bookrblog

The Piper’s Son

Saturday, April 10th, 2010 | Children's Literature | No Comments

This is Melina Marchetta’s latest novel, and it follows on from her previous novel, Saving Francesca. A drop-out Uni student, Tom, goes to live with his aunt after he’s kicked out of a share flat. He is trying to recover his life which has been lost in extreme grief after the loss of his uncle. His entire family was shattered when his uncle, Joe, was killed in the London Tube bombings. They pushed away those who loved them - Tom, his girlfriend; his Dad left his family and became an alcoholic; and his aunt got pregnant on a one night stand with a cheating ex. All of these issues are resolved, of course, with “the help of friends”, which is Marchetta’s consistent theme throughout every novel she’s written.

It doesn’t feel as though Marchetta has moved on at all with this book, she hasn’t explored anything new in her own ability or within the subject. I hated the theme that people who grieve are selfish and should consider those around them; I think people who grieve are expected to get on with things pretty quickly and those around them should actually give them a bit more time. This book isn’t as good as most of her others, although it’s a lot better than the poor attempt at fantasy she tried earlier. I think Marchetta is generally a great writer but I wish she’d move on a bit,  beyond her usual themes of pure friendship being everything.

The Goose Girl

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

This is the first book in the Bayern series by Shannon Hale. I didn’t mind Princess Academy which I read a year ago or so, despite its Americanisms. This one was a little more cringe-worthy. Lots of ums and ers, a very stereotypical plot, and nothing original. It was kind of bloodthirsty, too. Funny how these writers disdain the sex and adult themes of today’s stories but have no problem chopping people’s heads off - in detail!  This book felt like a faint copy of the far superior Ella Enchanted. I won’t be seeking out her other stories.

The Cherry Ames books

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 | American Literature, Children's Literature | No Comments

I loved the Cherry Ames books by Helen Wells when I was a kid. I have just purchased the first eight which have recently been republished. I realise now I’d only read the later books. The earlier ones follow the career of Cherry Ames, an American nurse, during WW2, from training to work on both the European and Pacific fields of war, and then into civilian work post-war.

Originally written in the ’40s to encourage more nurses to join up, they’re more than propaganda; they’re good books. In fact, they’re well-written, action-packed, and historically fascinating. Wells gives a good picture of life in the army, life in hospitals, and life in New York and the UK in the 40’s. There’s a hint of romance, lots of humour, and some interesting medical detail, but the real purpose of the book is to show how satisfying a career can be for a woman; and that in these sad post-feminist times is still really important.

Wildwood Dancing

Saturday, October 31st, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

I’ve seen this book by Juliet Marillier many times but haven’t been tempted to read it, mostly because of the over-the-top fairytale cover. Alas, the cover did represent the book; it’s an over-the-top predictable fairytale. I did like the beginning, the tantalising bits of history around Transylvania (Romania), the sisters; but the rest of it takes bits of fairytales such as the frog prince and the 12 dancing princesses and other stories, and doesn’t build enough interest. I can see it may have been more interesting to a young girl - and it is a YA - but maybe not. Pieces of it is good; it doesn’t make a good whole.

Fire

Monday, October 26th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

I couldn’t wait - I had to go out and find Kristin Cashore’s next book right after I’d read her first one. It’s actually a prequel, but one which includes spoilers for Graceling, so you do need to read the other first, although Fire is a standalone book. Fantasy, set in a wild world of monsterously beautiful creatures living side-by-side their ordinary counterparts. Fire is the only monsterous human (there’s all sorts of monsters, from mice to raptors), but the point of this story is that the truly murderous can be hidden behind a mild face. Fire may be labelled a monster due to her bright hair and ability to read and mould minds, but she strives to help and can’t be cruel. She’s forced to travel to the King’s city to help the spies with their work in preventing war, and her entire world is altered by this experience.

Initially I wasn’t as keen on this book, and I still prefer Graceling, but I quickly warmed to the characters and the world. Cashores has a gift for writing action and bringing tension to the poor reader, but it’s the depth of the characterisation that sets her books apart. I really enjoyed this, and I’m looking forward to her next.

Graceling

Saturday, October 24th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

I really enjoyed this first novel by Kristin Cashores. It’s the usual “sword and sorcery” fantasy, but it’s well-written and the characters really draw you in. Katsa is “graced” or gifted with fighting and so is used by her king as a kind of “strong-man” or assassin. As she grows older she realises this is wrong, and forms an underground organisation to help those hurt by her king and the other kings in the lands around her. She eventually develops the strength to leave her king, due to her friendship with a young prince, who is graced with a kind of mind-reading, and fights well, too. This is a lovely coming-of-age story, with lots of adventure and romance, and a positive model of a girl learning about the bigger world she’s part of. A very good YA read.

Selina Penaluna

Sunday, October 4th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

This novel by Jan Page is marketed as a YA, but its grim nature - and the ancient viewpoint of the protagonist - makes it more of an adult book dumbed down. Page is apparently a TV writer and it shows - lots of over the top sensationalised sexuality and violence, and a lot of basic silliness. An elderly woman is packing up her house and remembering her childhood as an evacuee during the war, including the loss of her brother and her perceived betrayal by a local girl Selina, who believed she was a mermaid. Everything points towards tragedy, and after that happens, it gets even worse; there is really no silver lining or comfort at the end, it just gets worse and worse. I really found this book quite miserable and could not recommend it - I think it’ll be going in the bin.

The Homeschool Liberation League

Friday, September 4th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

This is a great YA novel by Lucy Frank. 13 yr old Katya finds she can’t force herself to return to school after a transforming experience at a wilderness camp. She manages to persuade her parents to trial homeschooling, but the difference between her vision- unschooling - and her parents’ attempts mean the trial turns into a disaster. However, Katya’s tenacity wins through and the whole family learn something from the experience.

This was a great read - it wasn’t a pro-homeschooling tract, it was simply a story of an independent young girl who happens to find homeschooling working for her. I really enjoyed it - it was well-written with great characters and a lot of humour. I’ll look out for other books by Lucy Frank.

Three Willows

Saturday, July 18th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

This is another attempt by Ann Brasheres, the author of “the sisterhood of the travelling pants” to develop a popular series, but it isn’t as good and it doesn’t say anything new. Three new girls are going through adolescence, but they’re not as memorable as her original friends, and you can feel the author trying too hard. Although she tries to tackle some big issues, it’s done so lightly that she really doesn’t succeed. An easy read, not a bad one, but not particularly good, either.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Saturday, July 18th, 2009 | Children's Literature | No Comments

This grim adolescent novel by Patrick Ness has been highly lauded, and it certainly is original and well-written. It is, however, very violent and very depressing. It reminds me of something that John Marsden might write. A boy is urged to leave his community just before his coming-of-age ceremony. He’s in a world where everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts, even animals, and in a community where there are no women - they died of a sickness years before. However, when he leaves, he discovers everything he has been told is a lie, and things are much - much, much, much - worse than he thinks. And it gets worse from there. While this is a well-written and interesting book, it revels in violence far too much for me, and I won’t be seeking the sequel.