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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What's Happening this Month? "A is for..."

A is for...

1. An ARC (Advance Reading Copy) Review: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
2. Adapting to Severe Change: Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
3. Anthologies, Collections of Short Stories
4. An Alternate WWI: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 
5. An Abundance of Admirable Books: Great Back-to-School Reads
6. An Announcement
7. Another Announcement
8. An Accompaniment to I Am Number Four: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
9. Traveling Back to Ancient Times: A Possible Review of The Missing Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix 
10. Astonishing Heat

A is for...
    11. AUGUST on The Bookshelf!

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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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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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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)

The Results Are In! (Poll #7)

WE DID IT! Or rather, YOU DID IT! Here, in all its glittery, poorly designed glory are the results to the RECORD-BREAKING Poll #7! (For those of you, do not want to suffer the pain of reading my poorly designed monstrosity, you will find the written results of Poll #7 under the picture page spread.)

If you're wondering why there is a girl shooting a shark with a...harpoon gun (?), it's because it's the only (legal) online Guinness World Record page spread that worked with the information that I had....

Easy-to-read results:

First place: Yes, I may read a few books with thirteen votes! What a wonderful first place – it's not an extreme (like, "Yes, I'll be reading five hundred pages a day!" or on the other side of the spectrum, "No. Books disgust me."); it's a perfect medium.

Second and Third Places: Yes! I'll be reading throughout the summer (with ten votes) and Maybe, it depends on how busy I am (with six votes).

Last Place: With ZERO votes, No! Why would I read during the summer? Thankfully, there were zero votes. I mean, really? Whether you're into books or not, you'll probably be reading something over the summer: newspapers, Facebook status updates, cereal boxes, etc, etc. For those hypothetical people (since no one actually vote for this option), I dare you to count how many  times per day you read something. I imagine you'll be surprise.

Add up all the votes: 13 + 10 + 6... and you get TWENTY-NINE VOTES! A new record for The Bookshelf, with twelve votes more than the previous record (Poll #5 - seventeen votes). I am so proud of you guys (and girls)! You've set a difficult record to beat, but I have feeling that we can do it again next time! Look for Poll #8 arriving around mid July!

Thank you!

– Jacob

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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What's Happening this Month?

Happy July! Summer has been in progress for many days, many hot days, now! I’m sure many of you have visited the pool, or have been to the movies, or, maybe a lucky few of you, have visited some foreign countries. Whatever you have on your long list of planned things for this summer, summer reading should definitely be one of them. Whether you’re going to read because the “newness” of summer has begun to wear off, or if you’re going to read to make summer even more exciting, you can always find a list of great books right here on The Bookshelf! 

Starting off July right, on Monday, Independence Day, there will be a review of a great 4th of July read: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson! Chains is a phenomenal perspective (written by a phenomenal author, might I add) of a young female slave during the Revolutionary War, the war from which the U.S. won its independence from Great Britain (not so Great now, are ya?). (I have to stop using parenthesis now. I don’t want to look too unprofessional.)

There will also be reviews of the following books: Countdown by Deborah Wiles – everybody should read this fun and smart book immediately; Mockingbird, a touching book about a child with autism, by Kathryn Erskine; and Wish You Were Dead, a mysterious, psychological murder mystery page-turner, by Todd Strasser.   

On to polls! The results of the RECORD-BREAKING Poll #7 will be published on Thursday, the seventh. As promised, it will be like the Guinness Book of World Records, but ten times greater (As long as you can look past poor graphic design… Drat! I’m using another set of parenthesis!) Poll #8 – We’re almost at double digits! – will be arriving in mid-July. The topic? Ereaders and Ebooks. [cue scary music] duh duh duh! You’ll hear my thoughts, my preferences, my likes, my dislikes, my compliments, my complaints, and my statements on Ereaders and Ebooks later this month.

(How do you spell “ereader”? Is it all one word? Two words? Hyphenated? Spelled with a lowercase “e” and an uppercase “R”?)

And July will end on a strong note, with STRONG Characters. Yep, that’s STRONG, in all caps. I will be writing about what it means to be a STRONG character in a book, how their thought processes work, and how they succeed, or at least face and overcome adversity. There will be three, maybe two, examples of STRONG female character and three/two examples of STRONG male characters from young adult novels. 

So. A Quick Summary for July: 4th of July Day book + review, three more definite reviews, polls and poll results, Ereaders (E-readers? e-Readers? e readers? eReaders?) and Ebooks poll/discussion, STRONG (all caps!) Characters, summer reading, and summer heat! 

– Jacob

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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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Poll #7: Summer Reading, Revisited

About a year and a month ago, I created the first poll for The Bookshelf, titled Summer Reading. Today, June 21st, is the first day of summer, so I thought it seemed fit to have another summer reading poll on The Bookshelf – a clone of the original. That's right; I'm republishing last year's post with the same question and the same answer options. Some may call this idea lazy, others may call it genius; a brilliant way to see the growth and development of a blog and its readers over a time period of one year. I prefer the latter opinion.    

With that being said, Poll #7 is up and ready to receive precious votes! Remember that we are trying to create a record number of votes on a single poll for The Bookshelf! The current record is taken by Poll #5: Books into Movies, with seventeen votes. We can do better than that! Even if we only make to eighteen votes, we will still have accomplished something. FYI, if the record is broken, a special results post will be posted. It will be like the Guinness Book of World Records, only ten times greater.

The question, same as last year's, Do you plan to read this summer? Following the question are four answer options, also the same as last year's. GO VOTE! If you can only do one thing on this blog, that one thing should be voting on this poll (And, you know, you should appreciate books and their book review counterparts, too...). As always, the poll is located on the right side of the page, above the "about me" section. The poll closes on Thursday, July 7th, so make sure to have your voice heard before time runs out!

The time for summer is here, as is the time for summer reading!

– Jacob

P.S: You may have noticed that this post is shorter than some of my more recent ones (i.e. all posts from this year). This is because, after reading the original, short Poll #1: Summer Reading post, I realized that their can be beauty in simplistic, yet meaningful posts. However, do not expect this to happen often.

Hey! You, yeah, you! Stop reading this postscript and go VOTE! (please.)

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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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Candor: Picture Perfect (AKA Brainwashed)

Candor, written by Pam Bachorz, is a short, witty, creepy novel about a seemingly perfect community in Florida. In this town, everyone does as they are told, respects themselves and others, and strives for their very best. After the startling and heart-breaking death of his oldest son, Campbell Banks created this town. He, with his wife and younger son, bought an area of plantation in Florida and began to rewrite their lives. Finally relieving themselves of their son’s death, Campbell and his wife, Lucy, began to construct other houses for other families. Because of its ritzy houses and friendly, courteous members, the community began to flourish. Business were built, schools were developed, citizens worked harder than ever to do what was best. From the outside, the Community, named Candor by its founders, Campbell and Lucy, appeared to be the best place to live and especially the best place to raise a child. However, deep under the community’s good virtues and efficiency their loomed a dark, dangerous secret. 

One day, Lucy left the family. She escaped the town of Candor, only leaving a note behind that said, “Don’t come looking for me.” Devastated by his mom’s leaving, Oscar became prone to noticing things that were out of place. Right before his mother left, Oscar noticed she suddenly became uninterested in art, something that she had loved all her life. Oscar also noticed that he, himself, had also developed a distaste for art, too. And junk food and relaxing and breaking the rules. He also noticed that he had discovered a certain joy in cleaning the house and pleasing his father and making perfect scores on his SATs, no matter how many hours into the night he had to study. As more families began to move to Candor, Oscar noticed the change in other children and their parents, too. Determined to discover the meaning of the radical change, Oscar soon discovers it, hidden in all the music that plays throughout the streets and homes of Candor.

Fast-forward a few years later, Oscar has become a master at avoiding the messages that play in the music of Candor. After rifling through his father’s study, he discovers many documents and equipment that reveal to him that messages are entered into the music that is played all around Candor. These messages say things like, Don’t litter, Respect personal space, Lying is bad, and A nutritious breakfast is a key to success. You do not notice these messages, but instead they enter your brain and activate themselves in your subconscious. Oscar, after discovering the truth about the messages that lie in his favorite music, teaches himself how to block the messages sent out by his father and create new ones to keep himself on track. However, to avoid anyone from noticing, Oscar must continue to act the part of a “perfect child.” If he were to let his armor down and reveal to his father the truth, Oscar would be sent to the Listening Room, literally a room where you are forced to listen to messages, hidden in music, until you are “cured.” 

Deciding to take advantage of his knowledge, Oscar begins seeking out children of families new to Candor, hoping to find a new “client.” After successfully combating his father’s brainwashing techniques, Oscar seeks to tell other kids of the terrible actions being played. Calling them his clients, Oscar gives these new kids CDs with personal messages on them. However, these messages were good – they confirm that Candor’s messages force children to be perfect, and that Oscar’s way is right. But Oscar, who I believe is more like his dad than he realizes, doesn’t let these clients get their special music at no cost. Oscar makes them give him something that is outlawed in Candor, such as candy, alcohol, art supplies, photographs, et cetera. 

However, Oscar’s secret business is thrown into jeopardy when he builds connections with two risky clients: Sherman, his blabbermouth best friend, and Nia, a new bold girl who he develops a crush on. After many too-close-to-being-caught excursions, lying, and distrust, Oscar must make decisions on what is right and what is best. Coming to a quick, yet unpredictable end, Candor is a great book with a bad and surprising ending, but as one of my favorite, and most certainly quirky authors, Pseudonymous Bosch, would say:

“Only bad books have good endings. If a book is any good, its ending is always bad because you don’t want the book to end.”

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 

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