OCTOBER 2017

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer / YA / ***1/2 / Hard back
This book had a "John Green" feel to it with a band of real but quirky characters, witty dialogue, and funny but authentic situations.  A group of misfits attend a prestigious school for the Arts, which is being overrun by a sleazy reality TV show.  This group of friends decide to engage in some rebellious intellectual warfare to get their school back.  The plot line and the conclusion are a little cheesy, but I just loved the relationships between the group members, their families, and their teachers. These teens actually felt like real teens... with moments of humor, convincing friendship, and just enough self-doubt. I enjoyed this story - there were some great laugh-out-loud moments.  This was the first book in a long time that I didn't want to put down.


The Accidental Highwayman: Being the tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, A Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides by Ben Tripp / YA / *** / Hard back
Kit is the man-servant of an English Lord... who is really a Highwayman.  Charged by his dying employer to take up his cause, the humble Kit finds himself on an adventure to rescue a princess and save the day.  He is helped on his way by a host of magical creatures. It was fun and amusing at first, but quickly became a bit boring.  I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either.

Descent: A Memoir of Madness by David Guterson / A / **1/2 / Kindle
This is a short book written by David Guterson ("Snow Falling on Cedars", "East of the Mountains") relating his spiral into depression after the events of 9/11.  It relates how he felt, the consequences his illness took on him and his family, and what he did to try and help himself. Eventually, the fog "lifted" and he was able to find his way out. This little memoir was interesting but not really engaging.  What I got from it is that Guterson uses words beautifully.  

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George / A / ***/ Kindle
I checked out this book on overdrive, not realizing it was number 19 (NINETEEN!!) in a series.  To the author's credit, there were only a few times I wondered if I should know more about some of the characters than what she was telling me.  I don't usually read mysteries, but I did enjoy trying to figure out who done it ( I didn't figure it out).  The writing was good as the author presented a lovely array of characters and slowly revealed more and more things about each, making you wonder who the murderer was....but then the author threw in some pretty graphic molestation sequences that seemed out of sync with the rest of the book and were unnecessarily graphic.  It really ruined this book for me.



The Nix by Nathan Hill / A / **** / Kindle
I started this book last summer and my loan period with overdrive finished before I was done with the book... the fact that I was willing to wait another several months until it became available again for checkout should tell you something.  I can't even begin to explain what this book is about... it involves a mom who abandoned her son when he was a young boy. It involves the son, now a professor of English that feels stuck in his life.  It involves quite a few other people but never to the point it felt overwhelming. It goes back and forth in time to explore the pasts of the son, the mother, and eventually even the father as the son explores why his mother walked away and who she is now. It sounds like a super heavy book, and it was poignant, but it kept a nice balance.  At times it was even hilarious.  The characters were all flawed which made them real.  It was a really lovely, complex book. If I had to sum it up it would be the idea that the things you love the most may someday hurt you the worst.  This was fantastic writing.


Where She Went by Gayle Forman / YA / *** / Kindle
This is the sequel to, "If I Stay" - the story of a girl who is seriously injured in an automobile accident that also killed her parents and brother. While in her coma she has the opportunity to choose life or to join her family in death. She stays, but after healing physically she then chooses to leave behind the life she had before. Part of the collateral damage from this choice is her boyfriend, Adam, who begged her while she was in her comatose state to stay. This is his story in the years after. For the sappy plot line both books are actually pretty engaging. 

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk / YA / **** / Kindle
This Newbery Honor winner tells the story of young Annabelle, a farm girl living a life of love and security in rural Pennsylvania during the 1940's.  She recognizes the hardships her family faces and doesn't want to add to the burden by reporting that she is the target of a bully in her school.  Annabelle feels the need to exhibit her own courage, and does so with great resilience and ingenuity when the problem escalates to involve other members of the community.
This book has a "To Kill a Mockingbird" flavor, as a young girl tries to figure out her place in a confusing adult world.  The Boo Radley of the book is named Toby, a physically and mentally wounded WWI vet that lives in the woods and rarely speaks.  Annabelle is supported by a loving extended family that has taught her to work hard and be kind.
I liked this one... any book that focuses on the need for kindness and understanding is a great read no matter the genre.



The Girls by Emma Cline / ****1/2 / A / Kindle
Evie is 14 and her world has taken a drastic tilt. Her parents have just divorced. Her mother is dating. Her best friend has abandoned her. Everything just feels cruel to a girl that, at the base of it all, just wants to be seen.  She is growing up in the 60's with easy access to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and money.  The vibe of the time is love and peace but she doesn't feel any of those things.

One summer day she meets some girls in the park who are confident, mesmerizing, and independent.  They don't care about the rules and they don't care about societal restraints. Evie starts spending time with their group, who is led by the charismatic Russell.  Living on an abandoned farm where everything is shared and everyone works together, Evie is happy to finally have someplace to belong.  

Over the  course of the summer, Evie is exposed to increasingly serious situations. She alternates between spending time at the "ranch" and in her own home, where her mother barely notices the changes happening to Evie. Changes are also happening at the ranch as the situation with food and resources begins spiraling down-hill while the probability for catastrophe starts ratcheting up.

This book had fantastic storytelling and use of language - I was seriously mesmerized the entire time. I read it in one afternoon as I couldn't put it down. I've never been really interested in stories about cults and the hippie movement - what was engaging to me is that I could totally feel the wanting of Evie. I remember those feelings as a young teen myself... just wanting to be loved and to belong.  The things you felt at that age were just so raw and strong.  The author very realistically showed how you could take the emotions of an angry and lonely girl, add drugs and a place to belong, and understand why Evie did the things she did.  The author had a harder time making the connection to me on why some of the larger group was able to commit such horrible acts of violence.

I learned later this story was loosely based on the Charles Manson / Sharon Tate story - but as I didn't know that story it would not have mattered to me, anyway.  If the women had attacked their original target I would be more likely to believe it due to the deprivations the man had helped inflict on them; but the innocent people that were killed made no sense to me and the author didn't make it something that could be understood.

The Scythe by Neal Shusterman / YA / **** / Kindle

THREE AWESOME BOOKS IN A ROW! A HAT TRICK! 

This book by the author of "Unwind" creates a new future world where there is no disease, no poverty, and no war.  Rather than a government, all decisions are made by a computer (the Thunderhead - which is a play off of Google's
 Cloud), which also contains all the memories and history of man-kind.  This artificial intelligence has solved all the problems of the world, so there is no misery and no death. Everything is fair.

Medical technology uses something called nanites that keep bodily functions in perfect balance and can heal citizens from everything including death (except by fire). Citizens lives for hundreds of years and can "reset" themselves to any age.

With an increase in population and need to balance resources the Thunderhead determines that a certain number of people must be "gleaned" each year... meaning they must die for the good of all.  The Scythes are a specially trained group that gently and mercifully fulfill this task for society.

The book begins when two teens, Rowan and Citra, are chosen to apprentice a Scythe. 

This book has fantastic world building, subtly revealing how things have changed since our own time in both physical infrastructure as well as emotional thought. The author touches several times on the changes that happen to the passions and drives and desires of a population that have no physical needs and will live for hundreds of years.  An example of this is the loss of religion as humans now see themselves as their own saviors, so faith becomes irrelevant. Another example is the reoccurring question of would we really enjoy a limitless life?

The story has an almost Star Wars feel as the Scythes have a very Jedi master type approach to training their apprentices to do their jobs rationally and compassionately.  One of the premises of a Scythe is that if you enjoy killing, you shouldn't be a Scythe.  It also has a very "The Giver" feel to it, as the apprentices must study and contemplate what it means to be human before they are given the responsibility of taking a life.  

The story has a fantastic plot filled with action and intrigue. Both Rowan and Citra appropriately grow in the story and make decisions and actions that stay true to their age and character the entire time. There is no annoying or angsty YA behavior.  This book was so well written. I am excited as it appears that there will be a sequel (called The Thunderhead) and that this book has been optioned as a film.

BOOKED by Kwame Alexander / YA / ****/ KINDLE

FOUR GREAT BOOKS IN A ROW! WOOT WOOT look at me!

This book is by the author of "Crossover", the 2015 Newbery winner. Written in the same prosaic style, it tells the story of Nick - a teenager that loves soccer, his friends, and his mom.  Nick faces real problems as he deals with trouble at home, bullies, meeting parental expectations, and trying to get the girl.  It is fun and gritty and emotional and hopeful.

While this wasn't as amazing as "Crossover" it was still such a great read. I can't wait for Nathan to read it, too.

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope / YA / **1/2
This is the book selected for my Book Group in November.  It is a cute and light-hearted love story about a young woman sent to live on the old family estate with her eccentric uncle. Visited by a series of ghosts, she learns about their lives during the Revolutionary War.  The story was predictable and not terribly engaging but it was a fun Halloween read.