Weekly Recap - March 30-April 5, 2014

Here's what I blogged about over the last seven days:

Sunday - I posted the contents of my "mailbox".  I got two new books this week.  One of them is in French; it's been a while since I read anything in French!  The other book is a novel in verse; I'm looking forward to reading another one of those.

Tuesday - For the Top Ten Tuesday meme I listed the 10 "gateway" books in my reading journey.

Thursday - I reviewed Unearthly by Cynthia Hand and gave it 2 ladybugs.

Review - Unearthly

Unearthly (Unearthly #1)
by Cynthia Hand
Date: 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Reading level: YA
Book type: prose novel
Pages: 453
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon.ca

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees...

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I knew that Unearthly was the first book in a series when I went into it, but that didn't stop me from being pretty disappointed after I turned the final page.  For me, a good series of books has installments that can, more or less, stand on their own.  Of course there need to be some bits of mystery left unresolved to entice the reader on to the next book.  But in the case of this book, there was no balance; there simply wasn't enough plot in Unearthly to make up for all the loose ends that were left hanging at the end.

While I don't have a problem with the basic premise of the story (a girl who's part angel has to figure out how to fulfill her heavenly purpose), I thought the actual execution was a bit lacking.  The main issue is that the book was really light on plot.  I mean, really light.  Aside from a rather silly love triangle, Clara waxing poetic about the physical attributes of the two main love interests, and some boring high school stuff, not much happens... especially in the first half of the book.  In fact, I was past the halfway point when something interesting actually happened... or, really, when something interesting was foreshadowed.  The foreshadowing played out later in an event that was so poorly explained that it seemed tacked-on and contrived.  I assume that aspect of the story will be expanded upon in the next book(s).

As for the characters...  Let's just say that this book made me feel like I'm way too old for YA fiction.  I could not relate to Clara at all.  Her fixation on the looks of the two love interests (who are, of course, both perfect physical specimens of manhood at seventeen) was superficial and annoying.  I took to calling Tucker "the walking dimple" in my head as I read the book, because that feature was mentioned ad nauseum by Clara.  I found it annoying that she managed to reduce what was otherwise a really nice guy character into a small collection of physical traits.  As for Christian, I just didn't get what Clara saw in him.  Yes, he was the boy from her vision... but he was pretty much a Gary Stu.  Which is, I guess, appropriate, since Clara herself is one of the biggest Mary Sues I've encountered in a while.  By her very nature, she's good at almost everything, and stunningly beautiful, to boot.  Boring.  She doesn't even seem sure of how she wants to feel about things; so many of her reactions seemed surprising to me, inexplicable or out of place considering the situation.

When I was more than halfway through, and not much was happening, I started to get bored.  And when I get bored, I start to notice all sorts of errors and various other things that make me go, "Hmm?"  I'm still trying to figure out how Clara kept staring at the dimple in Tucker's left cheek as he drove.  They were in Wyoming... not England.

On the plus side, the cover is pretty and actually makes sense.  The mountains and trees reflect the setting, and the monochrome palette may be a nod to one particular scene.  The dress the girl is wearing is featured in the book (it looks like Clara's prom dress), so it's not just one of those "girl-wearing-a-pretty-dress-for-no-reason-whatsoever" covers.  I also thought the chapter titles were pretty cute; they were sort of lighthearted and it was nice to see something other than simple numbered chapters.

I can't say that I really enjoyed this one.  However, it wasn't totally awful, and if you're the type of reader who's really into series and doesn't mind having to wait through a few books before getting some answers, you might get some enjoyment out of Unearthly.  Personally, though, I think I'm done with this particular angel series.

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Pace: 2/5
Writing: 3/5
Editing: 3/5
Originality: 2/5
Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.43 out of 5

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten "Gateway" Books/Authors In My Reading Journey

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top Ten "Gateway" Books/Authors In My Reading Journey.  I've always been a reader, so it's not that any one book or author was responsible for getting me into the library and cracking some spines.  However, there are some books and authors who got me out of reading slumps or encouraged me to try something different:

Books:

The Ten O'Clock Club by Carol Beach York - This was the first chapter book that I read by myself.  It was sort of my graduation into the world of novels from picture books.  To be honest, I remember nothing about it... but I read it decades ago, so that's understandable.

The Norby Chronicles by Janet and Isaac Asimov - These books were my first exposure to science fiction.  I think I read them when I was around 9 or 10.  Before that, most of what I'd read had been contemporary fiction.  These books showed me that science fiction could be pretty cool (and I probably wouldn't have read books like Ender's Game if I hadn't gotten a start with Norby).

Wren to the Rescue by Sherwood Smith - I read this book when I was about 13.  As far as I can recall, it was my first exposure to high fantasy (at least, it was the first exposure that had a real effect on me).  I'd never known that fantasy could be so amazing and imaginative.  It inspired me to try to write my own novels (none of which went anywhere, unfortunately).

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - I didn't read an awful lot in high school.  There was too much assigned reading, and too much of it I didn't particularly like.  I had to read Jane Eyre in my first year of university.  I didn't think I'd like it; I assumed it would be another boring classic.  But, to my surprise, I loved it.  After that, I kind of went on a classics kick, reading books I thought I would enjoy (rather than those that were assigned).

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - After having read (and been bored by) A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet (in high school) and Hamlet (again... in university), I was about ready to say bye-bye to the Bard.  But then I decided to try reading Much Ado About Nothing.  I'd really enjoyed the movie, so I thought I could probably get through the book.  I loved it.  After that, I read The Tempest for no reason at all, other than that I wanted to.  I enjoyed it as well.  Maybe if the schools didn't pick the dullest Shakespeare plays to teach, they wouldn't turn so many kids off.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai - This was the book that introduced me to novels in verse.  Before reading this one, I was only vaguely aware that such novels existed, and I wasn't sure they were even my thing.  But I haven't been able to get enough of them since.

Authors:

Beatrix Potter - When I was really little, we always had Beatrix Potter books around... which is kind of funny, because we didn't actually own any (that I can recall).  But we borrowed well-used copies from the library many, many times.  My early childhood is filled with memories of talking rabbits, foxes, and hedgehogs... thanks to this wonderfully imaginative author.

Beverly Cleary - Her books were some of the first ones I read on my own.  My favourites were those about Ramona Quimby (though I did read a number of the others).  My first experience of staying up late to finish a book came with Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

Nick Bantock - His books are about visual stimulation as much as they are about reading.  Griffin & Sabine is a unique reading experience (and one that's not readily reproducible with an e-book).  At the time those books came out, they were pretty different.  I hadn't realized that a book could be like that, and that the reading experience could be so immersive and yet so low-tech at the same time.

Diana Wynne Jones - She's probably the closest thing to a "favourite author" I've ever had (based on the number of her books that I've liked).  Her books probably did more to introduce me to the concept of fairytale and myth re-tellings than any other author.  Fire and Hemlock is still one of my all-time favourites.

In My Mailbox (60)

Bought from Amazon.ca:

Le Petit Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Je demande pardon aux enfants d'avoir dédié ce livre à une grande personne. J'ai une excuse sérieuse : cette grande personne est le meilleur ami que j'ai au monde. J'ai une autre excuse : cette grande personne peut tout comprendre, même les livres pour enfants. J'ai une troisième excuse : cette grande personne habite la France où elle a faim et froid. Elle a besoin d'être consolée. Si toutes ces excuses ne suffisent pas, je veux bien dédier ce livre à l'enfant qu'a été autrefois cette grande personne. Toutes les grandes personnes ont d'abord été des enfants. (Mais peu d'entre elles s'en souviennent.) C'est un plaisir de publier cette nouvelle, de haute qualité, et l'édition à prix abordable de cette histoire intemporelle.

Bought from Kobo:

The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist
by Margarita Engle

“I find it so easy to forget / that I’m just a girl who is expected / to live / without thoughts.” Opposing slavery in Cuba in the nineteenth century was dangerous. The most daring abolitionists were poets who veiled their work in metaphor. Of these, the boldest was Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, nicknamed Tula. In passionate, accessible verses of her own, Engle evokes the voice of this book-loving feminist and abolitionist who bravely resisted an arranged marriage at the age of fourteen, and was ultimately courageous enough to fight against injustice. Historical notes, excerpts, and source notes round out this exceptional tribute.

What was in your "mailbox" this week?


In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Weekly Recap - March 23-March 29, 2014

Here's what I blogged about over the last seven days:

Tuesday - For the Top Ten Tuesday meme I listed the 10 books that I want to read this spring.

Wednesday - I reviewed Sonya Hartnett's Surrender and gave it 4 ladybugs.

I also redid the theme of my blog (which included replacing many of the graphics in previous posts so that everything would look pretty).  Whew!  I don't think I'm going to change things again for a while.

Review - Surrender

Surrender
by Sonya Hartnett
Date: 2005
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Reading level: YA
Book type: prose novel
Pages: 153
Format: e-book
Source: Kobo

As life slips away, Gabriel looks back over his brief twenty years, which have been clouded by frustration and humiliation. A small, unforgiving town and distant, punitive parents ensure that he is never allowed to forget the horrific mistake he made as a child. He has only two friends—his dog, Surrender, and the unruly wild boy, Finnigan, a shadowy doppelganger with whom the meek Gabriel once made a boyhood pact. But when a series of arson attacks grips the town, Gabriel realizes how unpredictable and dangerous Finnigan is. As events begin to spiral violently out of control, it becomes devastatingly clear that only the most extreme measures will rid Gabriel of Finnigan for good.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Reading this book was a strange experience.  I haven't read a story in quite a while that kept me guessing as much as this one did.  Even after finishing it, I'm still not sure what actually happened.  However, the ambiguity may be (partly) the point.

At first, Surrender reads a bit like a fictional memoir, with twenty-year-old Gabriel narrating from his sickbed.  The story starts off as a lyrical portrait of life in small-town Australia, and we quickly come to realize that poor Gabriel doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.  His parents are viewed as a bit "off" by the rest of the town and so, by extension, is their son.  Making matters worse is a tragic mistake that Gabriel made when he was a small child, the consequences of which have never left him.  For much of the book, I thought that I was reading contemporary fiction... but then certain things would happen that made me think we'd veered off into paranormal territory.  The constant question of, "What is going on here?" haunted me throughout my reading of the book.  Even at the end, when it seems like that question has been answered, the reader only has to look back to see that there are other unanswered questions... and things, once more, seem unclear.

The main character of note here is Gabriel (whose name is actually Anwell; the reasons for the pseudonym are addressed in the story).  Although the chapter points of view alternate between Gabriel and Finnigan, the bulk of the story is seen through Gabriel's eyes.  I suspected early on that Gabriel might not be the most reliable narrator, though I had no idea to what extent he was or wasn't.  Even knowing this, I still wasn't expecting what happened in the last seven pages.  Not that the twist was necessarily bad; I quite enjoyed being surprised.

As for the pace and writing of Surrender, you'll either love it or hate it.  Most of the book plods fairly slowly, in often-flowery prose.  While the writing evokes all the senses and paints a gorgeous picture of the surroundings, some readers might find it to be a bit much.  Personally, I didn't mind the writing, and the pace didn't matter so much because the book wasn't terribly long; the parts that drag soon make way for ones that move along at an uptempo pace (especially toward the latter part of the story).

Make no mistake, though: this book has some dark themes.  There are multiple deaths, some of them violent, and not all of them happen to human adults.  Some readers may find the subject matter a bit too disturbing at times.

Overall, I enjoyed Surrender, even though it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  The only thing that I can really point to as a negative is that the ambiguous ending is going to keep me thinking about this book for a while.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pace: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
Editing: 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List.  I've been purchasing quite a few (i.e., too many) discounted books since I found out about Amazon's Deals Store and the Riffle Select program.  So most of these books were $2.99 or less; I just can't say no to inexpensive books!  (These are in alphabetical order; I don't know in which order I'll read them yet!):

Backwards by Todd Mitchell

Feed by M. T. Anderson

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston