Before the Blog (8): White Cat by Holly Black

Some of you already know this, but I've started a weekly meme called "Before the Blog". In short, it's a place to review books you read and loved before you began blogging about them. Basically, you choose a book each week, then answer the following three questions,and post your review.   Then you can add the name of your BtB book and author to the little Mr. Linky widget below, and voila!

Why did you choose this book? 

When did you read this book?
Who would you recommend this book to?

For more info, see my 1st BtB post by clicking this LINK.  The book I chose this week is...

White Cat by Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Publication Date: May 4th, 2010

Why did you choose this book?  I am a big fan of Holly Black.  I can't honestly say that I have met a book of hers that I haven't liked.  I was intrigued by this because most of her books are centered around the fey, and this was such a departure.

When did you read this book?  January, 2011

Who would you recommend this book to? Anyone who likes Holly Black.  Middle School and High School boys who want a great YA book with a male protagonist.  Fans of organized crime dramas.

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

A lot of the earlier reviews of this book bashed the hell out of it, and I just don't get it.  I thought Holly Black did a superb job with this story.  I guess some people couldn't handle the departure from her usual subject matter (faery, paranormal), but I commend her for writing something so different from what she usually writes, and doing it so well.  That's difficult.  I was initially reluctant to read it because of all the bashing it got on Goodreads, and I know now that it would have been a mistake not to read it.  It is now my favorite series of Holly's.   It was so original, well thought out, well written, and suspenseful.  The story was wonderfully paced and I could not put it down.  Holly managed to keep the surprises coming and I never knew what to expect next; that rarely happens for me in books.  I loved that there was a male protagonist, and that he believed himself to be somewhat of an outcast.  I also liked the whole crime family element.  It was like The Godfather with magic.  I happen to like those kinds of books/films/TV shows (I was a religious The Sopranos watcher, and Goodfellas is one of my all-time favorite movies.), so this was right up my alley.  I think a combination of these facts (male protag/outcast, crime family, magic) would make this book very appealing to teen males, and that is important when so much popular YA is geared toward girls. (Not to say that girls would not love it to, because they would- and do!)  I also liked the subtle questions the story raised; family duty vs. ethics, love vs. what's right, etc.; I think anyone reading this would ponder these things.  I, personally, still haven't come to many conclusions on that end- everything is very gray, which makes this book all the more enticing.

My only gripe at the time of reading was the ending.  I don't want to spoil by saying what made me so mad, but I was pissed at how it was left dangling.  I know it was for the purposes of enticing me into reading book #2 (Red Glove), and it worked, but I was still pissy because I was SO invested in the story and had to wait three more months until its release.  After reading Red Glove, all is forgiven because I liked it even better, but at that time, Holly Black was not my favorite person.

Overall, I really adored this book, and it's successor (Red Glove) as well.  I actually listened to Red Glove on audio, and it was fantastically done by Jesse Eisenberg.  He also did this book, so if you like the audio format, do yourself a favor and give both books a listen rather than a read.  He really brings the character of Cassel Sharpe to life.  I very anxiously await Black Heart, which is set to release April 3rd, 2012.

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  The School Library Journal reviewer says grades 9 and up, but I disagree.  I would put this more like grades 7 and up.  There is some mild sexual content, language, crime, and a bunch of violence, but if it were a movie, I don't think it would get higher than a PG-13 rating.  I would let my 12 year old read this and know that he/she would enjoy it and have things to ponder while doing so. (ages 12+)

**Don't forget to enter my AWESOME giveaway of an audio copy of the AMAZING All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin HERE!**

Before the Blog (7): Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Some of you already know this, but I've started a weekly meme called "Before the Blog". In short, it's a place to review books you read and loved before you began blogging about them. Basically, you choose a book each week, then answer the following three questions,and post your review.   Then you can add your post to the little Mr. Linky widget below, and voila!

Why did you choose this book? 

When did you read this book?
Who would you recommend this book to?

For more info, see my 1st BtB post by clicking this LINK.  The book I chose this week is...

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

 Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: June 7th, 2010

Why did you choose this book?  I love a good fairy tale re-telling.  It is one of my favorite genres of YA.  When a friend told me that Jackson Pearce tells fairy tales the way they should be told, I knew I had to read this.  Plus, I love the cover!

When did you read this book?  December of 2010

Who would you recommend this book to?  Anyone who is a fairy tale/fairy tale re-telling lover.  Also, anyone who likes a kick-ass action novel with a paranormal element to it.

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I enjoy Jackson Pearce's re-tellings.  She does a great job of making the story her own, while keeping the main elements of the original.  This was my first exposure to her writing, and I was really pleased.  When I started to read this book, I will admit that I was a little nervous because I didn't see how she was going to keep to the original enough to do it justice, but as the story progressed, I became exponentially impressed.  Although I was skeptical of there being two "Red Riding Hoods"at first, I ended up liking the alternating POVs and having two girls really did work; I liked that they had their own unique crosses to bear because of their shared childhood tragedy.  I thought the descriptions in the book were fantastically gruesome, and I loved how she was able to take a story that was set in such a long gone era and make it feasibly fit into the modern world..  What most impressed me though, was the fact that the romance was placed so well, so as not to engulf the story; no love triangles, no "I've laid eyes on you and now I LOVE you!".  Stories like that piss me off, and I'm happy I didn't have to have this story, that I was so taken with, ruined by that type of thing. The pace was great- I felt like the important elements of the story unfolded at just the right times to keep me interested.  This book was certainly a page-turner, packed with action and mystery, and the twist at the end was awesome.  Definitely a must-read for fans of the genre.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book has a few swears, a fair amount of violence, and a bit of romance.  I would say it is appropriate for ages 12 and up (6th grade+).

**Don't forget to enter my AWESOME giveaway of an audio copy of the AMAZING All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin HERE!**

Before the Blog (5): The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Some of you already know this, but I've started a weekly meme called "Before the Blog". In short, it's a place to review books you read and loved before you began blogging about them. Basically, you choose a book each week, then answer the following three questions,and post your review.   Then you can add your post to the little Mr. Linky widget below, and voila!


Why did you choose this book? 
When did you read this book?
Who would you recommend this book to?

For more info, see my 1st BtB post by clicking this LINK.   The book I chose this week is technically a MG novel, but I loved it, as did some of the older kids I've recommended it to.  Brandon Mull is known for his Fablehaven series and his new Beyonders series.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Publication Date: September 11th, 2007

Why did you choose this book?  I was previewing it for a possible book to highlight with our storyteller at my daughter's school book fair.  I was familiar with Brandon Mull from reading Fablehaven, and I really like him.  I though the synopsis sounded great.

When did you read this book?  April, 2009

Who would you recommend this book to?  3rd/4th grade through 9th/10th grade readers who like action, adventure, magic, and mystery.  Boys seemed to like it more than girls, although most girls did enjoy it.  Anyone who is familiar with, and likes Brandon Mull. Reluctant readers who need a fast pace to hold their interest.

Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe, where the confections are bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise. Four young friends—Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon—meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies. Then the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, arrives with a few enchanted sweets of his own. The danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary treasure—one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins...

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book is one of my favorite MG books ever.  I read it a couple of years ago and thought it was brilliant.  I then read it to my children, and they were absolutely enthralled; begging for another chapter every night as they fought sleep to find out what was going to happen next. When I presented it to the 6th graders, they balked because of the cover; they quickly changed their minds when they read it (I had to challenge them by telling them that I would buy the book back from them if they didn't like it- not a single student requested their money back).   I gave it to my 15 year old babysitter and she loved it (she's usually a Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, Susane Colasanti fan), passing it about her circle of friends.

Initially, I thought this book was going to be very cutesy because of the cover.  It implies happy, smiling kids flying through the air over their town, surrounded by candy.  Well, you know what they say about judging a book by it's cover...  This book was not cutesy at all (which, in hindsight, I should have known, based on Mull's other books that it wouldn't be).  It was rather dark for a MG book.  It had dark magic, kidnappings, and mind-control, bringing a whole new meaning to the warning, "Never take candy from strangers.". 

The story was great and the world-building and character development phenomenal.  I could picture everything in my head, down to the last detail; I felt like I knew the characters and could empathize with their struggles.  The magical elements were creative and sinister.  The mystery was unpredictable right through to the very end and it never lags.

Readers of all ages will have a blast with this book.  It's a shame the cover is so deceiving because I know it gets passed up by the readers who it's targeted at because of it.  I actually think that this is Mull's best book to date.

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  I would say this is content-appropriate for just about any age, but as a whole, I would say advanced reading 2nd grade and up (ages 8+).  It can be scary at times (my twins were 5 when I read it to them and they were scared in a few places), but nothing over the top.  The reading level is pretty high (5.0 AR) and it comes in at a little over 400 pages, so younger readers will have to be pretty good readers.  It's targeted at kids age 10+ (5th grade and up).

Before the Blog (4): Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

Some of you already know this, but I've started a weekly meme called "Before the Blog". In short, it's a place to review books you read and loved before you began blogging about them. Basically, you choose a book each week, then answer the following three questions,and post your review.   Then you can add your post to the little Mr. Linky widget below, and voila!


Why did you choose this book? 
When did you read this book?
Who would you recommend this book to?

For more info, see my 1st BtB post by clicking this LINK.  The book I chose this week is hilarious and one I wish was around when I was in high school.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: September 29th, 2009

Why did you choose this book?  I loved it so much.  It's a quick read, perfect for a rainy day when you need a few good laughs.  It's light and heartwarming.  A favorite of mine.

When did you read this book?  October, 2010

Who would you recommend this book to?  Teens who are having trouble embracing who they are.  Older YA readers who remember all too well the pains of high school, no matter what their social status was.  Anyone who wants to laugh.

It’s Jessie’s sophomore year of high school. A self-professed “mathelete,” she isn’t sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved his mohawk and started dating . . . the prom princess!) . . .

Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high-school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way—the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes?      

If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I originally chose Into the Wild Nerd Yonder because I was drawn to the cover.  I was previewing books for the YA section at my daughter's school book fair and I thought that between the title and the cover art, this could be hot seller for girls.  I'm so glad that I decided to read it because although I decided it was inappropriate for 6th graders, I found a new favorite and an author who I will read forever (other books include Get Well Soon and the newly released Don't Stop Now).

Julie Halpern is so witty and spot-on when in comes to life inside the walls of the average high school.  She nailed it when describing the social hierarchies and fickle moods of the average teenager.  I laughed so many times remember back to my high school years.  This is a great coming of age story as well.  I wish I would have been able to embrace my nerdom and wear it as proudly as the nerds in this book did (I was a total closet nerd- you know, the kind that acts dumber than she is so she's not classified as a nerd).  I loved the ending and well, everything about this book!  If you like a few good laughs and a great story, read this!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  A friend of the protagonist gets an STD and it's not just mentioned in passing.  There's a good bit of language and a lot of very high school situations.  I would say this is a high school book.  Ages 14+ (9th grade+).

Before the Blog (2): The Last Survivors Trilogy by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Some of you already know this, but I've started a weekly meme called "Before the Blog". In short, it's a place to review books you read and loved before you began blogging about them. Basically, you choose a book each week, then answer the following three questions,and post your review.   Then you can add your post to the little Mr. Linky widget below, and voila!


Why did you choose this book? 
When did you read this book?
Who would you recommend this book to?

For more info, see my 1st BtB post by clicking this LINK. As for this week's post, I'm actually going to review a trilogy that I loved. I know many of you have read this series, but I found out after one of my WoW posts, featuring a book by the same author, that A LOT of my followers haven't. 

The Last Survivors Trilogy by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

The three books in the trilogy are Life As We Knew It, The Dead and the Gone, and This World We Live In. It doesn't really matter which of the first two books you read first, since they are written by different people, about the same event. The third book, however, unites their stories, and should be read last. For the sake of this post, I will list them in order of publication. But first, the questions...

Why did you choose this trilogy? Simply? I loved it. Not because it has a lot of warm-fluffy-feel-good value, but because it reaches deep into the reader and you can't help but feel as you're reading. I love books that evoke true emotion.

When did you read these books? I've read them all at least twice. I first read Life As We Knew It in June of 2010, The Dead and the Gone in July of 2010, and This World We Live In in September of 2010.

Who would you recommend this book to? Just about anyone. It's one of those books that kind of reaches across genres and demographics. People who like Dystopia/Post-Apocalyptic reads would like this, for sure, but I wouldn't place limits. My husband, who mostly reads business and politics related books, liked Life As We Knew It. My daughter was enthralled, and is typically a reader of girly-fluff. Of the middle schoolers I recommended this to, all loved it, and their interests definitely span a wide range.
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Life As We Knew It

Publication Date: October 1st, 2006

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

 
This is book one in the trilogy. I picked it up because a friend of mine said, "Have you read this? It's so good!". I bought it and let in sit on my shelf for awhile... Then a Goodreads challenge came about that required a mostly blue cover, and this book fit the bill. I read it in less than a day. I was sucked it from the first page. This is definitely a doomsday type story, but it's not entirely depressing, and is still 100% worth the emotions it evokes. It's a book that will stay with you long after you read it. It's both horrifying and beautiful.

The story is told through Miranda Day's journal entries over the course of one year. She starts out as a rather typical self-absorbed teenage girl, but as the story progresses, she becomes an entirely different person. That alone makes the book very good, but there is so much more to it. The most fascinating and scary part to it is the fact that this event- the moon being knocked closer to earth by an asteroid- is totally plausible. It really makes you think about what would happen if something like that were to happen. We all like to think that we would be prepared for a disaster of some sort; that we would survive and that things would improve quickly after such a thing. This book makes you think about all of the things that you wouldn't normally think about, and it's while frightening, it's also very eye-opening. We are so reliant on modern conveniences, that we can't even begin to plan for life without them (and I'm not even referring to the internet and cell phones, but things like running water, heat, mail service). Even though it's fiction, it makes you grateful for all that you have. (And it makes you want to start stockpiling food, water, vodka, propane, antibiotics, batteries, etc.)

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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The Dead and the Gone

Publication Date: January 1st, 2008

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This is the second book in the trilogy, although, as I mentioned earlier, they can be read in either order. Hands down, this book was my favorite of the three. For starters, I liked Alex a lot more than I liked Miranda. This book covers the same timeframe as Life As We Knew It, beginning right before the asteroid hits the moon, and ending exactly one year later, but I feel like Susan Beth Pfeffer really gets her groove on in this book. It was fantastic. I liked it for many of the same reasons I liked the first book, but I liked it so much better. While Miranda lived in rural Pennsylvania, Alex lives in NYC. Miranda had her mother and brothers for guidance and morale. Alex's parents were not home when the event occurred, leaving him to be the one to provide for his two younger sisters. I think Alex's story was much more gut-wrenching. He went through so much more than Miranda did on almost every level. He lost so much, but his spirit stayed strong. He was truly selfless, while at the same time incredibly resourceful and practical. It left me with the same types of feelings- grateful for what I have, but with a need to have some sort of plan in case of some disaster like this. It just feels that real when you're reading it...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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This World We Live In

Publication Date: May 21st, 2010

It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce. The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This was my least favorite of the three books, but I still give it huge acclaim. I think Susan Beth Pfeffer was brilliant to bring the characters we got to know in the first two books together in the third book. Not only does it bring the story of survival to new levels, but it also shows new sides to people we thought we knew. I don't want to give anything away, so I'm not going to delve into the story any more than Goodreads did, but I will tell you that there is no resolution. No answers tied up neatly with a bow. Sorry, that's not the way life works, and if this series has any underlying message at at all, it's that. This book was as fantastic and horrifying as the first two, and much like the first two, it will be difficult, if not impossible for you to put down. You won't want it to be over because you will want to know what happens to the people whose lives you've become invested in, but you will be left feeling like Pfeffer didn't sell out for the sake of an ending....

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

 
Grade Level Recommendation: This holds true for most YA books in some sense, but in this case, it really does depend on the kid. This series is graphic. Horrible things happen in the world. Lots of people die; some die under awful circumstances. Hope does not abound. And it's all terrifyingly realistic; plausible. There's not a lot of standard issue "inappropriate content" such as language, violence, or sex, but for kids who have a lot of fears or anxiety to begin with, this series could be a bad idea. The "average" kid (as if there were such a thing), could probably handle this by 5th or 6th grade (ages 10 or 11). I let my daughter read it at the end of 4th grade because I felt she could use a few grateful-what-I-have feelings. My neighbor felt like her 6th grader wasn't ready for it because she thought it would scare the crap out of him. This is a series that I think parents of kids under the age of about 14 (9th grade), should either read before or alongside their kids (the first book, at least) to gauge their reactions and talk about it, if necessary.