you want to go make a kick@$$ playlist of acts like The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Social Distortion, and Patti Smith. Or check out Stephanie's playlist on the book's MySpace page.

PERSONAL NOTE: As I was reading this book, the 90s cultural references really rang true to me. And then I realized that I am about the same age as Emily Black. That was strange...my youth as historical fiction!! Of course, I was more neo-hippie than punk back then. But I wasn't totally out of touch!

Nintendo Night

Last night, 28 teens came out for our quarterly Nintendo Night. It was crazy, so I was really glad that Beth and I were there together!!

We did two new things at this event. First, we switched our big-screen tournament from Super Smash Bros. Melee to Brawl, and we did a team battle. We randomly assigned pairs for the battle, and, as luck would have it, David and Maher were teamed up. Everyone fought valiantly, especially Martha and Mike P. in the final battle, but David and Maher were victorious. They each got a $15 gift card to GameStop. All four of the top finishers also got candy.

The other new thing we did was replace the Pokemon DS tournament with a Mario Kart DS tournament. 16 people entered the DS tournament this time, so I think the change was helpful. Connor S. beat Mike P. in the final to win a $10 GameStop gift card. The top four finishers, which included Mike R. and David, also got candy.

As usual, my old NES was popular. Everyone tried the Mario games, but for some reason people always end up playing Jeopardy. Go figure!

We will do this again in the fall, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, join our Monday afternoon Gaming Club. Summer membership is open until June 16.

Book Review: Gem X

Gem X by Nicky Singer

SUMMARY: 16-year-old Maxo is accustomed to perfection. He is a GemX genotype--preposterously intelligent and physically exquisite. He and his parents have an ultracomfortable apartment in the Polis, where only flawless, enhanced humans are allowed to live. But something goes very wrong. A small but noticable indentation appears on Maxo's perfect face. He knows he must find a cure immediately. As his search takes him into the violent and ugly world of the Dreggies--unenhanced humans who are not allowed to live in the Polis--he meets Gala and Stretch. Although he should be repulsed, Maxo is powerfully drawn to Gala. On a quest of their own, the siblings believe Maxo could be useful. What none of the teens understand is that they are pawns in a much bigger game--one that could have dire consequences for them all.

OPINION: This story follows a typical dystopian structure. On one side, enhanced humans with beauty, brains, and power. On the other, oppressed average humans who struggle for their day-to-day existence. While this story had some potentially interesting elements, such as its exploration of genetic enhancement and parent-child relationships, it ultimately failed to capture my attention. Singer's imagining of the future was fairly uninspired and involved a lot of capital letters. Better examples of this genre include The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick and the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld.

Brawl Battle Results

For the past eight Saturdays, David has been running a Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament at the library for his senior project. It was a lot of gaming, but yesterday the winners were announced! Maher came in first with a KO to KO'd ratio of 2.138, and won a $50 GameStop gift card. So, he is officially our Ultimate Brawl Battler! Connor and Mike virtually tied, with ratios of 1.570 and 1.569 respectively. But, Connor was officially second and got a $25 gift card, while Mike had to settle for third with a $10 gift card. Other people with great KO to KO'd ratios included Rachel (1.472), John (1.302), and Evan (1.299). Thanks to everyone who stuck with it and attended throughout April and May, including Kevin, Tyler, Martha, Avis, Katie, Mohammed, Andrew, and Sarah. See you all at Gaming Club this summer!