The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Night

I deemed last weekend Holocaust book weekend. The fact of the matter is that I have been putting both of these books off for quite some time because I knew how perfectly miserable and completely traumatized they'd leave me. Never-the-less, I girded up my loins on Friday night, looked in the mirror and convinced myself I could be a wuss no longer; then I trudged to the bedroom for several hours of tears and pain. Both books, despite Night holding a place a Oprah's DREADED book list which I try to avoid at ALL COSTS, were must-reads. By that I mean their stories are so archetypal that they deserve not only to be read, but should be forced into the broken hearts of humans everywhere. I haven't been able to touch a movie or book concerning the Holocaust since I watched A Beautiful Life and felt like I had died a thousand soulful deaths, so this was a brave but much obliged journey for me.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
I generally don't prefer historical fiction, much rather I would like to read non-fiction or biographies concerning important historical events, but Pajamas is an exception. This is a quick and captivating read that is a step removed from the pain of Auschwitz as it is narrated through the eyes of a German boy whose father is the commander of the camp. The author's main objective is to juxtapose innocence with evil and, though predictable and all-too calculated in terms of diction and syntax, John Boyne presents a striking novel.

Night

Night is on entirely different playing field and it would be ludicrous and pretentious to even attempt to offer a critique of it. Night is the true account of author Elie Wiesel's experience as a boy in Auschwitz. He describes his account from a voice of truth and authenticity that hurts my heart more than I can bare. I cried and cried, which I expected to do, and spent the entire story wishing I could have done something for someone. His bravery in being one of the first to tell this tale warrants full merrit of the Nobel Peace Prize he won.

On a personal note:
In the book There is No Death, Sarah Menet describes her spiritual near death experience. She explains our affinity to certain time periods or historical events as simple echos of our true experiences being there as spirit children of God before we came to Earth. Simply put, she says that our intense interests in certain times past could be explained by the fact that as angels we really were there, protecting and watching over our friends who were living it. Something compels me to believe her and the only real solace I find in the wretched truth of the holocaust is that perhaps I was one of the angels there, spiritually doing everything in my power to uplift and buoy those poor victims who had to live it in the flesh. Perhaps that explains why so many of us take this event so personally. There would have needed to be millions of angels there to witness and carry the hopes and dreams of the victims and martyrs to heaven.

Hush Hush

Becca Fitzpatrick is stealing ideas out of my head...
and Christian doctrine while she's at it.

The premise: Angels denied bodies tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit so the gates of the Garden of Eden could be opened and sin could enter the world. These angels were punished for their deeds and termed "fallen" from the kingdom of heaven never to enter it again. They are banished to earth where they live in constant thirst for a human body of their own so they can feel human physicality. They can influence human behavior only if humans give them permission. With permission, these fallen angels could even possess human bodies.

Okay, if Becca Fitzpatrick isn't Mormon, she's certainly heard of them because this is SO the plan of salvation. I loved the premise but am pretty mad that it is so close to the horrible book I am writing. Yet one more reason to hate myself for taking so long to finish.

Back to Hush Hush: It is the page turning guilty pleasure I have been waiting for since Twilight. I can't wait for the sequel (cover being released this month) but unfortunately I have to wait for a while because Crescendo isn't hitting shelves until November 2010. DOUBLE UG!

Big Fat (Juicy) Warning: It says in big bright script on the cover that this book is for 14-year-olds and up but I would extend that age requirement. It is scandalous and provocative to say the least. This thing pushes the envelope for sexual innuendo in teen lit further than Breaking Dawn did in my opinion. For sure read this book before your teenage daughter does... and when you do, you probably will hide it so she can't read it. The male protagonist... or is he an antagonist (you can't tell- which makes it impossible to stop reading) is every parent's absolute worst nightmare when it comes to their daughter. He's the ethereal bad boy.

Now you know I don't mind scandalous teen lit. Truth be told, I have been waiting to read Hush Hush for a while and finally breaking down and spending the $18 bucks for the hard cover is something I don't regret. You won't love Patch like Edward, but you'll get your romantic fix for the month without having to stoop to a romance novel from the grocery store.

Fairest

Fairest is no Ella Enchanted. Whichever critic on the back cover who claims such must have suffered a mental ailment when making the statement. Recommended by countless 7th grade girls, I had been looking forward to Fairest for quite some time. Yes it is cute and whimsical, a good play on fairy tale classic components, but it's not as cleverly plotted as I would have hopped. I would argue that it was even repetitive in relationship to some of its competition (especially after having just read Book of a Thousand Days). Fairest is about a common ugly girl with a beautiful voice who finds herself in the middle of royal scandal. Predictable for certain, I found the ending a bit disappointed, especially when the issue of heritage was never resolved but merely dismissed in a sentence or two. The cynic in me may also be getting in the way of a good review. The all-too-happy ending is more than enough cheese for me. Must everything end perfectly? It had such promise. Your 5th-7th grade girl will go gaga over it but you'll wish for more depth.

The Girl Who Could Fly

The Girl Who Could Fly is definitely cute by all accounts. Piper McCloud is different, she can fly, and as others who claim to be her friend try to inhibit her, Piper's unique goodness saves her from doom. This book is quite simple and predictable and perhaps pushes the thematic lesson that it's okay to be different a little too hard. Still, for about a 5th grade level, it delivers a good story. I would prescribe wholesome and quaint as good adjectives to describe The Girl Who Could Fly. It's a worthy read for a children's chapter book.

Book of a Thousand Days

I absolutely loved The Princess Academy (Newberry award winner) so I decided to give author Shannon Hale another try. Hale is a fun mom from Utah so any chance to support a local girl, I'm on it. Thousand Days is cute but not much more than that. Still, I can think of a lot worse things than cute.

Not as clever as Princess Academy, Thousand Days is a fun fairy twist for younger girls who love Cinderella stories. It didn't end where I thought it should go, but if it had- it wouldn't be a children's book. The simple plot moves well and lends itself to a quick read. The main character was compelling as strong female leads are one of Hale's strengths. If you're looking for a simple story with a happy ending, an elementary folk tale, pick it up. It is read worthy and it will only take you a few hours.

The Alchemyst

Fans of Lightning Thief, pick this up.

Michael Scott (who also writes by several aliases) delivers a fun ride with this series. Alchemyst has been around for a while and my students kept asking me to read it so I finally picked it up in Hawaii and realized that you can always count on a book to be read-worthy if a bunch of 9th grade boys are recommending it.

At first I thought Scott's inspiration was a spin off of J.K. Rowling's Flamel in Harry Potter, but in truth Rowling and Scott's source is the same. Flamel was real... or shall I say IS real. Rumors indicate that this famous alchemyst from the 1400's is still alive and thriving. Flamel is a major French legend whose mysterious sudden wealth, generosity, and disappearance has warranted street names on his behalf.

Since Scott is an expert on mythology, the book reeps its plot and characters from ancient Greek folklore. It reads like Lightning Theif with hints of the fun magical devices found in Harry Potter. Alchemyst is borderline Childrens/Young Adult. It might not be a page turner for those of us over 14, but it is a good ride and even better, a solid series.

Nation

{Since I'm going to Hawaii tomorrow, it's only fitting that I review an island themed book that is relatively new to readers.}

Nation by Terry Pratchet is... interesting, it just feels a bit too Marquez for my taste. Now, considering the overwhelming success of 100 Years of Solitude, most people would consider it a huge compliment, but in my opinion Pratchet, like Marquez, is stretching for something to be epic when really it would have been nice to just have a clean A to B.

The plot wasn't confusing or anything- I liked the set up {boy is only survivor on island after Tsunami; British girl shipwrecked becomes his only family}. It was all the take a look at your idea of God and religion hoopla that distracted me.

First let me qualify my aversion to religious trepidation as a theme in YA lit. I don't believe themes that question God belong in books targeting such an impressionable age group. That is not to say I don't like these themes, I just don't approve of them in a YA genre. I understand the placement of Mao's frustration with his Gods in Nation, but I wished we could skip these "author is trying to get us to think" moments and get onto the natural suspense of the story. This of course is a matter of personal taste purely. I felt Pratchet's religious elements were- how do I say it- trying too hard to make the novel something deeper than a terrific story. I mean really, any book that classifies itself under the genre of "Alternate-Reality Fantasy Teen Fiction" is pushing a little too hard, don't you think?

I give Nation 3 stars because its prose is well written and the plot is cute if a step shy of clever.

Would love to hear if you agree...

Found, Sent

If you are into YA Lit, then you might consider picking these up. Margaret Haddix has started another series (just how does she manage to pump out so many good books?) and it's worth a look. Warning: The first book (FOUND) isn't engaging until the very end. I know, I know, UG- we have to wade through chapters to get to the good stuff right? But the premise of this series is worth the read in the end. The sequel (SENT), finally gives readers a reason to dig into the plot. In my opinion, the first book is a cop out set up to earn more revenue for the series.

In SENT, missing children from history discover their true identities and time travel to their original centuries to correct the mistakes made by time-traveling kidnappers who only wanted to save the kids (whilst earning a buck or two parading THEE actual Anastasia or King Edward IV through the streets).

In summation: Haddix is always worth a try. These two aren't as special as the acclaimed Shadow Children set, but she can write a good YA novel none-the-less.

Gone

This book has a terrific concept (which is why it's on this blog), but it lacks pull. Overall, I was intrigued by the premise but couldn't get attached to the characters.

Cool Idea: In an instant everyone 15-years and older disappears and the children are left to fend for themselves. Babies left alone in houses die, homes with stoves left on burn down, and soon all the junk food in town is ransacked. Gangs form and establish a false sense of order. All of this is interesting- even enticing (in a hypothetical stance strictly speaking)- but I was thrown aloof when sci-fi reared its ugly head as author Michael Grant started giving some of the kids mutant powers and the coyotes began talking.

Don't Get Me Wrong: Sci-Fi is fine... if that's what your expecting, but here I am enjoying (and yes, I did saying enjoying... just wait, you'll understand why this is a twisted description) a modern Lord of the Flies, when all of the sudden there is some mysterious green monster that is trying to kill everyone. See what I mean about ruining a completely awesome plot?

The Verdict: If you are a fan of Lord of the Flies, this one is worth the trouble. If you thought that whole mess with Piggy was too much to bear in Y.A. lit, then stay well away from Gone.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Every American should be required to read this book before they are allowed to graduate.... actually, they should read it before they are allowed to breathe!!!

I would argue that this book, above any other book save the bible, changed the face of America-and in turn the world-for good, forever. It is that powerful.

As I turned the page I could literally feel the gavel coming down on slavery.
I could taste the bile choking the throats of slave proponents the world wide.
I could hear the whole of America audibly and viciously gasp as each heart-retching gory detail leaked its truth into every painful chapter.

If you haven't read this book yet, go get it right now- BUY IT don't borrow it, every American home should own its own copy- and then neglect everything in your life until you cough it down.

Be prepared: Harriet Beecher Stowe will not cause tears, she will use real slavery accounts to force absolute heaping guttural sobs from deep within your soul. One box of tissues won't suffice. You will need that in addition to several rolls of Charmin and a bottle of Vaseline to sooth your raw snot-stained skin when you are done. The truth is, I have never cried harder in my life.

When Abraham Lincoln met Miss Stowe after her book wedged a sharp knife in the hearts of Americans the nation over, he actually shook her hand and said,

"So this is the little lady who started this big war."

...And, like she has for generations, she will start a war inside your heart, your soul, your existence. You will shout to your ceiling: WHAT THE $%&@%$%&(!!! WE DID WHAT? WE LET WHAT HAPPEN? THIS IS REAL?

And then your body will ache for weeks... as it should.

Scenes from Uncle Tom's Cabin (based on real accounts of slavery before the Civil War):


Harriet Beech Stowe:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I cannot express my complete and succumbing adoration of this book. In fact, I am now currently debating which book to bump from my top ten list to make way for Guernsey and all its charm. I think it will trump either Kafka or Hemingway (shock!).

I devoured this polylogic epistolary novel (oh how I do love a good epistolary novel) in less than 12 hours, and that is on a work day including me making dinner!!! Ha! I picked it up during end-of-level testing at noon and have finished just now- much chagrined by two facts: 1) that I waited a full week and half with this novel in my possession before flipping the cover, and 2) if I had waited longer, the joy of it wouldn't be finitely over (you see, the author has died- we may expect no trendy sequel... I say trendy because it is rare to find a best selling novel these days without one).

Its cleverness lies in quotes you can't run past your eyes without snatching them up for your life's motto. For example: One has to wonder where "...there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers" (page 10) and "the problem with good books is that they ruin any chance of enjoying the bad ones" (at least that the jist of it, page 40-something) have been all our lives!

Unfortunately, and as a great rarity, I have borrowed rather than purchased this book... a rarity that will quickly be remedied as I spotted it on the (gasp) pulp fiction table of Costco just this week (the nerve!).

Read it. You'll love it. And if you don't, we may never agree on one thing again.

THE JIST: Fictional account based on the real occupation of the [English] Channel Islands by Nazi's during WWII... it's written entirely in letters (that means epistolary...and if you remotely liked Ella Minnow Pea, you'll love this), but it is mostly about literature and how the love of prose can aide any personality in trying times. It is witty, clever, and I am absolutely in LOVE with the characters {but especially Isola- the goat owning, stout scalp-reading, cross-eyed apothicary of Guernsay}. I so wish I lived next to her.

Little Britches

LITTLE BRITCHES

Summary: Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the twentieth century. Auctions and roundups, family picnics, irrigation wars, tornadoes and wind storms give authentic color to Little Britches. So do adventures, wonderfully told, that equip Ralph to take his father's place when it becomes necessary. Little Britches was the literary debut of Ralph Moody, who wrote about the adventures of his family in eight glorious books, all available as Bison Books.

My Take: This book is one of my top 5 young adult picks. It actually suits 5-7th grades best. It is also #8 on my top ten favorite books ever list. Really- it's that good! It is such a beautiful tribute to the American West, the love of a boy for his father, and the lesson of hard work and desire to overcome failure. I sobbed and sobbed at the end. It's not the plot that has you turning the page, but rather the character development and smooth feel of the words on each line. I have been trying to fork up the cash to buy the complete series for a few years now... there are 8 books, but it is out of print so it's an investment. Easy to find in any library, this classic story is great for boys and YA lovers of all ages. READ IT! YOU WON'T REGRET IT! (but have a box of tissues nearby).

Animal Farm

ANIMAL FARM

Summary/My Take: AF, by George Orwell, is an allegory about the post-Russian Revolution and Stalin's rise to complete dictatorship. Of course, if you know your Russian history, the book in completely predictable, but that doesn't stop chills running down my spine every time I close that last page and scream, "...AND WE LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT!!!!!!" (I really do scream that). I've read AF over 12 times and it never seems to make me sick and disgusted and completely enamored with George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair). The book is a perfect study of the success of propaganda and communism. It is a very direct allegory and nearly every seen in the book represents a Stalin moment (for example: The Red Army's victory to the Battle of Stalingrad, the Great Purge [Stalin killed between 8-13 million people- we don;t know the real number because we left him in power and he had lots of time to destroy all the records] to his pre-KGB secret police. You'll even see is 5-year-plan and Pravda).

If you have never read this book with fresh Stalin-geared eyes, you simply must! It is an essential piece of literature that every person on earth should study- if only to prevent totalitarianism from wafting its ugly head again!!!! In fact, I think every American citizen has the responsibility to read this book (so does Time magazine). If you need a hand catching the real story behind the farm, just shoot me an Email- I could discuss Stalin's tactics all day long!

AND TO THINK: To Orwell's horror, this book was first placed a children book shelves! It gets worse... some moron made it into a cartoon! Don't show your kids- they'll be scarred for life.

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE

THE WEED THAT STRINGS THE HANGMAN'S BAG

AMAZON REVIEW: Readers who enjoy tongue-in-cheek humor; well-written, literate text; and good character development will delight in the Flavia DeLuce mysteries. Alan Bradley uses Flavia's family members and their dynamics to add dimension to Flavia's personality and character. The book moves along nicely and will hold your interest throughout. The family dynamics, the colorful characters in the village where Flavia lives, and Flavia's unique perspective on life all combine into an entertaining read.

While the text speaks of death and murder, there is none of the gruesome and gory detail that so frequently appears in other murder mysteries. Further, the language is clean; Bradley employs no profanity in his writing. One would not have to worry about giving younger readers this book. The novel, which employs a larger vocabulary than is found in many contemporary books, is not a difficult read. It would certainly be a fine book for tween readers who are not frustrated by having to occasionally use a dictionary.

MY TAKE: Flavia lives in a dilapidated 1920's mansion and finds herself witness to a murder. Though she is a young girl, she is determined to solve the case and employs her deep love and addiction for chemistry in the process. Though the mystery is predictable, the prose is out-of-this world scrumptious! This book is for verbose lovers of language who want to increase their vocabulary. If you like Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, you will LOVE this one. I know I did! The first book did so well, that Alan Bradley will turn it into the Flavia De Luce mystery novels (thank heavens). I cannot wait for the next installment coming to my door in March.

Take a video tour of Buckshaw (Flavia's mansion):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m27MV0LODEUV4F