Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - book review by Carlyn

credit to amazon.com

Eleanor and Park is a coming-of-age story set in the late 80s. The teenagers meet on the bus on Eleanor’s first day of school. She is the weirdest girl that Park has ever seen, and the other kids aren’t kind to her. Park lets her sit with him begrudgingly and over time they form a relationship.

Eleanor and Park come from different backgrounds but share a love of comics, music and science fiction. Park is half Korean American and lives with a loving family while Eleanor is the eldest in a large and poor family.    

The couple overcome many obstacles to be together. Eleanor is bullied at school for dressing weird, being overweight and poor. While Park struggles with being a minority, fitting in at school and his relationship with his dad.

I had read so many reviews about this book when it first debuted. It’s a book that I had wanted to read for a long time. I was interested in the book because I learnt that the protagonists were different to the norm. Eleanor is plus sized, and I hadn’t heard of many books that had a plus sized heroine. In addition, Park is half Korean and half Caucasian. The book chapters also alternate point of view between Park and Eleanor.

I’m Asian and plus sized so I was very interested in reading this book. I could empathize with the characters. I grew up in a very white neighborhood and there were very few Asian people represented in the media at the time. I wish there were books like this one to read when I was younger.  I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Young Adult fiction.

Mary Poppin by P.L Travers review by Carlyn

source

 I have a terrible habit of starting books and not finishing them. I decided that since I had a lot more time due to the Corona Virus, that I would finish Mary Poppins by P.L Travers. It is a book that I started reading in 2018. I found it in an old box when I was doing some cleaning.

Mary Poppins by P.L Travers is a book about a magical and mysterious nanny named Mary Poppins. She is looks after Michael, Jane, John and Barbara Banks who live on 17 Cherry Tree Lane, London. Mary Poppins takes the children on adventures like going on a trip around the world using a magical compass, having tea parties on the ceiling and meeting talking animals. All the adventures are episodic and leaves you wanting more. My favourite chapters were the one about a cow who couldn’t stop dancing and John and Barbara who are babies talking to a crow.

I think one of the intriguing things about Mary Poppins is her mysterious character. She never explains the weird stuff that happens and even denies that it happened at all. The children are left not knowing what to think.

I also watched the movie for the first time and I thought it was magical. I can see why it’s a family favourite for many people. There are many more Mary Poppins books but I’m not going to go out of my way to read them. If I find one at a secondhand bookshop, I’ll give it a go.  I think this book is great for children, it would be easy for children to read by themselves or have an adult read to them.

Pride and Prejudice: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith- Review by Carlyn

source

Pride and Prejudice: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith is the sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. The book is a parody of Pride and Prejudice with zombies added for fun.

The sequel picks up where the last novel ended. Elizabeth and Darcy are newly married and adjusting to living with each other. Elizabeth is discontent with being a gentleman’s wife and discarding her warrior duties for the sake of decorum. When Elizabeth and Darcy go on a leisurely stroll to discuss matters, Darcy is bitten by a zombie. Elizabeth turns to an unlikely source to help her find a cure for Darcy. She must set aside her morals to help the man she loves.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s a lot of fun. You have to embrace the ridiculous premise to enjoy it. What makes the novel entertaining is the humor. I don’t think there’s any laugh out loud moments but there’s plenty of ridiculous characters and situations that make the story entertaining. There’s always a surprise zombie attack that makes all the villagers run for their lives and the Bennet girls spring into action.

I liked how all the Bennet girls are skilled warriors. It was kinda like they were superheroes because they had to hide their fighting prowess as it would be considered unladylike for that time. While the villagers run off screaming from a zombie horde, the Bennet sisters race into action. There’s also ninjas in the story which add to the fun.

I thought the side plots with Mary and Kitty were more interesting than the main story that featured Elizabeth. It was interesting for them to go on their own adventures and love stories. I would love to read more stories where they are the main characters.

There’s a never a dull moment in this book. The blood and gore isn’t too graphic. I don’t enjoy horror unless it’s horror comedy so I found this book just right. There is a prequel to this book called Pride and Prejudice: Dawn of the Dreadful by Steve Hockensmith which will probably be more action packed as it will show the beginning of the undead plague.  

Beloved by Toni Morrison

source

Beloved is a story about an African American former slave named Sethe who is haunted the ghost of her infant daughter Beloved. While escaping from her master, Sethe murdered her daughter Beloved so that she wouldn’t have to live the life as a slave. Sethe is shunned by her community and lives her other daughter Denver. The two live an isolated existence with the poltergeist until an old acquaintance called Paul D. arrives.

The book was inspired by a former slave named Margaret Garner who killed her daughter, so she wouldn’t endure a life of slavery. It is an interesting and sad case as it was debated whether she would be trialed as a person or property.

I thought it was interesting how the characters embraced Beloved and the different relationships that they had with her. Denver has a confidant and doesn’t feel so lonely anymore and Sethe feels like she can make up for what she did to Beloved. Paul D. doesn’t trust her at all.

I sympathized with Sethe. What she did to Beloved was terrible, but I understand that she was in an awful situation and wanted to protect her children in her own way. Maybe I would feel differently if she were a real person. The true tragedy of the book was slavery and the trauma that survivors felt and having to adjust to the world. It was hard reading the cruelty that happened to the characters in the book and the racism of that time period.

This book is not something I would normally read. I had to read it for a college course that I was taking in Gothic Literature. I found this book a little hard to read at first because of the way it is written. I didn’t understand some of the metaphors and the dialogue at times. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

source

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa is a story about a white cat named Nana and his life with his owner Satoru Miyawaki. The story is told from the cat’s point of view. Nana starts life as a stray but is befriended by Satoru. They live happily together until something happens to Satoru. He cannot look after the cat anymore and tries to find a new home for Nana. The pair go on a road trip to meet Satoru’s old friends who might be able to care for him.

I’m a cat lover and I have a cat. I was thrilled to learn about this book. I haven’t read many books where the main character is an animal. I thought that Arikawa did a great job in making a cat’s personality. Nana was aloof yet loving in his own way, which is what cats are like normally. I was also interested in the book from a writer’s perspective. I think that it would be difficult to write from an animal’s perspective. Animals don’t talk, and a lot has to be conveyed by internal thought and their movement.

The story is deceptively simple. The friends that Satoru visits reveal different parts of his life, from childhood, adolescence and adult life. The stories reveal Satoru’s kind and gentle nature and his love for his family, friends and cat.

I really enjoyed this book. I almost shed a tear at the end. The book has been made into a film! 

Please Write Back! : More Letters from Henry and Voula by Maureen Stewart

Please Write Back! More Letters from Henry and Voula by Maureen Stewart is the sequel to Henry and Voula. The story about two teenagers in the late 80s writing love notes to each other. I wrote a review of the first book here.

This book continues from where the first book left off. Henry and Voula are reunited after the school holidays and continue their romance. Voula is not allowed to date so they meet in secret in the library and computer room and pass notes to each other in class. The love affair is very innocent with a few kisses and handholding.

Voula is bolder in the story, initiating more in their relationship. She becomes resentful of her parents for forbidding her from socialising with boys. But she doesn’t openly rebel against them. Henry is still the lovesick fool who gets blotches whenever he’s apart from Voula. It’s interesting reading about a boy being that infatuated with a girl.

The first book and the sequel are quick reads and it seems like the author could have kept it all as one book. It was a cute story that makes me nostalgic for young love. It reminds me of high school about having crushes, getting your friends to play messenger and having fantasies about walking that person to class or going out with them. 

I just learnt that there is a third book too, Henry Goes Green. As these books are no longer in print, it'll be hard for me to find this one. 

The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald

source

The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald is a fictionalised story of German philosopher Friedrich von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801) and his short-lived love affair with Sophie von Kuhn (1782–1797). The two met when Hardenberg visited her house to meet her father. Hardenberg was learning to be a salt mine manager when he met Sophie who was twelve years old at the time. She was an unusual choice for him considering how most thought she was average in looks, personality and intelligence. Hardenberg was also an aspiring poet and philosopher at the time, thought she had a special quality about her.

The pairing was considered unusual at the time but not wrong. He was twenty-two years old at the time, but his intentions were honourable. The pair got engaged when she was thirteen and they were to be married when she turned fifteen. I felt sorry for Sophie. In the book, she seemed very passive. I think as she grew older, she developed some affection for him but only because she grew up with him.

I think Hardenberg and Sophie would not have been happy together if they did get married. In the book, all he did was say romantic and philosophical things and Sophie never understood them. She was more interested in playing with her dogs, snow and playing with her siblings, typical interests for any child. I think she had a lot more growing up to do and didn’t comprehend the responsibilities that marriage would entail.

Besides the romance, the book also describes Hardenberg’s family and friends. I felt that all the characters were very fleshed out. I liked reading about Hardenberg’s family, particularly his siblings. I felt sorry to learn what happened to them in later life.

I thought Fitzgerald captured every day life in the 18^th century authentically. I liked descriptions of the relationships between men and women.  There were times when I didn’t like the dialogue, I thought it was too philosophical and not what people would say.  

The Blue Flower is not something I would normally read. Jon Bear and I put it on our booklist when we first started the blog. We wanted to do a book challenge and read things we had never read before. I don’t know who picked this book. I think we chose eleven books each. I chose a selection of books off the bestseller lists and some from my own collection.

I enjoyed reading The Blue Flower. I like historical books. I thought Fitzgerald’s writing was so good that if I hadn’t known, I would have thought that the book was written in that time instead of being published in 1995.

Henry and Voula: An Offbeat Love Story by Maureen Stewart

Henry and Voula by Maureen Stewart is the story of two lovesick teenagers. Fourteen-year-old Henry has a huge crush on Greek girl Voula, so he sneaks a letter into her art portfolio asking for her help in a project about Greek culture. The two start a letter exchange which leads to love.

The two characters are adorable, and I believed in their love story. Henry is melodramatic, neurotic and deeply infatuated with Voula. He’s lovesick on her, getting hives every time at the slightest inkling of disapproval or set back from Voula. Voula is the most sensible of the pair. She’s delighted but cautious about the relationship. Her parents don’t want her to date and they wouldn’t approve of Henry because he’s not Greek.

I have a thing for YA books from the 80-90s and I bought this book from a Lifeline store for a dollar. There’s short message written at the front, it was a Christmas present for a girl named Barbara in 1993.   I thought this book was very cute and reminded me of high school. The love story is very innocent, puppy love stuff. They pass notes to each other and meet in the library. They don’t even kiss or hold hands.

I could relate to Voula and the gender inequality that she faced in the story. She is not allowed to date because she’s a girl. However, her brother is allowed to date because he’s boy. Voula is forbidden from socialising with boys and her family call to check where she is at all times. They are worried that if she socialises with boys, she’ll disgrace the family by getting pregnant or a bad reputation. My parents were also worried about me socialising with boys when I was growing up, but I wasn’t forbidden from dating anyone. I didn’t date anyone in high school, so it wasn’t an issue.

The book is rather short but there is a sequel which finishes the story off. One could finish the book in a few minutes.  I’ve read the sequel too. It seems like the story was just cut in half. The book is no longer in print but look for it online, in the library or in a thrift shop.

Dawn and the Surfer Ghost by Ann Martin

source

The Babysitters’ Club was a book series for teen girls, written in late 80s and finishing in early 2000s. There are more than a hundred books in the series as well as spin off series. I loved reading the Babysitters’ Club books when I was younger and have been collecting them for a while now. I have about eighty books so far. I look for the books when I go to thrift stores and markets. They now reprinted the first four books, so some are available in department stores, but I like the old ones. I haven’t read all the books yet in the series.

Dawn and the Surfer Ghost is a book no.12 in the mystery series spinoff. The books are standalone and feature one of the babysitters’ trying to solve a mystery. The mysteries are lightweight stuff like Scooby Doo mysteries as it is a book series for kids.

There are seven babysitters in the series and the books focus on one of their viewpoints per book. This one is on Dawn Schafer, the environmental, vegetarian peace-loving babysitter. (There’s a different babysitter for every taste). Dawn has moved away from Connecticut where the other babysitters are, to live with her dad and her brother Jeff in California.

She attends surf lessons with her friend Sunny and participates as a volunteer for children’s program at the beach. A big surfing competition comes up and Dawn enters it in the beginner’s category.  One day, the best surfer on the beach goes missing. Some people think he’s dead others think he’s skipped town. Dawn is on the case to find the missing surfer.

This mystery wasn’t as good as the other ones I have read in the series. I feel that she didn’t really do any sleuthing at all. There were hardly any clues, no following leads or false accusations, no mysterious calls telling her to quit investigating like the other mysteries. It all came together in the end when she got a hunch.

What I enjoyed the most was the nostalgia from reading it. It is why I read the books.  The book was printed in 1993. It was amusing how Dawn explains what a smoothie is and there’s lots of cringeworthy surfer lingo. I can picture this book as something from one of those made for tv movies when the characters go on vacation. I think my thirteen-year-old self would have liked this book and not noticed any of the shortcomings. 

Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman- Review By Carlyn

Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman is a novel set in a world where superheroes and supervillains are real. The chapters alternate between Doctor Impossible, a supervillain who wants to rule the world and a new hero called Fatale who joins a team of superheroes to stop him.  Jon Bear has also written a review of this book and you can find more of the synopsis on his review.

Jon Bear asked for the perspective of a female on the strong female leads in his review. In answer to his question, I liked how complex and strong the female characters were in the story. I liked how they didn’t just exist in relation to the male characters and didn’t need rescuing all the time. I particularly liked Fatale because she still trying to find her place in the world after turning into a cyborg and trying to fit in with an established group.

I liked the exploration into the everyday lives of superheroes, the origin stories and growing older and going into retirement. There’s a variety of super powers explored in this book, from magic, science experiment gone wrong and alien technology. The characters all relate their stories about how they saved the world from alien invasion and ancient forces, how they time travelled, went to different planets and parallel dimensions. It’s a bit funny how they mention it as if it’s an ordinary thing to do.

While reading the book, I concluded that it would be awful living in a world populated by people with special powers. The citizens in this book must deal with the constant threat of world annihilation or domination and suffer through the super battles that go on in their cities. This topic is explored in some of the current superhero movies.

I thought this book was funny and entertaining. I think this book has a kind of Mystery Men vibe to it. It’s a little quirky and has enough action, comedy and heart in it. I think it’s appropriate for all ages and for anyone who likes superheroes.  

You by Caroline Kepnes

source

Joe Goldberg is a hopeless romantic. He meets Guinevere Beck (Beck to her friends), an aspiring writer in the bookstore where he works. They have a flirty conversation and he’s instantly smitten. Joe becomes obsessed with her, stalking her until he feels ready to introduce himself as Beck’s ideal match. Beck has many admirers and Joe eliminates them with no qualms. After growing up with little affection, he craves love and Beck is the girl for him.

One of my guilty pleasures is made for tv movies about obsession. When I heard this book was told from the perspective of the stalker, I had to read this book. I liked Joe and I pitied him. He just wants to be loved but he does terrible things to be loved. I admire his devotion and drive to win over Beck. However, if he were real and I was Beck, I would be terrified of him. Joe has no shame and thinks all his actions are for the greater good. He has a contempt for everyone except Beck.

Beck is not the average girl next door. She seems innocent but she’s actually a seductress who loves to string people along. Beck is a writer who tells half-truths to Joe about her life and her relationship but Joe already know the truth because he stalks her. He’s aware of her flaws and dismisses them preferring to see her as a victim who is being held down by those around her. Joe is her white knight and she’s his princess. He thinks that his life will be better if only they are together.

The book has a lot of sex but I don’t think it’s gratuitous. Joe craves love and intimacy and Beck is a bit of nympho. I found the sex scenes to be depraved rather than titillating. Joe thinks about sex a lot and gets easily aroused.

 I knew that it wasn’t going to end well. I was anticipating the fallout as I read the book. It’s a little sad and horrible but I was expecting it. There’s a sequel to You called Hidden Bodies, where Joe starts his obsession with love all over again.

Isla and the Happily Ever After

source

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins is the last book in the Anna and the French Kiss Trilogy.  The books focuses on three girls who attend the School of America in Paris. This one is about Isla, a quiet girl in her final year of high school. She has a three year long crush on Josh Wasserstein, a boy in her class who she thinks doesn’t know she exists. A chance encounter with Josh leads to love.  As the pair start to know get to know each other problems arises. Josh is the son of a senator and must play the role of the perfect son in public. He knows what he wants in life and Isla doesn’t. Isla is plagued by doubts about their relationship and feels that she is not good enough for him. She wonders whether he loves her for her or he wants her because she’s there.

The book is set in Paris and New York, two gorgeous settings which adds to the romance. I think it’s makes for great escapism and perfect for holiday reading. I found myself wanting to visit both cities after reading this book and visiting all the places mentioned.

After reading this book, I judge the first book as the best out of the three. The relationship between Isla and Josh was a little too passionate for me. The two fall in love very fast, like Romeo and Juliet fast. The couple do a lot of frantic kissing and making love. They are ready to do anything for the other. I don’t think it’s unrealistic though because teenaged love can be like that. I would have liked for their relationship to be a slow build, starting with friendship and leading to love.  

As a prudish crusty old person, I didn’t think like all the sex that they were having. I didn’t think it was appropriate for the young audience. However, I can also reason that young people have sex and the sex is handled responsibly (they practice safe sex) and delicately in the book. I would recommend this book for older teenagers.

I didn’t relate to Isla at all. In the book, Isla doesn’t know who she is or what she wants to do in college. I didn’t see her problem as an issue at all. She’s rich and can go to any college she wants, she could take a whole bunch of classes to find herself. She doesn’t have to go to college either.

I would have liked to have read more of Isla’s life outside of her relationship with Josh. Isla’s relationships with her friends and family are mentioned in the book but I would have liked more. I liked Isla’s best friend Kurt who has autism and is obsessed with maps. I think he deserve his own book. I also liked Isla’s sisters and her relationship with them.

Despite these flaws, I still think that Perkins is a talented writer who writes beautifully. Her descriptions are gorgeous. I wish I could write like her. This book is entertaining and fun to read. I recommend it for older teenagers. 

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

source

I once read a discussion on secondary characters and how it must feel for them to have all this adventure happening around them or to be the best friend of the chosen one. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness explores this idea. The book follows Mike Mitchell, a high schooler about to graduate high school. He just wants to go to prom and spend the remaining weeks with his friends Henna, Jared and his sister Mel before they all leave to go to different colleges. What gets in the way of all this is the frequent times the world has almost come to an end. In Mike’s world they have had “1. the undead, 2. those soul eating ghosts, 3. the vampire cycle of romance and death” (Ness, 2015 pp. 83-84). Mike is not the chosen one, nor are his friends. Instead, they are just the regular people going about their business and while all the dooms day stuff is happening.

Each chapter begins with a short passage on what the chosen ones are doing. In this book, they are called Indie kids, they all have unusual names and wear unusual clothing. It reminded me of Twilight and other YA books. I liked reading those passages too and I would love it if it were turned into a short story too. I enjoyed all the digs at stereotypes like how there’s a love triangle and where it repeatedly says that the spirit from the other world is the most handsome boy the heroine has ever seen.

While the book spoofed the YA supernatural genre, there were serious issues presented in the book as well. Mike has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder stemming from anxiety and feelings of worthlessness. His dad is a closeted alcoholic and his mother is a politician who wants to pretend she has a perfect family. Mike’s sister Mel also is a recovering anorexic.

 I liked Mike. I admired his protectiveness of his friends and family. He’s just a regular guy but when bad stuff happens he’s ready to help them. I felt sorry about his OCD and his continual habit of washing his hands and counting. It’s terrible to have something control you like that. I didn’t really relate to his feelings of worthlessness though because it was clear that his loved ones cared for him not just put up with him like he thought.

This is a cute book and fun read for those who like Young Adult supernatural fiction. I liked this book so much that I have earmarked pages of the quotes that I like from the book. I found the premise to be hilarious and original.

The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery- Review Carlyn

source

Valancy Stirling has lived for 29 years controlled by her mother and bullied by her extended family. Valancy’s life changes when she is told by her doctor that she only has one year to live. She keeps her condition a secret from her family to avoid their attempts to control her further and starts living her life the way she wants. Valancy’s family think she’s become crazy as she starts to speak her mind and behave in what they think is scandalous.

Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of my favourite authors. She is most known for writing the Anne of Green Gables series. I thought that the Anne series were the only books that she had written. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she had written more books. This book is the first I have read from L. M Montgomery where the main character wasn’t an aspiring author and it’s a book for adults.

I was worried that the Blue Castle would be this depressing book where Valancy doesn’t learn to stand up for herself until the end. Fortunately, it wasn’t the case and the story gets that over with right near the beginning. I find this book highlights the bohemian lifestyle that was emerging in the 1920s which was a change for L.M Montgomery sentiments for the Victorian era. It was interesting to see what was considered scandalous in the 1920s, the era that the book is based. The things that Valancy does wouldn’t be an issue today. She goes to stay with a woman who had a child out of wedlock and marries a wild and reclusive man.

Valancy is a strong female character who challenges stereotypes. She has some idealistic qualities that are featured in most of Montgomery’s heroines but seems more grounded than Anne Shirley or Emily Byrd Starr.  However, she still gets caught up in raptures about the Canadian wilderness just like Anne and Emily. I can see how some readers might find the moments where the characters are made breathless by the sight of the light shining into the meadow or forest tedious. But at least she doesn’t get tears in her eyes from the sight like some of Montgomery’s heroines.

I wish there was a sequel to this book but it ends well. I hope it becomes more popular in time too. I recommend this book for fans of L.M Montgomery.

Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen - Review by Carlyn

source

Bobby and Fran were married for eighteen years and had one son together. Bobby worked as a police officer and Fran worked as a nurse. To outsiders, they were a normal happy couple but behind closed doors Bobby would beat Fran up for the smallest of slights. Fran decides to leave Bobby for the sake of her son and the two go into hiding in Florida.

Fran and Robert start new lives with fake personal records. Fran and Robert become Beth and Robert Crenshaw who hail from Delaware instead of Brooklyn. While in Florida, Fran reflects on her relationship with Bobby and the effect it had on herself and her son.

This is the first book that I have read on my new Kindle. I have decided not to buy books anymore because I want to be clutter free. I actually didn’t know what this book would be about when I first purchased it except that it was on the booklist that Jon and I devised in 2011. I’ve still got about six more to go.

I don’t like sad books but I didn’t think this book was overly depressing.  The book mainly focused on Fran’s life away from Bobby with flashbacks on her relationship with him. I enjoyed reading how Fran started to regain her life and build new relationships with people in Florida. However, there were times when I thought that was just plodding along. I was just waiting for the moment when Bobby would track them down. I knew that Bobby would come and find them. I thought Fran could have done a better job at protecting herself though.

*spoiler*

In the book, Bobby manages to find his family because Robert calls him. Although Robert doesn’t tell him where they are living, Bobby finds out from caller id on his phone. He uses the number to track down where they are. Fran finds out about this but she doesn’t do anything. I understand that she might not have known about caller id however, she was warned about how people can be tracked down from their phone number.

Anyway, I think a few self defense classes or buying a gun would have helped.

I also liked reading about Robert’s conflicting feelings that he had for his father. His father was always good to him and his parents shielded him from the violence. However, he always knew that his mother’s bruises were not from an accident. I liked how Robert hoped his dad would change and that they could all be a family again. I think that was realistic for a kid to feel that way.

I have some understanding of domestic violence even though I have not experienced it myself. I can understand how hard it is for some women to leave their abuser. It can be a variety of reasons but fear, more violence and the threat of death are usually top of the list. This book helped to remind me that you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

Lola and the boy next door by Stephanie Perkins- Review by Carlyn

source

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is sequel to Anna and the French Kiss. You can read my review here. I loved Anna the French Kiss as it’s a coming of age story and a romance set in Paris. This book is set in San Francisco and Anna is a secondary character. The main character is seventeen year old Delores “Lola” Nolan. Lola lives with her two dads and her dog Heavens to Betsey. She aspires to be a fashion designer and wears flamboyant costumes every day. When Lola learns that Cricket Bell, a boy she once loved is moving back into the neighborhood, it changes her life forever.

 I thought this book wasn’t as good as the first book. I was swept away with the first book as it was adventure to read about Anna living in a foreign country, going to a new school and learning to be independent. Lola’s journey is not as epic but there were some good parts. I liked how Lola was an eccentric who loved to dress up. Yet, she worried about whether her costumes truly expressed her personality or if she was hiding behind it.

There is a love triangle in this book between Lola, Cricket Bell and Lola’s boyfriend Max. Speaking of dream boys, I never liked the name Cricket. I wish that it had been his nickname instead. I suppose it does suit the character since he is described as tall and angular but I found it jarring. It was obvious who Lola would end up with but the love story well written. The romance in the book is passionate but nothing too scandalous for its intended audience.  There are lots of cute moments that young girls will dream about.

Another side plot is Lola’s relationship with her birth mother. Lola lives with two of her adoptive dads and her mother comes in and out of her life. Lola’s mother was a homeless junkie that her parents constantly had to rescue on occasion. Lola has an estranged relationship with her mother, resenting her life choices and burden that she puts on her family.  I thought that storyline could have been explored further.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting a light read that is a coming of age story, with romance and set in a vibrant backdrop. You don’t have to have read the first book to understand this one the first novel is briefly covered in this book.  Anna and Etienne from the first book are secondary characters in this one. It was not just a cameo either, they appear throughout the book. The next book in this trilogy is Isla and the Happily Ever After. I’m looking forward to reading that book and finishing off the rest of the series. The third book is from the point of view of Isla a minor character that was in book one.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan- Review by Carlyn

source

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a coming of age novel written by John Green and David Levithan. Both authors are very successful writers in their own right and they have both written many young adult books. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is their first collaboration. This book is unique in that John Green and David Levithan decided to write a novel about two characters that have the same name and the authors chose to each have one Will Grayson. The authors decided to write three chapters each about their Will Grayson and they wrote the rest of the novel together. John Green wrote the first three even numbered chapters and David Levithan wrote three odd numbered chapters after that.

At first, I found it hard to see to distinguish between the two Will Graysons because I didn’t know that the story would be told from both their point of views and that it would be in first person. However, I soon learnt the differences between the characters. I also learnt from doing research in this review, John Green’s Will Grayson’s text is all in lowercase and proper English while David Levithan’s Will Grayson has coarser language.

John Green’s Will Grayson is affluent with two parents who are doctors. He is best friends with Tiny Cooper, a flamboyantly gay teenager who is writing an autobiographical play. Will becomes apathetic after losing some friends for defending Tiny against the homophobic slurs that they said against him.  Will and Tiny’s relationship is strained when Tiny bases a character on Will Grayson in his play and Will starts to suspect that Tiny is self absorbed. Will is also interested in their mutual friend Jane but she has a boyfriend.

David Levithan’s Will Grayson is poorer than the other Will Grayson. He’s gay but hiding it from his friends and family. Will Grayson thinks he’s found love online with a boy named Isaac but Isaac isn’t what he seems. Levithan’s Will Grayson is also going through depression.

This was my first young adult novel that had a gay main character. I would say that it’s rare to have a gay protagonist. I wasn’t expecting it but it was an interesting to read about a romance between two guys. What I really liked from the book was Tiny’s musical at the end. Levithan even published the whole script, it’s called Hold Me Closer: the Tiny Cooper Story. It sounds like it would be a fun musical to watch and I would love to hear all the songs.

I didn’t really like the Will Graysons or Tiny Cooper to be honest. It was the relationships between the Will Graysons and Tiny Cooper that I found jarring. Firstly, John Green’s Will Grayson and Tiny Cooper have been friends since primary school. However, it seemed that Tiny took his friend for granted and he has a tendency to be self-centred. This is sort of addressed in the book. Will Grayson also learns that he’s a bore to be around when he’s apathetic about life. I don’t think it gets resolved though but they do remain close friends at the end. The other Will Grayson and Tiny get involved in a clingy relationship which I found nauseating.  Although, I do know that it is normal for young people to fall hard each other especially when it’s your first romance as it was with Will Grayson.

I didn’t like this book but I’m still interested in reading it again someday. I want to know whether my feelings will change after a re-read. Two of John Green’s books Paper Towns and The Fault in their Stars have been turned into movies .I would be interested to watch Will Grayson, Will Grayson if it ever gets adapted into film.

Blatantly Bogus by Paul Stafford- Review by Carlyn

source

Blantantly Bogus by Paul Stafford is part of a collection of short stories for children. There are six books in total. This is book number one.

There are seven stories to each book. The stories in this book include:

The Electric Undies- Will makes undies that will make him smarter so that he can cheat on a test.

The Funnel Web Run- Barney loves torturing spiders until they get their revenge on him.

The Big Dinner- A big dinner party goes wrong when the suckling pig is misplaced.

The Miraculous Muscle Machine- A scrawny boy gets a muscle machine.

Brainiac- An arrogant prodigy bets he can make the best science project.

Flee Fly- A kid who is mean to flies.

The Discount Christmas Company- A bum is hired to play Santa.

The stories usually have some kind of twist and some of the protagonists are horrible people who get their comeuppance at the end.

My sixth grade teacher read the whole series to the class. I really enjoyed it especially for the twists which I didn’t see coming as a kid. The books are no longer in print. I forgot all about the series until I found a copy at the newsagent some years ago. It was buried underneath some old magazines and other paperbacks. There wasn’t even a price on it so they decided that it would cost a dollar.

I bought the book to see if I would still enjoy the series as an adult and so that I could read it to a class one day. After reading the stories, I discovered that I still think it is an entertaining read.  It wasn’t as exciting as hearing the stories the first time around though. I knew everything that would happen in the stories.

The series is aimed at middle school kids and I think they would enjoy it. The stories are funny and all the stories are about kids. Some of the language is bawdy and I realized that my teacher must have censored some of it when reading aloud. I would be comfortable giving it to a young family friend but I wouldn’t give it to a student.  

I hope to collect all the books again but I won’t be gung ho about it. I’ll just rummage around for it whenever I’m at a thrift shop rather than buy it from Amazon. I won’t be sad if I never manage to get the complete collection.

The Last Battle by C.S Lewis- Review by Carlyn

source

The Last Battle is the final book in the Narnia series. The Narnia Chronicles consist of eight book, the most well known book being The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. The books have been serialized on tv and radio and most recently in three movies. The series is an allegorical tale of Christianity and takes place in a medieval fairytale land of Narnia where witches and talking animals exist. The creator of Narnia is Aslan, a Christ like figure in the guise of a lion.  He takes children from our world to Narnia where they help the Narnians in hard times and they return back to the modern world after the adventure is over. The main characters in the books are the Pevensie children, who are Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, along with their cousin Eustace Scrubb and his friend Jill Poll.

 In this book, most of the heroes from the other seven books return to Narnia for one final battle. The trouble begins when a clever talking ape convinces a dim witted donkey to pretend to be Aslan. He soon tricks the Narnians into doing his bidding in the name of Aslan and invites the neighboring country of  Calormen to invade Narnia.  When Jill and Eustace arrive to save the Narnians some don’t believe that they are worshipping a fake Aslan, others are too afraid to defy him and some won’t listen to anyone. All seems lost until the real Aslan shows up and that’s when the adventure really begins.

I’ve been reading the Chronicles of Narnia since I was a child but it was only this year that I finished the whole series. It’s been my goal to finish things off so I’ve been going back to old book series that I should have completed long ago. I had started reading The Last Battle some years before but I never got past the first few chapters. The idea of an ape tricking people about Aslan was so blasphemous that I couldn’t read any further. Aslan is one of my favourite characters in the series so I didn’t like him being disrespected like that. I also have an aversion to sad things that I don’t even like watching movies that I know will have something depressing or sad in them.

Fortunately, I decided to eat some concrete (not really) and harden up so I was able to read the final book.  I found the book to be depressing until Aslan shows up. The only solace in the first part was there was a unicorn!!! And he even talks. I found the finale to be a satisfying end to the series. It was a little sad too but most endings tend to be bittersweet. I liked how all the main characters save for one from the seven books were all back in this book and there’s an even bigger reunion towards the end of the book featuring some of the favourite minor characters.

The best part of the book was when Aslan appeared and put everything right. I don’t want to spoil it for other readers so I’ll leave at that.

I do have some criticisms about the book series in general though. I felt a little uncomfortable about the depiction of the Calormenes which I thought was mildly racist. They are described as having dark skin and long beards, wearing turbans and pointed shoes. Most of the Calormenes are villainous and greedy people who are unreasonable to their detriment. The land of Calormen is like something out of Arabian Nights featuring ornate palaces with thousands of slaves, robes and veils. Whereas, all the heroes in the book are Caucasian, who are beardless and where tunics and the women where long flowing dresses and the men carry broadswords.  The Narnians are mainly noble and heroic, always treating villains with courtesy.

What I have kept in mind though is that the book series is an allegory of Christianity. The crusades were all about getting the holy land back from the Saracens. Another point I did consider was the books were written in the 1950s and that wasn’t a culturally sensitive time. I think C.S Lewis didn’t consider or realize how others may feel about his depiction of the Calomenes.

Despite that contention, I think The Chronicles of Narnia is an excellent book series that people should read, especially children. It is an imaginative series which transports ordinary children from our world into the magical world of Narnia where the battle between good and evil is real. The children come out of it braver and smarter from their experience in Narnia. There’s all sort s of magical creatures in the book which will delight children, such as fauns, centaurs, dragons and fairies as well as array of talking animals.