Review: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron is a YA novel published by Scholastic Inc. in 2012. It is aimed at readers ages 12 and up, but due to the language, I'd recommend this book to readers who are advanced at age 12. The language is similar to something like an amateur version of the language of Tolstoy or Edith Wharton. The language came across as a little off-putting to me, largely because it did nothing for the likability of the protagonist.

Katharine Tulman is a little spoiled, a little self-centred, and a little rude. She is poorly treated by her aunt, who is also her guardian, and she is treated like a servant girl in her own home; poor little rich girl! She is a difficult character to like, but she DOES redeem herself by the end of the novel, transforming from an entitled girl of misfortune to a heroic and brave young woman.

The characterization of Katharine's mad uncle was interesting, but at times, a little off-putting as his character and his background wasn't really developed. Sometimes I even found the uncle to be a touch offensive. I have a grandparent with Dementia--this character comes across more as silly than unstable. As this novel is aimed at a younger audience, I think the author chose to keep the text very "PG" and light, and while I can respect that, his madness needs to have rhyme and reason. I'm sad to say he wasn't a very convincing character who harboured my interest or sympathies--usually he harboured my disdain.

While the analogy of the clock bound up with one's sanity was very good, and as the action leading to the end of the book was gripping, the character development was lacking and I found the "romantic, London language" to affect my enjoyment of the text.

I think this book would have done better if it had been written for an older audience. Considering the themes and some of the shocking revelations, it could have been a teen read. I think it would have been much better as a teen read.

I didn't dislike this book, but it was nothing special for me. The beginning is a little dry, and I dislike books where I need to work to like the protagonist, the book picks up about halfway through and sets up a promising sequel. A Spark Unseen was published Oct 2013 by Scholastic Inc.

Review: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Did you have any kind of orthodontia growing up? Here's a book about a girl who's had it 50 times worse than you! Raina's experience is cathartic for the reader--whether the reader is pre or post-orthodontia hell.

This is a fantastic middle grade graphic novel. Kids who have had a dental emergency, getting or has braces, or is having some dental work done can appreciate Raina's fears and what she goes through. Raina trips on the sidewalk and suddenly is faced with major social anxiety. She loses her confidence and her ability to smile willingly. Smiling is hard when you're young and vulnerable and your mouth is full of metal.

Poor Raina sees a myriad of dental experts, has multiple surgeries, as well as braces, headgear, elastics for her cross-bite, a retainer, and fake teeth. As a kid who had to suffer through having my overbite, cross-bite, and uneven teeth fixed through years of pain and metal in my mouth, I felt for Raina. Her pain was my pain.

Mouth hurts so much that you're whole head hurts? Check.
Mouth hurts so much you can't chew bread? Check.

Young readers can recognize their own insecurities, fears, and problems in Raina's story. No matter what kind of embarrassing things happen to you, life will go on with people who you can really count on; people who can really make you smile.

This is a wonderful story. Easy to read, accessible, heart-wrenching, and sweet. Smile can be enjoyed again and again. Young girls in grades six and up will enjoy this story. Raina Telgemeier has written a charming graphic novel that tells the story of a young girl growing up and how growing up is never easy.

Review: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

A book that's both relevant and meaningful in today's society. Openly Straight discusses the very relevant subject of sexuality and coming to terms with one's identity outside of labels and expectations of who should be. It is about dealing with sexuality and learning to deal how others handle the subject of sexual preferences.

The main character is a homosexual teenager who chooses to go from being open about his sexuality to not telling anyone.

The main character struggles with the concept of living without a label--or at least, without the label he wants. By choosing not to tell others he's gay, he attempts to become someone new. He wants to see what it's like to live a life where being gay is just one little part of who he is.

I love that this book exists. It is so, so important in a world where kids are bullied for being different and where being gay, or bi, transgender, etc. is feared.

That being said, I found the narrative to be a little dry. The writing wasn't very gripping, and I think it was largely because the YA genre kept the story from reading too dark for the audience. This book would have likely been more effective written for an older audience.

My other problem with the book was for a story that gently nudges the reader into becoming a more understanding and accepting person, I was a little offended to see that word "retard" still made it into the text. If the use of word was important to the text or the development of the characters in some way, it would be one thing. However, the word was brandied about in casual conversation by one of the characters and posed no relevance to the surrounding text. It just seemed a little hypocritical and I think it's just as offensive as calling someone a "fag." The editor REALLY couldn't sub this word out? Really?

It's not the most gripping read, but it wasn't bad. A little dry at times and I wish the protagonist let the reader in a little sooner in the novel. The ending is more powerfully written and was a much better read.

Hopefully young readers can take something away from this book. Kids need to realize that their words hurt. That words like "gay" and "fag" can cut like a knife. These words are unacceptable. Get a thesaurus, world. This is 2013.

Review: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown

I love, love, LOVE this book. A middle-grade graphic novel with personality, a unique idea, wit, intelligence, and great Star Wars humour. I have minimal knowledge of Star Wars, but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable. The characters--human, alien, and droid--are recognizable, from ewoks to wookies to Darth Maul faces. If nothing else, they can learn a great deal from this book and be more eager to watch the films.

The humour of this book was a huge factor of my enjoyment. Brown makes many jokes about Yoda's age, his H.P.Ms (hmms per minute) and his aloofness. He jokes about how anyone could understand a wookie, about the Force, and many other parts of Star Wars culture. The book had me grinning like a fool through most of it, and chuckling quietly during my morning commute.

Roan's experience at Jedi Academy is so incredibly relatable to kids everywhere. It covers a multitude of social issues and childhood experiences that EVERYONE goes through. Roan's perseverance and courage and attitude are admirable.

Roan transfers to Jedi Academy, starting late into a new school. He's thrown into the deep end and feels very insecure and out of place. He is unsure of who his friends are and how to make friends. He worries about making bad impressions, of failing, and of disappointing others. He also develops feelings for a girl, makes enemies, and finds ways to get involved and be happy at school. The book teaches kids important life lessons like how to deal with bullies and how to deal with the ups and downs of being the new kid and of not fitting in. It teaches you that even when life throws you a curveball, things will work out. I am impressed by the gentle life lessons that are woven into every page.

Not only is Jedi Academy funny and relatable, but you can share with the next generation the wonderful franchise that is Star Wars. The book IS middle grade, but I enjoyed it as an adult. It speaks to both boys and girls, although I feel Star Wars will weigh better with middle grade boys.

I read this book in one sitting. It's written in journal and regular graphic novel format, and the book has a tiny section at the end that encourages kids to start journalling on their own--a very healthy exercise! The drawings and hand-written journal entries are endearing and better the reading experience and makes it easier to relate to Roan as someone just like them.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I think it's the best title that Scholastic has published this year!

I'm putting this book up in my ranks alongside JK Rowling and Rick Riordan!

5 STARS

Review: The Bridge from Me to You by Lisa Schroeder

Looking for a light summer romance read? This could be the book you're looking for. I'll admit the cover and the synopsis make it seem like a tame, cutesy read--but it was better than I expected. I'll give it a 3/5.

Most of Lauren's narrative is written in poetry, using experimental line breaks that express emotion and meaning. It's an interesting quirk of the story. Lauren's poetic chapters expresses psychological and emotional distress through the words she writes in her journal. Don't let the poetry sway you in the wrong direction--it's easy to get used to and it's free verse, so you don't have to work at understanding it. It's not irritating and it doesn't detract from the story.

High school girls will like this book. It's a gentle high school romance story. Colby is the star of the football team, but he's not a typical jock. Many girls will be able to relate to Lauren's crush on Colby as so many of us have had a crush like this in our lifetime. These are relatable characters in a charming small-town.

There's not a lot to this book, but it's a sweet read. It's about recognizing the difference between right and wrong by knowing its important to follow your heart and make yourself happy in life. It's about learning to accept and love the family you have. It's about learning to overcome whatever challenges life throws at you. And it's about the importance of friends, and of following your own dreams.

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner was a surprise to me. I appreciated the unique plot and the characterization of the novel, but to be honest, I got a little bored toward the middle of the book. It was the exciting ending of the book that changed my mind with an explosive climax that changes this book from a slightly dull PG-13 dystopian novel into a horrific climax that will have you on the edge of your seat.

The Maze Runner is a great novel for teen boys, which is perhaps why I struggled a little with the content. Dashner writes a dystopian society of boys who live a caged existence, forced to navigate a dangerous maze filled with half-machine, half...something disgusting and weird creatures. The Grievers require some imagination on the part of the reader, but it's not hard to imagine the horror that facing such a monster would cause.

The allegory of the maze is timeless in its ability to cause feelings of hopelessness and panic. To solve the puzzle of the maze is the point of the boys' existence and there are greater forces at work who are willing to spill a lot of blood to create obstacles for the boys before they can solve the puzzle. The maze isn't the only evil--there's also the creators of the maze. I won't even go into the creators; you'll have to read the book to find out how twisted this dystopian world has become.

The movie is coming in 2014 and it's sure to be a hit. Dashner is very detailed in his writing and he writes with such vividness that it's easy to put yourself in the Glade or staring death in the face within the maze. Dashner has created a thrilling adventure of survival, of friendship, and of determination. There's mystery, violence, and danger. Hopefully the screenplay is just as thrilling!

This book reads great for a male, YA audience who love books with adventure, suspense, and who can handle some violence. There's quite a lot of humour that boys would appreciate as it feels realistic in how boys talk to each other. The characters use hillbilly-ish jargon for curse words and other crude terms and it interjects some humour into the book. There's very, very little in the way of romance, too, which a male audience will appreciate. Especially if you, like me, are getting a little sick of the love triangles...

The Maze Runner is dark like The Hunger Games, but it's a little more far-removed from a future dystopian society. James Dashner has written a nail-biting book that will almost guarantee you'll be ordering the next book immediately after finishing the first. All in all, I'll give a 3.5/5. It lost some points for a slow middle portion, but the story is gripping and the ending is stunning.

Review: Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson

I don't read many romance novels and I'm incredibly picky about what I do read. I can't stand anything resembling Fifty Shades of Grey and I'm not big on the classic mass-market romance novel writers like Nora Roberts or Danielle Steele. I picked up Rachel Gibson many years ago and since then, I've read everything she's ever written, usually multiple times. Gibson writes for the younger adult woman who likes a little plot, a little disaster, and a little fun. I love that Rachel Gibson has written several mini-series and connected some of the characters in her many different books. What's more, is Rachel Gibson writes a fantastic mini-series about a group of good-looking Canadian hockey players. Any Man of Mine is a part of the Chinooks hockey series and not only do I feel it's the best in the series, but it's the best of everything she's written. 

Sam is a famous hockey player for the Chinooks. He met Autumn at a very low point in his life and the end result of their fling is their young son, Connor. Autumn is a strong, confident, and sometimes stubborn single mom who has yet to get over Sam abandoning her. The story that unravels is one of making a choice to forgive and forget, and one of being able to accept someone truly being able to change. 

I love the interactions between father and son and the way that Autumn cannot help but fall back in love with Sam. Is he not the Canadian woman's dream: a sexy, rich hockey player who is a good father, and undeniably, utterly and completely in love with an average woman? 

There are some familiar faces from the other Chinooks books, as well as some NHL player name-dropping. Rachel Gibson is a perfect summer read. The intimacy of the characters is important, but not the central focus of the novel. There's something substantial in the plot to appreciate and her books are fun, witty, and leave you with a very sweet happily-ever-after.