Alice's Review: Somewhere Over the Sun

Summary:  Alan, a spirited young writer with a wandering imagination has discovered that the stories he writes are suddenly coming to life. At the suggestion of his loving father, Alan embarks on a quixotic journey to visit friends and use his new found gift to write them all happier lives. There are a few limitations to his power; he can't cure diseases, he can't summon pots of gold, and headaches accompany each reality-infused story he lives out, but the appreciative and optimistic Alan is not deterred from creating fantastical characters and storylines to give his friends more literary lives.

Review:  Here is the first thing you need to know about this book: When you purchase it (and you will purchase it), make sure you buy a highlighter. This is the kind of book that begs to be read with a highlighter, or better yet a notebook and pen so you can jot down your thoughts. This kind of book draws you in, makes you sit in that comfy chair, it'll make you want to stay up at night reading. It will.

Here is the next thing you need to know: I am a crier in real life and during certain movies and/or TV shows but I can count on one hand how many books have moved me to genuine heart wrenching tears. This book is that kind of book. This novel is crazy good. It’s malted milkshake good. It’s little kid laughter good. Think of something you love that is so good it hits you in that stop under your ribcage right below your heart. Yeah, Somewhere Over the Sun is that good.

The novel tells the story of Alan as he travels across North America visiting friends while writing a novel. Alan is unlike anyone else, he has a gift. His gift is that what he writes comes true. He decides to write happy endings into each of his friend’s lives. I kept wishing I had Alan's gift. Although truth be told, I'd probably use it more for evil than good.

This novel is full of surprises. If you have ever dreamed of writing a novel, read this book. He gives such great advice about having a relationship with the reader. If you have ever loved and lost, again and again, (and come on, who hasn’t?) read this book. If you have ever experienced the love for a child or for a parent, read this book. If you like whimsical, if you believe in hope, if you need to be taught optimism, if you need to laugh, if you need a good cry. These are all solid reasons to read this.

Although mainly told by Alan, most of the characters we meet narrate the novel. Mr. Alsaid beautifully tells the story from each characters’ point of view all the while having no idea what the others are thinking. It's magical actually. Knowing this I caught myself clenching my fists and biting my lip because I want to yell at the book, at the characters to give them a clue. I loved the anticipation waiting to see if they would figure it out for themselves. It's like missed opportunities, they are right in front of you but you don't see them. I also loved the relationship Alan has with his family and friends. I love he thought Jesse was born to be loved and won't be complete until someone falls in love with him. Mr. Alsaid brings life to everything Alan encounters, whether it is a bench or a tomato or a dress and shirt for the greatest sex scene ever written.

Mr. Alsaid is insanely good with words. There were so many morsels of goodness in this story.

I love how after laminating over a child’s ability to fall in love, Alan says "If youth is wasted on the young, love is wasted on the old."

I love how he describes love's rejections as "they hit like snowballs. The idea they could hurt was almost silly, but the next day, I'd wake up with bruises all over."

I love how he describes different readers. I'm happy to say I'm a Greg.

I love how M, describing Danielle, says "that the ability to smile at your own sadness was a sign of elegance that he wasn't sure he possessed." I also loved that about Alan he says that "I wanted to tell him that he saw the world in a beautiful way and that if everyone had his point of view, the world would surely be filled with more pleasant people."
Most of all, I love what Robert says about his son Alan's optimism: "Few people can look at raining clouds and see the blue sky that's always above them."

This novel is full of raw vulnerability. It was beautiful to read. I was attached to Alan from the first sentence and my love for him kept growing. I will admit that I suspected the twist in the novel and at the end I saw that I was right. That didn't stop the tears from flowing and even then that didn't diminish the emotion I felt reading it.

Now stop reading this and go buy this book. And don't forget your highlighter.

Final Take: 5/5

Stop by tomorrow for our interview with Mr.Alsaid.

Jenn's Review: Ninth Grade Slays

Summary:  High school totally bites when you're half human, half vampire.

Freshman year stinks for Vlad Tod. Bullies still harass him. The photographer from the school newspaper is tailing him. And failing his studies could be deadly. A trip to Siberia gives “study abroad” a whole new meaning as Vlad connects with other vampires and advances his mind-control abilities, but will he return home with the skills to recognize a vampire slayer when he sees one? In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad must confront the secrets of the past and battle forces that once again threaten his life.

Review:  This is an endearing middle grade series, and I completely agree with that ALA that it is a great series for reluctant readers.  It's also a great read for the Joss Whedon's Buffy generation.  There are lots of  references to Whedon's series but I don't think Buffy's a prerequisite for enjoying Brewer's books.  Just a bonus.

Though I saw where this book was going from the opening chapter, I still enjoyed the journey.  We get to know all of the characters a little better and investigate Vlad's vampiric abilities right along with Vlad.  Now that Vlad is developing his telepathic skills, we also get a peek into the minds of the characters around him.  I love Otis and it was wonderful to meet more of Brewer's brand of vampires, especially ones that aren't out to kill Vlad.

Vlad has been living around humans so long that he is reluctant to use his abilities.  While I can understand that in regards to friends and family, I cannot understand his reluctance to use them to protect himself.  He needs to be able to protect himself from the bullies, yes, but he also needs to keep from being discovered.  I'm sure Ms. Brewer will be addressing this in the books to follow, but I was starting to get a little frustrated with Vlad on this point.

As with Whedon's world, you have to have a certain sense of humor to appreciate Brewer's writing.  Needless to say, I fit the bill.  I think this series is a hoot and a great read for parents and kids together or solo.  I am looking forward to Tenth Grade Bleeds.

Final Take:  3.5/5

Julie's Review: Absolutely, Positively

Summary: “Exposed” by a Boston Herald reporter, Lucy is suddenly the talk of the town. Long back-story short: Even though the rest of her Valentine ancestors were blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, Lucy’s only special power lies in her ability to find things. This skill has proven quite a blessing for those who come to her matchmaking agency in search of finding their long-lost loves. Now that Lucy’s secret is out, she has more new clients than she knows what to do with. But soon a certain man of mystery steals Lucy’s spotlight. No, it’s not Sean Donahue, the sexy fireman-turned-private-eye who’s stolen Lucy’s heart. It’s a masked man in a cowboy hat, dubbed “The Lone Ranger,” who’s been throwing handfuls of cash across the Common. Now all of Beantown’s abuzz. Can Lucy unmask the mysterious money man, track down all her clients’ old flames, and turn up the heat on her love life? Absolutely, positively. ~amazon.com

Review: Usually I don't read the same author this close together but I just adore these Lucy Valentine adventures. So, Absolutely, Positively didn't stay on my TBR pile for very long.

What I like about these novels is that in the first 50 or so pages, Ms. Webber puts the history of Lucy interwoven into the current story. That way if this is the first Lucy adventure you are reading, you understand her backstory and if you are an avid reader, you get a refresher. Lucy has three mysteries to investigate in Absolutely, Positively. The first one is attached to her division of Valentine, Inc, Lost Loves. Meghan was a foster child who fell in love with another foster kid and due to circumstances beyond their control, they were separated. Now Meghan is asking Lucy for her help in locating Tristan. There's also the mysterious Lone Ranger, who's in the common throwing money around like it's going out of style. The last one is the case of Mac Gladstone, who mysteriously went missing while walking his dog Rufus.

As with all her Lost Love cases, Preston Bailey is along for the ride as roving reporter for South Shore newspaper but somehow Preston always ends up in the middle of things. It's no different when they start looking to Tristan Rourke for Meghan. Of course, Tristan is a bit of a slippery character and Lucy starts having her doubts. In the meantime, Sean and her investigate the disappearance of Mac Gladstone and his son-in-law Rick Hayes becomes the lead suspect, in Lucy's eyes. He's a down on his luck rock star, whom is also broke and Mac is loaded.

This time somehow one of Lucy's cases has the FBI trailing her and Sean's every move. What did she get mixed up in this time? Will she find her way out of it?

We also get more visions of Lucy and Sean and their future. Lucy is starting to deal with her fears about being in love with Sean. And while most of them revolve around her family's curse but some of it is because of Sean's health. She is closer to learning to trust herself and her heart, but she still has a way to go.

Since nothing is resolved at the end of the book, I am hoping that we see Lucy very soon. I know I will miss her in the interim.

Ms. Webber has a very likable heroine in Lucy Valentine and the other cast of characters. I can't wait to read them all again. :)

Final Take: 4.75/5

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Harley McCutchen for winning a copy of The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern.

Please send Alice your mailing address so we can have the publisher get the book out to you ASAP.

As always, Girls Just Reading used Random.org to generate the winner.

Jenn's Review: The Iron King

Summary: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school… or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face… and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:  With the third book in the Iron Fae series, The Iron Queen, hitting the shelves last week, and rave reviews from fellow bloggers, I decided to give the series a try. The Iron King is Narnia meets Midsummer's Nights Dream, and while I love Shakespeare, I have only ever been able to get through C. S. Lewis on screen.

Needless to say, it took me a while to warm up to this one, and Meghan in particular. It isn't that Meghan is unlikeable... But I just couldn't seem to form an attachment to her of any kind. Perhaps that is due to the fact that before we really know her, we are plunged into Nevernever, the land of the fae, where there is so much chaos.

Julie Kagawa has an incredibly vivid imagination and her creation is filled with all manner of mythical beasts. As with Lewis, I think I would have been better off viewing it all on screen for it was far more than my imagination could take in. —Though I would never fault an author for the limitations of my own mind. But because of it, it wasn't until she reached the Unseelie or Winter Court, almost halfway through the book, that I really started to engage with the story. And more than anything, the change of interest was due to character development. Although, it was not Meghan's character that captured me, but her guides', Ash and Puck, from separate courts with a lifelong feud. Up until then, it was mainly Meghan's other guide, Grimalkin the cat/cait sithe that pulled me through the story.

Once I was engaged with the story it became much more enjoyable. The story began to take shape and even surprised me a few times. The denouement was a little too rapid, in my opinion, falling just short of abrupt. With many things unresolved, I'm sure it dovetails nicely into the next book in the series, The Iron Daughter.

I am still rather ambivalent towards Meghan as a character; she's honest and true to herself, though rather impulsive. However, I'm more interested in the surrounding cast.  I will continue reading this series, because I would like a resolution to some of the other story lines, and even though it was a rocky start for me, I really was beginning to enjoy it. If you are a fan of Narnia, then these books are definitely for you. If not, you may grow to like it as I did.

Final Take: 3.75/5

Julie's Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Summary: If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Stein's third novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift as he pursues success on the track and off. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter, Zoë, and risks his savings and his life to make it on the professional racing circuit. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny's old racing videos, coins koanlike aphorisms that apply to both driving and life, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man. When Denny hits an extended rough patch, Enzo remains his most steadfast if silent supporter. Enzo is a reliable companion and a likable enough narrator, though the string of Denny's bad luck stories strains believability. Much like Denny, however, Stein is able to salvage some dignity from the over-the-top drama. ~Amazon.com

Review: I am so late to the game on this book, since the blogging world was all a buzz with this about a year ago. The Art of Racing in the Rain is definitely a book for someone who loves dogs, has had a dog or has a dog.

I loved how Mr. Stein did write the novel from a dog's point of view. It was an intriguing look at this family's life through their dog, who was so much an important part of their lives. The story starts out with Enzo at the end of his life, and then is told in flashbacks. We are with him when Denny comes to pick him out of the litter and with him in the end.

I'm definitely not a race fan but I don't think you need to be to enjoy the story. Sure it's full of racing metaphors but I think that they are cliche enough for us lay people to understand. I loved the relationship that Enzo develops with Eve and Zoe. At first he is wary of Eve because of her taking Denny's attention from him but eventually he learns to love Eve. Besides Denny, Zoe is the one that Enzo adores. He vows to protect her and that he does. He is there for her whenever she needs him.

In the end, the book is about family and what we will do for the ones we love. How we will move heaven and earth for them, even if it breaks us.

As Americans we tend to humanize our pets; so Mr Stein just took that idea and capitalized on it. He put into words with Enzo what many dog owners think. Most other cultures think we are a bit strange with this line of thinking. I think it's just our way of bonding with another member of our family.

While I really enjoyed the book, it didn't blow me away. If you are looking for an interesting take on family and racing, The Art of Racing in the Rain is for you.

Final Take: 3.75/5

This was part of the What's in a Name #4 Challenge.