Book Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Donnelly, Jennifer. Revolution. New York: Delacorte Press, 2010

"Take it down," I said, my voice cracking.

Dr. Becker held up his hands. "Okay, Andi, If you would like me to take the picture down, I will."

"Now."

"Damn it, Andi! Who do you think you're talking to?" Dad shouted.

"I can't do it right now," Dr. Becker said. "I need maintenance to do it. But I give you my word that it will come down, all right?"

I nodded stiffly. It was something. Some small win. I couldn't protect my mother from Dr. Feelgood but at least I'd saved her from Thomas Kinkade.

The traffic jam gives a bit. We pick up speed and few minutes later, we're on the outskirts of Paris. The road to the city is lined with shabby stone houses, used-car lots, falafel dens, and hair salons, their signs all shining garishly in the dark.

"It might do you good, you know," my father is saying as we hit the Boulevard Peripherique. "It might take your mind off things."

"What might?"

"A change of scenery. Paris."

"Yeah. Sure. My brother's dead. My mother's insane. Hey, let's have a crepe."

We don't talk for the rest of the ride.

After Andi's brother died, her family essentially fell apart. So when her father swoops back in and sends her mother to a psych ward and drags her off to Paris, she is not happy.

Then she discovers a guitar that’s over two centuries old. And with it, a diary that reveals a side of history that no one has ever heard before.

Brilliant concept. I LOVED the diary parts. As well as the music reports. The character is smart and creative, and it’s difficult not to adore her, even though she can be pretty snarky.
I wasn’t thrilled with the way it ended, but overall, it’s definitely worth your time. And if you love European historical fiction, you can’t miss out on this book.

Buy this book now!

Book 12--done!

Book Review: Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Godbersen, Anna. Bright Young Things. New York: HarperCollins, 2010.

The faces of each guest turned toward the bride, and though some of them tried to smile, their eyes seemed to say, I know what you’ve done.
Lest their looks cut her, Cordelia reminded herself that she was only half one of them. While her mother had been raised in Union, the other half of Cordelia came from some glittering, far-off place, and like Letty, she was too big for the town she’d grown up in. Letty was right, Cordelia now realized with some relief, to have insisted on a veil. Not only to protect her from the guests’ stares and the judgment in their expressions, but also because of John, who was now reaching for her hands. His eyes were shining, but she couldn’t meet them. She didn’t want any memory of the happy, expectant way he was gazing at her.

Cordelia and Letty believe that their destinies lie far beyond the dull small town they've been raised in....they belong in New York City. Letty is going to be an actress, a singer, a star. And Cordelia is determined to find her father.

Beautiful prose. And I love that it's a historical fiction set in the 20's, we don't see much of that. Lots of twists and turns, you're never quite sure what's going to happen next. The characters were just reckless and stupid enough to make me happy...it made them real. Especially since they admitted they were being stupid. Then did it anyway.

If that doesn't ring true as a teenager, I don't know what does.

If you're a huge fan of Chicago, then this is a great book for you. I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.

Buy this book now!

Yay for Book #12! I'm so excited to be liking books again!

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Random House, 2007.

Still, it's possible that you might be asking, why does he even need a vacation? What does he need distraction from?
Which brings me to my next point.
It's the leftover humans.
The survivors.
They're the ones I can't stand to look at, although on many occasions I still fail. I deliberately seek out the colors to keep my mind off them, but now and then, I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair, and surprise. They have punctured hearts. They have beaten lungs.
Which in turn brings me to the subject I am telling you about tonight, or today, or whatever the hour and color. It's the story of one of those perpetual survivors-an expert at being left behind.
It's just a small story really, about, among other things:
* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery


I saw the book thief three times.

Narrated by Death, The Book Thief takes place in Nazi Germany and follows the story of a German girl who falls in love with literature, at one point even risking her life to save a book from the Nazi book burnings.

Don’t expect a happy ending, but it is a beautifully written novel. The writing is absolutely outstanding, one of the best examples in the entire teen genre. Anyone who says that all YA is fluff is disproven by this novel.

One thing I found interesting was how he gave away the ending. Repeatedly. I knew what was coming, and maybe that's what made it a little easier to accept it when it happened (though trust me, if you're the kind that tears up, you'll be crying.) On the other hand, stupid hopeful reader that I am, I kept hoping that Death was somehow mistaken or just pulling my leg and we'd somehow come to a happy ending anyway.

Yeah, there are no happy endings in WWII stories. At least, no completely happy endings. But this does give you a sense of resolution. You're not left screaming "Whyyyyy?" to a lightning-ridden sky.

Fantastic book club book, fantastic historical fiction, fantastic everything. I do recommend it for the 14+ group, though. It's a little intense for anyone younger.

Buy this book now!

Book Review: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989.

"You girls walk a different way to school. Promise me, Annemarie. And Ellen will promise, too."
"We will, Mrs. Rosen. But what does it matter? There are German soldiers on every corner."
"They will remember your faces," Mrs. Rosen said, turning in the doorway to the hall. "It is important to be one of the crowd, always. Be one of many. Be sure that they never have reason to remember your face." She diappeared into the hall and closed the door behind her.
"He'll remember my face, Mama," Kirsti announced happily, "because he said I look like his little girl. He said I was pretty."
"If he has such a pretty little girl, why doesn't he go back to her like a good father?" Mrs. Johansen murmured, stroking Kirsti's cheek.

Annemarie Johansen is a 10-year-old girl living in Denmark during the Nazi occupation. But when the Nazis begin the relocation of the Jews, Annemarie must find a way to help her friend Ellen, no matter what the risk.

Absolutely brilliant. Quite possibly the greatest Newbery winner thus far. Engaging characters, fascinating situation. It’s really nice to read a WW2 story with a happy ending. And it was educational, there were many things in it that I never knew before. It made me cry, which is almost impossible to do. It's the kind of story that will stay with you forever.