multicultural

City Of A Thousand Dolls | Miriam Forster | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Straight up, I will always read books that have girls on the cover between two giant lion statues holding weapons. ALWAYS AND FOREVER. Sometimes this is a bad life choice, but in the case of City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster, the inside pretty much exceeds the outside in terms of awesomeness. While City Of A Thousand Dolls is not quite Eon: Dragoneye Reborn calibre, it is very, very good. Nisha, the main character, has this pretty awesome coming of age where she learns secrets and must seize her freedom and her future in this Asian-inspired fantasy. FYI, I cannot really say anything about cultural authenticity as regarding this book because well, I am not an expert by any means.

City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster | Good Books & Good Wine

Nisha lives in the City Of A Thousand Dolls where the girls live in different Houses – like Harry Potter – and get trained to be valuable servants and wives. As Nisha arrived at the City at the age of six, she was too old to train at a specific house, thus she acts as a go-between for Matron, and also her assistant. She has plenty of friends, but none so close as the pack of wild cats that live on the grounds — FYI they speak to each other using telepathy. With the Redeeming, a ceremony where the girls are able to be Claimed for a price, Nisha is hopeful that her secret boyfriend will Claim her. Only, there’s one problem, MURDER. Yo, that’s right. There’s a rash of murders in the City Of A Thousand Dolls, Nisha takes it upon herself to investigate the murders.

Let’s be real for a second here, you guys know my proclivities when it comes to protagonists. SO OF COURSE you know that I loved City Of A Thousand Dolls‘ main character. Nisha is wonderful. Like, she comes off as kind of awkward because she has not really been trained in the houses. Despite her setbacks, she still manages to kick ass. Word. SHE IS KICK ASS. I mean, she puts herself at risk to save the other girls and to be a loyal friend. The killer could seriously be anyone and Nisha is all, whatevs, who cares, I am going to FIND THEM. Also, she spars a lot and I pretty much love those bits, it’s not like a battle, but training and to me that is awesome.If you like heroines who are allowed to be vulnerable and have feelings and doubts and make mistakes, you’ll love Nisha probably as much as I did.

Because I am an expert when it comes to literary terms, I figure I’d be remiss if I didn’t prattle on a little bit about the world building. You guys! This book is nothing like Harry Potter or Graceling, so get that out of your head now. Like I mentioned above, there are houses that train girls and give them purpose. You see, the Empire has a two child policy, which is you faintly reminiscent of today. Of course, girls aren’t valuable because they can’t inherit. Anyways, these girls come to City Of A Thousand Dolls and are placed in houses that best suit their personality and skills. I thought this was an interesting way of addressing that issue, and well, it sucks that women are chattel, but no worries THIS IS ADDRESSED. Also? Sidebar: I’d like to read a book on these policies where it’s the boys who aren’t valuable and the girls are the ones people keep. Anyways. There are also the cats who play a huge role. While I am not quite a cat person, I did think the wild cat tribe was quite awesome, especially Jerrit, and you’ll see why when you read, but hey these cats are as loyal as DOGS. WHAT I KNOW. OH and City Of A Thousand Dolls makes use of a caste system, which of course being weird as hell, I found fascinating.

I actually really liked Miriam Forster’s writing style. While it’s not highlight every other page writing, it is the sort of book I like during this time of year. It’s a fantasy that doesn’t take me 1000 pages just to be able to picture the setting. Instead, I felt a strong sense of place — with the city and the forest that surrounds it. I thought she did a great job making Nisha likable and interesting — and not some weird misfit. The pacing is good with this book, granted it took me about 100 pages to really be totally hooked in that can’t put it down sort of way.

Yes. There is romance in City Of A Thousand Dolls, but it’s subtle. Like, less than 30 pages probably deal with swoon time. I liked that. I liked that it was a book that focused on how kick ass Nisha was and how she’d solve her dilemma instead of the focus being on some dark mysterious stranger who would save them all. Obviously, if you want a big and grand sweeping romance this is not the book for you. But if you want fantasy with just a hint of kissing, you’ll like this, I hope.

FINALLY! I need to tell you guys about the ending, but without spoiling you. There is NO cliffhanger. Like there is an actual ending, one that I was like okay I am satisfied, I can close this and not feel the ending is a money grab on the part of the author to sell a sequel. I felt the ending was perfect for the story and solved loose ends. At this point I am not sure if there’s a sequel, I think Twitter told me there was. AND YOU GUYS I am okay with that. I am okay with a sequel because I feel like I’m not being held hostage with information/plot resolutions to read it. Nope, every thread basically gets resolved which yay, I love it when I feel a book has paid off my time investment. In all, I totally recommend City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster if you are a cat person, down for kick ass characters and like your social structures interesting.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster:

Candace’s Book Blog – “I really have a lot of mixed feelings.”

Hobbitsies – “Miriam Forster is basically a master world-builder”

Recovering Potter Addict – “I had FUN reading it and isn’t that the most important thing”

The Fire Horse Girl Kay Honeyman Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

You know when you absolutely love a book and you want to shout it from the rooftops and then let everyone and their mother know just how great the book is. You are absolutely convinced that everyone should be reading it. THEN come to find out, the book ends up not getting a whole lot of attention despite being totally awesome and legit and full of plot lines that WE ALL LOVE. Friends, that book is The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman. This book is 100% legit and honestly deserves a parade or something to make up for the lack of coverage on the blogs — which HONESTLY to me, if something isn’t being splashed all over book blogs in MY OWN PERCEPTION that means it is being sorely neglected. YOU GUYS STOP NEGLECTING THE FIRE HORSE GIRL.

The Fire Horse Girl Kay Honeyman Book Cover

Raise your hand if you love reading historical fiction. Raise it up high if you love books staring fierce females who are headstrong. Raise it up to the ceiling if you are a huge fan of when girls dress like boys in order to have freedom. PREACH IT SISTER FRIENDS. Anyways. The Fire Horse Girl has those elements IN SPADES. So, basically Jade Moon is a female born in the year of the fire horse which is kind of a big deal on the Chinese zodiac, I guess. Basically, this is a very bad thing because it means that she’s not exactly submissive but very independent and stubborn, actually. Jade Moon lives in China with her dad and Grandfather. Her mother died in child birth, and because Jade Moon is a fire horse girl everyone blames the family’s bad luck on her. When the opportunity comes to go to America, Jade Moon sees the road to opportunity and her dreams. She will do whatever it takes to get to America. In fact she kind of grabs her dreams right by the horns and I 100% support it and find it awesome.

Jade Moon definitely deserves to be the main character because she is utterly fascinating. In a time when girls basically had to sit down and shut up, she’s all I am woman hear me roar. And I am like YOU GO GIRL, GET ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF! Because I think in all caps. Pretty much every single person in her life tells her she is not good enough because she does not submit and because of her whole birth during the year of the fire horse and being a girl. Instead of getting down and depressed, she gets determined. It results in good life choices. So basically I would totally send a Valentine with chocolates to Jade Moon because she is awesome. Straight up.

If you are looking for a long, slow meandering book, The Fire Horse Girl is NOT for you. If, on the other hand, you want a book that draws you in from the first chapter and won’t let you go until the last page, The Fire Horse Girl might as well be your next read. The dialogue comes across as fairly authentic. I wasn’t like okay people do not talk like that ever. Lady go outside and listen to people talk. Instead, I was all YES I COULD HEAR THIS CONVERSATION. PLEASE SPEAK MORE. Seriously, Kay Honeyman’s book is wonderfully written and the word flow might as well be perfect because I never had to reread a paragraph to clarify what the heck was going on.

YOU GUYS! I never ever get to read about this setting — 1923 and no flapper focus. I’d be lying if I said I read too many flapper books because one can never have enough flapper books. However, The Fire Horse Girl has interesting historical things going for it! It covers immigration and Angel Island. It covers little China in San Francisco and actual China, itself. There are Tongs, paper sons, and the Chinese Exclusionary Act. It’s kind of my inner history nerd’s dream come true. Like, my inner history nerd wants to write a ballad or an ode or a haiku to this book.

The romance in The Fire Horse Girl isn’t exactly the sweep you off your feet sort. It’s very, very, very slow to develop. And that development is only after a ton of bumps in the road along the way. Plus, the two characters who fall for each other really don’t get along very much. So, basically it’s my ideal romance. And yes, there’s not like any kissing scenes or anything. So, if you’re like OH NO SEXUAL CONTENT, you will like this book.

Obviously if you can’t tell by my mad ramblings, I am a huge fan of The Fire Horse Girl and totally want to push it on you. Like, this is one of those books that deserves more attention. It deserves to not be shoved aside by the more flashy paranormal or dystopian books. Instead, The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman deserves a spot right on center stage for it’s unique setting, strong writing, and FIERCE leading lady, Jade Moon.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman:

City Of Books – “a must-read for any historical fiction lovers“

Confessions Of A Readaholic – “I was immediately captured by the gorgeous writing”

Prophecy Ellen Oh Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Maybe I am an odd duck, but I actually quite liked Prophecy by Ellen Oh. I realize a lot of my blogger friends and people I subscribe to where just not that into Prophecy, but for me personally, I went into the book not expecting the second coming and thus wasn’t tainted by expecting Graceling 2.0 or Eon: The Spinoff. Without any sort of comparisons to the fantasy heavyweights, I think the book rests on it’s own merits. Like, it’s unfortunate that those comparisons were made in the first place, because no, Prophecy is not as good as Graceling or Eon but it’s a competently written story with characters I actually found interesting and likeable, unlike the characters in Falling Kingdoms.

Prophecy Ellen Oh Book Cover

Kira has kind of a bad reputation. She is cousin to the young prince, which should mean that she is at the top of the social structure. HOWEVER, Kira has these yellow eyes and when she was very young she saw a demon attacking her cousin and so she killed it, but they kept the whole demon thing hushed up and so all these people think that Kira is a monster herself or a demon, instead of a hero. Anyways, Prophecy starts with a real bang, as there’s this like big huge battle which results in Kira and her cousin, Taejo searching for these relics which will help fulfill the prophecy of the Dragon Musado, a person who can help overcome the demons which are like rawr let us inhabit bodies and be awful and do bad things rawr. I KNOW, best description ever. Anyways, there’s a dog named Jingo who I became attached to, and hints at a potential romance which doesn’t exactly culminate into a relationship or anything.

Kira is a legit badass. Like, she’s a girl and she knows it’s an uphill battle to get the dudes to respect her because they are all oh how can a woman be strong. She’s like, bitch I have yellow eyes let me lay that BOOM BOOM on you, and then she does and to me all her reverse side kicks were awesome. Maybe I just have really low standards or something, but I LIKED Kira, I would give her a friendship bracelet or a boondoggle because she’s loyal and awesome and the whole story isn’t omg I really want to kiss him instead of saving the kingdom. Hell no, she focuses on the task at hand. ALTHOUGH, I will say I was super annoyed by her cousin Taejo who is really an annoying little kid for most of the book and like searches for trouble instead of staying put and staying safe like he’s told.

I think that I would have liked this world of Seven Kingdoms way more if Prophecy was longer. Like, I never felt like we got a super huge in depth look at the world. Sure the map is cool, and the fact that there are factions are cool. But I kept getting confused over the Yamato warriors and why they were total douches. Also, in the beginning characters called Untouchables are mentioned and then never returned to again. PLUS! There are monks you guys. Monks! Which I like reading about, weirdly enough. And we don’t get a huge glimpse at the religion and belief system. I also would have liked more exploration of the demons — like why are they so intent on coming back over and over if they are just going to get killed. Or maybe I am just really oblivious and missed it while reading – which is not exactly an unknown thing for me to do.

Ellen Oh’s writing style is very straight forward. There aren’t exactly wells of hidden depths. I think that she has a lot of potential though — especially this bit with the eight maidens. I never wanted to leave that section because it was filled with mythology and strong ladies and was actually fascinating and I thought well written. Like, I guess my one complaint is that maybe Prophecy is an uneven read. There’s a lot of in depth descriptions of the fights and action, which maybe I am a weirdo, but my eyes tend to glaze over during that sort of thing. But, when we get past the fight and into the actual prophecy and the character development, I was glued to the page.

Being 100% honest with you, I’m nervous people will judge me because I liked Prophecy, but that’s the thing you have to be you and if that means liking a book that not everyone else was into, so be it. To me, I thought Prophecy was peppered with interesting characters and I will always cheer for a strong female lead character who is loyal with no holds barred. I like reading Asian inspired fantasy, and while this may not be the best of it’s genre, I thought it was a very pleasant way to pass time and kept me quite entertained and held my interest. I will definitely be back for the sequel.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Prophecy by Ellen Oh:

Icey Books – “Filled with action and a (tad-confusing) prophecy”

Annette’s Book Spot – “I enjoyed the book while I was reading, but it didn’t blow me away”

Book Brats – “Prophecy features little, to no romance, and plenty of action”

Sunrise Over Fallujah Walter Dean Myers Audiobook Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Why do I like reading military based books so much? I’ve never been a soldier. I’m scared witless of guns. But, I love reading about camaraderie. I love reading about bravery and courage under fire, so to speak. When I first came across Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers, it was at the library in 2009. I was living in a place I call hell. I had initially taken the book out because I liked the cover and I knew a little tiny bit about Fallujah. Unfortunately, I returned the book unread. Flash forward to this year, 2012, and seeing Sunrise Over Fallujah in the Audible sale. For me, audiobooks are an easy way to read free time non-review books. Since 2009, I have become a big fan of Walter Dean Myers, and so coming across Sunrise Over Fallujah again, I absolutely could not pass that up. Y’all, this is what we call A GOOD LIFE CHOICE.

Sunrise Over Fallujah follows Robin Perry, a young soldier in the Civilian Affairs branch of the military. He is sent to Iraq where their mission is to basically stabilize Iraq and help the Iraqis rebuild. The book starts with Robin questioning why he signed up for the military, for war. He is briefed on his company’s mission. They go over friendly fire and the rules of engagement and what not. Then we move into Robin forming bonds with the other members of his company, notably Jonesy who wants to open up a blues club when he gets back from fighting and Marla, a tough as nails blonde soldier. We see the company interact with the Iraqis, we see them look for weapons, then turn around and collect toys for the children. Yet, the book is not immune to tragedy, much like most people involved with war. It’s kind of hard for me to describe the plot, so I’ll just say it’s a bit of a coming of age, but with a soldier.

I said it in my review of ALL THE RIGHT STUFF and I just wanted to reiterate that thus far, Robin is my favorite of all the Walter Dean Myers main characters that I’ve ‘met’. Robin starts off the book with one of my favorite character traits EVER, he is PRICKLY, you guys. Like, he gets pissy because Marla gives him the nickname Birdy. And it sticks, to Robin’s dismay. But then, as we progress and see the day to day life of war and as Robin really gets to bond, he starts to change. He starts to not mind the nickname. And you guys, ‘Birdy’ goes through some serious life changing events, and I am glad to say that with each event, Robin develops as a character. You can’t go through an experience like the ones Robin has and not change, so I respect that Walter Dean Myers didn’t make Birdy perfect and statics.

I’m glad to read a book set during the Iraq war, as usually the ones I tend to read are set during different wars. Sunrise Over Fallujah wasn’t the typical war book where I spent the whole time in fear for the characters. Or the type where every single battle is described in detail. But rather, Sunrise Over Fallujah goes into the ordinary between fighting bits and I liked that, I feel like I don’t know enough about that. Plus, most of the war books I read don’t have female combatants, so that was a nice little change too. I also liked reading about a war that has happened in my lifetime, in a place that people who actually matter to me in real life have been and have fought. Afterwards, while I don’t UNDERSTAND because I have never been there and most likely never will be in the military, I found myself feeling more empathy towards the experiences of the service people I know.

I’ve seen a few reviews on goodreads for Sunrise Over Fallujah that were lukewarm, which set my brain to wondering. I was thinking about the audiobook experience and how it affects my perception of the books I listen to. Would I have felt the book mediocre if I had read the print version? The audiobook version is published by Recorded Books. The narrater is JD Jackson and he really brings Robin to life. I thought he was a wonderful casting choice. Is that what they call it — the choice of narrator? Anyways, I digress. I thought that JD Jackson brought Sunrise Over Fallujah to the next level, where the characters felt real and three dimensional to me, rather than flat as the reviews say. And now I am wondering how much of my impression and feelings are due to the audiobook rather than Myers’ words. That stated, I did really, really enjoy Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers and would recommend that you give the audiobook which is only 7 hours and 27 minutes unabridged a shot, especially if you are looking to diversify your reading.

Disclosure: Purchased with an audible credit, although I also once borrowed this from the library a very long time ago but returned it unread.

Other reviews of Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers:

Crazy QuiltEdi – “a thought provoking book that makes us wonder what the war, indeed any war, accomplishes”

Bookin’ Las Vegas – “JD Jackson is amazing as the voice of the book.”

Advice From A Caterpillar – “a jolt of reality about the war our children have already inherited”

The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano Sonia Manzano Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

It never fails to surprise me how some of the books not getting big buzz turn out to be hidden gems. The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano was a book that I picked up on a whim at the Book Blogger Convention. None of the other books we could choose from for our grab bags looked interesting to me, and so not know anything about the book except that the word ‘revolution’ is in the title and it’s published by Scholastic, I put it in my bag. Friends, apparently I am a GREAT decision maker under the pressure of a line, because I ended up really liking The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano.

Set in 1969, with El Barrio, or Spanish Harlem as a backdrop, The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano is all about social justice. Told through the eyes of Evelyn – who by the way insists on being called Evelyn, her middle name, instead of Rosa because too many girls in the barrio are named Rosa- we see The Young Lords which is an activist group comprised of Puerto Ricans insist on cleaner streets. You see, the streets of El Barrio are filled with trash. Evelyn must also deal with her mother and Abuela who is her grandmother being continually at odds with each other. Also? Evelyn is spending the summer working at a drug store and making a few friends outside of the barrio. I found The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano to be an honest look at what life is like in El Barrio and what actions can drive social change.

I rooted for Evelyn the entire time, even when she was not being entirely fair. She is a dynamic character who experiences a coming of age, and I love that. She’s on the cusp of deciding whether to embrace her Puerto Rican roots or grow wings and fly away (not literally, y’all). She’s a good girl who cares about her family, even when there is conflict between members. Plus, Evelyn takes a page out of her sassy grandmother’s book and learns to stand up for her beliefs. I love that.

The interactions between Evelyn’s mother and Abuela are quite tense. You see, Abuela was never all that great of a mother. Instead of caring for her child, she helped lead revolutions throughout Puerto Rico as a way to make up for a past. When Abuela arrives unannounced in NYC, she takes Evelyn’s room and is not the best house guest. Yet, she fully inhabits her personality and with her faults come strengths as well. Abuela is one of the people to embrace the Young Lords, the social activist group. She finds herself sweeping trash off the street and assisting with the Lords’ social justice efforts. I found it admirable that she didn’t let her age lull her into complacency or not caring.

Sonia Manzano’s The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano is a very quick read. It has short chapters and large print. Interspersed within the text are Spanish and Spanglish terms, but the author rarely does that thing where she defines the word right after a character says it. Instead readers are given context clues,which I LOVE because it doesn’t break up the natural flow of the book. I think the interesting characters and the tight plotting really help to move the story along at a satisfactory clip, which is especially good if you are doing a readathon or just want to get through a pile of your owned books.

I’d be utterly remiss if I did not mention the themes of social justice within The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano. As well all know, life is not fair, nor is it just. But that does not mean we should sit back and be blasé about it. The cool thing is that Sonia Manzano shows people who are willing to sit up and take action to improve their station in life. The Young Lords want to use the church for free breakfast for children, day care, and a clothing exchange. It was so wonderful to see people who look beyond themselves. And actually come to think of it, you could pair this book with All The Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers for a vivid discussion of the social contract.

The Revolution Of Evelyn Serrano is not going to get the fanfare of bigger books, and that’s just fine. Yet, I don’t think you should miss out on it, because it’s a wonderful, quiet novel about one girl’s coming of age and pride in her heritage. It’s based on true events in history, and for once an event that I had never even heard of. Well-written and fast paced, Sonia Manzano’s book is definitely worth a few quiet hours of contemplation, especially for middle graders.

Disclosure: Picked up at Book Blogger Convention 2012

Other reviews of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano:

Novel Novice – “I was profoundly touched and moved by this book!”

You Decide: Should I Read It Or Not? – “I was more proud of my heritage than ever after reading Sonia Manzano’s book.”

All The Right Stuff Walter Dean Myers Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

The thing that I love best about reading a book by Walter Dean Myers is that I get a different story every time. While I may not always love that story or find it to be the best ever, I like that Myers is not a one note author. All The Right Stuff is no different, it was a story I had not read before. There is no romance. There’s not exactly a gang. The main character, Paul isn’t exactly having a huge dilemma. Rather, All The Right Stuff is an examination of the social contract, you know stuff you learned in Social Studies during the Enlightenment unit (I kind of want to trot my BS in social studies education out), thus making it stand out for me, even among other multicultural books.

Paul DuPree, the main character, has got his head on pretty straight despite having a drug-addict father. The summer his dad dies, he scores this pretty sweet job working in a Harlem soup kitchen and mentoring Keisha, a teen mother with mad basketball skills. What Paul didn’t anticipate was Elijah, the elderly man who owns the soup wanting to rap about deep stuff. Elijah educates Paul little by little about the political theory of the social contract. It’s a bit complex for Paul, but he finds himself wondering how a society functions and how to get to the top. This dude, Sly, makes an appearance and he’s one of those people who thinks the ends justify the means and you have to get yours without regard to the social contract. Y’all, this book is DEEP, or at least more philosophical than my normal fare. All The Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers made me think and ponder things I haven’t thought about since college. I love that.

Of all the Walter Dean Myers books I have read and reviewed, Paul is one of my favorite main characters, maybe tied with Robin from Sunrise Over Fallujah. He’s got a good heart. He has not done anything major to mess up his life. He’s earnest and spends his summer helping people instead of piddling around. Granted, he gets paid to help people, yet I think there’s some altruism there. To me, Paul felt real and not like a caricature. By this, I mean he did not feel like a stereotype or the token black kid. Instead, he seemed pretty realized as a character, although perhaps I would have liked some more grief from him, after all his dad does die right in the very beginning of All The Right Stuff.

The social contract, a political theory that is kind of a big deal if you are studying Enlightenment and post-enlightment political thought is throughly examined in a real world context. I love that. If I was to put my teacher hat on, I would say this is a book you hand to kids when teaching Civics or during the Enlightenment unit in global studies. The thing with SOME, not all, teens is that if there’s no real world application to their education they don’t care. And I don’t want to generalize all students, just what my experience has been both as a student and as an educator. I think All The Right Stuff is perfect for getting some teenagers interested in the lesson. Paul is a cool kid, he’s not awkward or weird or a gangbanger. Elijah is an incredibly smart old man. And Sly, provides a pretty strong counterpoint and critical thought.

Walter Dean Myers has a writing style that I find to be very accessible. He’s appealing to struggling readers for a reason. I think that maybe when some teens read his books, they don’t feel alienated, and so he’s able to introduce concepts like political theory in a fairly gentle way. Plus, the chapters are generally short leading to a brisk pace. Maybe some of the dialogue occasionally feels inauthentic, but I felt while reading this that it was few and far between.

Honestly, I probably sound like the biggest Walter Dean Myers fangirl right now, and I am okay with that. While I don’t love all his books, I think they provide value. I think there is value in people of color being able to tell their own stories, and like Walter Dean Myers telling a different story every single time. I do wish that more authors of color were able to achieve the same level of commercial success as Myers, but that is a different rant for a different day. Friends, if you want to freshen up your political theory with a halfway decent storyline, check out All The Right Stuff, and be sure to brew up some soup while you’re at it, trust me, you’ll be craving some.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of All The Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers:

Forever Young Adult – “HOLY JEEZ, ELIJAH’S SOUP EMPORIUM, I WANT TO GO TO YOU”

Melissa’s Midnight Musings – “I could really relate to the story in it’s entirety. Not just with the characters, but with the themes and lessons as well.”

Once Upon A Twlight – “On an entertaining factor, however, I would say that the book didn’t really make me crave reading it, like most of his novels do”

Other Books By Walter Dean Myers:

Monster
Carmen
Kick (with Russ Workman)
Just Write: Here’s How

Stormdancer Jay Kristoff Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Perhaps the thing that stuck with me the most after reading Jay Kristoff’s Stormdancer is that I would like an arashitora – a half eagle, half tiger- of my very own. In all seriousness though, Stormdancer is a powerful read about rising up against oppression set against the backdrop of a fictional land called Shima that may as well be feudal steampunk Japan. As a patient reader, I reveled in the days spent reading Kristoff’s richly detailed writing.

Stormdancer

Yukiko, a sixteen year old girl is the daughter of Masaru also know as Black Fox, a legendary hunter. Masaru is ordered by the Shogun to find him an arashitora so the Shogun can be like the stormdancers of old and win the war against the Gaijin, or white people. Unfortunately, when Masaru, Yukiko and the crew are hunting for the last arashitora in Shima, they are struck by disaster. What unfolds is a plot rife with intrigue, where Yukijo is unsure of who she can trust.

Kristoff’s world is not one I would want to visit or hang around. In Shima, the skies are red and inhabitants must wear a breathing apparatus to filter out the pollution. A plant called lotus has choked out legitimate edible plants, to the point where all the animals have left Shima because they have no food to eat. Yet, residents say the lotus must bloom as it fuels the Shogun’s empire, is used for a narcotic and makes the machinery work.

Rule is strict under Shogun Yoritomo. Along with the Shogun, the Guild of artificers who are people in machine suits who make all of the technology have a lot of power as well. Taxes are high. Life as a peasant is incredibly harsh, where people are pretty much worked to death and surrounded by food they cannot eat. The Shogun is considered to be mad and kills people over the smallest perceived slight. The reader can easily see that Shima is ripe for a revolution.

Enter Yukiko. When we first meet her, she’s saving her dad from a bar fight and hopeful that Masaru will just get his life together. She’s not exactly a fountain of patience or understand by any means. Yet, despite her faults, Yukiko is headstrong and a fighter. She is someone who stands her ground morally, therefore a character that I found to be worthy of admiration.

I feel the writing style absolutely suits Stormdancer’s story. Kristoff writes in third person which provides a complete picture of what’s going on with the lotus war. It allows for exploration of what is happening with characters beyond Yukiko. Kristoff’s writing is very descriptive with a lot of adjectives. It is very easy to picture the world created by the author. Stormdancer is not the sort of book you should expect to tear through, but the type of book one savors and takes time with. If you are an impatient reader, straight up you will not like this book.

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff is sure to appeal to fans of Across The Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn because of the similar settings. Fans of adult epic fantasy will enjoy this book as well. Although Stormdancer features a teenage protagonist, there are adult themes and a complex story line regarding the revolution. If you like sophisticated storytelling, tough as nails main characters, revolutions and Eastern based fantasy, Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff is worth a few days of your reading time.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon vine.

Other reviews of Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff:

Cuddlebuggery – “Stormdancer is a fantasy nerdgasm”

Finding Bliss In Books – “an original and stunningly written debut”

Ivy Book Bindings -”a true literary wonder”

Alif The Unseen G. Willow Wilson Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

It’s always refreshing to leave your genre comfort zone. When it comes to fantasy, I tend to mostly stick with high fantasy of the young adult western variety. I think Alif The Unseen by G. Willow Wilson caught my eye because first, the cover is bright and gorgeous, but also because it is very outside my realm of expectations and experiences — instead of wizards and knights, it’s jinn and hackers. Y’all, I want MORE from Alif’s world, it is SO entrancing.

Alif The Unseen

So the plot of Alif The Unseen is basically this: There’s this guy who goes by the handle of Alif. He is a hacker and lives in an unnamed Middle Eastern country with a very strong internet censor in place. Alif works to actively get websites past censors and has clients whose identity he cloaks so they can have free speech. Anyways, Alif is jilted by this girl, Intisar, and writes a firewall program to block her based on personality regardless of internet alias and IP. From there, things spiral OUT OF CONTROL and Alif and his next door neighbor, Dina are on the run from the State but have the help of a few friends.

Y’all, what I pretty much learned from Alif The Unseen by G. Willow Wilson is that technology and jinn or genies are freakin’ cool. I mean, what a creative pairing. Perhaps I am not all that well read, but I have never ever read anything quite like this. I thought G. Willow Wilson did an imaginative job tying together the past with this book written by the jinn called The Thousand And One Days that is sort of a hint for all of Alif The Unseen, the present with Alif’s situation and Arab spring, and the future which is the technology, together.

I was very interested and riveted by the character of Alif. He is the quintessential underdog which I ALWAYS root for. He is half Arab, half Indian. His mom is the second wife. Alif lives in the poor section of town. In this story, he’s not one of the privileged and I liked reading about that. Alif and his friends are such a rag tag group. We get this complete sense of David vs. Goliath when it comes to the hackers vs. the State, and yeah I LOVED IT.

The best parts though, are the parts that come from the jinn book The Thousand And One Days. Bits of Alif The Unseen are interspersed with excerpts from The Thousand And One Days which are these short stories that are very well written and intriguing. My favorite is the one about Vikram the Vampire for various reasons that you will see when you read the book.

Frankly, I am kind of sad Alif The Unseen is not getting the attention or the traction it deserves. It is a wonderful book, perfect if you are looking for something out of the ordinary and just want to read an adult fantasy that does not follow the usual formula. Straight up, I am a fan of this book and whole heartedly would recommend it to you if you have similar taste to me.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley.

Other reviews of Alif The Unseen by G. Willow Wilson:

The Readaventurer – “Just when I think that young adult fantasy has nothing new to show me, this one comes along to change my mind.”

Bibliophilic Monologues – “a novel that needs to be read widely”

After Tupac And D Foster Jacqueline Woodson Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Y’all, it’s going to be a challenge for me to review After Tupac And D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson as I read it in April during the Dewey Readathon and it’s an incredibly sparse book. Although it is a quick read, it has some pretty heavy themes. Yet, the book After Tupac and D Foster is a testament to Jacqueline Woodson’s authorial skill, that she is able to pack punch that you didn’t even know you felt until three chapters later when it actually hits you.

After Tupac And D Foster

Jacqueline Woodson’s After Tupac And D Foster has an unnamed first person narrator who is a 12 year old African American female. She lives in a safe Queens neighborhood and is best friends with Neeka, who she’s known forever. D mysteriously enters the lives of the other two girls – the narrator and Neeka- before Tupac is shot the first time and leaves their lives just before Tupac is fatally shot.

What I love is the connection that Tupac’s music has on the lives of the girls. D has a special connection to Tupac because she feels as though she has lived the pain he raps about. The other two girls feel closer to the music because hearing and learning about D’s life brings them an understanding that they did not have before. Personally, Jacqueline Woodson’s book had me wanting to listen to Tupac beyond California Love (the only song I have by him on my iPod).

Alas, D is not in the lives of Neek and the narrator for long, yet she touches and has a very deep and lasting impact in their lives. After Tupac And D Foster is a beautifully written, strongly themed, discussion worthy book about friendship, growing up, and the effect music can have on various moments in time and our lives. I absolutely recommend Jacqueline Woodson’s book and will certainly be back for more of her writing.

Disclosure: Purchased copy.

Other reviews of After Tupac And D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson:

Becky’s Book Reviews – “Some books leave me a bit speechless. This is one of them.”

A Foodie Bibliophile In Wanderlust – “It’s amazing how beautiful a novel can be where not much happens”

Books by Jacqueline Woodson:

Peace, Locomotion

Lone Bean Chudney Ross Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Chudney Ross has a charming debut in Lone Bean that is faintly reminiscent of the Ramona Quimby books. Lone Bean opens with main character, Chrysanthemum ‘Bean’ as she prefers to be called, bursting with excitement over starting third grade, but Bean discovers the year won’t quite be what she expects.

Lone Bean

Bean has two older sisters – Rose and Gardenia. her sisters are kind of mean, but she doesn’t mind because she has the best friend ever, Carla. Yet, when Bean returns from a summer vacation spent at her Grandma’s she finds that Carla has a new best friend, Sam. To make matters even worse, Bean’s music instructor father wants her to begin learning a new instrument. Will Bean spent her third grade year friendless and learning an instrument she loathes?

Lone Bean by Chudney Ross has themes that children aged 7 to 12 will be able to relate to. These range from being left out to the relationship and pecking order between siblings. Bean is dealing with a difficult and lonely time, yet she acts with aplomb and gains self discovery in the process. She is far from perfect and often the quintessential annoying little sister. Bean’s growing pains and ultimate success ring true making Lone Bean a recommended read for elementary school kids.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine.

Other reviews of Lone Bean by Chudney Ross:

Tina Says – “a great selection”

Auntie Karen’s Book Pile – “clear and concise and fairly authentic”