Please Ignore Vera Dietz: Number One for a Reason

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King is number one this year on my best books list. It may be the best book I've ever read, and it is most certainly in the top ten best books I’ve ever read. Here’s why:

But, first, let’s make a few changes to the title of this post:

 

There. Much better. I would “officially” change the title, but “Number One for Reasons” just doesn’t has the same ring as “Number One for a Reason.” Anyway, here is a list of eight or so reasons for why you should read Please Ignore Vera Dietz:

Its Title:  As humans, we naturally do things that we are not supposed to do. Just like the urge to open a box that says “Do Not Open,” it is next-to-impossible to avoid a book with a title Please Ignore Vera Dietz.

Its Author: A.S. King is a literary mastermind. Vera is only her second book, yet it’s been racking up accolades like crazy. Creative and witty, King tells stories that deserve to be told again and again.

Its Story: Please Ignore Vera Dietz is the story of—you guessed it—teenage Vera and her struggle to find answers. The novel begins with the funeral for Charlie, Vera’s neighbor. Vera and Charlie were once best friends, even sortakindamaybe more than friends, until he brutally betrayed her. Now that he’s dead Vera doesn’t know what to think. She hates him and loves him at the same time. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn their story and see what went wrong. Eventually, Vera embarks on a mission to clear Charlie’s name, which was tainted by rumors. Trekking the long, twisted path, she crosses many obstacles. She discovers, she reconciles, she forgives. 

Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if you loved him once? Even if he was my best friend? Is it okay to hate him for being dead?

– from Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Its Characters: What I love about the characters from Vera is that they’re so round and complex. They’re like real humans, which is the highest compliment to an author, in my opinion. Vera is likeable for both her innocence and mistakes and for her loudness and quietness. Charlie, through flashbacks and “reincarnated” objects/ghosts, is lost and confident—loveable and despised. Even Vera’s dad is perfectly composed. He’s not perfect, but he’s still a great role model.

a pagoda

Its Eccentricities: The majority of the chapters of Vera are narrated by Vera herself. But on occasion a few other characters take over the book’s point-of-view. Charlie, frequently seen as a sliced pickle by Vera, gives little side notes from the “Dead Kid.” Vera’s dad has occasional chapters—in the form of flow charts. But, wait! Don’t worry! It’s the good kind of flow charts. The ones were you’re faced with a question, and branched off the side of the question are the answer options yes or no. And then you continue down the page until you reach a conclusion. And lastly a pagoda—yes, I mean an “Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves” (thanks, Wikipedia!)—doles out sound advice to the reader. “A pagoda?” you may ask. Yes. A pagoda. No, I won’t tell you why there’s a pagoda! READ THE BOOK! 

Also, Vera works at Pagoda Pizza, so you learn all the pizza delivery lingo and inner-workings.  

a flow chart similar to those in the book

Its POWER: A.S. King has a way with words. With A.S. King’s powers channeling through each page, I—just like Vera—simultaneously loved and hated Charlie. You can tell that each word is hand-crafted and hand-chosen to create a wide array of emotions and imagery.

Its Awards: That’s right, Vera’s a Printz Honor novel and has collected numerous starred reviews from the big-name reviewing companies. Rightfully so, too.

It’s About Everything and Nothing: Does that make any sense? Maybe I’m not explaining it correctly, but—to me—Please Ignore Vera Dietz is a beautiful, fragile, and wonderful book about something not too out of the ordinary. 

OK, there are eight reasons to read Please Ignore Vera Dietz. If you’re not convinced to read this book yet, I do not know what will convince you. This official trailer might, though:

And, A.S. King, if you’re reading this, please know that you’re a magnificent author and deserve all the acclaim that you are given.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Goliath: Imagination Inducing

Another mini, syndicated Amazon.com review of mine. Sorry for the mini-ness. . . . it's because I've been busy tired lazy experimenting with the power and simplicity of shorter writings these days. :)

Oh, how I've missed the series! And how I'll miss it forever more!

Goliath is the ultimate conclusion to the thrilling, witty Leviathan Trilogy. All the characters you love - Alex, Deryn (aka Dylan), Dr. Barlow, Bovril, and Newkirk (Yes, he'll become of favorite character of yours in this book) - along with a few new ones mold together with vivid settings to create a imaginative, crisp universe.

Alex and Deryn, still aboard Leviathan, the sky's greatest Darwinist, DNA-mutant "beastie", struggle with their problems. Alex's problems? His parents are dead, his home taken away from him, he's the heir to Austria's throne, and he's a deeply confused Clanker, one of engine and steam upbringings, that is surrounded by a world of Darwinists. And Deryn's problems? She has a "barking" huge crush on Alex, but he's nobility and she's just a low commoner. Oh! And she's also a girl disguised as a boy, who will be kicked off Leviathan, her newfound home, and possible tried for treason if her secret's revealed. No biggie . . .

Already faced with unimaginable obstacles, Alex and Deryn's troubles reach a new level when the Leviathan makes a pit-stop and picks up a new passenger . . . Mr. Nikola Tesla, a complete mad-man, whose ideas of world peace involve great deaths. And with Mr. Tesla comes deception, truths, and more secrets.

Faced with brutal decisions, Alex and Deryn must each decide their own future. Becoming closer than ever before, Alex and Deryn start a "no secret" relationship. But will that be enough to save their friendship from the life-changing, life-destroying war that has already taken one too many victims?

Accented by Keith Thompson's stunning black-and-white illustrations, Goliath is a perfect tale that depicts an alternative past. Scott Westerfeld flawlessly relates Alex and Deryn's problems to the issues of our age. Goliath, abundant in imagery, adventure, humor, and wonder, is not a story to be missed.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Sweetly: Deliciously Mysterious

To start off, let me say that Jackson Pearce is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her books are different, her videos are hilariously entertaining, and she doesn’t seem afraid to take risks in her writing. Sweetly, Pearce’s latest book, is a modern retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Sweetly takes place twelve years after three siblings, Gretchen, her twin sister and Ansel, encounter a horrible beast, a witch-like creature, in the woods near their house. Gretchen and Ansel make it back to their house alive, but the outcome for Gretchen’s twin sister was much more gruesome. Having to live with the horrifying truth that the sister is dead or, at best, lost forever in the menacing woods, the members of the grieving family each take on different roles. Gretchen, who becomes a recluse, and Ansel, who acts as Gretchen’s protective bodyguard, are thrown out of their house by their stepmother, who, needing a scapegoat, blames the family’s loss on Ansel and Gretchen.

Homeless, Ansel and Gretchen hit the road, hoping to discover a place where they can find solitude in their multitude of sorrow. When their car breaks down in a small town called Live Oak in South Carolina, Ansel and Gretchen seek refuge in a chocolatier shop owned by a sweet, but lonely, twenty-something-year-old lady named Sophia. Taking a likeness to Sophia, Ansel becomes her boyfriend and Gretchen becomes her best friend. Mesmerized by her chocolate treats, her caring smile, and her welcoming aura, Ansel and Gretchen seem to have finally a place they can call home.

However, not all is perfect. Gretchen, despite her resistance not to, notices something hidden underneath Sophia’s candy-coated smile and sun-kissed skin. Gretchen notices a sadness that is all too familiar, the same sadness that enslaved her for so many years after her twin sister’s disappearance. After discovering that eight teenage girls have gone missing from Sophia’s annual chocolate festival, Gretchen confronts Samuel Reynolds. Samuel is the town crazy, who claims that Sophia is crazy and spews nonsense about werewolves. Samuel, along with the families of the missing, is sure that Sophia has something to do with the town’s disappearances.

All the talk of disappearances causes many memories to flood Gretchen’s mind – memories of her twin, memories of the woods, memories of the witch. But could sweet, kind, gentle Sophia really be a witch? A witch who kidnaps innocent girls? Realizing that she needs to take control, Gretchen begins an investigation into what really happened to those girls, what secrets Sophia is hiding, and, most importantly, what happened to her twin sister, whose name she cannot even say due to the incredible hurt it brings.

Entrancing, Sweetly chronicles the journey of Gretchen as she finally makes amends with what happened to her many years ago. With the ever-present threat of something just out of reach, Gretchen makes it her mission to uncover the truth, no matter what consequences come with it. Full of realistic, loveable characters, Sweetly creates a flowing, rhythmic story of mystery, resolution, and the truth behind what’s sweet. 

 

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Note: I was fortunate to recently receive an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. Officially, Sweetly will not be released as a hardcover until August 23rd. Since I have finished reading the ARC, I thought it seemed fit that you, the readers of The Bookshelf, should receive an inside look at one of this summer’s most captivating reads.

 

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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Eccentric and Exceptional

Eccentric. With a title that sums up the mood of the book itself, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (a pseudonym, presumably) is a treasure chest of witty characters, unique photographs, and a delightful story. Wonderfully composed, Miss Peregrine tells the tale of Jacob and the stories that were told to him by his grandfather.  Jacob’s grandfather was a Jewish WWII survivor that, as a child, escaped from his native country of Poland to an island off the coast of England. Jacob’s grandfather told him tales of a house for children that he stayed at during the war. He told Jacob about children at the house that had special qualities and abilities. A levitating girl, an invisible boy, a girl who could make fire with her hands, and a boy made of bees were among the children that Jacob’s grandfather insisted were real. As a child, Jacob believed the unbelievable stories, but as he got older doubt began to replace his once wondrous beliefs.

Fast-forward to when Jacob is sixteen-years-old. In a freak accident, Jacob is the last to see his grandfather alive. The police describe his grandfather’s death as an animal attack. Jacob wearily believes the police, but there is a strand of recollection in his memory. Right after his grandfather’s death, Jacob saw a creature, a monstrosity, with tentacles hanging outside its mouth. Making connections, Jacob begins to return to his grandfather’s stories, finding coincidences and patterns. Traveling with his father, Jacob visits England to find his grandfather’s old rescue home, hoping to resolve the many secrets that are wrapped around his mind.

An inside photograph

Jacob becomes determined to figure out if his grandfather was telling the truth or if he was simply crazy. Photographs included in the book of the children described by Jacob’s grandfather, inspire the reader’s creativity levels, while encouraging Jacob to dive deeper into a world unknown.

Exceptional. Fast-paced and detailed, Miss Peregrine leaves you hanging on every word. Definitely one of my top books for this year, it is a refreshing, humorous, different summer read. The inside photographs supplement the book perfectly, adding to the genius of the story and often breaking up the rather long chapters (One was bordering on seventy pages!). Jacob’s adventure is one to be heard and one to be remembered. Miss Peregrine’s sequel cannot possibly arrive soon enough to fulfill the desire that came with the cliff-hanger ending of the first book. A quirky rollercoaster ride of a book, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children allows your mind to explode in an array of creativity, wonder, and imagination.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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John Green: Stories that Sing and Soar

“What sings and soars in this gorgeously told tale is Green’s mastery of language,” wrote Kirkus Reviews in a review of John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska. Looking for Alaska, the winner of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, is John Green’s first published book, but not his only award winner. Green’s books have accumulated legions of fans, stunning reviews, and armfuls of awards.

Just because Favorite Author Month, May, is over here on The Bookshelf doesn’t mean I’ve stopped recognizing great, favorite authors. John Green, an author from Indiana, writes novels about facing difficult situations of identity in a realistic manner. Having written three books and co-written two more, John Green writes deftly, blending loneliness, sorrow, humor, love, and self-realization to create stories that soar high above the bar of standard young adult literature. Choosing abnormal situations that can be matched with more realistic ones, Green brings the words on the page into the mind of the reader, planting questions and harvesting ideas. I have all five of John Green’s books, and I give them all five out five stars. I think it’s agreed that John Green is an author worthy of recognition here on The Bookshelf.

Looking for Alaska tells the story of Miles “Pudge” (ironic because he is tall and lanky). Miles, a loner who thrills himself in learning the last words of famous figures, begins attending boarding school, in search for the “Great Perhaps” (part of Rabelais’s last words). At this new boarding school, Pudge develops many new friends, some of which you would not call the best of influences. These friends include Colonel, a roommate who acts, well, like a colonel, and Alaska Young, a colorful, mysterious girl. Surprised at how deep his new friends’ thoughts are, Pudge sees the world from a different angle. Finally finding happiness and friends, Pudge thinks he’s on his way to the Great Perhaps. Until, of course, something terrible happens. Using humor and an interesting storytelling method of counting the days before and then the days after a certain event, Looking for Alaska is a great book for mature readers about decisions and the impacts they have on yourself and others.

 

Two other books by John Green, An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns, also tell eloquent tales of trials and tribulations throughout the often harsh journey known as life. While these books pull key elements from Looking for Alaska, elements that made Alaska amazing, they are their own books, all completely original and diverse. An Abundance of Katherines won a Printz Honor.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-written by John Green with David Levithan, and Let it Snow, co-written with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, are both fun, engaging reads that also contribute to Green’s repertoire.

Through a YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers, John and his brother, Hank, have been making vlogs (video blogs) since 2008. Quirky and different, these videos offer facts about current events, opinions about current events, news about John’s books, and other assorted facts. With 539,164 subscribers and counting, the fans of these videos call themselves “nerfighters.” And fight they do. Through raising money for organizations across the world, supporting terminally ill nerdfighters, and creating sayings whose meanings are only known to them, nerdfighters and John and Hank Green have made a big impact on the world.

With his incredible writing, expert symbolism, and excellent storytelling, John Green is an author like no other. His next book, The Fault in Our Stars was number one on Amazon for six days after Green he announced that all preorders would be signed by him personally. The amazing thing is that that book won’t be published until early next year. I will be preordering my copy soon, so I’ll be ensured that I will receive the literary world’s next masterpiece. 

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Wish You Were Dead: Be Careful What You Blog For

The first in Todd Strasser’s cyber “thrill-ogy”, Wish You Were Dead is a chilling mystery paired with a side of adventure, intrigue, and ever-bountiful plot twists. Recommended to me by my local library, Wish You Were Dead sows questions in your mind about social class, popularity, and the effect your words have on people.

Taking place in a ritzy neighborhood, Soundview, a community that isn’t often faced with crime, Wish You Were Dead follows Madison, a rich, but well-intentioned, high schooler. Madison, who volunteers with her community’s Safe Drives, an organization that offers ride to inebriated teens departing from parties, finds herself in a big mess after one fatal accident. Madison and her Safe Drives partner, Tyler, make the mistake of dropping a girl, Lucy, off without waiting for to enter her house. All Safe Drives volunteers are required to wait until the partygoer enters their house before leaving, but it was late, Madison was tired, and Lucy was being uncooperative. Leaving Lucy, Tyler and Madison returned to their homes to sleep. But when Madison waked up in the morning, she learned that Lucy had went missing, leaving no signs as to where she escaped to. Madison, shocked and guilty, was unsure what to think. Lucy, also another rich girl, used to be Madison’s best friend.  Madison called off the friendship because of Lucy’s extreme competitiveness and the mood swings that came from her bipolar condition.

the sequel to Wish You Were Dead

At first, Lucy is declared by the cops as a “runaway.” But as Lucy’s boyfriend, Adam, also another ex-friend of Madison’s, also goes missing, the cops, the parents, and the students of Soundview begin to worry. Madison, afraid that she will be the next “popular” to go, begins a search to find the kidnapper, who, as people begin to speculate, may be a murderer. Through a series of Facebook stalker messages, slashed tires, and handwritten notes, Madison begins to make some connections to the disappearances. However, for each connection made, a double amount of questions are created.  A culmination of plot twists and exposures causes Madison to view her former friends, her teachers, her best friend, Whitney, Tyler, and herself in a different light.

After the discovery of an anonymous blog, which, in detail, lists the cruel actions made and words spewed by the popular kids at Soundview High, Madison tries to improve her attitude, generosity, and friendliness in an attempt to avoid being the next one taken by the Soundview Kidnapper.

Using 21st technology to make an edge-of-your-seat, read-it-in-one-sitting-and-never-forgot-it thriller, Wish You Were Dead expertly weaves crime, loneliness, popularity, and rejection to create one engaging and horrifyingly creative story.

A companion to Wish You Were Dead, Blood on My Hands, another thriller that incorporates the cyber aspect, is now available.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Chains: A Great Independence Day Read

Today is July 4th, 2011; the 235th anniversary of the issuing of the Declaration of Independence; Independence Day. The United States of America won its independence from Great Britain after we won the Revolutionary War. The citizens of America’s thirteen colonies were quite divided in which side they took in the War. There were the Patriots, those who wished that America would become its own country; and the Loyalists, those who sided with Britain. Chains, an exemplary historical novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, explores slavery during the Revolutionary War and the decisions that slaves had to make–most importantly, the decision between being a Patriot or a Loyalist.

Chains begins with Isabel and her little sister, Ruth, talking with their deceased owner’s lawyer. Isabel’s owner, a kind older lady, was always generous to Isabel and Ruth. She promised that when she passed away, Isabel and Ruth would be freed slaves. However, when the time finally came, the lawyer could not seem to find such papers claiming this wish of Isabel’s owner; they were “missing.” Of course, is blatantly clear that the lawyer really knew about the paper, but was not going to allow Isabel and Ruth to become free people. Devastated, Isabel and Ruth are shipped to New York to live with their new owners–a cruel, childless, Loyalist couple, the Locktons. Quickly, Isabel learns that the rest of the New York colony is not aware of the couple’s Loyalist status. The majority of the New Yorkers are Patriots, but, as Isabel learns, there are many secrets behind closed doors.

Fierce, irritable, and menacing, the Locktons constantly mock Isabel and Ruth for their skin color, beat them for their incompetence, and scold them for not completing every minute detail for every minute task. While running errands for her owners, Isabel frequently talks to Curzon, a slave for a Patriot soldier. Strong-willed, Curzon tries to convince Isabel that if she reveals the Lockton’s Loyalist secrets to the Patriots, she will be a free slave once the Patriots win the war. However, Isabel is not quite sure if she thinks the Patriots will even the war. Living in New York as a slave, Isabel hears many conversations from warriors on both sides of the war. Much of the conversations that she hears give no definite results to the looming war. 

Another big question that conflicts with Isabel’s life is: Which side should she believe? Essentially, both sides offer Isabel freedom, after the war, if she tattles on the opposing side. But living with an abusive Loyalist couple and seeing the ruckus of the Patriots in the streets, is no help for Isabel, needing answers.

Forge, the sequel to Chains

Ultimately, Isabel, who is a strong, independent, intelligent, young girl, no matter what her skin color is, comes to the conclusion that neither side will live up to its promise. Struggling with that fact, Isabel realizes that she must trust herself, not the Patriots and not the Loyalists. Confident, she lives her life, obeying the Locktons, but secretly living the life of a rebel. Not a Rebel, as in siding with the Americans that want to break free from Britain, but a rebel that lives her own life, standing strong. 

However, when the unthinkable happens, Isabel must make a decision that goes against her newly found beliefs. Despite punishment, Isabel puts someone else’s life first, but possibly too late. Taking the pain and injuries that come with her decision, Isabel is branded as a whole new person, a person that must live for what she believes in. For if she was to forget what she believed in, she would have nothing left at all.

Heart-pounding, heartbreaking, and heart-wrenching, Chains is what Laurie Halse Anderson refers to as a "historical thriller." Fast-paced, and often violent, Chains is nothing short of thrilling. Anderson’s lyrical, sweet prose expertly weaves one of this historical thriller’s main points: the irony of the Americans fighting for independence, when they treat their African-Americans no better than the British treat them. 

The first in a trilogy, The Seeds of America, Chains is followed by Forge, a sequel told from Curzon’s point-of-view. The thrilling finale in trilogy is expected to be released sometime late this year or early next.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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The Diary of a Young Girl: A Voice for People of All Types and Ages

“Anne Frank died so others would remember. An extraordinary journey,” wrote Steven Spieldberg in the VIP guestbook at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Holland.

“Anne Frank died…” While the Nazis were gaining control of Germany in the late 1930s/1940s, the Frank family, Jewish, was busily escaping to Holland to hide from the “Führer’s” wrath. On her thirteenth birthday, the youngest member of the Franks, Anne, received a diary. She began writing in her diary when her family was moved into hiding when the Germans began to take control of Holland. The Frank family began to hide in a secret annex behind an office building. After a few days of hiding, another family, the van Daans (the van Pels in real life – Anne changed names in her diary to protect identities) joined Anne and her family. With the much grateful help of a group of workers from the office, the Franks and the Van Daans began to live a guarded and risky life. Anne, a voice for underdogs, the disadvantaged and underappreciated people of all ages, used her diary, with her exemplary thinking and writing skills, to overcome prejudice, face adversity, and develop resilience. Anne had ways of thinking light years beyond her age and time. With words and emotion, Anne has reached millions of people everywhere. Unfortunately, even after so much fight, courage, love, and realization, Anne did not make it. It is unsure how, but Anne and her family were captured and placed in concentration camps. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was the only one that made it out alive.

Whoever is happy will make others happy too.

­– Anne Frank

“…so others would remember.” Upon escaping, Otto Frank returned to the secret annex, hoping to find Anne and Anne’s sister, his daughter, Margot. He was deeply saddened when he discovered an empty hideout, but was in awe when Miep, one of the secret annex’s helpers, gave him Anne’s diary, one of only very few items that survived the Nazis overpower of the annex. After some hesitating, Otto released a revised version of his daughter’s beloved diary. A few years later, The Diary of a Young Girl was published in the United States. After both the New York Times and Eleanor Roosevelt gave the book stellar reviews, the book quickly became required reading in schools across the countries, teaching children about Hitler’s genocide and promoting creative and free thinking.

In 1955, an adaption of the diary was released as, The Diary of Anne Frank, a Tony award-winning Broadway play. Following the play’s monumental success, a movie adaption of the play was shown on movie screens across the country. The Diary of Anne Frank, the movie adaption won three Academy Awards and was nominated for five more, including Best Picture.

Every year, legions of admirers travel to Amsterdam, Holland to visit the Anne Frank House museum. The Anne Frank House is an exact replica of the office building and its secret annex. At the Anne Frank House, you can visit the rooms of every occupant of the annex, and you can see original documents written by Anne, including her honored diary. I cannot wait to visit the Anne Frank House one day; to see for myself what Anne’s life must have been like. However, in the meantime, I, and you, the readers of The Bookshelf, can take an online virtual tour of the entire building – the office, the annex, plus more!

Anne greatly enjoyed writing and always dreamed of being famous. Today, and forever to come, she is famous. People around the world read her story, flock to Amsterdam to live her tale, and write personal messages on a virtual tree to encourage her legend. 

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

– Anne Frank

“An extraordinary adventure.” It’s no coincidence that Anne’s story is so successful. From the early stages of a diary to a book to a play to multiple movies, Anne’s voice is always strong and determined. Anne always saw the best in people and wanted to be a good person. Despite faced with difficult circumstances, Anne wrote freely about freedom from prejudgment, desire for companionship, and the need to find herself. Anne was an extraordinary person and, as anyone who has read the book knows, a loveable, often humorous adventure. Anne Frank, her life, her story, is an extraordinary adventure.

Who would ever think that so much went on in the soul of a young girl?

– Anne Frank

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Uglies: Glamor or Freedom?

May, Favorite Author Month, is almost over, but that doesn’t mean The Bookshelf doesn’t have enough time for one more post honoring the best of authors! Authors are some of humanity’s finest specimens. Authors take thoughts, actions, dreams, and emotions and put them into a story. They write about what’s around them, what they have suffered, what they have conquered, and what’s ahead of them. Most significantly, authors write about what’s most important to them. A great book can be about any topic and any character because a great book is not determined by those two things. A great book is determined by how much an author is interested in a topic and how much thought and effort they put into that topic. Great authors are ones that put a great deal of research, emotion, and originality into their great books. Scott Westerfeld is one of these authors.

A published author for over ten years, Westerfeld has written for both adult and young adult audiences. Today, his books are mainly targeted towards young adults, but that doesn’t change how he writes his books. I have read seven books and two short stories by Scott Westerfeld, and all of them were about different, but engaging, topics. Scott Westerfeld imagines and creates alternate worlds for his novels, worlds that he has obviously used many years and many words to develop and evolve. 

The new US cover of Uglies

Uglies, first published back in 2005, is the first in a series about a futuristic world where, at the age of sixteen, everyone receives an operation to become a “Pretty.” The title makes this book out to be a seemingly shallow tale, but it’s not. Uglies is a breath-taking, and often horrifying, look at a future Earth. Uglies starts off with Tally Youngblood, the main character for the first three Uglies books, sneaking out of her ugly dorm at night to see her best friend, Peris, who recently became a Pretty. Tally, who’s slated to become a Pretty in five months, is anxious to have her operation and to start living the party-like life of a Pretty. To help make the wait less tortuous, Tally decides to visit Peris, hoping that he will help her become more patient and help her overcome any worries. Unfortunately, reaching Peris is not easy. He is at a party the night that Tally arrives, and Tally must crash the bash to reach him. After a series of disappointing events, including an odd encounter with a now pretty Peris, Tally must escape the party by pulling an alarm and jumping off the building. On her way back over the river to Uglyville, Tally runs into a person. At first, Tally hides, thinking the person is a government official – it’s illegal for an Ugly to be in New Pretty Town – but after closer examination, Tally discovers that the person is not only an official but another Ugly!

Fast forward a few months later, and Tally is getting prepared for her operation, which is only a few days away. The person she saw in New Pretty Town, Shay, is now her new best friend. Tally and Shay share the same birthday, and they are both scheduled to get the operation on the same day, their sixteenth birthday. However, Shay has other plans. Shay wants to escape town and run away into the wild to live with the Smoke – a group of Uglies that have never received the operation. Shay tries to get Tally to come along, but she won’t budge. Tally looks forward to becoming a Pretty; she, unlike Shay, wants to be like everyone else. Shay ends up running away, to the wild, leaving Tally to receive the operation by herself.

Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies

When her sixteenth birthday rolls around, instead of being taken to an operating room, Tally is taken to a government official place called Special Circumstances. Tally, confused and scared, is unsure of what is happening, until an evil doctor, Dr. Cable, comes along and explains it to her. Dr. Cable explains to Tally that Special Circumstances has known about the Smoke for a while, and, now that Shay has run away to them, they want Tally to find the Smoke. If Tally chooses not to find the Smoke and its members, she will forever be an Ugly. Tally, not wanting to be ugly forever, starts on an expedition into the wild. Along the way, Tally discovers much about herself and the area outside of her protective city. Eventually, Tally reaches the Smoke and is shocked at what she finds. When she first arrives, she wants to immediately set off her locator, given to her by Special Circumstances, but finds that she cannot do it. Tally learns of what it means to actually become a Pretty and that it does more than just changes your appearance. It alters your brain! Tally questions if the world that she is living in is any better than the world that occurred before hers, a world that was torn by overpopulation, disease, and war. Tally must make a rash decision between what she has wanted all her life and what she just recently discovered. 

Ultimately leading to a thrilling, cliff-hanger ending, Uglies is a phenomenal look into a world gone wrong. Often called the book that revived the dystopian genre, Uglies is in itself a debate about self-image, freedom, and willpower. Scott Westerfeld has received many accolades and positive reviews, from professionals and fans alike, for Uglies, which later spawned a series. Following Uglies is Pretties, Specials, and Extras. All four books incorporate both wonderful and horrific inventions and innovations of this futuristic world. Westerfeld plants multi-layered questions in the reader’s mind, questions that ultimately may not have a definite answer. His Uglies series, and other books that he has written, question modern society, the past, and the future and how things can be extremely different. 

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Unwind: Taking Apart and Recreating

Continuing with The Bookshelf’s Favorite Author Month, I have decided to write a review of Unwind, one of my favorite books, by Neal Shusterman, one of my favorite authors. As mentioned in previous posts, it is officially Favorite Author Month on The Bookshelf, a time to praise the wonderful creators of books – authors.

Unwind, a thought-provoking and often disturbing book, was one of my favorite reads of last year. Unwind takes place in the future in an America that has been through not one, but two, civil wars. The second war was caused by the great debate of abortion, a current hot button issue. There were two sides to this fictional war: Pro-life and Pro-choice. Ultimately, neither side won, however, a compromise was made. In this futuristic America, abortion has been outlawed. Instead, of death before birth, a new method known as “unwinding” is used. If a parent is unsatisfied with their child, they may send them, between the ages of 13 and 17, to a camp to be “unwound”. Unwinding is the process of taking apart a human, literally unwinding them, and giving the parts of the human to those that need them. For example, a blind person could receive a pair of eyes from an unwound being, or an amputee could receive an arm. No part of the unwound person is put to waste. The leaders of America and the creators of the unwinding process believe that the unwound human continues to live on, just in many different forms in many different places. Unwinding is accepted and commonly practiced in this horrific picture of the U.S.

The events of Unwind take place many years after the establishment of unwinding. Switching point-of-views, Unwind follows the lives of three characters, Conner, Rita, and Lev, all slated to be unwound. Conner is a trouble-maker and a rebel. His parents are anxious to have him unwound; to rid themselves of an “imperfect” child. Rita has been an orphan, living as a ward of state, for quite some time. She has found solitude in her music, but her world is turn upside down when she is ordered to be unwound due to budget cuts. Lev has always known that he would one day be unwound. He comes from a big, religious family. Lev is the youngest child in his family, and he looks forward to being a tithe: giving his body up to be unwound. 

These three protagonists begin the book with three very different views about unwinding, correctness, and life itself. However, as the book progresses the three once very determined characters have their views altered as revelations are revealed. Eventually, the three of them meet and discover what it means to be unwound and what happens to parts of once living, breathing humans. They question if they will actually live on in another form and, if so, will it still be a life worth living. 

Neal Shusterman, an author of many different, astounding, and moving books, has written a superb and – Dare I say it twice in one month? – flawless novel. Just like his compelling and engaging characters, you, the reader, will find yourself questioning and pondering life in this world. A world that on the outside seems safe and even caring, but on the deep inside is throbbing with terror. Unwind is a raw look at an unimaginable, yet possible, world. 

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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The Throne of Fire: Hieroglyphic Heroes

Rick Riordan, one of my all-time favorite authors, just recently released The Throne of Fire, the second book in his Egyptian mythology series, The Kane Chronicles. In 2005, Riordan, once an adult mystery author, released his first novel for middle readers and young adults, The Lightning Thief. This Greek mythology adventure mystery novel spawned the widely popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Upon ending Percy Jackson’s story in 2009, Riordan created two new series, another one about Greek mythology and one about Egyptian mythology. Despite taking different directions and adding new characters to his more recent books, Riordan’s books remain the best of the best, garnering many accolades and number one positions on bestseller lists. His previous books have been called “clever”, “adventurous”, and “witty”. The Throne of Fire lives up to the level of greatness that its predecessors created.

A warning to all: Spoilers from The Red Pyramid, the book before The Throne of Fire, are present in this review. Proceed with caution.

The Throne of Fire started off with a bang. Taking place a few weeks after the end of The Red Pyramid, Carter and Sadie, the book’s sibling protagonists, find themselves in the Brooklyn Museum, scouring for a scroll, a piece of The Book of Ra. Ra, the sun god, has been in hibernation for centuries, but Sadie and Carter want to attempt to bring him back to Earth using the powers that they have as Egyptian magicians. The siblings believe that bringing Ra, the original Egyptian god, back will allow them to defeat Apophis, an evil snake spirit that wants to swallow the world. Sounds like Carter and Sadie are saving the world, right? That’s not what some people think.

The majority of the other magicians think that bringing gods into the mix will only worsen the world’s problems. They believe that the gods are manipulative, greedy, and too powerful. It sounds like they’re trying to do what’s best too, right? No. The magicians, especially the powerful ones, are evil, forceful, antagonizing people who try to stop Carter and Sadie from retrieving the remaining two pieces of The Book of Ra, the book that will revive Ra. With the ever-present threat of Apophis and evil magicians looming over them, the sibling duo travels the world in search of the rest of The Book of Ra. Along the way, they encounter a few friendly gods, many menacing gods, water demons, evil ice cream men, and, of course, a giant baboon.

Told from two witty and fascinating point-of-views, The Throne of Fire is spot-on. Just like, The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire is an audio transcript from a cassette given to the author by the main characters. This book is a daring, mysterious, humorous experience. Its magical spells and memorable characters will stay with you long past the final page. You will be dazzled by its rich setting and lyrical descriptions. Rick Riordan is the ultimate author and his novels are the ultimate stories. 

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Gary D. Schmidt: Author of Flawless Prose

Gary D. Schmidt, an author for over fifteen years, has been praised numerous times by numerous reviewers. “There is no limit to what Schmidt may accomplish,” says Liz Rosenberg of the Boston Globe. Winner of the Newbery Honor for his books Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, which also received a Printz Honor, and The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt has shown excellence in young adult literature, especially historical fiction. He makes “the implausible believable and the everyday momentous,” says Booklist in a starred review of The Wednesday Wars. I have read, and loved, cherished, and celebrated, books by Gary D. Schmidt, and I am thrilled to review his books as part of The Bookshelf’s Favorite Author Month because he is one of my favorite authors. One review of Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars struck a chord in me, “Schmidt’s prose…is flawless,” The Bulletin. That four word simple sentence is absolutely true. Gary D. Schmidt has the writing style that superbly expresses the emotion and thought of his books. And that’s why he is a Favorite Author of the Month.

 

I have read two books by Gary D. Schmidt: The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now. The Wednesday Wars tells the story of Holling Hoodhood, a Presbyterian seventh grader in the 1960s that must visit with one of his teachers, Mrs. Baker, while all the other students, who are Catholic or Jewish, attend religious instruction. Holling is convinced that Mrs. Baker is out to get him. Mrs. Baker assigns Shakespeare’s plays for Holling to read and later for the two of them to discuss during their afternoon sessions. While wary at first, Holling comes to understand the Shakespearean pieces and relates them to his own life. With the help of Shakespeare, Mrs. Baker, and a few other friends, Holling is able to stretch limitations, overcome fear, and head forward into the future. The first person narrative of The Wednesday Wars is magnificent and poetic. Gary D. Schmidt provides great relationships and references to Shakespeare when telling Holling’s story. An excellent read – 5.0 out of 5 stars!

Okay for Now is a companion novel that follows the story of Holling’s best friend, Doug Swieteck, as he and his family are uprooted from their home on Long Island and move to, as Doug would say, “stupid” Marysville, NY. Doug is upset that he has to leave his friends and school and connections for a trashy house in a deserted town. But when Doug travels to the local library, which is “stupidly” only open on Saturdays, Doug discovers a displayed copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America. Much like Holling with Shakespeare, Doug learns to relate his life to the majestic soars and daring falls of the pictures of the birds in the book. Despite living in a home that is torn by alcohol, abuse, lies, and war, Doug manages to escape to a different life. A life where he makes friends by delivering groceries, finds peace in painting birds, much like Audubon’s, and takes part in a play adaption of Jane Eyre, despite once being illiterate. Once again, I was in awe of the flowing prose, the well-described setting, and the beautiful pictures of Audubon’s birds, which were at the beginning of each chapter.  Okay for Now was just recently released, and I would not be at all surprised if it won a ton of awards once the book award season rolls around (the beginning of every year). 5.0 out of 5 stars

I have not read yet, but I do own, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. Much like The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, it is historical fiction. I expect it to be just as enthralling, just as heart-warming as the other books that I have enjoyed by Gary D. Schmidt.

Finally, I would just like to say how much I love Gary D. Schmidt’s books as historical novels. While, they do touch on points in history such as the moon landing and Vietnam, Schmidt puts his characters first and foremost. His books are about how his characters react to different situations thrown at them and how they develop and mature. I would say his books are more coming-of-age than historical. Yes, the time period does play an important role, especially with education and the roles of woman and children in society, but the books pay close attention to the characters, instead of focusing all the attention on the historical events. I believe this is what makes Schmidt’s prose “flawless”. No, no quotations anymore. Flawless. Now that’s coming from me. Gary D. Schmidt’s prose is flawless.

Dystopian SmackDown!

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Welcome to the Dystopian SmackDown! I’m your host, Jacob Hopkins. Today, we are here to witness a possible change in history. The classic novel The Giver has been the Dystopian SmackDown Champion since its publication date in 1993. But two new novels have recently challenged The Giver for its prestigious title of being the best book about a once seemingly utopian society that is viewed differently after an initiating event caused by a young adult, thus causing the said young adult to rebel and view his world differently (try saying that three times fast). And The Giver isn’t happy about the competition. He has called for a Dystopian SmackDown; eager to prove that he’s the best out there. Let the competition begin!

In one corner, weighing in at 208 pages, is The Giver, by Lois Lowry! (Crowd cheers.) The current champ, The Giver is a short, no nonsense guy. His story is about Jonas, an eleven, going on twelve, year-old. Jonas lives in a Community, a protected area of populated land in an unnamed country, in what is believed to be the future. The Committee of Elders controls everything in the Community. They determine who you will marry, the number of children you will receive, and what job, known as an Assignment you will have. The Committee also makes many other decisions for the members of the Community, decisions that are considered too difficult and too dangerous to be made by the people themselves. Everything is regulated, and everything is the same. The Community believes that limiting and destroying choices and individuality will create for a better, more peaceful world.

At age twelve, Jonas receives his Assignment, one that is rarely given out or spoken of, the Receiver of Memories. For his Assignment, Jonas must report to the current Receiver, known to Jonas as the Giver. Jonas’s job is to “receive” memories of life before the Community, before Sameness, the process of making everything the same and equal. The Giver, a wise, kind, old man, “gives” these memories to Jonas by pressing his hands to Jonas’s back. It is important that at least one person in the Community knows these memories, so that someone can aide and give guidance to the Committee when they are making important decisions for the Community. Soon, Jonas learns about colors and sunshine and hills – things he never knew about before. He also learns about emotions, and he especially wants to know love. But not all the memories of the best are pleasant and friendly. Jonas receives memories about hunger, war, and pain. Jonas is unsure if Sameness helps or hurt. His world as he knew is turned upside down, and Jonas doesn’t know what to think, what to do. This book ultimately leads to a breath-taking conclusion that leaves readers questioning and imagining.

That’s The Giver, folks! And it looks like his score is pretty good – no, not pretty good, his score is perfect. That’s right, The Giver has received 5.0 out of 5 stars! Looks like the other novels have some tough competition! (Crowd goes wild with delight.)

In another corner, stands Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, weighing in at 448 pages. Delirium is a young competitor – he was only published a few months ago, in February – but a fierce one, too.  (Crowd gives a non-enthusiastic applause. Some taunt.) Delirium’s story has many similarities to that of The Giver’s, but it is overall a different, yet still enthralling, tale.

This story follows Lena, short for Magdalena, based off the name Mary Magdalene, a seventeen-year-old that is eagerly awaiting her eighteenth birthday. Lena lives in a society where, at age eighteen, you have a procedure to cure yourself from Amor Deliria Nervosa, which is what they refer to as love. Love is viewed as a disease in the society, and most people, Lena included, cannot wait to rid themselves of love. Before the procedure, you have an Evaluation, done by people known as the Evaluators, to determine who your spouse will be. Citizens of the society are not allowed to make physical contact, surround themselves with people of the opposite gender, or express feelings of love. Lena begins the book as a strong believer in the cure because it is all she knows. She believes that curing herself of love, and all other feelings and actions that come with it, will allow her to move away from her rocky past. Lena’s father died from cancer when Lena was very young. And, after three failed attempts of being cured, Lena’s mother committed suicide when Lena was only six. Before Lena’s mother left the world, she said the three most dangerous words in the society to Lena, “I love you”.

So you can easily see why Lena wants to leave her former life behind and start a new one as a Cured. However, when Lena accidentally meets an Invalid, an uncured person who lives outside the society, named Alex, her thoughts are changed. She sees how much Alex enjoys life, and how he isn’t sick from being uncured. In fact, Alex is happy and healthy. And Lena finds herself doing what she would have never expected, falling in love.

The results are being collected, and – oh! – it looks like Delirium has received 4.75 out of 5 stars! What an unexpected turn of events! The judges like how at the beginning of the novel, Amor Deliria Nervosa is viewed as a disease that kills, but as the book progresses, Lena discovers that, yes, love may kill but it saves, too. How about that?! (Crowd begins to stir – unsure what to think.) I believe it’s time to present the final book in this surprising event!

Our final contender is Matched, by Allie Condie. Weighing 384 pages, Matched is an unexpected novel that is expected to give the The Giver’s title a run for its money! Once again taking place in a society located in a future America, Matched explores the concept of being “matched” with someone who you will be marrying.

Cassia is a confident, obedient young woman, who, just like Lena and Jonas, believes everything is right in her world and that the society knows best. When Cassia attends her Match Banquet, a dinner ceremony where seventeen-year-olds are given their matches, who they will marry at the age of twenty-one, she arrives with her Xander, her best friend, but leaves with her Xander, her Match. Cassia is ecstatic because usually you are not matched with someone from your area and she is – matched to her best friend! Later that night, at home, Cassia goes to insert her microcard, a card that holds information about Xander and dating in the society, into the family Port, an advanced computer/phone, but when it is inserted, someone else’s face comes up, but for only a second, then flickers away to Xander’s face. Cassia is shaken and scared for two main reasons: 1) it isn’t like the society to make mistakes and 2) she recognizes the face she saw on the screen – it is another friend, Ky.

From there on, Cassia keeps seeing Ky everywhere. She’s intrigued by him and wants to know more about him. Not only that, she wonders more and more about why his face was on the Port. And after a series of encounters with Ky, Cassia begins to question whether Xander is her true Match and maybe if her microcard was correct – that Ky is meant to be her Match.

What is this?! The judges have declared that Matched is to be awarded a perfect score – 5.0 out of 5 stars! (Crowd gasps. Cries of outrage.) This means that we have a tie! This is unheard of! This leaves the judges to decide the ultimate Dystopian SmackDown Champ! The judges stand up, ready to reveal the winner.

(Silence, as the drumroll begins.)

The judge says in a deep, booming voice, “The title of Dystopian SmackDown Champion is to be awarded to...Matched!” Oh, my! What an unexpected surprise! A new champion has been born! “We thought Matched used wonderful imagery and poetic language to create a superficial and thought-provoking world,” the judge continues, “We fell in love with this book, as we are sure you will too!” (Crowd begins a round of applause that gradually turns into a great cheer.) It appears the crowd is satisfied with the new champion! And hopefully Matched, just as The Giver, will be the champion for years to come. Look forward to the sequel to Matched, Crossed, coming in November.

It appears that’s all we have for today! Until next time, this has been Dystopian SmackDown!