Alice's Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Series: None
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 352
Obtained: Purchases
Genre:  Young Adult
Rating: 5
Bottom Line: A tear-jerking powerhouse.
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Summary:  Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.  ~powells.com

Review:  Some reviews are easy to write, some a bit more difficult. This is one of the more difficult ones. This is hands down the best book I read this year. From the wonderful characters to the compelling story line to the great adventures the character’s experience, The Fault in Our Stars is perfect in everyway. The reason this is difficult is because I don’t know what to say to fully express how much I loved this novel and how this is a must read for everyone. It really doesn’t matter who you are or what your favorite genre is, this novel is wonderful. I believe the only readers who may struggle with this are those personally affected by the loss of a child to a cancer. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to experience that kind of loss again. That feeling of loss is what John Green masters. The Fault in Our Stars is so well written, I felt I knew Hazel and Augustus personally. They were not two literary characters, but two teenagers falling in love in the most tragic circumstances. Their story was deeply moving and so personal.

I just loved Hazel. Her courage was inspiring. She was everything a person should be when facing such tragedy. I am always amazed how well a man can capture such a strong, fascinating female character and Mr. Green does just that. Here is someone who has owned who she is without letting her illness define her. She’s brilliant. And Augustus...talk about a guy with many layers. On the surface, he is a happy go lucky guy without a care in the world. As Hazel gets to know him, we see he is much more than that. I loved how he reveals his true character to Hazel.

I loved how Mr. Green used humor throughout the novel. I loved how there were many funny moments, injected at the perfect time to diffuse grief. I loved how he give us a peek at what Hazel and Augustus’ parents were feeling. We understood what they were going through however, Mr. Green never fully shifted the focus to them. I think we truly saw them as Hazel and Augustus saw them. I especially believe that to be true with Hazel’s parents.

Overall, I know I’m just adding to the list of glowing reviews for this wonderful novel. This is one you can’t pass up.

Total Love Count: 6

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Jenn's Review: Under the Egg

Author: Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Series: none
Publication Date: March 18, 2014
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 247
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Middle Grade Mystery, Art History
Rating: 3.75
Bottom Line: Monument Men for Middle Grade
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Blurb:  When Theodora Tenpenny spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting, she discovers what seems to be an old Renaissance masterpiece underneath. That’s great news for Theo, who’s struggling to hang onto her family’s two-hundred-year-old townhouse and support her unstable mother on her grandfather’s legacy of $463. There’s just one problem: Theo’s grandfather was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she worries the painting may be stolen.

With the help of some unusual new friends, Theo's search for answers takes her all around Manhattan, and introduces her to a side of the city—and her grandfather—that she never knew. To solve the mystery, she'll have to abandon her hard-won self-reliance and build a community, one serendipitous friendship at a time.

Review:  Laura Marx Fitzgerald has written an excellent debut Middle Grade novel.  I was intrigued by the concept of Under the Egg when it was presented to me.  I enjoy reading WWII history so it couldn't have been a better fit, actually.

I was a little concerned at the outset about the subject matter fitting into Middle Grade, but I needn't have been.  Ms. Fitzgerald does an excellent job giving enough information to make it accessible, without things getting too heavy.  I think Under the Egg might be more interesting to children who have at least a cursory knowledge of WWII, but the novel brings enough to the table that it is not required.  Although the plot was wrapped up overly neat, I think it was a fitting end.

Theo is an appealing heroine.  While I understand the reasoning behind making her stiuation dire, I'm not sure that it had to be quite as severe as it is written.  It seemed overly harsh.  I enjoyed her unlikely friendship with  Bodhi and how the two work well together; it's obvious that they need each other.  Ms. Fitzgerald wrote characters I would love to see again (It would be fascinating to revisit Theo all grown up!) and I think that, above all, is what makes this such a wonderful novel.

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Julie's Review: He's Gone

Author: Deb Caletti
Series: None
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 352
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction,Mystery
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Wow!
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: “What do you think happened to your husband, Mrs. Keller?” The Sunday morning starts like any other, aside from the slight hangover. Dani Keller wakes up on her Seattle houseboat, a headache building behind her eyes from the wine she drank at a party the night before. But on this particular Sunday morning, she’s surprised to see that her husband, Ian, is not home. As the hours pass, Dani fills her day with small things. But still, Ian does not return. Irritation shifts to worry, worry slides almost imperceptibly into panic. And then, like a relentless blackness, the terrible realization hits Dani: He’s gone. As the police work methodically through all the logical explanations — he’s hurt, he’s run off, he’s been killed — Dani searches frantically for a clue as to whether Ian is in fact dead or alive. And, slowly, she unpacks their relationship, holding each moment up to the light: from its intense, adulterous beginning, to the grandeur of their new love, to the difficulties of forever. She examines all the sins she can — and cannot — remember. As the days pass, Dani will plumb the depths of her conscience, turning over and revealing the darkest of her secrets in order to discover the hard truth — about herself, her husband, and their lives together. ~powells.com

Review: He's Gone is such a thrilling ride. I savoured every page and yet I couldn't wait to get to the end of this book purely because I needed resolution, just like Dani. This book is so layered. It is a mystery, a love story, a psychological thriller and a study of marriage/fidelity. It is not a simple story. It is complex like Dani. It shows the different sides of a woman as she goes through the anger, grief and relief. We get into Dani's head as she examines every nook and cranny of her relationship/marriage with Ian. It isn't pretty. It shows the dark side of life and of some marriages.

Dani needed to be rescued from her marriage but what she doesn't realize is that she is the one that needed to do the rescuing. I really wavered back and forth on all different scenarios. There was a point that I really doubted Dani and her sanity. I felt she was going crazy. I couldn't decide if the blackout was real or if it was just something she was saying because she was guilty.

Ian is not a nice guy. He is the master of manipulation and feeling sorry for himself. At some point your upbringing needs to stop being an excuse for how you act. Your life and your behavior is in your hands. He was never going to be happy with anyone because he wasn't happy with himself. He might not have physically abused Dani but he certainly verbally and emotionally did.

I'm so happy that Alice put this on my List this year, otherwise I probably would have passed on this fantastic novel!

Alice's Review

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Children's Corner: Heidi Heckelbeck

 So this summer since my daughter is now reading, Mo Willems by herself, I've started looking for chapter books that my husband and I can read to her that she can graduate to reading herself by the end of the upcoming school year.

We have and Ivy and Bean collection, but sometimes they are still a little much for my daughter on a difficulty level; it will take longer for her to grow into them.  We discovered Heidi Heckelbeck by chance and we've been enjoying her immensely.  Whereas Ivy & Bean chapters can run a little long, I find Heidi Heckelbeck's to be the perfect length ...and just like Ivy and Bean, the subject matter is intriguing for a six year old without being drab for mom and dad. What I love about Wanda Coven's writing is that she manages to get a hook into every chapter that pulls you to the next, and for a blooming reader, I think that's really important.  These books are going to propel my daughter into reading more and I love them for it!  The Heidi Heckelbeck books are gold!!!

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Jenn's Review: City of Heavenly Fire

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #6
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 725
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  YA Paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: The perfect ending to a beloved series
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab the whole series!

Blurb:  In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

Review:  I finished City of Heavenly Fire  over two weeks ago, but I haven't been able to let it go; I gasped and laughed and cried my way through it.  It was magnificent.  I've been re-reading little bits of it here and there, trying to soak it all in.  Plus writing a review makes it feel so final and these are characters to whom I hate to say goodbye.

The novel is monstrously long but never once does it feel like it.  Cassandra Clare doesn't waste a line or a word.  Ms. Clare is a master of understanding relationships and writing people and she proves it time and again.  As a reader I'm beyond committed to these relationships and friendships.  It is amazing how far everyone has come. There are so many wonderful moments between all the characters -too many to recount- and I love Cassandra Clare for including them all.  It seems incredible that it was only a novel ago everything was hurtling out of control for them.  Of course things are still out of control in the shadow hunter world, but all that Clary, Jace, Izzy, Alec, and Simon have been through personally to this point has made them strong, confident, and sure of themselves and each other.  They have truly come of age.  Though the end is near and uncertain, they are ready to face it, together.

Cassandra Clare exceeded my imagination.  Again.  I don't know what I expected for the ending, but it wasn't this.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending, it just wasn't the one I thought it would be.  (Honestly, I thought there'd be far more destruction and more deaths... I'm thrilled that there wasn't, of course, but a little amazed as well.)  Though there is an appropriate amount of closure for our heroes, The Clave is still in dire need of change and I hope that this will be the generation of Shadowhunters to make it happen.  

The only thing I would have wished for was more Jem and Tessa.  I understand why there wasn't; it's not their story, but I wanted so much for Jace to learn his lineage.  Along with the inclusion of Jem and Tessa we get the fabulous tie in to the Carstairs branch of the family in such a way that makes the addition of new characters, welcome and familiar.  As the book closes on the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute, the window opens to the Los Angeles institute to the story of Jules and Emma.  It is also a beautiful introduction to The Dark Artifices which is set to come out in the fall of 2015.  I hope that some of the Mortal Instruments characters will visit the Dark Artifices characters...

Honestly, I could gush forever about this entire series, let alone this final novel, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.  All of her novels are on my list of all time favorites that I recommend to anyone and everyone.

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Julie's Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands

Author: Chris Bohjalian
Series: None
Publication Date: July 8, 2014
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Pages: 288
Obtained: Vine
Genre:  Contemporary
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A heartbreaking and harrowing story about a young girl who is lost in more than one way.
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is the story of Emily Shepard, a homeless teen living in an igloo made of ice and trash bags filled with frozen leaves. Half a year earlier, a nuclear plant in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom had experienced a cataclysmic meltdown, and both of Emily's parents were killed. Devastatingly, her father was in charge of the plant, and the meltdown may have been his fault. Was he drunk when it happened? Thousands of people are forced to flee their homes in the Kingdom; rivers and forests are destroyed; and Emily feels certain that as the daughter of the most hated man in America, she is in danger. So instead of following the social workers and her classmates after the meltdown, Emily takes off on her own for Burlington, where she survives by stealing, sleeping on the floor of a drug dealer's apartment, and inventing a new identity for herself — an identity inspired by her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson. When Emily befriends a young homeless boy named Cameron, she protects him with a ferocity she didn't know she had. But she still can't outrun her past, can't escape her grief, can't hide forever—and so she comes up with the only plan that she can. A story of loss, adventure, and the search for friendship in the wake of catastrophe, Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is one of Chris Bohjalian’s finest novels to date—breathtaking, wise, and utterly transporting. ~powells.com

Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is a wonderful novel about what it takes to survive after a catastrophe and how one event can change the course of your life. Our narrator, Emily is a little unstable and for me that made her seemingly honest, but I have been tricked brilliantly before by Mr. Bohjalian, so I was cautious. There are so many nuances about this novel that I loved. I kept waiting for another shoe to drop, another hint to what was ahead for Emily. Normally a scattered timeline would drive me nuts but it worked so well with this story. It highlighted Emily's issues and perhaps maybe was supposed to give us some hints into the direction of the novel. Emily's situation breaks your heart about 50x over. Sure it breaks for the other people of the Northeast Kingdom but Emily's story is our focus.

Emily wasn't the perfect kid, she was a troublemaker, she was a slacker and not living up to her potential. It was obvious that she was trying but failing to not only get her parents attention but to perhaps try to save them. It is Emily's attachment to Cameron that will break your heart. It is her need to love someone and to be loved that is so essential to all of us. No matter how crappy her parents were at times, she knew she was loved by them and yes she loved them. Clinging to Cameron was her way of trying to restore herself.

Mr. Bohjalian is never one to shy away from social issues and in this one he tackles a few of them: mental illness, nuclear power and homelessness. Each one of these was meticulously researched and woven into the story seamlessly. I never felt that he was pushing his views on me as a reader.

I rarely say this but Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is the perfect book club novel. It is layered, it is just the right amount of complex and it makes you think. Truly think about how you would react in a catastrophe. Could you handle it mentally? Physically? Emotionally?

I have been a huge fan of Mr. Bohjalian since reading The Double Bind and he doesn't disappoint this loyal fan with his latest.


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