Review: I'll Be There, by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I'll Be There
By Holly Goldberg Sloan
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Hardcover, 392 pages
Genre: Adventure; Coming of Age; Contemporary; Romance; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Sam Border wishes he could escape. Raised by an unstable father, he's spent his life moving form place to place. But he could never abandon his little brother, Riddle.

Riddle Border doesn't talk much. Instead, he draws pictures of the insides of things and waits for the day when the outsides of things will make sense. He worships his older brother. But how can they leave when there's nowhere to go? Then everything changes. Because Sam meets Emily.

Emily Bell believes in destiny. She sings for her church choir, though she doesn't have a particularly good voice. Nothing, she feels, is more coincidence. And she's singing at the moment she first sees Sam.

Everyone whose path you cross in life has the power to change you—sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in greater ways than you could have ever known. Beautifully written and emotionally profound, Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel deftly explores the idea of human connection.

—from goodreads.com
 

REVEIW:

OhmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH!

I'LL BE THERE WAS FLIPPIN' AMAZING! WHERE HAS THIS BOOK BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE? You'll be asking the same thing once you read it. :)

Sam Border, a kindhearted musical-protege, and his highly introverted brother, Riddle Border, live a nomadic life with their violence-prone, schizophrenic father, Clarence Border. Life with Clarence Border consists of Clarence driving his truck and kids (which are the last thought in his life) to a medium-sized town. Here, Clarence commits petty crimes, such as stealing, breaking-and-entering, and vandalism. When people start getting suspicious, Clarence packs the truck up and leaves, taking Sam and Riddle with him.

Because Clarence is a criminal, Sam and Riddle have to be invisible, leading into the fact that seventeen-year-old Sam hasn't been to school since second grade, and twelve-year-old Riddle has never been to school.

However, one day, Sam "randomly" picks a church service to go to not to be preached to, but to hear the music. At the service a girl named Emily Bell sings "I'll Be There" and Sam falls in love with her—convinced not by her awful singing voice, but by the fact that she seems to be singing to him, singing the powerful words sincerely—completely changing his life and his brother's life.

Until they have to pack up and leave again with their father, leaving the life and love they established behind...

Sam Border, Riddle Border, and Emily Bell, were characterized much, but it worked for the style of the book. There were at least eleven secondary characters who were essential to the plot as a whole. At the beginning, all of their plot lines seemed random, and I had no idea how things would play out, but in the end, the strands came together to resolve the story beautifully.

I'll Be There is written in third-person omniscient point-of-view, making the reader feel like a spectator, watching events unfold. If I remember correctly, Sam, Riddle, Emily, all eleven (if not more) secondary characters, and a bear (yes, a bear) were all highlighted at some point by the omniscient narrator.

Because the characters (even the main characters) weren't characterized into 3D existence, because the book is written in third-person omniscient, and because the writing style of the book is straightforward, each portion of the book that follows a different character feels like a snapshot of what (or who) the character really is.

In that way, I'll Be There, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, is very much like a delightful movie (and it should be made into a movie), and reads exactly what a movie would read like, offering the movie-goer a glimpse into many different lives, lives of both horrific shock and of unmistakable beauty.

RATING:

 

Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1), by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1)
By Rae Carson
Publication Date: September 20th, 2011 (Greenwillow)
Hardcover, 424 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

Here. I will provide you, joyous reader, with an even shorter blurb, a summary if you will, brought to you by the copyright page of The Girl of Fire and Thorns:

SUMMARY: A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.

:/ Still not good enough.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns, the first book in a planned trilogy (I can't wait for the next book which comes out in September 2012!) follows the arc of Elisa, a fat and useless princess who God had chosen to provide an act of service to the human race. She sits around, eating pomegranate scones, venison with basil and garlic, and spiced lamb shanks with buttered spinach (Let your mouth water. Food is mentioned a ton in this book, but it is not overly described. It's always the occasional, "We're eating this:") until she's literally bursting her dress seams.

Yet, somehow, she is THE BEARER of this century's "Godstone," which is fixed in her navel, always reminding her of her destiny, turning cold to warn her and turning warm to assure her (in essence, Elisa's Godstone is a bit like Harry Potter's scar). Elisa, of course, knows God has it all wrong. He must have picked the wrong person, because she is no where near heroic. She's nothing like her sister, which she envies oh so much.

So, Elisa gets married off to the neighboring kingdom's king, who needs Elisa, Bearer of the Godstone, to help him defeat barbaric, bloodthirsty invaders and protect his kingdom. However, as a Bearer of the Godstone, she's more sought after than she thinks, by friends—and by cutthroat enemies.

THE END OF MY BLURB

Anyway, Elisa is a wonderful character. Quite Kick-Ass, if I do say so myself. Even while she was fat, she was never as useless as she thought she was. She saw the venomous people her husband's court for what they were, and the gears in her head were always turning. She was analytical and a wonderful problem solver. Quite frankly, she was utterly brilliant. And she grows into her skin even more than just figuring out puzzles—actually, I could say Elisa grew out of her skin, such was the nature of her destiny, courage, and will power.

To everyone who says they predicted something in a book: you will not be able to predict the mind-blowing events in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. It's like slight-of-hand. The surprises in The Girl of Fire and Thorns are like getting slapped; or being pushed out of a car going 60 miles-an-hour; or having your heart sucked out, through your mouth, by an industrial-grade vacuum cleaner.

I can't begin to tell you how much I found Elisa admirable and inspiring. It will probably come across as cheesy, dear reader, but she's the embodiment of heroism coming from a person nobody would define as even remotely "heroic." Nobody would ever suspect that Elisa is capable of having courage and being a strong leader. I like the idea that anyone, even that quiet, lonely person sitting next to you in Advanced Pre-Calculus, can have the making of a hero—they just need the opportunity.

Please please please bare with The Girl of Fire and Thorns to at least Part Two (page 142 in the hardcover edition) if you do choose to read it. If you want to put it then, sure; I won't hold a grudge because at least you tried. The beginning is awfully slow, and you will be tempted to put the book down (if we're being honest, I actually did put the book down numerous times because I had to return it to the library. I've had to borrow it at least three times, each borrow a period of two weeks. I've been reading it since April and just finished it yesterday, August 20th, 2012). But just please please please make it to Part Two at least: That's when Elisa stops being some fat girl who thinks she's useless, and starts to become the Bearer of the Godstone who knows her own strength—a girl truly of fire and thorns.

RATING:

Review: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1), by Kat Zhang

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)
By Kat Zhang
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012 (HarperTeen)
ARC Paperback, 343 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi; Dystopia; YA
Source: Goodread's First Reads Giveaway and HarperTeen

DESCRIPTION:

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't...

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to more again. The risks are unimaginable—hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet...for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The whole idea around souls in What's Left of Me, by Kat Zhang, is Golden-Compass-esque—only instead of the one soul being in a "daemon" and the other in the human as in The Golden Compass, both souls are inside of the human.

The two souls sharing one body in What's Left of Me were Addie and Eva, although the spotlight was more on Eva because she was the "recessive soul," the soul that was suppose to die, but never did for some reason, which of course, the government hates. Eva had more redeeming qualities and was more likable that Addie, but she's still just an average "meh" character that I didn't really have an emotions invested into. Both Addie and Eva, but especially Addie, did a lot of sniveling and crying. :/ Honestly, I did not care much for any of the characters.

But (once again), I love the idea. If Addie kisses a boy, Eva is only an observer: she can't move or speak, but it's awkward for her and maybe she doesn't want to kiss the same boy Addie wants to. Maybe Eva doesn't love the same boy as Addie. I guess it's like being Siamese twins with your sibling, and one of you gets a boyfriend/girlfriend and the other twin is that awkward third wheel.

I wish there was more action, inspiring speeches, better description and such. I was confused a few parts in the book about what was happening because the writing seemed unclear.

What's Left of Me leaves a lot of unanswered questions by the end. Hopefully, they'll be answered in the next book.

RATING:

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Use the lightning bolt, Harry! The spells are in the lightning bolt! Simple, chic, yet highly-effective (the spells are alphabetized) for when you're battling a dark lord and forget a spell. ;)

Review: Now (Once #3), by Morris Gleitzman

Now (Once #3)
By Morris Gleitzman
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2010 (Henry Holt)
Hardcover, 184 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction; YA;
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION: 

Felix is a grandfather. He has accomplished much in his life and is widely admired in the community. He has mostly buried the painful memories of his childhood, but they resurface when his granddaughter, Zelda, comes to stay with him. Together, armed with only their gusto and love, they face a cataclysmic event, one that can help them achieve salvation from the past, but also bring the possibility of destruction.

Set in the present day, this is the final book in the series that began with Once and continued with Then. This is...Now.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

Well, that book blurb succeed in making the book sound dramatic and exciting when it really wasn't. I was really disappointed with Now, by Morris Geitzman, especially after crying and laughing through both Once (Once #1) and Then (Once #2). But it was still a really good book.

Now is written from the view point of Felix's granddaughter, Zelda, and even though I wanted more Felix and Amon set during World War Two, I liked her voice, mostly because her voice was basically the same as Felix's in the beloved first two Once books. 

I loved and felt sympathetic towards Felix too of course. My heart broke all over again.

That "cataclysmic event" that the book description talks about—don't bet on it being anywhere near as calamitous as the other events in the first two Once books. That should be a relief (after so many tears and what not), except the Now tries to make the "cataclysmic event" more dramatic than it really was, not with the facts of the disaster, but with little scraps of little under-developed subplots and character personalities. 

I liked the bullying issue Morris Gleitzman added and the way he did it differently.

Also, at the end of the book in an author's note, Morris Gleitzman claims to have written this book so that they can be read out of order. I wouldn't recommend it because Now has plot spoilers especially to Then (Once #2), but also to Once (Once #1). But it is doable. Also, I wouldn't recommend the Once Series to anyone who doesn't know much about the Holocaust, because Once books can be confusing.

There's a fourth book for people who stuck all the way through Morris Gleitzman's series called After (Once #4), which does take place during World War Two and it's aftermath and is written from Felix's view point.

RATING:

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (#1), by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (#1)
By Laini Taylor
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011 (Little, Brown & Company)
Hardcover, 417 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Urban Fantasy; Romance; Paranormal; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed lovers who's roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

Ooooh. Bloodchills (a word I've created myself meaning, my blood is freezing in my veins right now). This wins the metal for unlike anything I've ever read (or perhaps it was pieced together from classic literature, history, and mythology that I have never come across).

I can't get over the ideas in this. I wish I came up with them. For example, Karou's chimera father sells wishes to people in exchange for the payment of teeth, animal teeth of all kinds, and human teeth being worth the most. Karou is the errand girl who travels all over the world to get teeth from the low-life poachers who sell the teeth.

In my eyes, Daughter of Smoke and Bones seemed to ask The Hunchback of Notre Dame question, "Who is the monster and who is the man?" (And if you ever seen the Disney movie—one of my favorite Disney movies—you know that Quasimodo was never the monster people thought he was, and self-righteous Judge Claude Frollo was never the pious or generous man he thought he was.) It also seemed to challenge traditional appearance of good and evil.

At first when I started Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I was captured by the writing. I've never read anything so descriptive, with superior imagery, and truly poetic strings off words. But when I got father in I felt differently. Everything seemed overly descriptive. I was experiencing imagery overload, most repetitively when the author was describing how beautiful Madrial was or a particular environment. The poetic words seemed unnecessary. And I didn't know many of the words, words like "eidolon" (1. a phantom; apparition; 2. an ideal), "cagey" (cautious, wary, or shrewd), and "kolacky" (a sweet bun filled with jam or pulped fruit).

But a "kolacky" sure does sound good!

I adored Karou's best friend, Zuzana. Is it me or are the best friends of the protagonist more likable than the actual protagonist? She is short, but very fierce, and still she finds the capacity to be sensitive towards Karou and her boyfriend, Mik, the sweet violinist, who I also loved, but not more than Zuzana.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is basically the exposition, the set up for the next book, Days of Blood and Starlight, in a planned trilogy. There wasn't a big climax in this book—there wasn't really one at all.

Still, there was something very magnetic about Daughter of Smoke and Bone...

RATING: