Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

My review of Carrie Ryan's novel is up at my new blog, The Prairie Library. Here's the beginning to entice you: "When you think 'zombies' what comes to mind? Do you think of the latest video game or horror movie that features some skinny chick lopping off heads? Not your thing? Not mine either. Yet, I have inadvertently read two zombie books in a row. But both are completely different and neither are what I would have expected from a zombie story..."

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

It’s hard for me to believe this book took three years before it emerged in the U.S. market. But I’m glad it’s here now. I hope it gets popular because I enjoyed this story and want to hear more about what other readers thought.

Claudia has prepared all her life to marry the prince. But as the wedding day approaches, the aloofness of her father, the Warden, and certain rumors spur Claudia to action. Questions must be answered. Finn, a cell-born without father or mother, scared and alone, is released into the world of Incarceron – a vast prison system, dark and dangerous, a great experiment gone wrong.

I totally read for plot. It usually can’t be helped but this time I became engrossed by the all the elements of plot. The exposition, setting and intro material about characters, etc, pulled me in. This is hard to accomplish. I usually can’t wait to get to the middle of a story and become worried that I’m wasting my time. There’s a lot of action and intrigue in the first few pages so I had no problem getting into it. The raising climax was nail biting. Where is the prison? How is it controlled? How is it that no one gets in or out? The climax is fairly predictable. We’re set up to know what to expect. And then, for the most part, it happens. But the resolution was great. I wasn’t sure about the prison’s location but at least one of my theories was in the ball-park. And I didn’t see the last bit coming (I don’t want to give anything away but it was a gasp moment). I am so excited I won a copy of the sequel, Sapphique (available this Dec. in the U.S.), because I am really intrigued by the futuristic society and the prison. I want to see how Claudia and Finn attempt to achieve their goals.

Let’s talk prose. Fisher uses third person narration in Incarceron and it works very well as she alternates between the two worlds. I enjoyed the “quotes” at the beginning of each chapter that were bits of Incarceron legend or the gossipy private letters between characters that are full of intrigue. This story is set in a technologically repressed future (creating a "high fantasy" feel) and a couple times I found the dialog sounds a bit too “today.” But it’s not a big deal and is probably just me being picky. However, there were some times I got lost. The descriptions can be hard to interpret. With a re-read I usually got what was going on. This is the only real drawback to this book. Nonetheless, I didn’t find they stopped me from wanting to continue. Incarceron is a fast read that reminded me of The Hunger Games. Both are fantasy set in the future, they feature a good dose of violence and action but, oddly, remain very innocent. The swearing is infrequent (mostly “bitch” and “hell”) and there are no sex scenes. I think this is a book you can give your young adult and not worry so much about content. I think the story is ok for younger readers but they may have difficulty with some of the tricky descriptions. But that doesn’t mean younger  kids (or adults) wouldn’t enjoy Incarceron. I sure did!
Publisher: Dial, 2010 (originally in G.B. in 2007)     Pages: 442
Rating: 4.5 Stars     Recommended Age: 13 and up    Source: IC Public Library

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Let me begin by saying Tithe has some really strong points as well as some really low points. This is perhaps why I am having difficulty writing a review.

A part of me enjoyed the story. Kaye, a sixteen-year-old girl, finds out she is really a changeling – a pixie that looks human – and is thrown into the middle of a courtly feud in this new world. But I wasn’t really interested in Kaye or most of the characters. The human characters smoke, drink, swear, shoplift and ditch school a little more than most normal kids. It was pretty impossible for me to identify with them. I felt sorry for Kaye (her mom is a transient rock star wannabe who has no interest in parenting) but by the tone of the text the reader isn’t meant to feel pity for her. Kaye’s best friend is very childish and jealous. The boys are very touchy feely with the girls. The only reason I did not dislike Kaye is because of the lack of guidance she has and the fact that she is young and trying to figure herself out. In stark contrast to the humans, Roiben, the “dark knight” faerie, is a complex character offering mystery and a better romantic figure. I liked Roiben and he was probably the only reason I kept reading.

It took about a hundred pages before I became interested in the story. I felt the text lingered too long on Kaye’s crappy human life and I was antsy to get to the faerie tale part which was good. Black doled out just enough of the good stuff to keep me reading. The text is a fast read. I would have quit otherwise. Some of the sentences just didn’t make sense. I was re-reading many, trying to get the meaning out of them without success. The “f” word set in right away but tapered off to my relief because the dialogue was just too high school for me, if that makes sense. As the story focused more on the faerie tale part, my reading experience improved. I feel Black’s writing style in Tithe is very conflicted. It seemed as though she wanted to write as Kaye in first person. I think that would have worked so much better. The third person POV was cramping Black’s style.

If you like faeires, kelpies, and pixies crossing from weird other worlds to ours, you may enjoy Tithe. If you like urban-fantasy, I suspect this text is for you. Although marked as YA, parents should be aware of the issues, most of which I mentioned earlier. Without parental guidance, I do not recommend letting very young teens read this. Like I said, I did like the story. I’ll be reading Ironside in the future with hopes that Black will have worked out the kinks.
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2004 (originally published 2002)     Pages: 331
Rating: 2.5 Stars     Recommended Age: 16 and up                   Source: IC Public Library

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games was a nice treat. I’ve been drifting awhile in the sci-fi/fantasy genre and, finally, I’ve found what I’m looking for. This is a dystopian plot set in a post-U.S.A. North America that is broken into twelve districts. It’s a clever set-up and serves as a nice backdrop for the lives of those forced to play the hunger games – a Coliseum-like event set in the 21st century. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen is in the unfortunate position of a “tribute” or a player of the Hunger Games. She must search and destroy the other players before they seek and destroy her.

This book has some great action and adventure while teenagers fight for survival in the expansive arena. Weapons are used. People die in not so good ways. But all in the name of entertainment. Or, is it that simple? No, no! Just as the emperors of Rome used the Coliseum, the games are meant to inspire a fearful loyalty as much as they are meant to entertain. As the protagonist so clearly sees, the Capitol city uses the games to say “Look at how we can make you destroy yourselves so, don’t question our rule.” But not everybody feels negatively about the games. Many are avid fans who support certain tributes and bet on them. Katniss is deeply conflicted between her instinct for self-defense and her aversion to killing another person. Although there is violence I find the text illustrates how not simple being a part of violence is. Every victory in the games comes with physical and emotional baggage which is not easily gotten over. There’s a lot to draw out of this book and the violence is just one aspect of The Hunger Games. The Capitol stands as a symbol for decadent living – the ultimate fashion, food and power center. But their luxuries come at a price. Perhaps more than the strict laws imposed upon the district people, the ultimate flaw is that the citizens of the Capitol have become blind to their greed and inhumanity. I could go on but I’ll get to the gist of it…

At first, the prose was not drawing me in. On page one the first-person present-tense narration turned me off and I thought “Oh, no. Not present tense and first person.” Not my favorite POV. However, the prose gradually improved until I really enjoyed Katniss’ narration. I felt inside her head, hearing a twig snap when she did, feeling panic when she did. I even teared up a couple times. By the middle of the book I was hooked and had to know how the games would end. It seems all great sagas tend to draw out the begining a bit. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, Catching Fire. Besides the semi-slow draw, this was a great book. If you haven’t read it yet, hop on the wagon.
Publisher: Scholastic, 2008     Recommended Age: 12 and up
Rating: 4.5 Stars                        Pages: 374   Source: IC Public Library
P.S. The Coliseum picture is one I took when I was in Rome last summer. It was strange to stand in a place where people died. Can you imagine watching such a "game"?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I am sad to say I am putting this book aside. At page 227, over half way through the book, Shiver just isn’t holding my attention. I’ve been trying really hard to get into it (I’ve heard so many good things) but it feels like a chore to read and it’s due back at the library soon.

If you’ve been thinking about reading this I’d say go ahead. Don’t let me stop you because there are some positive aspects to this book. Stiefvater is a great writer. There are some beautiful passages with creative metaphors. I liked how the chapters switched between Sam and Grace’s point of view. The dialog isn’t cheesy although I felt it sounded pretty grown up for teenagers. The story-line is fairly original for the age-old werewolf story. The main thrust of the novel is its romantic relationship and this is where it fell flat for me. The relationship between Sam and Grace didn’t engage me. The romance felt rushed without a gradual build-up. They were just instantly in love and glued together. I guess I like more suspense. And the whole hiding-my-boyfriend-in-my-bedroom was sort of lame to me. Also, there wasn’t enough mystery. At once we know what Sam is (so no suspense there) and the danger lurking within the pack didn’t draw me in either. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance I suspect you will like Shiver. Maybe I’ll pick this back up in the future but for now, I’m moving on.
Publisher: Scholastic, 2009          Pages: 392          Source: IC Public Library
Rating: none since I didn’t finish it

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

An enduring classic, A Wrinkle in Time is a great book to get kids excited about math and physics. With unusual and endearing characters this novel also encourages strong family bonds, especially between siblings. It is science fiction that will appeal to several age groups since there is something for everyone in this tale. There is the classic good against evil plot that tries Meg, the heroin, her brother Charles and friend Calvin. This book was all over the place in terms of subjects – time travel, space travel, aliens, absent parent, strange witches who may be good or may be bad, school challenges – but they are woven together seamlessly. I was surprised (in a good way) by the Christian undertone and am sure many religious adults will appreciate the allegory as much as kids will appreciate the action and adventure. There were several references to Shakespeare (The Tempest) and other philosophers as well as Biblical quotes. So, in addition to mathematics, this text also encourages kids to explore the liberal arts. This book still gets young readers excited and has quite a following – impressive for such an “old” book. The themes of family and friendship will always be important to people and I think these elements make this book time-less. This was a really different read for me and made me stretch my imagination. But it was an enjoyable story in the end.
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf of Dell, 1962     Recommended Age: 10 and up
Rating: 3 Stars                                            Pages: 190

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

Fantasy or science fiction? In many ways, Graceling is classic fantasy. Cashore creates a new world, The Seven Kingdoms, and provides a map to help you keep your bearings. I never felt lost and the imaginary world isn’t very different from North America, but I enjoyed The Seven Kingdoms anyways. It’s a time before electricity with lots of dark tunnels and sword fighting. There are no wizards or elves but gracelings, individuals born with enhanced abilities, easily identified by their eyes. The ability aspect reminds me of X-men which is considered science fiction. But there’s nothing else particularly scientific about this story. I think it’s safe to say Graceling is fantasy that will appeal to fans of science fiction.

Cashore’s writing style was easy, fluid and fun to read. I would call this “light” reading but it wasn’t exactly childish either. It’s a nice medium between adult and children’s prose. The story is pretty captivating, starting in medias res, with a lot of action, secret councils and life-saving missions. I liked Katsa, the sixteen-year-old girl who struggles with the nature of her grace (aka ability) to kill. The violence she commits weighs her down and she wrestles with controlling her grace and not letting her grace control her. She’s a strong individual with an independent spirit which leads her to be rather stubborn at times. I liked that she wasn’t perfect and that she makes some mistakes. This book made me think about how I use my abilities. Some people are smart, good at making friends, financially successful, etc. but do we use our abilities to serve ourselves or those around us? In her youth, Katsa is manipulated but as she matures she learns that only she decides what her grace will be used for. There are some twists, dark secrets and, of course, a quest to set things right!

Causes for concern: These are reasons why my age rec. is so high. There are some mentions about menstruation. Katsa and her boyfriend have sex on several occasions (there isn’t much detail but there is an oh-so-convenient birth-control herb). Katsa is adamant that she will not marry and is willing for her bf to be unhappy so that she can be fulfilled. There is a lot of violence and descriptions of Katsa killing people. Just some things for parents to know and to talk about with young readers.

I enjoyed the story overall and am interested in reading the sequel, Fire. Check out the author’s blog: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/
Publisher: Graphia, Houghton Mifflin, 2008     Recommended Age: 16 and up
Rating: 3 Stars                                                         Source: IC Public Library            Pages: 471

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Unlike most fairy tales, Alice in Wonderland isn’t very dark. Sure, there’s the off-with-their-heads! Queen of Hearts but she wasn’t really that scary and no one was actually beheaded. The King wasn’t quite the push over as I remember him being in the cartoon movie. He was just ditzy like most of the characters and offered pardon to all whose heads the Queen demanded. I never felt anxious for Alice, like she was in real danger, because she wasn’t. She manages to bully her way out of most situations by eating mushrooms and becoming too large for people to trifle with. This is definitely an ok story for little ones but they will likely find the original hard to read and many of the puns may be lost on them. The Mock Turtle episode was boring, his story lasting way too long for me. The caterpillar and Mad Hatter scenes were a lot of fun with their riddles. Alice was a silly little girl, rather ditzy and not very clever except for the fact that she has a fantastic dream. I enjoyed the poems at the beginning. They were my favorite part of the story. It seems that many of the characters are stand ins for people Carroll knew and so many inside jokes are not readily evident (nor do they need to be to enjoy the story). I read the story from The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll: A Wonderland of Stories, Nonsense and Wit.
Publisher: Penguin Books, 1988     Source: IC Public Library
Rating: 2.5 Stars                             Pages: 106 (p. 15-120 in this edition)

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Let me begin by saying I will not be reading the sequel. Even though I didn’t have high hopes when I began reading, Evermore was a big disappointment. The similarities to Twilight are appalling not just because Noel uses similar ideas (that’s okay in my book. There’s nothing new under the sun, right?) but because she took Stephanie Meyer’s originality and twisted it, making some stupid scenes in the process. For instance, Edward and Bella share Wuthering Heights as do Noel’s romantic couple but they don’t discuss it, it’s just there to make them interact. The story is written in first person from the unassuming and vulnerable girl’s perspective. It was just one knock-off after another. And it bugged me. The romance between Ever and Damen felt completely superficial partly because Ever knows virtually nothing about Damen but that he’s good looking. Supposedly they are destined for each other but I didn’t get that vibe at all. There was nothing intellectually and little emotionally shared between them, just physical attraction. It was, oh my gosh he’s totally hot and I can’t stop thinking about him for 300 pages. Damen is a terrible influence on Ever, getting her to ditch classes on multiple occasions so she will “live the good life” gambling at a race track (illegally since they’re both under aged). The text seems to assume via the characters that everyone will inevitably lose their virginity during high school (even though Ever does wait for now). And when Ever and Damen take a hiatus she decides getting into her Aunt’s vodka stash is a good way to deal, gets suspended for drinking, then continues to get wasted the entire week away from school. Ever sucks. And somehow she’s the protagonist we’re supposed to like.

Paranormal stories can take a myriad of forms, Evermore taking on the psychic mind-reading, ghost seeing realm. I couldn’t really get into the plot. I felt Noel didn’t create a very believable world for the immortals she creates. There were too many questions that were inadequately answered like, why are the immortal beautiful. The concepts were alright but their execution lacking. As to the prose, it was just so-so. Half way through the book swearing, mostly the “f” word, set in and it felt odd since in the first half none of the characters were into using such foul language. In my opinion, there are way too many good books to read to waste your time on this one.
Publisher: St. Martin’s, 2009     Source: IC Public Library
Rating: 1 star                            Pages: 306