The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes

The Skinny:  In a unique retelling of the Phantom of the Opera story, The Jumbee mixes the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean with Shakespeare to create a romantic, suspenseful, and fantastical tale.  Nevertheless, in thrusting so many characters and plot themes at the reader, this debut novel from Keyes could have used tighter editing.  Whenever I review a book I try to think of which group of teens I might recommend it to; with The Jumbee I struggle to think of a person into whose hands I might place it.  Romance readers might not be particularly satisfied with the ending; paranormal readers might not be satisfied with the vaguely and ill-defined supernatural elements plaguing this novel; and for those who do not read typically read either genre, I do not think this would be a good introduction.

globe by Patrick Q

Setting: Cariba Island and Manchineel Cay, Current Day

From the time of her arrival to the (fictional?) island of Cariba, Esti Legard’s experience is punctuated by new sights, smells, music, and voices.  While the setting clearly takes place in an island country with an articulated history of slavery, of racial and ethnic diversity, and with cultural and religious specificity, the island is not so detailed as to tie it to any one location.  The nearby Manchineel Cay, a presumably treacherous island inhabited by dangerous supernatural beings, almost becomes a character in its own right; the warning signs posted along its shores and stories told by Cariba locals cast the island as a place that is not only home to evil beings but also as a force of nature that takes vengeance on those who encroach on her boundaries.

Tri Sandwich Faces by G. Russell

Characters:

Esti (Serene Terra) Legard, the main character of The Jumbee, is presented as a complex character who, throughout the novel, struggles with the death of her father and the legacy he left behind.  Esti’s father, an internationally-known Shakespearean actor, died only months before she and her mother relocate from Oregon to Cariba and, as an actress herself, Esti both misses her father desperately for the guidance he once provided her and struggles to step out from behind his spotlight.  While Esti appears a very strong character, she feels she must continually strive to maintain an appearance of control and she believably wavers between her trust in Alan, her questioning of his motives, and in her feelings toward her long-time friend/potential boyfriend Rafe.  Nevertheless, Esti is not always well-defined; her motives are not always clear; and, ultimately, her character development wavers and is uneven.

Throughout most of the novel, Alan’s only presence comes through his voice and its effect on Esti, as well as events that transpire for which Alan is ultimately blamed.  While Esti credits Alan with giving her the confidence to act again and for imbuing her performance with a power she felt lacking since the death of her father, the death, illness, expulsion and accidents that seem to happen within the theater (and its community) and under Alan’s control make him a character worthy of suspicion.  Many believe that Alan is a Jumbee, an evil spirit that haunts the theater and the island, and question the relationship Esti seems to have forged with him.  Esti vacillates between believing in Alan’s humanness and questioning his reality.   In addition, Alan’s prior knowledge of Esti and her relationship with her father, as well as his emotional distancing and ultimate manipulation, make him down-right creepy.

Rafe Solomon and Esti were once childhood friends and the Solomon family maintains great influence on the island.  Having not seen each other for several years, Esti and Rafe meet again and almost immediately reconnect as friends.  Rafe, with his rakish good looks and bad-boy image, is well-known on the island as a player and many of the other women warn Esti against getting too close.  At first Esti pushes Rafe away due to her feelings for Alan, but after an altercation with Alan, Esti and Rafe begin tentatively dating.  Rafe, the once cad turned knight-in-shining armor, becomes more mature in a machismo-infused and very sudden way.

mouth by Darwin Bell

Voice:

Keyes’ narrative is limited third person, providing readers with Esti’s perspective.  Readers can palpably sense Esti’s self-doubt, from her lack of confidence in her acting to her struggle in determining whether Alan is a real person, a jumbee, or a figment of her imagination.  Based on the narrative voice, one might think readers could potentially learn more of Esti’s motivations or understand what calls her to take certain actions (or inactions as the case may be); I never felt that Esti was a very engaging or easy-to-follow character.  She demonstrates incredible strength at times, but quickly quashes all self-assurance by allowing herself to be continually manipulated by Alan and his voice.  Up to the very end, Esti acts possessed…but not in a fashion I think the author would have hoped for in this pseudo-supernatural romance.  Blending Shakespearean dialogue with contemporary language and Caribbean dialect, The Jumbee gives readers a glimpse of realms with which they might not otherwise be familiar – including the Caribbean and the world of drama.  Integrating lines from Shakespeare plays and sonnets also provides readers with an opportunity to analyze and understand his difficult language within a contemporary narrative.

Abstract (design) by tanakawho

Style:

Keyes’ combination of Shakespearean dialogue and poetry, contemporary language and Caribbean dialect is unique and the story, despite multiple layers, reads easily.  Nevertheless, at times the Caribbean dialect seems forced and the addition of Caribbean traditions and beliefs often appears flimsy and undeveloped.  Rather than reading as a Caribbean and modern take on Phantom of the Opera, The Jumbee can occasionally feel like the Phantom of the Opera with an “ethnic” veneer.  The characters who could potentially give depth to the traditional beliefs of the Cariba Islanders, such as Lucia and Ma Harris, feel completely cursory and often appear in the narrative, deus ex machina style, to quickly explain why Esti should be fearful of Alan and, again, to explain away Alan’s unique existence.

Interesting Basics – Yellow Triangle by qthomasbower

Story:

More than anything, The Jumbee is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera with a twist of Romeo and Juliet.  Esti moves to the island to begin again, to rediscover herself as an actress, and to escape the long shadow of her father, The Great Legard.  Immediately there are some very strange circumstances that accompany her arrival: the sudden death of a classmate; increased competitiveness amongst her peers; and a voice that seems to speak to only her, advising Esti of how to break away from her father and to fulfill her own dreams.  As the voice, Alan, begins to become more and more a part of her life, Esti withdraws from her mother, her new friends, and from a potential relationship with heartthrob Rafe.  Although the physical aspect of Esti’s relationship with Alan is tenuous (Esti perceives his touch; Alan leaves Esti small tokens), she develops a bond with his voice that keeps her from becoming emotionally involved with other people and this relationship flirts with destructiveness throughout the novel.  Even in the end, when Esti learns the truth of Alan, she is conflicted and relies on him to ultimately make her final choice.  As the school’s preparations for and performances of the play Romeo and Juliet figure prominently within the book, one can also draw parallels between the two stories of star-crossed lovers.

I cannot claim to have a very close or sophisticated knowledge of Phantom of the Opera; I have never read Leroux’s book and saw only one stage production of the musical many years ago.  But based on my reading of a synopsis of the original text on Wikipedia (do not cite this at home, kids), I’m going to step out on a limb and state that I think The Jumbee might be modeled too closely on the original for modern comfort, by which I mean that the very manipulative, stalker-ish feel to the relationship between Alan and Esti just might not read well for contemporary readers.  I think there is a line between creating a creepy narrative (check) and making a story that is not very believable or consistently plotted but is also incredibly creepy in a way I’m not sure was intended (double check).  That Alan might be an evil spirit of a long-dead vicious slave owner isn’t even the most disturbing part of this book.  The relationship he forges with Esti is emotionally and, one might even argue, physically abusive.  And while Esti sort of comes to terms with this and tries to help Alan, I never feel as though either character enacts change and that, if things were different, their relationship could go back to the way it had been with no discussion of how destructive and dangerous it had been or could be again.

two lines two shadows by miuenski

Themes:

Throughout the novel, characters try to live with loss.  Esti and her mother, Aurora, both respond to the death of their father and husband in very different ways.  Esti’s grief is tinged with guilt, feeling as though she distanced herself from her father before his death and was never able to recover the close relationship they once had.  She both misses his presence in her life tremendously and wants to step away from his influence, which leads to more guilt that she ever could or would try to find satisfaction in acting without him.  Aurora is also grieving in ways that, as readers, we do not often see, but helps make obvious her emotional and physical absence from Esti’s life. They might live together, but Aurora suffers her loss most often alone and with wine.  That Romeo and Juliet plays such an important role in the narrative also brings to the forefront a love that is tied up with loss and grief.

Esti also struggles with self-actualization, a theme which structures her character development.  Esti is an actress who has always struggled to live up to the high expectations foisted upon her because of her father’s fame.  She acts not only for herself, but for her father’s memory, which complicates her desire to both take advantage of the lessons her father instilled in her and to create a separate identity.  While Esti believes Alan has helped her come to terms with her father’s death, as well as improve her acting skills, Esti ultimately begins to realize that no one can truly save her (although caring folks in her life are there to support her) and that change can only come from within.

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Annexed by Sharon Dogar

The Skinny:

An insightful, emotionally-intense, and beautifully written work of historical fiction, Annexed tells the story of the Franks, the van Pels and Dr. Pfeffer’s lives in the hiding place and their deportation to Auschwitz from the perspective of Peter van Pels. I would recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction, as well as to any who have read the published diary of Anne Frank, whether teens or adults. Accessible and highly readable, Annexed is a thought-provoking and substantial addition to Holocaust fiction and a wonderful companion to Anne Frank’s diary.

globe by Patrick Q

Setting: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1942 – Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp, Austria, 1945

The setting of Annexed follows Peter van Pels from the time he enters the Annex hiding space to when the van Pels, Franks and Dr. Pfeffer are discovered, from their journey to Auschwitz to Peter’s eventual death in the sick bay at the Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp. Although a reader might not be able to describe the physical dimensions or layout of the hiding place or the concentration camps in which Peter van Pels spends his final days, the setting of Dogar’s novel is so clearly and movingly delineated and becomes almost as central a character as Peter himself. And while the political and social context of the Holocaust is an ever-present force, that which pushes Peter into hiding, which wrenches him from his mother and Anne at the gates of Auschwitz, and which steals from him his life, it manifests in daily routine, in tense disagreement, and in quiet and questioning reflection.

Presented as closed, cramped and airless, the Annex is a setting of both shattering loss and incredible hopefulness. The Annex is almost an in-between state. While Peter clearly feels cut off from the Outside and often dreams of fresh air and of physically interacting with the exterior space, he comes to appreciate a square of sunlight and a brief glimpse of the changing seasons. Constant fear of being discovered and of what has happened to friends and acquaintances resides side-by-side with the blossoming relationship between Peter and Ann and tender moments of humor and faith. Doubt and conviction nestle in close quarters.

The journey to Auschwitz, Peter’s experiences in the concentration camp, his path to Mauthausen and his tragic death are all punctuated by brutal physicality and loss. The setting becomes demarcated by bodies – starving, beaten, wanting, bodies – that struggle and shuffle to their final end, murdered or in self-inflicted release. Time becomes defined by the counting of bodies, the grinding of teeth against empty mouths, the loss of loved ones, the stripping of identity, and the battle to preserve the self.

Tri Sandwich Faces by G. Russell

Characters:

Peter van Pels is both the central character and narrator of Annexed. We first meet Peter at the age of 15 as he tries to decide whether he will go into hiding or attempt to flee. Although he eventually decides to hide with his mother, father and the Frank family, he struggles with his decision from the moment the doors are shut behind him, grieving the loss of what he has left behind: his life, what freedom he can imagine, and Liese (his girlfriend who was recently picked up by the Nazis). Peter, while initially annoyed by Anne, comes to care deeply for her; their disagreements never go away completely and their approaches to life, religion, identity, and expression remain disparate throughout. His life is ultimately changed from having known Anne. Her desire to act as a testament and to give voice to the unconscionable treatment of Jews and of other peoples the Nazis felt were dangerous to their political and social agendas comes to Peter as he attempts to survive the concentration camps by any means necessary.

Anne Frank is known to many through her diaries and the impact her story has had on generations of readers. In Annexed our glimpses of Anne come directly from Peter’s perspective and she changes and develops through his eyes over the course of the novel. Anne begins her life in the hiding place as a young, exuberant, know-it-all kind of girl who does not seem to know when to keep her mouth shut. Through just over two years in the Annex, Anne grows into a remarkable young woman who remains outspoken and steadfastly dedicated to her opinions, but also loving, considerate, and, in many regards, selfless. Like Peter, Anne is also presented as a complex character with considerable strengths and her own set of flaws.

Although there are many other characters who are present in the novel, including Peter’s parents, Mrs. Frank, Margot, and Dr. Pfeffer, the adult who seems to have the most impact on Peter’s development is Anne’s father, Otto Frank. Mr. Frank is presented as a thoughtful, intelligent and giving man who not only tries to protect his family and friends, but also attempts to guide his fellow inmates at the concentration camp, such as translating Nazi orders into as many languages as he knows. Mr. Frank tries to impart on Peter a view that one cannot battle hate with hate, something that Peter struggles with but ultimately carries with him until his last few breaths.

mouth by Darwin Bell

Voice:

As the narrator Peter tells his story in first person, with his experiences in the Annex juxtaposed with italicized passages from his life in the concentration camps until the two narratives combine more closely in Part 2: The Camps. Peter’s voice is thoroughly realistic and easily identifiable as an adolescent male, who grieves the loss of his girlfriend, who struggles expressing his emotions and thoughts (much to the consternation of the ever-loquacious Anne), who flares with a rage he doesn’t know quite what to do with, and who worries that he’ll die before becoming sexually intimate with a girl. Peter exhibits a wisdom that sometimes seems far beyond his years, but remains understandable and believable given the amount of growing up forced upon him by going into hiding and by struggling to survive the camps.

Abstract (design) by tanakawho

Style:

Dogar’s novel is powerful and there was not one moment while reading that I felt a single word was out of place or unnecessary. Passages are both simple and straight-forward and simultaneously loaded and substantial. In addition, there is a quietness to Dogar’s text that comes through the pages, mirroring both the enforced quiet of the Annex and the fearful attempts to remain unnoticed in the camps. It is very often not a comfortable quietness, but one often marked by fear, anger, bewilderment, and hope. I can think of innumerable examples of the overuse of rhetorical questions within narratives and, although Peter continually asks unanswered and unanswerable questions, Annexed does not fall in this trap. Peter asks questions he often knows do not have a clear answer as he tries to make sense of senseless acts, while also prodding readers to consider these same questions: Why? How? Can we really hear him? Are we really listening? And what can we do to prevent this from happening again?

Interesting Basics – Yellow Triangle by qthomasbower

Story:

The story of these eight men, women and children hiding in an unsuspecting neighborhood in Amsterdam, the discovery of their hiding place by the Nazis, their tragic deaths in the concentration camps, and the survival of only Otto Frank is well-known and familiar to many. Anyone who has read the published diaries of Anne Frank or has had a chance to see a stage or film adaptation knows the ultimate outcome. So why read Annexed? How does Dogar make readers want to finish the book when they know what is going to happen?

In part Dogar’s novel provides a moving counterpoint to events that transpired with which we are already familiar. Hearing Peter’s take on the daily lives of those living in the Annex, of his dreams and fears, of his relationship with Anne, provides readers with a view of how the inside appeared from another’s perspective. Peter has such a fighting spirit and is such an appealing and understandable character that I, at one point, had to look through outside resources and flip furiously to the author’s notes to truly confirm to myself that he had really died at Mauthausen. Dogar’s writing here is so strong that I could not believe what I knew to be true and kept hoping against reason that Peter had survived. Annexed also provides readers a glimpse at what might have happened where Anne’s diary ends, what the final days of Peter’s life (and, in some ways, Anne’s life) might have been like. Part 2: The Camps is an incredibly emotional (I am usually not one to cry when reading, but I became teary several times) and powerful ending that can offer readers some sense of peace, but will also incite more questions and, hopefully, spurn readers to take action.

two lines two shadows by miuenski

Themes:

Throughout Annexed many compelling conversations take place between Peter and Mr. Frank, between Peter and Anne, within Peter’s descriptions of the world around him, which bring recurring ideas to the narrative and compel readers to ask questions and draw their own conclusions.

Given the changing relationship between Peter and Anne, the idea of what love means and how one demonstrates care comes up again and again. Peter and Anne are growing up, going through changes, and living within close quarters, so Peter and Anne are frequently trying to figure out how to express their feelings for one another, even after their romantic relationship cools. Peter sees how his parents interact (there is a very touching scene when Mr. van Pels describes the pink silk wrapping his wife wore on their wedding night) in contrast to how Mr. and Mrs. Frank’s relate (at one point Anne questions how they came to be and stay together) and the love between children and their parents is continually revisited (such as Peter longing for his mother’s chicken soup or his father trying to force the weak broth on his son to give him a better chance in the camp).

As Peter tries to make sense of his confinement and of what drives the Nazis’ actions, the connection between fear and hate becomes tangible in action and contended through the conversations of Mr. Frank and Peter or Peter and Anne. Peter, understandably, feels disempowered and as though he should be standing up against the Nazis on the front lines, whereas Anne and Mr. Frank feel that their survival and sharing their story is as much an (if not a more effective) act of resistant than violent confrontation. Peter struggles with his hatred of what the Nazis are doing, while Mr. Frank tries to educate Peter to not hold on to hate. Hating the haters won’t make one feel better or, ultimately, win and Nazis are hateful, in part, because of deeply-held fears of difference.

The ways in which the Nazis erect boundaries between people, establishing those inside and acceptable or outside and dangerous, presents another theme that structures the narrative. For much of Peter’s life within the walls of the Annex, the Outside is both dangerous and potentially freeing. Inside life is safer and offers hope, but it is also stifling and controlled. Those people inside or affiliated with the inside (such as Miep Gies) have proven they are safe and trustworthy; those on the outside could expose their secret or, worse, become complicit in their deportation to the concentration camps. While the eight in the Annex tried to maintain these inside/outside boundaries for their protection, the social and political climate imposed by the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands was ultimately responsible for these divisions that made the difference between survival and certain death.

Finally, throughout his story, Peter’s memories become tools for survival. Although memories are not always positive, Peter relies on his remembrances of past events to sustain his attachment to the outside world while feeling closed off in the Annex. Painful memories, such as Peter watching Liese being taken away by Nazi officers, and pleasant ones, such as running down a particular street at a particular moment in time, seem to provide Peter with a potential for better times and an acknowledgment that, for whatever reason, he has currently been spared the same fate. Once in the concentration camps, memories help fuel Peter – the memory of his mother’s soup, the memory of Anne’s laugh, the memory of Anne fighting for their stories to be told.

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Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

The Skinny:

A fun, easy, quick historical fiction read, Bright Young Things is an opening to a new series by Luxe author Anna Godbersen. I would recommend this title to gals who loved Godbersen’s previous series, to readers of fashion-centric or totally catty chick lit, to readers who dabble in the occasional romance, or to a reluctant reader. While totally enjoyable as a surface read, Bright Young Things is by no means the strongest of Anna Godbersen’s works. Outrageously dramatic, sometimes totally unbelievable, and almost incidentally historical, Bright Young Things isn’t high art, but seriously enjoyable for what it offers.

globe by Patrick Q

Setting: Union, Ohio and New York City, 1929

Godbersen excels in her descriptions of place and time with a lush attention to detail. The physical geography and man-made constructions of early twentieth-century New York act as a backdrop to the action and provide a glimpse for all readers (both those familiar and those unfamiliar with NYC) of the bustling city in its past. Without overwhelming the reader with detail, Godbersen portrays the various locales in which the characters find themselves – from bawdy speakeasies and low-rent basement apartments, to sprawling estates and luxurious hotels. While the focus of Bright Young Things rests firmly on the three main characters, Godbersen includes a few brief glimpses of economic disparities, changing social mores, representations and performances of sexual identity, and contemporary cultural phenomena, which all help situate the story in a very specific time and place.

Tri Sandwich Faces by G. Russell

Characters:

Cordelia Gray, Letty “Larkspur” Haubstadt, and Astrid Donal are the main characters and provide the multiple point-of-view narrative. Cordelia Gray, recently married and having run off without her husband, has always dreamed of locating her father and of being part of a true and supportive family. Letty Haubstadt has lived in a severe and strict home after the death of her mother and has fantasized of transforming herself into Letty Larkspur, star of the New York stage. Astrid Donal is a spoiled, rich girl who is easily bored, having been raised by an equally demanding woman who hops from one man to another collecting surnames and wealth. While each of the three characters take prominence and all three demonstrate strength and are women of action, ultimately where each ends up feels rather anti-climactic.

Cordelia appears fundamentally selfish throughout: she leaves her husband to pursue her own dreams; she strikes out on her own, leaving Letty to fend for herself; she continues seeing a boy that her new-found father and half-brother warn her against (which has disastrous consequences); and she reconnects with Letty only after Letty makes the first move and Cordelia has experienced a significant loss and reversal.

Letty perhaps changes the most throughout the story, both physically and emotionally. Letty follows Cordelia from Union, Ohio to New York City with the naïve hope of making it big. When Letty and Cordelia are kicked out of the Washborne Residence for Unmarried Women their first night in NYC, an argument leads them to take separate ways (although, really, Cordelia has a plan and just leaves Letty on the street). Letty, luckily, falls in with some very generous and more experienced girls and ends up living with them and working as a cigarette girl at a speakeasy. Letty has plenty of adventures, meeting aspiring novelists, singing onstage at the speakeasy where she works, and, ultimately, learning a hard lesson that many of the women who “make it” in entertainment are giving away (or forced to give up) a piece of themselves.

Astrid is fabulously annoying. Growing up with her mother constantly remarrying, Astrid has become familiar with change, which perhaps might explain her inability to sit still and her constant need for attention and excitement. Astrid wants her own way and even her extension of kindness to others seems calculated for her own benefit. Her relationship with her boyfriend Charles (the half-brother of Cordelia) is fraught with manipulation and petty arguments. By the end of the novel, it seems like Astrid is doomed to repeat her mother’s mistakes.

mouth by Darwin Bell

Voice

Perhaps it is unfair to compare Bright Young Things to Godbersen’s Luxe series, but the voice of the narrative is a striking difference between the two. The Luxe series is also primarily focused on three separate young women and voiced by multiple characters, however each chapter is dedicated to the perspective of one character. In a Luxe book the narrator would follow Penelope or Diana or Henry for one chapter and switch to another character for the next. The narrator of Bright Young Things voices multiple characters in a single chapter. In the first few chapters, Cordelia and Letty might switch back and forth within one chapter and Astrid might have her own. As the story progresses, you find Astrid and Cordelia more side-by-side within a chapter and Letty on her own. When Astrid and Letty both end up at the St. Regis hotel, their perspectives are juxtaposed. At first I was somewhat annoyed by this difference, but quickly came to realize that the technique Godbersen deploys in Bright Young Things seems vastly more sophisticated. With a main focus of the novel on the relationships and interactions between the characters, Godbersen rather skillfully weaves their perspectives together as they become emotionally or physically close or distant.

Abstract (design) by tanakawho

Style

Godbersen’s stories are easily and quickly read and engaging. While historical fiction can be a tough sell with many teen readers, the language of Bright Young Things is so accessible and the characters appear almost contemporary; those who do not typically read historical fiction or reluctant readers could find great appeal in Godbersen’s newest novel. Descriptions of 1920s fashions add a touch of glamor and details about period entertainments, like jazz music, phonograph records, stunt pilots, and movie stars, all definitely situate the narrative as historical. Nevertheless, while the language of the novel is immensely accessible it is also thoroughly modern. Very rarely does the dialogue seem dated in any sense and the narrative voice appears as contemporary as its intended readers. The language of Bright Young Things could just as easily be attached to a realistic novel set in the present day, which often makes the period details seem mostly like a surface veneer.

Interesting Basics – Yellow Triangle by qthomasbower

Story

There are so many events and sub-plots contained within Bright Young Things that it only seems adequate to describe the story as high melodrama. With a sequel in the works, very little is ultimately resolved by the end of the novel and many of the events leading up to the last few chapters appear rushed. A new character is introduced in the most improbable fashion within the last few pages; Cordelia seems to almost have come full circle without learning much of anything; Letty has three misfortunes in quick succession and goes crawling to the only person she has left in NYC, Cordelia; and Astrid, after seeing her mother come undone, ends up with a man with whom a “happily ever after” ending seems seriously doubtful. In addition, events throughout often feel totally contrived and thoroughly unbelievable. Cordelia is immediately embraced by her long-lost father; Letty has no trouble finding a place to stay and a job, despite knowing absolutely no one in the city; on her very first night in New York City Cordelia not only has an altercation with a man who turns out to be her half-brother, but also has a very special moment with the son of her father’s sworn enemy. With so many cheap tricks, you would think that the story would at least give the reader a similar ending – neatly wrapped in a bow, with a few loose ends for follow-up in later books. While great fun, the story has so many disparate threads that the entire novel feels like exposition.

two lines two shadows by miuenski

Themes

There are several themes present in Bright Young Things. A central theme is friendship – the relationship between Letty and Cordelia; the relationship between Cordelia and Astrid; the bonds Letty forges with the other cigarette girls and struggling artists on the fringe; the boy who brings back memories to Astrid of a simpler past. Appearance, perception and trust also feature prominently, with the girls figuring out along the way that appearances can be deceiving, that different circumstances require performing different roles or identities, and that extending trust is always a risk that can have both positive and negative consequences. In addition, characters throughout the novel are redefining, searching for and making for themselves a home and family. Cordelia discovers a family and home she has never known; Letty makes for herself a family and home, however precarious, out of the new friends she makes along the way; and Astrid, already with a unique familial and home life situation (what with her mother having been married three times), by the end carves out a family and home of her own choice.

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Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I finished reading Beautiful Darkness a couple of days ago, but I felt I needed some time and distance from it before I could fully evaluate the title. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, Beautiful Creatures, I did have some problems with it and Beautiful Darkness: most specifically that, although the novels take place in South Carolina and this state has a strong African American population (the percentage of African Americans out of the total SC population – around 28% – is more than double the percentage of African Americans relative to total US population – around 12%), African Americans are pretty absent from both books. That is not to say there are absolutely no African American characters; there certainly are and these two strong women (and a few ancestors) play pivotal roles within the narrative. But the overwhelming majority of characters featured are white and while African Americans are not portrayed in a negative way, I kept reading and wondering “where are the African American teenagers? Why are the only African American characters adults?” Whenever I make complaints like this my husband will always remind me that there is nothing wrong with writing what you know and what is within your realm of experience. In fact, there is plenty to suggest that a writer might feel uncomfortable or receive outside pressure against writing from the perspective of someone outside their own racial or ethnic identity (a recent example might be the afterword written by Kathryn Stockett in The Help where she talks about issues surrounding a white woman writing from the perspectives of two African American women). I suppose what I really find troubling and problematic is that it is obvious that both Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl can write impressive, strong, smart, savvy, and realistic African American characters…so why limit themselves to two adult women (and a few ghosts thrown in)? And for all the contemporary references to the legacy of the Civil War (reenactments, attitudes about the “War of Northern Aggression”) and flashbacks or witnessed accounts of the Southern past, giving more focus to the racial make-up and history of this region could add even more depth to this sweeping Southern gothic, dark fantasy, sorta historical romance!

I always like to read the professional reviews of titles after I’ve finished reading the books. It gives me a chance to really consider my own thoughts and feelings of the work and then to see how others might agree or disagree with my own evaluation. After reading Beautiful Creatures I was a little surprised to see that the reviewer from Booklist felt that “there’s a lot going on here. Maybe too much. The 600-plus pages could have been cut to make a tighter, better story.” It isn’t as though every word counted and nothing seemed out of place, but I didn’t particularly feel that the first book was long-winded or that there were many passages that could’ve been left out and made for a better story. There aren’t a huge number of professional reviews out about Beautiful Darkness at this point, but I feel about Beautiful Darkness much as the reviewer of Booklist felt about Beautiful Creatures: I am not particularly impressed with the quality of this installment and it seems like the story could have been significantly tighter.

It took me over a week to finish this book. There could be several reasons for my lackluster reading (as I’m usually a two or three or four books a week person) that are not directly a result of the book itself, but I certainly felt less invested. Reading Beautiful Creatures I often thought to myself: “wow, that’s curious…I wonder what is happening here…” Reading Beautiful Darkness I most often thought “what is going on?” The building of suspense was much less even than in the first book. Instead of things seeming mysterious and atmospheric, I felt like I was being totally and irrationally deprived of information. The action builds at an almost tedious speed and, with so many book-length (rather than series-length) resolutions crammed into the last few chapters, the ending seems thoroughly disjointed in tone from the beginning and middle. Throughout Beautiful Darkness I felt the authors had to really push the narrative. Don’t get me wrong; writing is work. I find it enjoyable to see a writer’s work come across the page. But there is a difference between something seeming effortless and something that seems without effort; there is a difference between a narrative that demonstrates the fruits of labor and a narrative that seems really worked over. I hate to resort to a terribly clichéd saying, but I felt throughout the book that instead of showing me, the authors were telling me, if you know what I mean. And even with the incredibly exhaustive (and somewhat exhausting) telling, I would still get confused. “What exactly is happening to the caster moon? What is going on?” There were several sections in the book where I felt like the authors were taking a pause to say “in case you missed it, this is what is happening” (which is a little annoying) and instead of that making the story almost too abundantly clear, I would still have to go back and re-read sections…and still didn’t quite understand what I was supposed to get out of it.

Even with a few personal reservations, I have routinely recommended Beautiful Creatures to teens (most especially the gals who are always loving on some paranormal romance). For me, ultimately, Beautiful Darkness is quite simply a disappointment; I had high expectations of where this series could possibly go and it fell short. Nevertheless, this latest installment in the series would not prevent me from recommending it; for many readers following well-loved characters through another adventure is enough to carry their interest. Whatever (within some limits) captures a teen’s imagination and keeps them reading is worth making available to them. For titles like this I truly enjoy reading VOYA reviews; I get not only an indication of quality, but also an idea of a book’s popularity. If I were giving Beautiful Darkness a VOYA ranking, I would offer 2 for Quality and 5 for Popularity.

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Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I never typically pick up a fantasy title to read for pleasure; I, more often than not, must force myself to read the latest fantasy titles and it usually takes me much longer to finish reading a fantasy than it would any other book as I inevitably find something else to do (like playing my Sims game or reading something else or watching a movie).  So, be forewarned, take anything I happen to say about this title with a grain of salt.

When Grace was a young child, a pack of wolves pulled her from a swing in her backyard and set about the gruesome task of ripping her apart when one of the wolves, a yellow-eyed beauty, stopped the group and protected her.  Since this moment, Grace has been obsessed with the yellow-eyed wolf, waiting for his return each winter and feeling alone in his absence each summer.  Demonstrating an unusual and unique mythology, the wolves near Grace’s home are actually werewolves who return to human form with the warm weather and are restored to their lupine forms with each winter chill.  The yellow-eyed wolf is, in fact, a boy (Sam) not much older than Grace who was attacked and transformed into a werewolf at a young age.  Told in beautifully written chapters that alternate between Grace and Sam’s perspectives, this paranormal romance will certainly appeal to many girls (Twilight and anti-Twilight camps alike).

Nevertheless, while I can appreciate the literary merit of Shiver, I did not particularly like it…at all.  I tried discussing how the book made me feel to my husband in this way: imagine a really disgusting and artistically unsophisticated painting of a wolf or a unicorn on a poster, rug or folder – with stars and perhaps a rainbow.  I don’t know why, but for some reason that is just how the title struck me – as a narrative version of one of those horribly pathetic paintings.  I also aboslutely hate it when lyrics are interspersed in fiction books and Shiver has them all over the place (it totally and irrationally drove me up the wall).  Moreover, I found the relationship between Sam and Grace to be unhealthy and the secondary characters to be cluttered and underdeveloped.

Just my two cents.

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Years of Dust

Years of Dust by Albert Marrin

With beautiful sepia photographs, primary sources, a glossary of terms and informative inlays, Marrin’s Years of Dust presents a unique perspective on the Dust Bowl, focusing on the environment of the Great Plains, the impact of westward expansion and modernized farming techniques, and the ecological disaster that resulted in the dust storms of the 1930s.  Providing information about the indigenous tribes who once called the Great Plains their home, the impact of the Great Depression, the mass-exodus of families from the Dust Bowl, and the current trends of desertification worldwide, Years of Dust is an excellent introduction to the complex reasons for and consequences of environmental disaster.

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The Musician’s Daughter

The Musician’s Daughter by Susanne Dunlap

I generally love historical fiction (especially tales that take place in Europe), so I was particularly excited to pick up a copy of The Musician’s Daughter.  Everything I read about it made it seem right up my alley: a murder mystery, suspense, 18^th century Vienna, famous historical characters, a little bit of a brewing romance – everything to make for a wonderful and adventurous historical tale.

The novel begins with enough promise: the murder of a court violinist in the orchestra of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy and under the direction of famed composer Franz Joseph Haydn.  The slain court musician leaves behind a pregnant wife, a son, and a fifteen-year-old daughter, Theresa Maria, who tells the tale.  With her mother bed-ridden, Theresa Maria takes charge of the family, seeking out work to support them and hoping to solve who killed her father and stole his precious violin.  Theresa’s adventures take her from the beautiful interiors of the Imperial court to the Romany camps outside of the city, from the disgusting sewers underneath Vienna to the private work spaces of Kapellmeister Hadyn.

I, however, was ultimately a little disappointed with the book.  Despite that the entire novel begins with a murder, I found the story to progress slowly.  I practically had to force myself to keep reading.  The characters are, quite frankly, unbelievable and, with the exception of Theresa, without much depth.  The ending is entirely too tidy and many situations presented in the story lack support or reason.  Nevertheless, this was evidently Dunlap’s first young adult novel and I would certainly read any of her other titles; her approach to historical fiction is certainly unique.

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Once Was Lost

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

I heard Sara Zarr speak on an author panel last year and ever since then I’ve believed her to be a super rock star.  I have tremendous respect for her writing and she’s a supporter of libraries – what more could I ask for?

Once Was Lost is the compulsively readable story of Sam who is struggling with the dissolution of her family, with her distant preacher/father who seems to have the right words for everyone but her, with her alcoholic mother who is currently in rehab, and with the questioning of her faith in view of all the brokenness surrounding her.  When a local teenage girl and member of her father’s congregation goes missing, the tensions in Sam’s family, personal life, and faith become unavoidably put into focus.

I absolutely adored Zarr’s layered narrative and one could pull much from this book to discuss, particularly disparities between perception and “reality.”  My one and only complaint is that the ending seemed a little too tidy; I wasn’t disappointed, but felt such a thoughtful novel deserved a less rushed finale.

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Hate List

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Everyone has those books they come across and, almost to their own surprise, do not want to put them down…for whatever reason.  While reading Jennifer Brown’s The Hate List, I found myself not paying attention when my husband was speaking to me, ignoring one of my most favorite TV shows, and avoiding sleep at all costs to keep reading…”just one more chapter!”

Valerie Leftman isn’t popular.  In fact, Valerie spends much of her time at school and on the way to school being picked on, called mean names, degraded.  Valerie fights to take back some dignity and control through her spiral-bound notebook, her Hate List.  For Valerie the Hate List is a cathartic exercise – putting in print everything and everyone she hates, from her Algebra homework and her parents’ arguments, to the superstar jock who picks on her and her boyfriend.  But for Valerie’s boyfriend, Nick, the Hate List becomes a seriously hateful enterprise; one day in May, Nick opens fire in their high school, killing several, injuring many (including Valerie), and then turning the gun on himself.  Now Valerie is left to pick up the pieces of her life, to deal with the love she had for a guy who could perpetrate such acts of violence and to negotiate living in a town where many assume she is an equally guilty party.

The Hate List proves an incredibly unique and powerful novel, allowing readers to witness the events leading up to the school shooting, the shooting itself and the aftermath.  The narrative is sophisticated, providing glimpses between the “present” and “past”-pre-shooting, the “past”-post-shooting and “present,” and interspersed with newspaper clippings about the shooting and its victims.  This title is the author’s debut and I was very surprised not to see it as one of the William C. Morris honor books!  Jennifer Brown is definitely an author to watch!

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African American Firsts

African American Firsts: Famous Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America by Joan Potter

A well-documented and well-researched guide to African American achievements and African American pioneers. Organized topically (Business, Entertainment, Law & Government, etc.) and then chronologically within each chapter, the book poses questions of the reader in an engaging way: “Who was the First African American Member of the FCC?” or “What was the First Rap Music Hit?” The index is slightly messy and with a few mistakes, but the title is a worthwhile reference guide and trivia compendium.

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