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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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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STRONG Characters

STRONG, in all caps, characters are leaders that can be viewed as role models and influential people in literature. STRONG characters seek excellence, but not at the expense of others. They strive to be the best they can be, but understand their limitations. They display their generosity and teach others, but also realize when it’s their turn to follow instead of lead. They face their obstacles and succeed, or at least try, to defeat their fears and demons. STRONG characters are often liked, main characters in novels. However, any book character, much like any person, can be STRONG. Listed below are three STRONG female and male characters and what traits, skills, and values they possess.

Three STRONG Female Characters

• Evie, from Paranormalcy: Determined, thoughtful, and witty, Evie always does her job, containing paranormal creatures, in a timely manner. Assertive, but not harmful, she disarms her suspects, but always makes sure that they are properly treated and are set on the right track at the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA). A good friend to her mermaid pal, Evie demonstrates a STRONG, powerful aura of stability and gratitude.

• Lanesha, from Ninth Ward: Young and independent, Lanesha must take lead over her elderly guardian, Mama Ya-Ya, her dog, Spot, and her friends, TaShon, Max, and Ginia, as the take cover in the heart of Hurricane Katrina: the poverty-stricken Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Lanesha has the ability to see ghosts, including her deceased mother. Despite be mocked for her ability, Lanesha remains kind, curious, and STRONG during such an uncertain time.

• Liesel, from The Book Thief: Facing a new foster family during a difficult time in the world’s history, WWII, Liesel must adapt to new surroundings and new ways of living. Hiding the majority of the time due to her religion, Judaism, Liesel teaches and occupies herself while living in conditions that would cause many to give up. STRONG till the end, Liesel’s story is one to be heard.

Three STRONG Male Characters

• Marcelo, from Marcelo in the Real World: Born with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), Marcelo is proud of his abilities. Enjoying taking care of animals and learning the Christian religion, Marcelo is not afraid to speak his mind. But when he’s forced to get a job in the mail room of his father’s law firm, Marcelo must enter a whole new world, where not everybody is kind or easy to understand. Marcelo must be STRONG to be prosperous.

• Doug, from Okay for Now: Between moving to a new house, attending a new school, and living with an abusive father, being STRONG is not easy for Doug. However, finding friends at the local library and solitude in drawing, Doug discovers how happiness and generosity can change people for the better.

• Brewster “Bruiser,” from Bruiser: An outcast, a loner. Teased, bullied. Brewster, better known to his classmates as “Bruiser,” is always silent, the bruises covering his body the only thing expressing that something’s wrong with him. When Brewster falls in love with a girl named Brontë and becomes best friends with her brother, Tennyson, he begins to feel like he is STRONG enough to reveal his dark secrets.

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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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Mockingbird: Hope, Resilience in One Small Package

Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine, is the 2010 National Book Award recipient for young people’s literature. Sweet and emotional, Mockingbird is told by Caitlin, a ten-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.  Caitlin, an exceptional artist, lives with her family, which now only consists of her and her dad. Her older brother, Devon, used to also be a part of Caitlin’s family. However, after a tragic school shooting, Devon is gone from Caitlin’s life. Forever. 

Devon was always a source of guidance for Caitlin. He offered her assistance, encouraged her creativity, and taught her how to act properly in world that is so strange to her. But now that Devon is dead and gone, Caitlin must fend for herself in a scary, cruel world. Her dad is of little assistance; he is too busy mourning the death of his son, the mediator of their abnormal family. 

paperback edition

 

Visits with the school’s guidance counselor do not help Caitlin understand or cope with her family’s tragedy. She is often teased and stared at in school. People call her “freak,” or try to sympathize with her, or just avoid her altogether. The only thing that helps Caitlin deal with her pain is her artwork. But people even try to change that. They ask her to add color or try different techniques that don’t appeal to Caitlin. For her, art is an escape, not a skill.

It is only after Caitlin meets Michael, a first grader, that she has someone to share her feelings with. Michael’s mom was also killed in the school shooting. Caitlin’s mind, an area of imagination and confusion, is a war zone of thought. While she will never be the same again, Caitlin learns to use situations thrown at her to make wise decisions and establish relationships.

A short, but deep, novel, Mockingbird draws references from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to create a touching story of a family of two that was once a family of three. The vivid first person narrative is an eye-opening experience of Asperger’s syndrome and how it makes difficult situations even more uneasy. Thoughtful, caring, and hopeful, Mockingbird tells a story of light after darkness. 

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

Countdown: A Vision to the Past

The saying goes, a picture can tell a thousand words. But how many words can a picture tell when it’s supplemented with a story? My guess: millions.

Visionary, imaginative, innovative, and never before created, Countdown, by Deborah Wiles, is a photographic experience. A scrapbook, you may say. Told from the point-of-view of a strong young girl, Franny, Countdown explores the deep heat of the 1960s Cold War from an adolescent’s perspective.

An inside photo

Franny, a middle child, lives outside the Andrews Air Force base in Maryland, a location that could be struck by weapons of mass destruction from Cuba. With the ever-present threat of danger, Franny adapts to a strange new environment, but not without any obstacles. She must continue to live a semi-normal life, while participating in drills at school, spying on a secretive sister, struggling with a delusional relative, and dealing with a rocky friendship. Also bringing out issues of civil and women’s rights, Franny makes many discoveries in herself and the people and areas around her.

An original ad from the '60s

Interspersed with rich black and white photographs, biographies of ‘60s icons, speeches made by politicians, and songs written by rebels, Countdown is a fun and engaging history lesson wrapped around a coming-of-age story. Franny must make sacrifices, take blame, and rely on her trust to prosper in these difficult times. While the photographs and extra pieces of writing do not directly relate to Franny’s story, her challenges and her victories can be seen in other figures of the 1960s. Printed on nice paper, with rich shades of gray, the pictures make for the ultimate reading experience.

A bio found in Countdown

Countdown, a book that should be read by people of all ages, all times, and all races, is a story of finding yourself while faced with circumstances that you have absolutely no control over. Franny, who I found reminiscent of Anne Frank, manages to smile, make the best of situations, and progress smoothly through her life, always seeking wonder and joy.

The first in the Sixties Trilogy, Countdown allows history to come alive and open itself to all generations.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

(Cover image via. Inside page pictures were taken by yours truly, Jacob Hopkins)

Great Reads for this Summer

Following April’s Great Reads for this Spring, I have decided to share with you, the readers of The Bookshelf, a few awesome, inspiring, and thrilling books that will help you start your summer off right. 

Below is a list of award-winning and accolade-garnished books. I have read a few of these books, but not all of them. A great part of summer reading is discovering new books, so I thought it seemed fit that I include some books that I have yet to read, but I may read later during the summer. Sound cool? [nod your head] Here they are:

• I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan: I own, but have not yet read, this contemporary novel. This book, which has received nearly all perfect reviews, follows the lives of two brothers, Sam and Riddle, and their days in an unstable household. Living with a sketchy father and always moving from place-to-place, Sam does not completely understand how different his life is than others’, until he meets a kind, church-going girl, named Emily. Ultimately faced with two different paths to choose from, living his old life or embarking on a new chapter, bringing Riddle, his little brother, along. This book is said to be a beautiful story about how one person can make a difference and a change.

• The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch: Oh, where to start with this witty book? The first in a five book series, this book, whose title I will shorten to Secret, is a wonderful, often humorous story about two best friends, Cass and Max-Ernest, and dysfunctional families; quests to discover big mysteries; nefarious villains; evil chefs; antique stores; little, ugly, friendly creatures; and the Terces (backwards: Secret) society. Sprinkled with quirky illustrations, Secret is a funny and engaging read.

• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: (Yet another book with a long title.) I desperately want to read this book, but my local bookstore never has it in stock. Sixteen-year-old Jacob grew up hearing tales from his grandfather about a place where kids with special abilities live. Now that his grandfather has passed away, Jacob finds old pictures of children from this home; kids that can float, kids that can see the dead, kids that can read minds. Determined, Jacob finds this home and is surprised at what he finds: the exact children from his grandfather’s photographs. However, not all is well in this home. A terrible monster is lurking around, a monster only Jacob can see. This book comes complete with the actual photographs owned by Jacob’s grandfather.

• Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce: Last week I finished reading this spectacular retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. In this adaption of the original, there are two sisters, Scarlett and Rosie (both shades of red). After a deadly encounter with a Fenris, a werewolf type thingy, Scarlett is left with a missing eye and scars all over her body. Scarlett fought against the Fenris and was able to save her sister but not her grandmother. Seven years following the incident, Scarlett and Rosie are a Fenris-fighting duo, killing the wolves in attempt to save innocent people around the world. However, when Silas, Scarlett’s old fighting partner returns from an extended vacation away from fighting, Rosie finds herself often wanting to do something other than killing the Fenris. She wants to keep hunting, but she does not want it to be her life. But Rosie feels like she would be betraying Scarlett, who saved her life from a Fenris, if she were to stop hunting. A great tale of sisterhood, friendship, guilt, danger, and fulfillment, Sisters Red should be on the top of everyone’s to-read list. 

There it is! Continue reading The Bookshelf during the summer to discover even more great books of all genres!

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Enclave: Life After Disaster

Dystopian, apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic. Whatever you want to call it, the genre of books about life after monumental and earth-shattering disasters is continuously growing. Enclave, by Ann Aguirre, the first in a new trilogy, has become an official member of this thriving genre.

In a world where you receive your job and your name at age fifteen, Deuce’s, the main character’s, society, known as the College Enclave, is very limited. The College Enclave, or just simply referred to as the Enclave, is an underground establishment that was built to be a safe house after some great disaster that left the rest of the world destroyed and desolate. Because they are living underground with limited resources, the majority of the people in the Enclave only live to be about twenty years old. Citizens of the Enclave live without ever seeing the sun or feeling the grass or experiencing the rain. Everyone in the Enclave stays in the Enclave, underground. Only occasionally do people leave the Enclave, and even then, they are forced out because they broke one of the Enclave’s rules. All people forced out of the Enclave must live Topside, where the world once existed.

Enclave, the book, begins on Deuce’s birthday, the day she scraped off her birth name, Girl15, and received her job, known as an assignment: to be a Huntress. In the Enclave there are three different assignments from which you can be selected from: the Breeders, the Builders, or the Hunters. Newly named Deuce was ecstatic on her birthday to discover that she had earned the title of Huntress, a status she had coveted for years. Hunters leave the Enclave, but without leaving the underground, to scavenge food from traps set up in the many different underground passageways. In addition to hauling back food to the Enclave, Hunters also have the nasty job of patrolling: killing any half human/half monster creatures that try to enter the Enclave. These creatures are known as “Freaks”, and they are hungry, carnivorous beasts that have been battling the Enclave for years.

Like all Hunters, Deuce was marked with six scars on her arms and received her hunting and patrolling partner, a boy named Fade. Fade had always been a mystery in the Enclave. He was the only member of the Enclave to not be born in the Enclave. He was found a few years before he was old enough to receive an assignment, and he claimed he had survived four years in the tunnels of the underground. Strong and quiet, Fade was always detached from the other Hunters and everyone else in the Enclave. Deuce, unsure what to think of him, was wary of him being her partner. But after a turn of events, a few shocking discoveries, and a vow of trust, Deuce realizes that it is the leaders of the Enclave, who tell lies about the outside world, that are not to be trusted. 

Without revealing the rest of the book, and some major spoilers, Deuce discovers from Fade more about the world outside of them and above them. Pulling key elements from other dystopian books such as The City of Ember (living underground), The Hunger Games (strong warrior female character), The Giver and Divergent (assignments/factions), and The Forest of Hands and Teeth (zombie-esque, man-eating creatures), Enclave makes for one powerful and gruesome novel. However, do not misunderstand me; Enclave does not copy these great works of fictions – it builds upon pre-established concepts and creates a world, a life, and a story of its own. Fast-paced, addicting, and gritty, Enclave is a must-read for anyone. 

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Anne Frank, the Graphic Biography: The Renowned Story in a Different Format

Entirely authorized and sponsored by The Anne Frank House, Anne Frank, the Graphic Biography is one of many adaptions of the beloved diary. This adaption comes in the form of a graphic biography, published to receive a larger audience of the readers of Anne’s diary. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the graphic novel is steadily becoming a popular form of literature and art. While I preferred the book, The Diary of a Young Girl, to this adaption, I was dumbfounded at the knowledge, research, and detail that were put into this book. Since I have already reviewed the book that inspired this graphic biography, I have decided to allow this review to focus more on how the illustrations and photographs conveyed the powerful message of Anne’s words. 

Inside pages

Illustrated and adapted for graphic biography form by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, this adaption sticks close to the original in almost identical detail. Using photographs to set the scene, illustrations to communicate the surroundings, and words to tell the tale, Anne, those around her, and the annex building where they were living come to life. The photographs, which captured portraits of the people in hiding and the setting of Amsterdam, Holland, enforced the idea that this harrowing, yet powerful, story is true. The illustrations, beautifully drawn, were able to display the characteristics of Anne and the external hardships that she faced. The words, my favorite element of the biography, were both parts of the story and captions. Some words were Anne’s, taken from her diary and the original book, others were added to create a well thought graphic biography.

Anne Frank

Admittedly, I did not find Anne Frank, the Graphic Biography as excellent as The Diary of a Young Girl. However, it was still a top-of-the-line graphic novel with accurate descriptions and charming, realistic characters. I applaud Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón for having the desire and perseverance to thoroughly research, adapt, and illustrate a new form of the diary, with its spectacular voice and inspiring vision of resilience and hope. I am happy that I read this adaption of Anne Frank’s story, her life. I believe that it has given me more insight to how difficult the events that occurred around Anne were, but how, with companionship and faith, she came out strong. Despite not surviving all her obstacles, she most definitely had a strong and influential ending. An ending, and beginning and middle, which needs to be told to all people.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 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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Divergent: The Power of One Choice

Divergent is defined by Dictionary.com as, “something that moves, lies, or extends in different directions from a point; something,” or someone, “having no finite limits.” Keep that definition in mind as you continue reading this review of Divergent, by Veronica Roth.

Definitely in my top ten books for this year, Divergent is a powerful first book in what is guaranteed to be a memorable trilogy. In an unnamed year in the future, there exists a very different world. Beatrice, the protagonist of Divergent, lives in a new and different Chicago. This futuristic Chicago is separated into five different factions, or groups, based on a five different virtues – Candor, the honest; Dauntless, the brave; Amity, the peaceful; Abnegation, the selfless; and Erudite, the intelligent. Beatrice is part of the Abnegation faction because that’s the faction her parents chose to live in. Abnegations, often called “Stiffs”, are always thinking of other and are never thinking of themselves. They never wear anything but plain clothes, hardly ever look in mirrors, and serve as the government officials for their city of Chicago. Beatrice is often startled, but intrigued, by the actions of members of other factions. She watches them at her school, which allows all factions to learn together. She stares at the intelligent, know-it-all Erudites, the singing, laughing Amitys, and the discussions and debates amongst the Candors. However, Beatrice is most fascinated by the Dauntless and their form of travel – riding and jumping off of trains. 

All sixteen-year-olds in Beatrice’s Chicago take a test to discover which faction they are best suited for. After taking the test, the sixteen-year-olds decide which faction they would like to join. For the majority of the time, the teenagers choose the same faction as their parents. However, faction-switching does occur, but not without causing much disturbance. Switching factions creates shunning and outrage amongst the teenager’s family and teasing from other factions.

Beatrice has always known that she had been slightly different; it was always difficult for her to be as selfless as the rest of her family. When her testing day arrives, Beatrice faces many surprises. The test, which is actually more like a virtual simulation, provides her with more than one result. Beatrice discovers that she is what is known as a Divergent, someone who is suited for more than one faction. Her test results concluded that she is fit for the Abnegation, the Erudite, and the Dauntless factions. Beatrice’s test supervisor highly suggests that Beatrice not tell anyone of her results because Divergents are considered highly dangerous, and the government often leaves them factionless, homeless and unemployed. Beatrice, scared, but perhaps not entirely shocked, begins to consider which faction she will join; the decision between leaving her family and friends or joining a different faction to be her true self. The big problem is that Beatrice doesn’t know who her true self is. 

Without revealing any spoilers that the author doesn’t want available to anyone who hasn’t read the book, Beatrice finally comes to a decision on which faction she wants to choose. After her brother makes his decision, Beatrice realizes something about herself and finds the strength to choose the faction that appeals to her the most. After joining this faction, Beatrice, who begins to go by the name Tris, starts to live her true identity. Her ultimate identity is not a specific faction, but multiple factions, just like her test concluded. After many tough circumstances, Tris must use many of her skills, which all pertain to many different factions, to survive and make herself known. 

The first in a new trilogy, Divergent captures your mind and steals your soul. It is an engaging story, with breath-taking imagery, about self-identity, discovering both your good and bad qualities, and fighting for yourself. A must-read.

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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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.