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!

One Word

FINALS!

That is all :) I'll be back up next week!

How I Live Now

How I Live Now
by Meg Rosoff
2004
Age Level: YA/Adult

Summary:

“Every war has turning points and every person too.”

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

A riveting and astonishing story.

Review:

Wow. You know those books where you start reading it expecting one thing, and then you finish it an it's completely different than what you thought? This is totally one of those books.

Absolutely incredible. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. The story? Riveting. The characters? Well-developed and very real. The writing style? There was clearly a lot of thought put into this unique writing, and while the unsuspecting reader may think it's sloppy and confusing, there is a reason for every choice the author made while writing this book. If you're not expecting it, the writing can take a little bit of getting used to, but it truly is the most artistic form of writing I've seen in awhile.

While some might find issues in this book, I personally thought that the romance, while not as "acceptable" as it should be, was very true and very well thought out. I also found the imagery in this book to be spectacular and incredibly cinematic.

I'd HIGHLY recommend this book to all young adults and adults looking for a well-written imaginative read.

Jane

Everyday Psychokillers

Everyday Psychokillers
by Lucy Corin
February 2004
Age Level: Adult

Summary:

In Everyday Psychokillers spectacular violence is the idiom of everyday life, a lurid extravaganza in which all those around the narrator seem vicarious participants. And at its center are the interchangeable young girls, thrilling to know themselves the object of so much desire and terror.

The narrative interweaves history, myth, rumor, and news with the experiences of a young girl living in the flatness of South Florida. Like Grace Paley's narrators, she is pensive and eager, hungry for experience but restrained. Into the sphere of her regard come a Ted Bundy reject, the God Osiris, a Caribbean slave turned pirate, a circus performer living in a box, broken horses, a Seminole chief in a swamp, and a murderous babysitter. What these preposterously commonplace figures all know is that murder is identity: "Of course what matters really is the psychokiller, what he's done, what he threatens to do. Of course to be the lucky one you have to be abducted in the first place. Without him, you wouldn't exist."

Everyday Psychokillers reaches to the edge of the psychoanalytical and jolts the reader back to daily life. The reader becomes the killer, the watcher, the person on the verge, hiding behind an everyday face.

Review:

For required reading, this book was actually extremely entertaining, and not at all what I was expecting. The title "Everyday Psychokillers" is a perfect title, but it also made me think the book was going to be much more creepy than it actually was. The basic idea is this: everyone has the potential of being a psychokiller.

That sounds pretty presumptuous, but after reading the book I have been oddly enlightened. Corin did an excellent job combining myths and little anecdotal stories to create a book that explores the idea of the everyday person as a psychokiller. The stories included were all interesting and thought provoking, and the imagery was incredible.

I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to, but I know that if there are definitely some interesting ideas and concepts brought up in the book. If you're feeling inclined enough to read it, I'd say go for it.

Jane

Top Ten All-Time Favorite Books

Top Ten Tuesday

TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It's a lot of fun so stop by if you get the chance :)

Top Ten All-Time Favorite Books

This week is TTT Rewind week, so when I looked back at the choices I couldn't resist the chance to share my favorite books ever!

1. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.
This was the very first Sarah Dessen book I ever read, and it is also the first young adult book I've ever read, and so it really sat with me for a long time. After reading it I promptly read all of her books, and then re-read them, until I discovered that hers were not the only good young adult novels out there. However, I still think they are some of the best.

2. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr.
While I enjoyed Story of a Girl, and later Once Was Lost, Sweethearts is the only one of Zarr's books that really... I don't know, inspired me. I couldn't put it down, and I loved the story and the characters and everything about it. Immediately after finishing I knew it'd be a favorite of mine for a long time, and it was one of the few books I bought in hardcover even after reading it.

3. Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
I was a bit skeptical to read this book, but when I did I totally understood why I'd heard such good things about it. I can't even begin to explain how much I love it... it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me cringe... It was an instant favorite, and I'm really sad that Summers' second book didn't do the same things for me. I haven't read her third book yet, but I'm hoping it's good like Cracked Up To Be.

4. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott.
Bloom was sweet, I guess, but when I read Perfect You I was completely blown away. It was a regular teen romance but with comedy and some "awe" moments, and this book has total underline potential. In fact, all of my copies of Elizabeth Scott's books have notes in the margins. This book is definitely one of my faves.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Yep, that has to go on this list. The Hunger Games is so exciting, so interesting, so believable... And to add to it, the social commentary is incredible to think about, especially for someone like me who is just beginning to make those kind of connections in my reading.

6. Looking for Alaska by John Green.
Wow, I was so blown away by this book when I first read it. It was not at all what I was expecting, and it was hilarious and sad and insightful and just overall awesomeness. I recommended it to all of my friends, as well as the book club at my high school. I just think it should be read by everybody.

7. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty.
I felt it appropriate to list Sloppy Firsts, since it's the first of the series, but in reality the sequel, Second Helpings, is my favorite from that series. However, just speaking about the series as a whole, I have yet to read a series that has made me laugh so hard. So many memorable scenes, Laugh-Out-Loud moments, and the most interesting characters I've ever read about. This series is a must-read for teenage girls who are just coming of age and trying to discover who they truly are.

8. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.
After reading My Sister's Keeper (and bawling my eyes out... I have no idea how many tissues I went through that day, and how many times my mom asked me what's wrong) I knew I had to read more from Jodi Picoult. At the time Nineteen Minutes was her newest, and I loved it even more than My Sister's Keeper. It just seemed so horrible and real, like it could happen to anybody.

9. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.
This series has got a lot of awesome stuff going on. It's historical, which is really exciting. It has a hot guy (oh, Kartik!) which is also exciting. But it's wonderful because it's sooo well-written, so suspenseful, and Gemma is just such a badass woman without even knowing it, it's just so awesome to read about her and her adventures with her friends.

10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
I often forget about this book, probably because I read it for school, but just remembering it now I realized I had to add it to my favorites. A WWII novel, it's written in a really interesting way, and it is also such a realistic portrayal of what a young girl might go through during the war. It's definitely a must-read for those interested in the subject, or if you're just looking for a tear-jerker.

Jane

It's Monday! What are you reading?! (5)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. I'd highly recommend joining this meme and taking a peek at the others who are participating as well!

I Read 2 books:
1. Beloved by Toni Morrison
2. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
I actually read Beloved my freshman year of high school, but I really did not understand it at all. It's really nice to revisit it with a fresh perspective, and I've got to say I really enjoyed both Toni Morrison novels. She truly is one of the great American contemporary writers.


This Past Week On the Blog:
1. Review: Favorite by Karen McQuestion

Upcoming On the Blog:
1. Top Ten Tuesday Rewind: I'll be tackling my Top Ten All-Time Favorite Books!
2. Review: Everyday Psychokillers by Lucy Corin
3. Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

To Read:
1. Life On Hold by Karen McQuestion
This is FINALLY going to the top of my list. And I'm also going to start it tonight :)
2. Drought by Pam Bachorz

Also, here's something notable: no more required reading for this semester! Woot woot!

Can't wait for summer!
Jane