Final Book List of the year

 

November continued:

Everneath by Ashton, Brodi / YA / ***

It's hard to describe this book without it sounding absolutely ridiculous.  It is a cute story based on the Greek Persephone myth.  Nikki Beckett is a teen that disappeared without a trace six months ago.  Who would guess that she's been in the Underworld, her soul being sucked dry by an immortal named Cole.  The story tells of her trying to reconnect with those she left behind, while working to figure out how to not get taken again. It has a delicious love triangle between the boyfriend she left behind who provided an "anchor" that enabled her to find her way back in the first place, and the steamy Cole who wants to make her his queen. I told you it sounded crazy. But is a cute clean story that provided some nice light reading.  

Humbug Mountain by Fleischman, Sid / JF / **

Wiley and his sister are being forced to move yet again, as their traveling newspaperman of a  father has once again got them run out of town.  They travel down the Mississippi, hoping to find a new start living with Wiley's grandpa.  What ensues is a story with lots of twists, turns, interesting characters, and crazy shenanigans that have a very "Tom Sawyer" feel to them.

The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin by Harper, Bob  / A / **

Same old, same old. 

Dark Places: A Novel by Flynn, Gillian / A / **1/2

This writer is fascinating. The first few paragraphs of this book are are amazingly well written.  This story was not near as dark and twisted as the other two I've read by this author, but they are definitely not for children. It tells the story of a 7 year old girl that was the only witness to her family being violently murdered. At the time, she testified the act was done by her 15 year old brother as part of a Satanic ritual. Now, 25 years later, she has done absolutely nothing with her life, living off the donations made by strangers at the time of the event.  The money has run out and her life is a dead-end.  

She is hired by a club intent on finding out the real story... accepting their money as she reconnects with people from her past.  The story flashes back to that fateful day and the true story emerges.

This story is well written but crude, and the ending is so implausible I really had to roll my eyes.

Can You Keep a Secret? by Kinsella, Sophie / A / ***1/2

After finishing the grisly "Dark Places", I needed something light and fun.  Sophie Kinsella never disappoints. She writes great characters that are delightfully flawed that get into fantastical scrapes that all end with a wonderful happy ever after.  This comedy of errors is a fun romp and a fun read.

Everbound: An Everneath Novel by Ashton, Brodi / YA / ***

This is the second in the series by Brodi Ashton.  The final book will be out in January.  It continues the story of Nikki as she works to break the bonds the Underworld has on her.  She makes several trips through the levels of the undead on a quest for freedom. In some ways this book was better than the first.

The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus, Book 4) by Riordan, Rick / YA / ***

I don't know how I ended up reading two books involving the Underworld in a row, but it shows how fiction, especially teen fiction, tends to move in cycles.  For a while I saw a lot of magic based books (stemmed from the success of Harry Potter), to Vampire stories (Twilight) to dystopian books (from Hunger Games).  Lately I've seen books based on Greek mythology, and especially the Persephone myth.  

This book tells the story of Percy and Annabeth working their way through the Underworld towards the doors of death... trying to meet their friends on the other side. It took me a while to slog through this one... the story seemed to feel like it was tormenting me. Ha. No really the stories are getting a little bit monotonous... it is the same cycle of activity over and over again.

Enchantment by Card, Orson Scott / A / ***

I am too brain dead to write descriptions of these stories.  This is basically a story of a modern day man thrust into a Russian fairy tale. It is an imaginative take on how the Slavic myths of Baba Yaga and her house on chicken legs may have come about.  It was good reading but I wouldn't read it again.  I am in a real slump like that lately.

Midnight in Austenland by Hale, Shannon

Shannon Hale has an annoying tendency to keep beating a dead horse.  She had great success with "The Princess Academy" so after several years she spit out a sequel that dimished the story of the first book. She did the same thing here, writing this novel after the success of "Austenland".  It wasn't a BAD story, but it really dilutes the efficacy of the original story.  There really is nothing to miss here.

The Elite (Selection) by Kiera Cass 

Oh the brain-numbing weariness of it all. This book was so painfully shallow. I bet thirteen year olds LOVE it.  Which is what is wrong with America. Just sayin'.

Defiance (Courier's Daughter) by Redwine, C. J. / YA / ****

I LIKED this one.  It had great kingdom building. a good love story, a strong female lead, and an interesting story line. This has the feel of an old-world adventure set in a post-apocalyptic society.  

Rachel is the daughter of a Courier, someone that braves the Wastelands delivering messages, packages, and information between the walled citys of a devestated North America.  The story begins when her father fails to return from a mission and is declared dead.  Rachel is determined to find out what happened, requiring her to escape the protected city that really is more like a prison. She is captured which starts a whole series of events that end up changing her entire world.

The Four Corners of the Sky: A Novel by Malone, Michael./ A / **

Didn't love this one. 

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: After years of accompanying her con artist father on his exploits, seven-year-old Annie is left on the family's North Carolina farm with her aunt Sam. Annie relishes the stability, but still craves excitement as she grows up, learning to fly the single-engine plane her father left her and becoming a navy fighter pilot. When her father calls years later, he claims that he's dying and needs her help with one last escapade. She agrees—in exchange for the name of the mother she's never known. Annie travels to St. Louis, Mo.; Miami; and Cuba in the service of her elusive father, meeting quirky eccentrics along the way, including her one true love. Bizarre coincidences, caricatured criminals and characters who spurt groan-worthy puns, classic movie lines and Shakespeare quotes in place of meaningful dialogue keep the novel teetering toward the absurd. The novel's ambitious blend of humor, mystery, adventure and sentimentality can be as exhausting as Annie's fast-paced flights."

 

 

 

 

I Am Number Four Pittacus Lore / YA / ****

I LIKED this one.  Great characters, great story. It has an "alien" base but really is a great adventure story about what makes us human, what is family, and what ties our past has on us. Great story.