Jenn's Review: The Titan's Curse

Summary:  When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared—a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.  ~product summary

Review:  I have held off of reading The Titan's Curse because Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series always sucks me in for more than one adventure. The danger of course, is holding off too long and forgetting where you are in all the Greek myths. Luckily, Percy isn't as well versed as he should be in his myths, so the other characters constantly have to explain things for all of us.

Titan's Curse is action packed and hard to put down. It starts with a simple recon and retrieval mission that goes terribly wrong. Percy has some tough decisions to make, and for the most part, he does well and keeps a cool head. He's grown as a demi-god so much in such a short time. But decisions are getting complicated as the lines between right and wrong become blurry, as they often do just prior to an all out war. And on top of it all, Percy needs to sort out his normal teenage feelings for Annabeth... even if those feelings are forbidden.

This one was cover to cover action... it rarely let up.  Between that and the situation, it felt like it was missing a little of the relationship dynamics, but really, that's the only fault I have with it.  The new (and new-old) character's introduced were fascinating and well developed.  I wanted to spend more time getting to know all of them.  There were some bits that were laugh out loud funny, and lots of Rick Riordan's trademark witticism in the dialogue.  Whereas this series gets a lot of play for being a great boy's series, and it is, I think it's also fair to point out that there are many strong women and girls in the series making it equally accessible to girls who crave action and adventure.

Once again, Rick Riordan has done it again, throwing in a classic grabbing twist at the end that is all too compelling. I must read the next book in the series, The Battle of the Labyrinth, because I can't wait to find out where Percy and the rest of the Half-Bloods go from here.

Final Take:  4/5

Jenn's Review: The Winds of War

Summary:  A Masterpiece of Historical Fiction-The Great Novel of America's "Greatest Generation" Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II, which begins with The Winds of War and continues in War and Remembrance, stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events-and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II-as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.


Review:  When I think historical fiction, this is the standard to which I compare it.  This is one of my favorite mini-series of all time, so it's no wonder I adore the novel.  


The story covers the period from 1939 right through the bombing of Pearl Harbor with incredible attention to historical details.  It follows the struggles of the Henry family, a naval family, across continents and through life in a constant state of upheaval.  I love the relationships in the novel and all the characters, though on occasionally I would forget a name or two, it never took me long to get up to speed.  Herman Wouk was a screen writer before he became a published author, so, as so rarely happens, he wrote his own script for the miniseries...  it may be the most literal translation of book to screen I have ever seen, and that makes me love it all the more.


 There are several rather heavy passages that discuss the world events as they occur, and I won't pretend I didn't skim them a little when I started to get tired.  I think they come off better in the mini-series where they were able to cut actual clips into the re-enacted moments.  However, I still marvel at the detail and research in this novel.  Following this families story really makes the history come a live, and frankly, if more history was taught this way, no one would ever loose interest.  


This story is perfect for the WWII buff and those who enjoy realistic familial stories.  I look forward to having the time to jump into War and Remembrance, for though it is the most difficult part of the story emotionally, and historically, it is also the most rewarding. 

Julie's Review: The Land of Decoration

Summary: A mesmerizing debut about a young girl whose steadfast belief and imagination bring everything she once held dear into treacherous balance. In Grace McCleen's harrowing, powerful debut, she introduces an unforgettable heroine in ten-year-old Judith McPherson, a young believer who sees the world with the clear Eyes of Faith. Persecuted at school for her beliefs and struggling with her distant, devout father at home, young Judith finds solace and connection in a model in miniature of the Promised Land that she has constructed in her room from collected discarded scraps—the Land of Decoration. Where others might see rubbish, Judith sees possibility and divinity in even the strangest traces left behind. As ominous forces disrupt the peace in her and Father's modest lives—a strike threatens her father's factory job, and the taunting at school slips into dangerous territory—Judith makes a miracle in the Land of Decoration that solidifies her blossoming convictions. She is God's chosen instrument. But the heady consequences of her new found power are difficult to control and may threaten the very foundations of her world. With its intensely taut storytelling and crystalline prose, The Land of Decoration is a gripping, psychologically complex story of good and evil, belonging and isolation, which casts new and startling light on how far we'll go to protect the things we love most. ~amazon.com

Review: I really don't know what to make or think of The Land of Decoration. I found Judith to be a little eccentric for 10 years old and perhaps too wise for her own good. She carries around tremendous guilt. Guilt that her mother died, guilt that it was her fault, guilt over her father's sadness. Judith is picked on by a boy, Neil, who tells her that on Monday she better know how to hold her breath because her head will be in a toilet.

That weekend she meets a man at her church meeting and he tells her about the power of miracles. Judith begins to pray for and then make snow. It snows so much that she doesn't have to go to school. Therefore, avoiding getting her head swirled in a toilet. You know the saying "Be Careful what you wish for?", well someone should have informed Judith of this and change wish to pray. By making small miracles, Judith changes the lay of the land and she alters the future. At 10, she doesn't quite grasp the concept that small things lead to bigger things and it gets out of control.

Throughout the novel I had to wonder if Judith was just having a dream, a hallucination or if all of this was really happening. It was that kind of writing that kept me wondering until the very end of the novel. I was also left wondering for most of the novel where and what time period this story takes place in. I enjoyed the fact that I couldn't figure it out, which for me meant that the story spanned time. Perhaps that's because of the way the book is written. You get so wrapped up in Judith's world that you don't need to know the place. Ms. McCleen transports you to a world in which the belief in God and the Armageddon is so strong that it outweighs living in the present. Which led me to think, how can that be healthy for a 10 year old girl? How can that be healthy for anyone?

I'm not sure how the very last chapter fit into the book but could only think that it had to be related to her mother and father's relationship and the story Judith told in the course of the novel. Things are slowly revealed about her parents and about her relationship with her father. There are some great little nuggets of wisdom in this book:

"I think people don't believe in things because they are afraid. Believing something means you could be wrong, and if you're wrong you can get hurt." - page 46

"Evidence isn't all there is to believing, and neither is being able to explain it. Even if people can't explain something - like seeing a ghost or being healed - once they have experienced it, they believe it,----though they might have spend their whole life saying it was nonsense. Which means that people who say something is impossible have probably just never experienced it." - page 48

In the end, I'm sending this to Alice because I think it's more up her alley than it is up mine. Plus I want to have someone to discuss it with eventually. Even if I have to refresh my memory of it.

Final Take: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC copy of the book.

Children's Corner: Pink Me Up

Ok, this one was taken out of the library, because, well, my four year old daughter 'pinks up' all the time.  Could this be too much pink?  (Kidlet would tell me there is no such thing.)  I must say, there is a lot of pink, but it's taken with a grain of salt and a sense of humor.

Violet is all excited to attend the Pink Girls Pink-nic with mama today.  She has both of their outfits picked out and ready to go, but when mama wakes up, she is covered in pink spots... not the kind of pink that you can take to any type of picnic.  Violet is distraught, but mama says Violet can still go with someone else... Daddy.  Violet very seriously tells Daddy. "Daddy, you're a boy, and it's a pink girl party.  Boys are NOT pink!"  But Daddy thinks boys can be pink, at least he's willing to try.  Thus begins an amusing process of pink-ifying Daddy.

This is a cute read and a great book for girls who love pink... and fathers who love their pink-loving little girls.  There is a lot of backlash out there about everything for girls being pink, and truly, I understand it.  I'm not much of a pink fan... but I love it on my little girl, and she loves to wear it, and I see nothing wrong with that.  Hopefully no creative pink-ification goes on without permission, though!

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Felecia for winning our copy of Charmfall by Chloe Neill!

You should have an email waiting for you.

As always GJR used Random.org to generate the winner.

Thanks to all for entering!

Alice's Review: The Murderer's Daughters

Summary:  Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He's always hungered for the love of the girls’ self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly.  Lulu had been warned to never to let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself.  Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned by their mother’s death and father’s imprisonment, but the girls’ relatives refuse to care for them and abandon them to a terrifying group home. Even as they plot to be taken in by a well-to-do family, they come to learn they’ll never really belong anywhere or to anyone—that all they have to hold onto is each other.  For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her life pretending he's dead, while the other feels compelled, by fear, by duty, to keep him close. Both dread the day his attempts to win parole may meet success.  A beautifully written, compulsively readable debut, The Murderer's Daughters is a testament to the power of family and the ties that bind us together and tear us apart. ~amazon.com


Review:  I could probably sum up this review in five words or less:

The Murderer’s Daughters is marvelous!!

Go buy it and read it immediately.  Seriously.  I remember when Julie told me about this novel (Julie's review), the plot intrigued me because it was about sisters and a subject matter I couldn’t fathom.  When she included it in our challenge, I looked forward to reading it.   

There are many great things in this novel.  Ms. Meyers gave us two strong female characters.  I liked each sister equally, appreciated what they went through and how they developed into the woman they become.  I loved how Ms. Meyers took us through their lives, from the traumatic incident through adulthood.  I was enthralled by the great detail she employed in describing the emotional journey the sisters took. 

I loved that The Murderer’s Daughters is written through both Lulu and Merry’s points of view.  It was fascinating hearing in their own words how their mother’s death affected them.  I especially enjoyed when they spoke to each other, knowing they were at times holding something back.  I loved that Ms. Meyers held true to the characters throughout the novel.  She didn’t alter their core to fit the story. They moved through the novel as we do through life, taking what is handed to us and making something of it.

One of the greatest surprises for me was how I felt about their father.  I flat out hated him in the beginning and I was surprised by how my view of him changed throughout the novel.  I’m far from cheering for him, but I did gain a reverence for him with the actions he took in his rehabilitation.

I will leave you with this.  This isn’t a brand new saying, I’m sure we have all heard it before in many different way.  However, this resonated deeply with me this time around and like The Murderer’s Daughters, it will stay with me for seasons to come. 

“Then I’d calm down and remind myself for everything there is a season.  This was my healing season.  Eventually the leaves would all fall and new leaves would grow back.”  ~Merry

Final Take: 5/5