What Happened to Goodbye

What Happened to Goodbye
Sarah Dessen
May 2011
Age Level: YA

Summary:

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

Combing Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.

Review:

As a long-time fan of Sarah Dessen's, I am always more than willing to buy her latest masterpiece. However, lately I've been finding myself more disappointed than not.

Going back in time, I can still remember being a young teenager reading Sarah Dessen for the first time. I devoured her books like crazy, reading and re-reading and going completely nuts for her work. Then, when her next book came out (at this time, it was Just Listen), I fell completely in love. I felt like there was always something new or different to be found with each novel.

Next came Lock and Key. And when I read this, I was sadly disappointed. While all of Sarah Dessen's previous books were memorable, with interesting and wonderful characters and unique and realistic plot lines, Lock and Key had none of that. It was cute, sure, but not anything I'd want to read again and again.

Following Lock and Key was Along for the Ride. After speed-reading this one, I felt like Sarah Dessen came back. Lock and Key was just a bump in the road, so to speak.

However, after reading What Happened to Goodbye, I'm not so sure what to think. While reading it, I thought that it was a very nice and refreshing book. Very cute and sweet; AKA, very Sarah Dessen. I enjoyed reading about MacLean's life, simply because she lives a life so different from my own. I also found myself hoping that everything would work out in her impossible situation.

While I enjoyed the book, I still had one problem: it was entirely too predictable. It's all girl meets boy, girl falls in love, girl has a problem, boy gets sad, girl finds herself, boy and girl get together, girl overcomes impossible situation, whatever. In previous books, I've always marveled at how Sarah Dessen could write about real situations that girls go through, and how the girls cope with their problems and find their own way. But this book just didn't seem real to me. It seemed like just any old love story. While it was sweet and fun to read in the moment, there is nothing about it that draws me back for seconds or thirds.

I'm sure if you enjoy Sarah Dessen's previous books, you will not be completely disappointed. However, if you're hoping for some of her earlier magic, you might have to wait for the next one, or revisit some of the classics.

Jane

Drought

Drought
Pam Bachorz
January 2011

Summary:

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.
When Ruby meets Ford--an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer--she longs to run away with him to the modern world, where she could live a normal teenage live. Escape with Ford would be so simple.
But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possess the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special--her blood--and it's the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.
Drought is the haunting story of one community's thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.

Review:

Drought is a book that is extremely difficult to review. My feelings are so incredibly mixed about this book; one part of me wants to give it a raving review, but the other part of me has reservations about that sort of review.

Starting off, I felt like the book had a lot of religious subtext. This is not something that bothers me, although I think it's necessary to mention because I know some people may not enjoy this book for that simple reason. Once the plot moved forward a bit I didn't think it was too bad, but starting off it can be a bit overwhelming.

Other than the religious content, I thought this was a very enjoyable book. The plot had me intrigued and kept me in suspense, and I genuinely started caring about what happened to the main character. However, I felt like the other characters weren't as developed as they could be. I found myself wanting to know more about Ford, especially, and yet by the end I was unsatisfied. I also felt like it was a bit of an unrealistic setting and situation. I realize that the point of this type of novel is to broaden a reader's mind and send them to a far-off reality, but this book didn't have me quite sold.

Overall, a good read. However, I must warn you that you may not be satisfied with the content, especially when compared to some of the other great dystopian novels out on the market today.

Jane

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff Contest + Entry

Brenna Yovanoff, author of The Replacement, is holding a contest to win her second novel, The Space Between. Unfortunately, I have yet to read The Replacement, but I am still very interested in participating in this contest just because it gives me a chance to talk about a very cool experience I had.
Details about the contest can be found here, but hurry up... the deadline is midnight Eastern time on October 2nd.

One of the requirements of this contest is to talk about a trinket or souvenir that is important to me, and I shall do that now.

For the past two months I have been studying abroad in Fiji. Living in a developing country has proven to be quite an interesting and challenging task, because everyday people here live much different than people back in America. For example, the people live in "bures," which are basically thatched huts, and those that don't live in bures live in poorly constructed houses with no air conditioning units, no kitchen, no hot water, etc. The communities are quite different as well. A traditional Fijian village will be made up of a combination of different families, and the focal point of village life is at the community building where traditional ceremonies are held (such as the sevusevu ceremony, which is used to welcome visitors to the village), or the church on Sundays.

As a study abroad student, I had the opportunity to stay in one of these villages for a weekend, and my time there was invaluable. It made me learn to appreciate the luxuries that I have as an American, and also gain a greater respect for people living in developing countries. I know I will bring this new-found respect back to America with me, and it will make me a much better person in the long-run.

I told you that story to explain my memento: a two piece blouse and shirt combination that was given to me by my village sister. I was given the opportunity to sit in during their church service on Sunday, and my sister wanted to make sure that I was traditionally dressed for the service. She let me keep the outfit, even though I'm sure the family could use all the fabric and clothes they can get, and I will always keep it as a reminder of my learning experience in a Fijian village.

Note: this picture is just a general overview of what church clothes might look like. Mine is more of a floral print, and the top it not quite as long.

Jane

Why I've Been Gone

Hello Everyone!

I haven't been updating in awhile, and here is the reason why: I am in FIJI!

I have been lucky enough to travel here for a semester to study, so I have been here since July. Needless to say, it's been hard to get any reading done, although I have done a little! I also don't have internet access at the place I'm staying, and since I like to do my blogging at home it doesn't really work out too well for me.

I'll try to update this occasionally throughout the semester, and hopefully post my reviews for some books, like Drought, What Happened to Goodbye, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

And hopefully I'll get a lot more reading done, now that I've transitioned into this whole new life!

Jane

Traveling Book Box!

So, I signed up for something called the Traveling Book Box, which was hosted by Erika at Moonlight Book Reviews (information here!) and one day the box arrived and I was completely surprised! But it was the most pleasant surprise I've ever received in the mail, and so I made a vlog about it.

Note: I do not have a fancy camera, and so I used my little digital camera to shoot the video. Therefore, it is blurry and you can hear the camera trying to focus as I'm talking. But I hope it's not too bad!



I hope everyone else had as much fun with the Traveling Book Box as I did!

Jane

Double Review: Beloved & The Bluest Eye

Beloved (1987)

The Bluest Eye (1970)

Toni Morrison

No summaries are going to be posted: please click the book links for info on each particular book!

Review:
I decided to review both of these novels together because there is a lot to be said about Toni Morrison's writing in general, and because they both deal with some very similar themes and ideas.

I'm sure Beloved is the novel that most readers are familiar with; it is a contemporary classic. It was my favorite between the two, but The Bluest Eye still brought something new to the table: a different take on the effects of slavery and racism on black families in the United States. Taking place during the Great Depression, the slaves have all been freed for many years: but there are still racial issues, just as there still are issues today. The Bluest Eye was a great novel because it explored the racial issue in a different time period than it is normally looked at, and it did so through the use of a variety of perspectives. By telling the story from different character's positions, the reader is able to get a real idea of how things were, and the circumstances that led each character to where they are in the story. I found myself sympathetic to each and every character (with only one exception) and I loved the truth behind the story.

Beloved tackles the theme of racial issues that Morrison is famous for, and is set right after the Civil War. I loved this book because it deals with a very sensitive issue: slavery and motherhood. Is it better to keep a child in this world knowing that he/she will end up a slave, or is it better for the child to die so they don't have to live that way? That is a decision that is impossible for me to imagine: I am not a slave and I am not a mother, and so the whole concept is completely foreign, which is possibly why it appeals to me. Sethe, the main character who was faced with the choice to accept slavery for her child or not, ultimately chose to kill her baby. This book focuses on this choice, and whether you agree with it or not the story is fascinating.

Both books contain such great writing, with the changes in POV that I mentioned earlier, great imagery, and the exploration of important issues that would otherwise remain under the radar. I completely understand why Morrison is one of the greatest authors of our time, and I feel that everyone should read Beloved (and Morrison's other novels, which are perhaps not as perfect but still interesting) at least once in their life.

Jane

Life On Hold

Life On Hold
Karen McQuestion
April 2011
Age Level: YA

Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Rae Maddox’s mom, Gina, is a big fan of fresh starts. Gina thinks of them as an adventure, but for Rae, each move is just one more friend lost, one more chance to feel like an outsider. But when they arrive in Wisconsin, Gina promises to stay put until Rae graduates. Cautiously optimistic, she wades into the social whirl at Whitman High School, making a few friends and even earning a chance at love. But when the vice principal pairs her with fellow newbie Allison Daly, Rae’s tentative happiness is jeopardized. It seems Allison was orphaned after her parents died in a suspicious house fire, leaving their daughter to bounce between relatives’ homes. When a sleepover at Rae’s house goes terribly wrong, Rae sees a troubling side of Allison—and learns a few secrets about her own mother in the process. Suddenly Rae is at risk of losing everything and everyone she cares about—unless she steps up and takes charge of her life once and for all.

Review:

After reading Favorite by McQuestion, I was somewhat less excited to read Life On Hold. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Life On Hold is a book that will appeal to many young readers. It's a book about a girl who wants nothing more than to be just a normal teenager. She wants to make friends and have a boyfriend and not move around just because her mother had a whim. In that way, Rae is a sympathetic character. I rooted for her throughout the whole book, waiting for her to find her voice to tell her mother how she felt.

Life On Hold was a really quick and fun read. The romance was cute, and the side story of Allison's life was fascinating- she was someone that I really wanted to know. I would say that Karen McQuestion definitely has a talent for writing a good story that keeps a reader entertained. However, the one downside is that this book isn't horribly memorable. There are bits and pieces that stick in my mind, but overall it was a good book to lose myself in for awhile, and then set it down and move on. I know some people might enjoy a book like that, but personally I'm looking for something a little bit deeper.

That's not to say that I didn't like this book. I really did enjoy it, and if you're even slightly interested in Karen McQuestion's books, I'd recommend them because they are unique and quick, and sometimes that's just perfect.

Jane

Cloaked

Cloaked
Alex Flinn
February 2011
Age Level: MG/YA

Summary:

I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.
It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.
There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.
Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

Review:

There is one word that could very accurately describe my feelings for this book: cute. That is the one wonderful thing about the retellings that Alex Flinn is so wonderful at. She takes a story that everyone knows (or, in this case, maybe one or two that are lesser known) and makes them modern and interesting and maybe adds a twist or two here and there.

This book did just that, and I found myself falling in love with the main character: I LOVED the fact that it was a teenage guy who had a passion for shoes. It made him someone different that I've never seen before, and I really like meeting new people in the books I read. The romance was fairly typical, and so there's nothing much to say on that front, but the story is one that I couldn't tear myself from until the very last page.

Jane

Winners!

Finally I've gotten around to picking winners for the A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend Giveaway! And they are...

Orry B.
&&
Briana

I've sent out emails to notify you, please respond back with your address so I can send you your books!

Jane

quickie :)

Hello, all!

Finals went smashingly well, I must say... and now that it's summer I'm hoping I'll have more time to read, despite my full-time job.

This post is just a short update, and also a quick announcement: the new Sarah Dessen book is out today! I preordered it and will probably have started reading by the time this post goes up. I'm sure all YA lovers are aware of Sarah Dessen's brilliance, but I figured I must urge all of my readers to go pick up a copy of one of her books immediately if they have yet to give her a shot. She is truly a brilliant writer; the first YA writer I ever read, and her books will always hold a special place in my heart (and on my bookshelf).
So... go read them :) And if you've read them already, go read them again!

Jane

PS. Reviews to come soon... I've got a lot to catch up on!