Calamity

Calamity
Brandon Sanderson
2016

The Summary
"When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born.  David's fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night.  Steelheart killed his father.  Firefight stole his heart.  And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.

"David knew Prof's secret, and kept it even when the Reckoners' leader struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers.  But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much.  Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny.  He's disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there's no turning back...

"But everyone is wrong.  Redemption is possible for Epics--Megan proved it.  They're not lost.  Not completely.  And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back.  Or die trying."

The Good
Although Calamity seemed to fall a little flat, I will admit that I have grown to love Brandon Sanderson's work.  The Reckoners series, as a whole, is full of fantastical imagery, imaginative characters, and adventure.  I was particularly fascinated by Ildithia (formerly Atlanta).

Like Babilar, Ildithia is a city of and controlled by epics.  Unlike the watery nightmare of Babylon Restored, Ildithia is a city turned to salt--much like how Steelheart turned Chicago into steel--that slowly crumbles and rebuilds every week.  It moves slowly across the country, an oddly flourishing city maintained by Larcener, Stormwind, and others that inches its way over the landscape.

It's an incredible image that sticks in my mind:  a city of salt stone laced with layers of color that sparkles in the light, one with dusty streets and salty air.  Sanderson does such an amazing job of coming up with these ideas, like incredible cities and unusual epic powers and quirky characters.  I love his work; I certainly want to explore more even if I was a little disappointed with Calamity.

The Bad
I loved Steelheart and I enjoyed Firefight immensely; I did not like Calamity nearly as much.

Calamity is a fascinating book.  Ildithia is an incredible place, an entire city made of salt that destroys and reconstructs itself every 7 days.  Sanderson is wonderfully imaginative and inventive and he's a spectacularly writer; however, Calamity was such a disappointment for two reasons:

One, I did not like the conclusion.  I mean, the epilogue is sort of sweet and I thought it was nice that David managed, for once, to catch a break, but I absolutely hated learning the truth about Calamity.  (I'm going to start discussing spoilers from the previous book, so turn away now if you don't want to hear more.)  Granted, it was an intriguing plot twist to learn that Calamity was actually an epic through which all powers were descended; however, I didn't like the idea that Calamity was actually some kind of alien being.

Two, I disliked the alternate dimensions Megan conjured.  As we learned in the last book, Megan isn't just an illusionist, she can actually tear holes into the fabric of reality and dive into alternative universes.  Cool, right?  Except it pokes some major holes in the plot of the story and it just adds another layer of complicated ugliness that I just didn't need or want.

I loved the series overall, but, as I dwell on this finale, I can't help thinking it could have been so much better.  The Reckoners had the makings of an epic (no pun intended) series--one that I would remember for a long time, one I would convince myself I needed to grace my own shelves--but it just seemed to fall apart.

Calamity just isn't nearly as good as it's predecessors.

The Ugly
Violence, death, destruction.  What do you expect when the world has been turned upside down by epics?

Oh, and fair warning:  a main character will die before all is said and done.  Just be prepared for it.

Firefight

Delacorte Press

Firefight

Brandon Sanderson

2015

The Summary

"Newcago is free.

"They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic.  Yet Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead.  And he died by David's hand.

"Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life simpler.  Instead, it only made David realize he has questions.  Big ones.  And no one in Newcago can give him answers.

"Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as the borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though.  Ruled by the mysterious High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is flooded and miserable, but David is sure it's the path that will lead him to what he needs to find.  Entering a city oppressed by a High Epic despot is risky, but David's willing to take the gamble.  Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart.  A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived.  Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight.  And he's willing to go on a quest darker and even more dangerous than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers."

The Good
Honestly, I enjoyed Firefight almost as much as I enjoyed Steelheart.  Fast-paced and action-packed, Firefight is a great sequel to the Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson.  Adding in Regalia and Obliteration gave the book an added layer of depth and danger, not to mention you're actively wondering what will happen to Prof--and you can't help wondering where Megan fits in to the grand scheme of things.

Is she good?  Is she bad?  And what will happen when Prof finds out that she's back?

Granted, I couldn't help equating some of the drama to a soap opera; however I enjoyed the novel overall.  I was also excited to learn more about Megan's powers and I was floored by the truth about Calamity.  Megan is incredible, by the way, but the "star" is still a bit of a mystery.  I won't say anymore, of course, for fear of spoilers.

Just know that Megan's powers are not what they seem and Calamity has a cause.

The Bad
I really enjoyed Firefight, don't get me wrong, but I really thought it had too much going on at once.  It's almost overwhelming the intensity of the action, how they never seem to catch a break.  It's just one fight after another after another, and it's packed with plot twists that made my head spin.

It's good, I won't deny it; however, it just has a little too much happening.

The Ugly
Death.  Gore.  Violence.

The usual.

Steelheart

Delacorte Press

Steelheart
Brandon Sanderson
2013

The Summary
"Ten years ago, Calamity came.  It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers.  The awed public started calling them Epics.

"Epics are no friends of man.  With incredible gifts came the desire to rule.  And to rule man, you must crush his will.

"Now, in what was once Chicago, an astonishingly powerful Epic named Steelheart has installed himself as emperor.  Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements.  It is said that no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, and no fire can burn him.  He is invincible.  Nobody fights back...nobody but the Reckoners.

"A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.  And David wants in.

"When Steelheart came to Chicago, he killed David's father.  For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need.  Not an object, but an experience.

"He has seen Steelheart bleed...

"And he wants revenge."

The Good
I loved Steelheart.  It's action-packed, it's interesting, and it takes everything I know about superheroes/supervillains and completely turns it on its head.  Part science-fiction, part fantasy, Steelheart is a wonderfully crafted dystopian world full of detail, depth, and intrigue.

It was so much fun to read.

I was particularly fascinated by the main characters, specifically the Reckoners.  David, as the narrator, is incredibly resourceful.  He sometimes feels like a caricature; however, he's surprisingly astute in his observations and he's wildly intelligent.  I'm always surprised by what he does and what he remembers.  He's daring, he's unexpected, which I found made Steelheart that much more interesting.

Not to mention, I found the ending to be spectacular.

After learning that Steelheart does have a weakness, I puzzled over what it might be.  Reading the prologue again, I couldn't imagine what it might be, but when David discover it, when that moment of recognition and discovery blossomed in his mind and mine, I was thrilled and astonished and excited.  I loved the conclusion.  It startled me, yes, but I found the irony of the situation to be so very satisfying.

I will definitely read the rest of the series.  Firefight is up next, followed by Calamity--and I can't wait to dive back in.

The Bad
No complaints.

The Ugly
Steelheart is graphic, bloody, and riddled with gore.  Bad things happen in Newcago, and you get the impression that, no matter what happens, things aren't really going to get better.

Geekerella

Geekerella

Ashley Poston

2017

The Summary

"Anything can happen once upon a con...

"When geek girl Elle Wittimer seeks a cosplay contest sponsored by the producers of Starfield, she has to enter.  First prize is an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmidor in the reboot.  Elle's been scraping together tips from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck behind her stepmother's back, and winning this contest could be her ticket out once and for all--not to mention a fangirl's dream come true.

"Teen actor Darien Freeman is less than thrilled about this years ExcelsiCon.  He used to live for conventions, but now they're nothing but jaw-aching photo sessions and awkward meet-and-greets.  Playing Federation Prince Carmindor is all he's ever wanted, but the diehard Starfield fandom has already dismissed him as just another heartthrob.  As ExcelsiCon draws near, closet nerd Darien feels more and more like a fake--until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

"Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom."

The Good
I have always loved Cinderella stories.  I love the happy endings and the romance, and I love the new and inventive ways authors manages to retell Cinderella's story.  However, I'm also a big fan of retellings where the heroine does something unexpected:  she saves herself.

I always love a story where the main female character has a plan to save herself.  For Elle, it's college on the opposite side of the country; however, when the opportunity arises to go to ExcelsiCon (the convention her father created), she decides to take the leap and live a dream.  She's terrified, but she doesn't let that stand in her way--which I enjoyed.

Elle is a girl who is caught in a very bad situation.  Her stepmother--or Stepmonster, as she's appropriately named--has ruled her life since Elle's father passed away.  She's manipulative, controlling, and, sometimes, just plain cruel.  (I hated her, by the way.  It doesn't take much, because she is not a lovable character.  And neither is her daughter.)

Elle, for the most part, manages to make the best out of a bad situation.  She disobeys the Stepmonster in subtle ways, and then outright challenges her.  She holds tight to her father's memory, his traditions, his fandom, and she takes a leap of faith to reach ExcelsiCon where she discovers her world is complete.

It's really a lovely story.

It's sometimes difficult to read, simply because the Stepmonster and Elle's stepsister are so very horrible; however, it's a fun, romantic and nerdy read.  I liked the friendships Elle built along the way, and I even liked Darien.  It was interesting to see how their lives intersected and how their shared adoration of Starfield becomes the focal point of their budding relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed Geekerella and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale retelling.

The Bad
Geekerella had a few errors (some books do), but it wasn't anything that detracted from the novel overall.  If I have one complaint, though, I suppose it would be that I grew tired of switching between character chapters.  I like Darien and Elle and, I think, Geekerella wouldn't have been the same without them both narrating the story.

However, I am not a fan of the dueling first-person narratives.  If I'm going to have more than one character at a time, I like for it to be third-person omniscient.  First-person point of view is for single narrators.  Anything else just doesn't feel quite right to me.

The Ugly
The Stepmonster.

Scythe

Simon & Schuster

Scythe
Neal Shusterman
2016

The Summary
"A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery.

"Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death.  Now scythes are the only ones who can end life--and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

"Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe--a role that neither wants.  These teens must master the 'art' of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

"Scythe is the debut of a thrilling new series by National Book Award-winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price."

The Good
Scythe was incredibly compelling.  I'll be honest, it's one of those books that I just couldn't put down.  I mean, on the one hand, it's like a train wreck:  something very bad is happening, but it's hard to look away.  On the other hand, it's an breathtaking story with endearing characters, a fascinating setting, and an intriguing plot.

As the story goes on, it's easy to become attached to Citra and Rowan.  You're right in the middle of their story from the moment Scythe Faraday selects them as apprentices, so you quickly become invested in their lives and caught up in their world.  I was particularly fascinated by how their world worked, because everything down to the smallest detail is micromanaged by the Thunderhead, a "cloud" system in which the collective knowledge of all humanity is stored.

Neal Shusterman creates a unique story with Scythe, because he doesn't immediately offer readers a dystopian world event if that's what we eventually get.  It wouldn't be a stretch to say dystopian is a popular genre in YA literature (think:  Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Cinder, City of Ember--and I'm sure there's more); however, Shusterman doesn't start with a terrible world.  In fact, in Scythe the world is perfect in every way.

There's no war, no disease, no hunger, no inequality, no aging, no natural death.  Humanity has reached the zenith of its evolution:  it is perfect.  Yet beneath that veneer of perfection, you have the Scythes who help keep the human population in check--and you have a world that, for all its perfection, is stagnating.

What does humanity have left to achieve if everything has been done already?

Scythe is one of those YA novels that causes readers to ask some very hard questions about the life and death, humanity's relationship to technology, and what would really happen in a Utopian society.  It's an exciting, spine-tingling thrill ride, but it's also an intriguing examination of human psychology because it made me wonder, "What is really the purpose of life when life never ends?"

The Bad
It's a bit of a long book, admittedly; however, it captured my attention so completely, I don't think I put it down for two days.

The Ugly
I'll be honest, I thought this book was pretty intense.

Although death is everywhere in this book, it seems like such a distant concept as people can no longer really die.  You have revival centers where, if someone unexpectedly dies, they're brought back to life.  Diseases are nonexistent, aging is a thing of the past, and horrific accidents are merely an inconvenience.  There's blood and gore and horrific things that happen, yet they're only temporary--and it's really difficult to digest this cavalier attitude about death.

Besides which, I think I was spooked by the way people lived.  I don't mean the general prosperity or lack of disease or the utopia the Thunderhead has appeared to create; rather, I was a bit perturbed by a general disrespect for life.  In one of the journal entries between chapters, which are shared by the various Scythes readers meet, I stumbled across one that really made me think:

"If you've ever studied mortal age cartoons, you'll remember this one.  A coyote was always plotting the demise of a smirking long-necked bird.  The coyote never succeeded; instead, his plans always backfired.  He would blow up, or get shot, or splat from a ridiculous height. 

"And it was funny.  [...]  Because no matter how deadly his failure, he was always back in the next scene...

"I've seen human foibles that have resulted in temporary maiming or momentary loss of life.  [...]  And when it happens, people laugh, because no matter how gruesome the event, that person, just like the coyote, will be back in a day or two, as good as new, and no worse--or wiser--for the wear. 

"Immortality has turned us all into cartoons."

Human life has been downplayed, made into something laughable.  More importantly, it's not seen as a finite, precious thing; rather, it's a indefinite commodity that can be wasted.  Immortality has created a type of stagnation in human culture.  There's nothing new to discover, nothing new for which to strive, nothing new to create--so what's really left?

Scythe brings up some very interesting questions about life and human emotion and immortality, specifically what it could mean and what it could bring.  It's entertaining, yes; however, it also makes you think and it makes you wonder.  It feels distinctly dystopian, even though humanity is arguably faced with a Utopian society; it makes you wonder what's the real price tag for a perfect world.

Ghostopolis

Graphix

Ghostopolis
Doug TenNapel
2010

The Summary
"Garth Hale is as good as dead....

"The only problem is he's still alive.

"When Garth Hale is accidentally zapped into the ghost world by Frank Gallows, a washed-up ghost wrangler, he discovers that he has special powers.  Soon he finds himself on the run from the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who wants to use Garth's newfound abilities to tighten his grip on the spirit world.  After Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, nearly losing hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake."

The Good
I really enjoyed Ghostopolis.  It's such a unique take on the afterlife and how the living (and the dead) deal with it.  Plus, I was fascinated by the idea that there's a bureau in the government set aside just to deal with ghosts--which is where Frank, a washed up has-been if there ever was one, comes into play.

It's interesting to see the imagined technology Frank uses, but it's also fascinating to see how he deals with ghosts on a professional and personal level.  For him, ghosts are just a part of the job.  It's kind of comical how he's used to them by now.

Overall, Ghostopolis is a fun, exciting story.  It deals with the despair of death and dying without giving in to the despair of death and dying.  It's fairly mild; it's easy to read and follow the panels; plus, it's just plain fun.

The Bad
I didn't always understand the physics of the Ghostopolis, which I found bothered me a tiny bit.  I mean, Garth has incredible power when he's in Ghostopolis simply because he's human.  It's like how on the other side, in the world of the living, ghosts are able to float and penetrate walls.  However, I didn't quite understand why such a thing existed or why Garth had such uncommonly powerful abilities.  It doesn't really answer those questions, rather it just leaves them to be suspended with your disbelief.

The Ugly
Death.  Not death as what humankind observes, but death of a more permanent variety.  It's really very sad.

Oh, and the bugs.

I really didn't like the bugs.

The Weight of Feathers

Thomas Dunne Books 

The Weight of Feathers
Anna-Marie McLemore
2016

The Summary
"The Palomas and the Corbeaus have long been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for more than a generation.  Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows--the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find.

"Lace Paloma may be new to her family's show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself.  Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught since birth to keep away.  But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it's a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace's life.  And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep could be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.

"Beautifully written and richly imagined, The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young adult novel by a talented new voice."

The Good
Oh, this book.  I think I lost my heart to this book.

To start off, The Weight of Feathers runs almost parallel to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  It has feuding families (Corbeaus versus Palomas), star-crossed lovers (Cluck and Lace), and tragic undertones (escalating tensions between the families, violence, lies, sordid secrets, etc.).  However, The Weight of Feathers isn't just another Romeo and Juliet remake; rather, it's a modern love story that incorporates elements of Shakespeare's tragic play and subtle hints of magic.

Personally, I loved reading Anna-Marie McLemore's novel.  It was fascinating and lyrical; it was the kind of book that made my heart swoon, but kept my interest piqued with its humor and heart and magic.  The Weight of Feathers is woven with threads of magic and fantasy, but it remains firmly grounded in reality, dealing head-on with personal tragedy and tough truths that will break your heart.

It's emotionally intense, especially as Cluck and Lace slowly grow closer and realize the truth of why the Palomas and the Corbeaus are mortal enemies.  (It's like a soap opera.  No joke, it has that level of intensity--and you can't help but gasp when you learn the truth behind the Paloma-Corbeau feud.)

But, most of all, I loved the writing.  I read a review that noted that McLemore's YA novel is "beautifully rendered," and I found that rings true throughout the book.  I absolutely loved the way The Weight of Feathers was written.  While it did take some time for me to sink into the story, to understand the cadence and the style, I gradually grew to love the way the author described the setting and verbalized feelings and told stories about the Palomas and the Corbeaus.

I loved the way the words simply flowed.  It was beautiful, like a song, even when describing terrible tragedies; it describes things in a different way, utilizing the English language and turning it in different ways; it creates candid, complex characters.  Honestly, I just loved everything about it, like these lines:

• "The rain burned into her.  She curled up tighter, cheek against her sleeve.  She shut her eyes tight enough to see comet trails of light.  She tried to keep out the feeling that the rain was a million lit matches.  And the strange smell in the air that was a little like apple cider if apple cider was the venom of some night creature, the rain and stars its teeth."

• "Her mouth left a smudge of lipstick on his.  She rubbed it away.  He closed his eyes and held her hand there, kissed her thumb and took it lightly between his teeth, holding onto it.  It trembled the veins that held her heart, that feeling of his teeth on her thumb pad and fingernail."

• "He wore his loneliness like a scar.  Most of the time his sleeves covered it, but when she cuffed them back, he couldn't hide it.  She wanted to tell him she was not afraid of what he was, this red-streaked thing in all the pure, perfect black.  But the words dissolved between their lips like ice crystals."

• "Lace couldn't hear what they were whispering.  But now they were all witnesses to this thing she and Cluck had made them see.  They would have to carry the truth, whether or not they spoke it.  It would cling to them like the burrs off sticker grass.  If they twisted it, it would pinch them back."

Like I said, I lost a piece of my heart to this book and these words.

The Bad
Although I loved this book, I can see how it might be an acquired taste.  I loved the way the story was told, I loved the magic and the drama and the tragedy and the romance, and I especially loved the lyrical cadence of the story.  It was beautiful; however, I can see other readers not liking it for the very same reasons.

Likewise, I think the novel builds slowly.  It takes a long time to set the stage for the inevitable confrontation between the Palomas and the Corbeaus, and it takes a long time for the relationship between Cluck and Lace to build.  I found the conclusion of the story well worth the wait, but it can be a mite frustrating to get there.

The Ugly
Abuse.

I fell a little in love with Cluck.  He's smart, he's creative and inventive, and yet he's constantly spurned and outright abused by his family.  It broke my heart.  And, as time went on, I absolutely hated Dax and his mother.  They were awful, terrible people.  Granted, they were awful, terrible people influenced by their circumstances and their tragic history, but they were still awful, terrible people.

Unfinished 7

W.W. Norton Company

Okay.  So, I started reading Bonk by Mary Roach after I finished reading Packing for Mars.  After reading a review on Goodreads that cracked me up, I decided I would give it a try--and I kind of regret it.

First off, Mary Roach is hilarious.  I liked Packing for Mars, and I think I could have enjoyed Bonk if I just hadn't been traumatized by some of the stories.  I like to think I'm not a prude, but when sex leads to disfigurement, count me out.  I just can't do it.  It gives me this weird squirmy feeling inside, and I just can't cope.

Mary Roach is a great author, but I just don't think I can handle Bonk.

-

Gallery Books

I picked up Tyler Oakely's Binge out of curiosity.  I'd seen it in the YA section at my local library and I thought it might fit my Read Harder Challenge, so I thought, "Why not?"  It seemed interesting and it would help me mark off one of my challenges.

Wrong.  On both accounts.

Oakley is a pretty funny, I'll give him that; however, I just wasn't taken with his memoir.  I like that he's so very candid about his experiences, even the most embarrassing ones, but I found there is something as too much of a good thing.  Oakley tells me a little more than I would normally like to know about his personal experiences, and I just found myself quietly closing the book and returning it to my library.

-

Death of a Darklord by Laurell K. Hamilton had so much potential.  It was beautifully written, it carried intricate characters with interesting talents, it had magic and fantasy and adventure.  It struck all the right notes for me.  I was so excited to read it, especially as I started in on the first couple of chapters.  I was intrigued by the villain and I wanted to see where the story would go.

Wizards of the Coast

And then I made the mistake of looking up the book on Goodreads and discovering, much to my astonishment, that it was part of a series.  I learned Death of a Darklord is a stand-alone novel in a series roughly based in the same world (or something along those lines).  Not necessarily a bad thing, right?

Except it's part of a horror series.

When I picked up Death of a Darklord, I expected a fantasy novel.  I expected magic, mischief, adventure, trials and tribulations, before eventually culminating in a relatively happy ending.  There's always a little tragedy in every fantasy story; however, I always expect to find a satisfying conclusion, if not an outright happily-ever-after.

Death of a Darklord is a horror story.  It's full of tragedies, one after the other--and it literally doesn't get any better.  If I'd gone into this novel with the knowledge I was reading a tragic story, I probably would have been fine with it.  As the cover gave no inclination as to what I would find, I started reading with the expectation of a good ending and I was incredibly disappointed.  I put it aside without ever really finishing it.

-

Pantheon

War and Turpentine wasn't a bad novel.  It's based on Stefan Hertsman's grandfather, a would-be painter who lived through and fought in World War II.  Hertsman regales readers with embellished stories of his grandfather, his grandmother, his family, and, ultimately, his legacy.

It's an interesting book that reminds me of The Things They Carried, in that there are some truths buried beneath the fiction; however, it just didn't grip me like Tim O'Brien's earlier novel.  Personally, Hertsman's novel isn't for me.  I didn't care for the style or the feel of the novel, even though I wanted to enjoy it; I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the way they felt or the way they made me feel; moreover, I found myself growing bored with it at regular intervals and casting it aside for more interesting fare.

I'm sure it's a fine book, but it's just not for me.

Read Harder Challenge 2017: Part 4

This month, I finished a few more challenges, including:

• Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative.
• Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
• Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love.

Balzer + Bray

First up, I read American Street by Ibi Zoboi, which follows Fabiola as she adjusts to life in America with her rowdy cousins and her reclusive aunt.  When she arrives in Detroit, she is confronted by a terrible crossroads that will change her life and haunt her as she goes in pursuit of the American Dream.  A fascinating inspection into the immigrant experience, American Street  was made all the more compelling by the fact that the author, like Fabiola, was emigrated from Haiti when she was only a child.

Overall, I liked American Street.  It's a good, solid book with interesting characters, a wonderful narrator, and a heart-wrenching story.  However, I often found myself divided, because I both loved and hated this book.  It inspired a lot of emotions, not all of them good, but it also made me think and it made me feel and it compelled me to read on through Fabiola's story even when I felt my interest waning.

But, most of all, I loved the hints of magical realism seeded throughout the story.  Fabiola has very strong beliefs and she particularly believes in the ilwas of Vodou, which adds a layer of mystery, a thin veil of magic that enriches her story.  You don't really discover if Bad Leg is really Papa Legba, or if he really is just some junkie off the street, like Fabiola's cousins say, but it's that uncertainty that imbues a certain strength in Fabiola's belief and offers uncommon insight into the landscape of Vodou.

Barnes and Noble

Next, I conquered A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also happens to be author of Tarzan of the Apes.  I picked up A Princess of Mars because I had it on my shelf and, more to the point, it seemed like an acceptable escape from reality; however, I wasn't always enchanted with the story.  I mean, it was really just mindless fun.

Originally serialized in 1912, A Princess of Mars is the first of many novels of the Barsoom Chronicles penned by Burroughs.  It follows John Carter, a former military man from Virginia, who finds himself ambushed in Arizona--and transported to a different world.  Mars (known as Barsoom to the native peoples) is a seemingly desolate land populated with dangerous creatures and war-like citizens, and Carter must find a way to survive if he eventually hopes to return to his home world.

For much of the story, it's really just Carter being really impressive with his super-strength and incredible agility and uncanny ability to learn languages--that is, unless he's rescuing the damsel in distress or endearing himself to the local wildlife.  Something interesting or incredible usually happens at the end of every chapter, so it's a bit of a page turner when Carter isn't boring you with facts that are obviously wrong or making you laugh with physics that could obviously never happen.

New Directions

Last, I checked out Paris Spleen by Charles Baudelaire.  Paris Spleen is a short collection of poetry originally written in French in 1896 by Charles Baudelaire--and none of his poems are about love.  I found it exceedingly difficult to find a collection of poetry that didn't talk about love, because everyone likes to talk about love and relationships and affection.  They're warm, fuzzy feelings to which everyone can relate.

But Baudelaire doesn't base his poetry on warm, fuzzy feelings; instead, he examines a darker side of human life.  He looks at the every day pleasures of intoxicating drink, sensuous women, and fine art; however, he also shines a lot on oppression, city squalor, mistreatment, malice.  His work couldn't be farther from warm, fuzzy feelings, like love.

It worked for my Read Harder Challenge, but, I will admit, it's definitely an acquired taste.  Baudelaire is really something else.

American Street

Balzer + Bray

American Street
Ibi Zoboi
2017

The Summary
"On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint though she would finally find une belle vie - a good life.

"But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola's mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit's west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all her own.

"Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost.  Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?

"In her stunning debut, Pushcart-nominated author Ibi Zoboi draws on her own experience as a young Haitian immigrant, infusing this lyrical exploration of America with magical realism and Vodou culture.  Unflinching yet filled with joy, American Street is an evocative and powerful coming-of-age story."

The Good
I read American Street as part of my Read Harder Challenge, and I can't say I regret my decision.  American Street is a provocative, thoughtful novel that portrays both immigrant experiences and, in some cases, daily life in urban areas.  It's beautifully written, well-paced, and fascinating; it's a book that makes you think, makes you feel.

I loved the hints of magical realism seeded throughout the story.  Fabiola is a very spiritual person.  Her beliefs are strong, and her faith in the ilwas of Vodou is even stronger--and, as time goes on, she begins to spot the ilwas work in her daily life.  I found this added a layer of mystery, a thin veil of magic that enriches her story.

Granted, you don't really discover if Bad Leg is really Papa Legba or just some junkie off the street, like Fabiola's cousins claim, but it's that uncertainty that imbues a certain strength to Fabiola's belief and offers uncommon insight into the landscape of Vodou.  It's magical, yet it's firmly grounded in reality as to relate to readers, to connect on a deeply personal level.

The Bad
Personally, this book made me miss being where I am.  I mean, I couldn't stand the cold, gray landscape Fabiola describes.  It felt cruel, sterile and cold.  It made me want to go outside and climb into a tree to really appreciate the cool, green shade.

The Ugly
Fabiola endures so much for a girl her age.  She survives the earthquake that destroyed Port-au-Prince in 2010; she is forced to travel to Detroit alone, because her mother is detained by customs; she must acclimate to a new school, a new culture--and no one, not even her aunt and cousins, seem willing to help her.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this book.

This book does not pull punches.  I'm not even joking.  It's violent, it's hurtful, it's bloody, it's dark, it's tragic--and it really doesn't get any better.  Fabiola is thrust into a new world, moving from her impoverished community in Haiti to a violent neighborhood in Detroit.  She's confronted with some very harsh realities that will, ultimately, break her heart.

I realize this book actually shows some of Zoboi's experiences (if you read the author's note, you'll see just how autobiographical Fabiola's story really is); in fact, it might encapsulate the reality of American life in impoverished urban areas.  However, I did not like the violence or the bloodshed or the drugs or the hard truths that American Street makes you confront.

I mean, for some people, American Street may very well be a portrayal of real life.  I may not have had to deal with many of the things Fabiola encountered--drugs, alcohol, gang violence, prescription abuse--but I know they aren't uncommon experiences, even in more rural regions where I live.  So reading American Street is an uncomfortable wake up call, it's a slap in the face because you can't look away from the glimpse of reality it presents.

I felt divided while I was reading this book, because I both loved and hated it.  It inspired a lot of emotions, not all of them good, but it also made me think and it made me feel and it compelled me to read on through Fabiola's story even when I felt my interest waning--or my heart breaking.

It's a very good book, but know you're getting into a world of heartache before you pick it up.

Hunted

HarperTeen

Hunted
Meagan Spooner
2017

The Summary
"Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones--and in her blood.

"She knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who's ever come close to discovering them.

"But Yeva's grown up far from her father's old lodge, raised to be part of the city's highest caste of aristocrats.  Still, she's never forgotten the feel of a bow in her hands, and she's spent a lifetime longing for the freedom of the hunt.

"So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved.  Out in the wilderness, there's no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas...or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman.

"But Yeva's father's misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey:  the creature he'd been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

"Deaf to her sister's protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory--a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva's heard about only in fairy tales.  A world that can bring her ruin--or salvation.

"Who will survive:  the Beauty, or the Beast?"

The Good
I enjoyed Hunted.  Granted, it wasn't quite what I expected, but, nevertheless, I enjoyed it.  I loved the subtle interweaving of Russian folklore with the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, and I liked the ethereal magic of the Beast's world.  I like the creatures Hunted envisioned:  Lamya the dragon, who could take on female shape; Borovoi, the leshy (or forest spirit), who liked to take on the form of a fox; the Firebird that inexorably draws Yeva; and, of course, the Beast.

It's a darkly magical world that's both breathtaking and dangerous, fascinating and deadly.  I fell in love with the woods that Meagan Spooner imagined, a cursed forest full of magical creatures--dragons, forest spirits, monsters, more--that exists just beneath the surface of human perception.  I loved even the simple descriptions of it:

"She instantly saw colors playing against the backs of her eyelids, pulsing in time with the not-quite-music.  Blue and white and green streaks of light shot across her vision.  She did not dare breathe to speak, but nodded instead, slowly, as though moving too quickly would jar the vision free.  [...]  All around were the trees, and the snow, and the underbrush, and the light in her mind's eye was transposed against the scene."

And when both Yeva and the the Beast speak of longing, of wanting something indescribable, it really struck a chord with me.  I mean, everyone has a goal, everyone has something in mind that they want and desire, something for which they hope.  Sometimes, it's just a longing that has no relief, no way to alleviate, because, until you find that indescribable thing, it's hard to even imagine what you want.

"I remember a life before that was good, but not the one I wanted.  I remember feeling as though nothing and no one in this world could ever understand the way I wanted, that pang that rings deeper than flesh and bone. 

"My longing for something else, beyond, into magic and dreams and the things everyone else seemed to leave behind as children.  For something I knew I could never truly find."

As silly as it may sound, I found those words spoke to me.  I think it's the feeling every reader gets whenever he or she picks up a book and dives into a new story.  For me, I feel like I'm always looking for something in the next book that will really connect with me, that will make me feel something incredible--that will take me away, for the briefest moments, from everyday reality.  Readers are always looking for something, looking to find something or learn something in a new book, and Hunted seems to capture that longing.

Oh, and I can't forget the dedication:

"To the girl

who reads by flashlight

who sees dragons in the clouds

who feels most alive in worlds that never were

who knows magic is real

who dreams

This is for you."

Who wouldn't fall in love with that dedication?

The Bad
Although I enjoyed Hunted overall, I found myself constantly stymied by my expectations of what Beauty and the Beast should be.  I read the cover, so I knew what I was getting into with this novel; however, I kept thinking back to Belle in Disney's rendition of the tale.  I couldn't get my mind to drift away from it, which colored how I began to think of Yeva and her story.

I think if I'd gone into this story with no expectations, without knowing the novel was based on The Beauty and the Beast, I would have enjoyed it more.  I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I was always expecting something else to happen, hoping Yeva would live up to some kind of expectation that she couldn't because she's a completely different character.

Reading it for itself, reading it without Disney's Beauty and the Beast in mind (a difficult thing to do, since a new version only recently came out), makes for a much better experience.  That is, if you go into it without the expectation of finding Belle--if you go into it thinking of Yeva as her own separate character with her own separate story and thoughts and feelings--Hunted is a genuinely good story.

The Ugly
Blood and gore.

Yeva is a hunter.  Her father is a hunter.  The Beast is a predator.  There's bound to be blood at some point.  And it only gets worse when Yeva sets her sights on revenge.

Geis: A Matter of Life and Death

Nobrow

Geis:  A Matter of Life and Death
Alexis Deacon
2016

The Summary
"The chief matriarch is dying.  Drawing her last breath, she declares a contest:  let fate decide the one worthy to rule.  Fifty souls are summoned in the night; fifty souls bound to the same fate.  But this is no ordinary trial...

"And so begins the first task."

The Good
Honestly, I was unexpectedly fascinated by Geis.  It's a book that I did, but somehow didn't, like.  That probably sounds strange, but Geis is a graphic novel that's difficult to explain.  It's rich with imagination, but terrifyingly dark, hinted with macabre undertones that make you shiver and make you think.

It's a startling combination of adventure and horror and supernatural elements, fabricating a dark and fascinating world that's rich, but stark in its shadows.  I was reluctantly intrigued by Geis.  I almost didn't want to read it, but, at the same time, I ended up devouring it in a matter of hours.  It's so morbid that you almost can't help following along with the story.

Overall, it's a fine comic.  It had an interesting story, a well-developed world, and a fascinating cast of characters that caught my attention.  Although I'm still not sure how I feel about Alexis Deacon's book, I will probably read the second volume when it arrives on the scene.  I could use some closure--I feel I'm invested now.

The Bad
I can't quite put my finger on it, but something didn't quite catch me with Geis.  It left me with a lot of conflicting emotions, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.  I wasn't overcome with joy when reading it, yet I didn't find it horrible or distasteful; rather, I liked it.  I liked it even if I didn't care to like it.

It's a muddle.

The Ugly
The premise of this book is a competition.  Fifty individuals are summoned to the castle of the chief matriarch to witness her death and receive her decree on who shall succeed her; however, a dark enchantress is added to the mix....and she has other plans in mind.  The chief matriarch creates a trial:  whosoever succeeds in the competition shall be crowned the new ruler.

And everyone else dies.

Seriously.  That's how it goes.

Only one person will survive the trial, which means everyone else will meet horrible, gruesome deaths--and, somehow, the enchantress will triumph over all.  I won't say anything more for fear of ruining the story; however, I will note that I was surprised by the dark turns that Geis seemed to make.  It's almost difficult to read in that regard, because I don't foresee the series ending very well.

Read Harder Challenge 2017: Part 1

So first up on my Read Harder Challenge, I tackled:

• Read a debut novel.
• Read an all-ages comic.
• Read a superhero comic with a female lead.

Sourcebooks
Casablanca

I started with a debut novel, Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster.  Although I originally intended to read A Man Called Ove, a debut novel by Fredrik Backman, I stumbled across Kiss of Steel purely by accident and discovered it was just what I needed to complete this challenge.  The first book in the London Steampunk series, Kiss of Steel tells the story of an alternative Victorian age in which verwulfen (werewolves), vampires, automatons, humans, and more live side-by-side in a steam-fueled world.

Honoria Todd fled to the rookeries in a desperate attempt to escape the Echelon, the blue-blood (i.e. vampire) aristocracy of London who rule over the city with an iron fist.  But when Blade, de facto master of the rookeries, discovers her living at the fringes of his little kingdom, he becomes embroiled in a series of unexpected mysteries involving Honoria.  Soon, a vampire--a blue-blood who has crossed the Fade, who has completely succumbed to blood lust--is terrorizing the rookeries and it's up to Honoria and Blade to stop it--and the Echelon--before it's too late.

I actually enjoyed reading Kiss of Steel.  It wasn't quite what I expected, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing.  Granted, it was a bit explicit, hyper-violent, and incredibly grisly; however, McMaster's debut novel was a mixture of action, romance, science-fiction and paranormal fantasy that I found thrilling.  Overall, I enjoyed Kiss of Steel, but I do think it could have been better.  I would have loved to have delved deeper into the alternative history and discovered more about the people--and creatures--that inhabited this world.

Marvel

Next, I read Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur:  BFF (Volume 1) by Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder, which was a fun and amusing comic featuring Lunella and, of course, the indomitable Devil Dinosaur.  First in the series, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur:  BFF is a great comic for kids of all ages--and it's simultaneously amusing for adults.

It starts out with Lunella, who is 9-years-old and quite unlike other girls her age.  She's an unexpectedly talented inventor and she's also an Inhuman--and the Terrigen Mist that's creeping through the city, the amorphous haze that will activate her Inhuman DNA, terrifies her.  Desperate to keep her Inhuman DNA dormant, Lunella sets out to discover alien technology that will help her stop the Terrigen Mist and keep herself human.  That is, if Devil Dinosaur, who was transported to the future with the same alien technology, doesn't destroy everything first.

Overall, I loved reading Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.  I admit, I was a little hesitant to read it at first.  I'd seen single issues in the local comic book store and, for some reason, I couldn't imagine myself reading them--and then I discovered the collected volume at the library.  I immediately fell in love.  Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a lot of fun to read.  Although it takes place in the Marvel Universe, readers don't really need a who lot of background about the Kree and the Inhumans and the Terrigen Mist to enjoy the story.  It has a dynamic, intelligent character, and it's a crazy, fun adventure that will lead you across time and the city of New York.

Last, I checked out Wonder Woman:  Blood (Volume 1) by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, and Tony Akins.  I have long been a fan of comic books.  I love Batman and Superman and even Aquaman, and I've found a recent favorite in Squirrel Girl, Daredevil, and Hawkeye; however, I've not read much of Wonder Woman.  She's an interesting character to be sure, but I've just never found myself compelled to read about her until now.

DC Comics

In Wonder Woman: Blood, first in the New 52 series, Wonder Woman finds herself caught in the middle of a battle for supremacy between the Greek gods of myth.  Diana has long abstained from the more complicated dealings between these capricious gods, but Zeus has gone missing--and Hera is on the war path to destroy the child he left behind.  Now, the remaining gods, including Apollo, Hades, and Poseidon, are in a war for the king of gods' throne, while Hera cuts a bloody swath across Paradise Island to rectify the injustices done to her.

Let me say, I like Greek mythology.  I've always been intrigued by it and I've gone out of my way to discover more about it than what I learned in school, but I wasn't really impressed with their appearance in Wonder Woman.  Honestly, I wasn't really all that impressed with the story in general.  I was a little disappointed, especially since I went into this comic with such high expectations.  I'm a fan of powerful, self-sufficient women, and I love the idea of Wonder Woman, who is a warrior first and foremost; however, I'm not so sure I like her in practice.

It's difficult to describe, but let me put it this way:  I like Batman, because he is human and he is deeply flawed.  I like Superman, because he is an alien who grew up in Kansas and he is good to the best of his ability.  Likewise, I like Aquaman, because he is half-human/half-Atlantean and he struggles daily with his dueling identities.  And all these characters have one thing in common:  they were raised, in my opinion, in a recognizable place and way.  Diana, on the other hand, was raised on Paradise Island with a different set of beliefs and a completely different set of rules, which makes it difficult to relate to her on a personal level.  More to the point, it made Wonder Woman:  Blood (Volume 1) less than enjoyable to read.

Archie: The New Riverdale (Volume 1)

Archie Comic Publications, Inc.

Archie:  The New Riverdale (Volume 1)
Mark Waid
Fiona Staples
Annie Wu
Veronica Fish
2016

The Summary
"Welcome to the new Riverdale!  America's Favorite Teenager, Archie Andrews, is reborn in the pages of this must-have graphic novel collecting the first six issues of the comic book series that everyone is talking about.

"Meet Riverdale High teen Archie, his oddball, food-loving best friend Jughead, girl-next-door Betty and well-to-do snob Veronica Lodge as they embark on a modern reimagining of the Archie world.  It's all here:  the love triangle, friendship, humor, charm and lots of fun--but with a decidedly modern twist.

"Brought to you by some of the masters of the comic book genre, including writer Mark Waid and the all-star lineup of artists:  Fiona Staples, Annie Wu, and Veronica Fish, the first volume of Archie presents readers with a new take on the beloved Archie Comics concepts while retaining the best elements of the company's 75 years of history."

The Good
I have to admit, I have never been a fan of Archie.  Despite recommendations from friends and hand-me-down comics, I just couldn't seem to enjoy Archie all that much.  It seemed so old-fashioned and well, boring.  Besides which, I didn't care for the ridiculous love triangle between Betty, Veronica and Archie (is he really such a catch?) and I didn't like the art.  It was cartoony, but not in the way I liked.

However, I have to admit that I enjoyed reading Archie:  The New Riverdale.  Maybe, it's because Mark Waid is involved--and I have quickly become a fan of his work with Kingdom Come and, of course, Daredevil--or, maybe, it's because I liked the art and the modernized content.  I'm not sure which I enjoyed more; regardless, I have a lot more respect for Archie and his Riverdale crew than I did previously.

I especially liked Betty and Jughead.  Betty is a tomboy who knows how to fix cards, and she's Archie's sweetheart for nigh on forever; Jughead is a serious foodie (he's especially serious about his hamburgers), and he's Archie's best friend.  In Archie, they seemed a little more fleshed out and a little more detailed.

For instance, I would never have thought about Betty struggling with her own self-image.

She's smart, sweet, and confident, and she's an old hand at rebuilding engines; however, she sometimes struggles to feel like a "girl"--with makeup, dresses, heels.  You know, the whole nine yards--and she worries she isn't pretty enough.  Like most girls, she battles with how her peers perceive her, how she sees herself, and how she really looks.  Her issues are grounded in real life.  She feels real, which I appreciated.

This latest incarnation of Archie is both humorous and fun, paying homage to the original series while creating a brand new world with intricate relationships and infinite new complexities.  Overall, it's entertaining and humorous and lots of fun.  I'm beyond pleased to know that Archie and his pals are in Mark Waid's capable hands.

The Bad
I honestly have no complaints.  I liked just about everything in Archie and, truthfully, I will probably follow up with subsequent volumes.

The Ugly
I still don't like love triangles.  I have never liked love triangles, but I think that Waid and his team do a great job tastefully incorporating the complex relationships involved in Riverdale.  Yes, there's still a love triangle; yes, Veronica and Betty are still competing for Archie's heart; yes, Archie is still caught between them.

But it's not as silly as I once imagined.

Betty and Veronica are fully fleshed out characters, not the caricatures I'd always imagined them; moreover, Archie is more of a lovable goofball, rather than the obnoxiously oblivious dope as I always characterized him.  Betty is struggling with her feelings for Archie, while simultaneously battling with her dislike of Veronica...and her willingness to be a good person.

They're conflicted.  Things are complicated.  And it's messy.

But that's just the way real life goes.

Rook

Scholastic Press

Rook
Sharon Cameron
2015

The Summary
"History has a way of repeating itself.  In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade.  Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a single, red-tipped rook feather left in their place.  The mysterious Red Rook is a savior of the innocent, and a criminal in the eyes of the government.

"Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy's arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from financial ruin.  But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to the doors of the Bellamy House, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems.  Which is only fair, because neither is she.

"As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow ever higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

"Daring intrigue, delicious romance, and spine-tingling suspense fill the pages of this extraordinary epic tale from award-winning author Sharon Cameron."

The Good
I absolutely loved Rook.  I found it at my library purely by accident, sitting atop a display of random young adult novels in the teen section, and I was immediately attracted to the cover.  I recognized the image of Paris on the cover, replete with a skeleton of the Eiffel Tower rising in the distance.  It looked familiar and yet, at the same time, it was completely and utterly foreign...and I couldn't help myself.

I was immediately intrigued by the Red Rook.  Sophia lives an intriguing double life as both the daughter of an impoverished aristocrat and the Red Rook.  (I'm not ruining anything for readers by mentioning Sophia's alter ego, as her identity is hinted at on the book jacket and confirmed in the first couple of pages.)  She's a clever and capable heroine, who manages to save lives and, ultimately, start a revolution.

Personally, I liked her.

And, while I was a little suspicious of René, I eventually grew to like him.  He and Sophia work well together.  They both have (possibly deadly) secrets; they have unusual skills that help them fit quite nicely in their line of work; and they make a living thwarting the government.  I liked seeing their relationship develop, and I liked seeing how Sophia reacted to someone who had many of the same skills and talents as she.

Granted, I wasn't a fan of the love triangle--René and Sophia seemed to harbor a mutual affection, while Spear and Sophia have history.  Although Sophia views Spear as more of a brother, their relationship is, nevertheless, complicated--but it wasn't as bad as, say, Twilight.  Or Vampire Diaries.  Or Something Strange and Deadly.  Or any number of other young adult fantasy/sci-fi romance.

Overall, I liked Rook.  It reminded me of Cinder and the rest of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.  While it does fall under the rather broad label of dystopian young adult fantasy (think Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, Life as We Knew It or, even, The Giver), I really enjoyed Cameron's novel.  I enjoyed the characters, the unexpected twists and turns, the ambiguous references to the past, the complicated political climate.  It's quickly become one of my guilty pleasures.

The Bad
Admittedly, I did dislike the pace of this novel.  For the most part, I enjoyed Rook.  I liked the intermingling of tense, suspenseful story-writing with political intrigue and romance, and I liked how the story would flip between characters and give me insight into what's happening at any given moment.

However, I hated how it slowed toward the end of the story.  I think Rook was bogged down by too many twists and turns, by too much build up.  It would have fared better if it had trimmed out a little of the fluff--the budding romance between Sophia and Rene, the dwelling on LeBlanc's political aspirations, the myriad of preparations to depart for the Sunken City--and focused more on the core of the story.

Also, I would have liked a little more detail about what happened to Paris and society as a whole.  I know about the Great Death, which apparently was a near-extinction level event that practically wiped out the human race, and I understood vaguely that the so-called "Ancients" were essentially us; however, I didn't quite understand what happened between the Great Death and the present day of Sophia's world.

One character postulated some theories, such as a reversal of the magnetic poles or a weakening of the atmosphere, which could have led to the change in climate and the gradual decline of humanity, but I don't have much detail.  I mean, what happened to Paris that it became the Sunken City?  How and why did the Commonwealth build itself into some semblance of Regency era England?  What happened that technology was completely and utterly wiped out--and why was it so distrusted?

I would have loved a little more detail, and I was a little disappointed when I didn't find it.

The Ugly
Death.

There's a lot of gruesome ways to die in this book, whether by guillotine or knife blade or poison or simply exposure in prison.  Le Blanc and the Allemande, intent on quelling the populace and bringing rebels to heel, leave a trail of bodies in their wake--and it's really quite gruesome when you think about it.

The Girl in the Steel Corset

Harlequin Teen

The Girl in the Steel Corset
Kady Cross
2011

The Summary
"In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the 'thing' inside her.

"When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back.  And wins.  But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full grown man with one punch.

"Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them.  The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets, against the wishes of his band of misfits.  And Finley thinks she might finally be a part of something, finally fit in--until a criminal mastermind known as the Machinist threatens to tear the group apart..."

The Good
I enjoyed The Girl in the Steel Corset.  It's not quite fully formed, like I could have wished for a little more depth, a little more detail in some of the descriptions and a little more of...something; however, it's a decent teen novel.  I liked it and, truthfully, I found it to be a fascinating little YA book, but I probably won't pursue any more of the series.

I will point out that I did like the concept of the Aether.  It adds a complex, supernatural undercurrent to the story, besides, of course, the obvious (i.e. Finley Jayne and her supernatural strength, reflexes, and speed; Griffin with his unnatural psychic abilities; Sam with his inhuman strength; Emily and her incredible intelligence; or Jasper, using an unrivaled speed and dexterity with a gun.  Take your pick.).

I also liked the unexpected science behind the era, the experiments and technology that seem to run wild with newer, more interesting inventions appearing each chapter--courtesy of the ingenious Emily, of course.  It's a fun series, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The Bad
I found The Girl in the Steel Corset to be a little lacking.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was missing something that could have made it great.  It had an intriguing plot, especially with its references to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other classic literature, and it created a fascinating world of Victorian culture and futuristic technology.

However, I didn't sink into the story as I would have liked and I wasn't enamored of the characters as I hoped.  I did like Emily and Jack Dandy managed to make me grin, and I thought the Machinist made a fascinating villain, but, overall, I wasn't enchanted with The Girl in the Steel Corset.

The Ugly
Ugh.  Love triangles.

Have I mentioned that I hate love triangles?  Apparently, any YA novel worth its salt will fabricate a complex (and entirely unnecessary) network of romantic relationships.  For Twilight, it was Edward and Jacob; for The Girl in the Steel Corset, it's Jack Dandy or Griffin King.

Seriously.  Just pick one already.

Read Harder Challenge (Part Seven)

I finished some new books for my Read Harder Challenge, and I've completed more reading tasks:

1. Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography)
2. Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel
3. Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction)

St. Martin's Griffin

First up, I finished Florence Foster Jenkins by Nicholas Martin and Jasper Rees, which inspired the recently released movie of the same name.  Florence Foster Jenkins was not a traditional singer.  At a young age, she was well known for her skill with a piano and her love--and, more importantly, support--of music; however, it wasn't until she was 76 years old that she undertook to become a concert singer.  She's best remembered for her concert at Carnegie Hall and her vinyl recordings, which introduced the world to her rather...unique voice.

I enjoyed reading Florence Foster Jenkins.  Drawing from multiple resources, including Florence and her common law husband, St. Clair Bayfield, Martin and Rees' book does an incredible job of shedding light on Florence, her work, and her time.  It's intriguing without becoming dull, amusing without ridiculing its rather unorthodox subject, and chock full of interesting historical facts about Florence and the New York artistic scene of the early 20th century.  Overall, I enjoyed it and I highly recommend for any readers to take a moment to listen to Madame Jenkins on YouTube to get a better idea of how her singing voice sounded.  You (probably) won't regret it.

Scholastic Press

Next, I completed Rook by Sharon Cameron.  The Sunken City--formerly Paris, the City of Lights--is a place of danger, desperation, and despotism.  Ruled by the corrupt Premier Allemande and the bloodthirsty LeBlanc, the Sunken City is brimming with discontent and revolution--and, at the heart of it all, is the mysterious Red Rook who spirits people from their cells and wreaks havoc against the Premier's puppet government.

A story packed with action and adventure, political intrigue and danger, Rook has quickly become one of my guilty pleasures.  I know it falls under the rather broad category of dystopian young adult fantasy (think Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, Life as We Knew It or even The Giver), but I really enjoyed Sharon Cameron's novel.  I enjoyed the characters, the unexpected twists and turns, the ambiguous references to the past, the complicated political climate.  I wasn't a fan of the love triangle and, yes, I will admit that the story seemed to drag in a few places; however, altogether, I really liked it and I think it settles in nicely next to Cinder.

Last, I rounded out my reading with God in Pink by Hasan Namir.  Ramy is a young Muslim man living in Iraq in 2003, right in the midst of a war and a cultural revolution--and he also happens to be gay.  Struggling with what he knows his brother would term a "sexual deviancy," Ramy tries to balance his feelings with his obligations to his family and his faith.

Arsenal Pulp Press

Truthfully, I struggled with this novel, because I was not comfortable with all the depictions of heinous violence and wanton savagery.  I understand that mindless cruelty, thoughtless barbarity is simply a fact; I understand that it happens, that it's not something you can ignore if you live on the planet Earth.  I know it exists, but it's still hard to read about terrible things happening to other people.

I didn't hate this novel; rather, the opposite.  I thought God in Pink was a magnificent book depicting life in war-torn Iraq for a gay Muslim man.  It's poignant and it's guaranteed to make an impact, but, at the same time, it will tear out your heart.  I recommend reading it with great caution, like I would for Native Son by Richard White, Beloved by Toni Morrison, or The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.  Read it, but expect deep emotional turmoil.

The First Time She Drowned

Philomel Books

The First Time She Drowned
Kerry Kletter
2016

The Summary
"Cassie O'Malley has been trying to keep her head above water--literally and metaphorically--since birth.  It's been two and a half years since Cassie's mother dumped her in a mental institution against her will, and now, at eighteen, Cassie is finally able to reclaim her life and enter the world on her own terms.

"But freedom is a poor match against a lifetime of psychological damage.  As Cassie plumbs the depths of her new surroundings, the startling truths she uncovers about her family narrative make it impossible to cut the tethers of a tumultuous past.  And when the unhealthy mother-daughter relationship that defined Cassie's childhood and adolescence threatens to pull her under once again, Cassie must decide:  Whose version of history is real?  And more important, whose life must she save?

"A bold, literary story about the fragile complexities of mothers and daughters and learning to love oneself, The First Time She Drowned reminds us that we must dive deep into our pasts if we are ever to move forward."

The Good
Oh.  My.  Gosh.

I loved this book.  I know, I love a lot of books (hence my huge reading list); however, The First Time She Drowned has quickly taken a place beside such favorites as The Fault in Our Stars and I'll Give You the Sun and The Book Thief.  It has many of the same tragic, but beautiful qualities that made me love these books beyond the normal novels I read.  I ugly cried with this book, and I do not often ugly cry with my books.

The First Time She Drowned is a very special novel.  This book hurt my heart, absolutely crushed it, and then it made me cry for all the small, beautiful things that made Cassie's unbearable life more bearable and, ultimately, healed her.  My heart was broken by all the cruelty and grief she endured, only to be broken again when she finally begins to piece her life together.

My heart still hurts a little.

Additionally, Cassie makes a wonderful narrator.  Her descriptions are beautiful, and her voice is unique and strangely compelling.  She tells her story with such emotion, giving it a depth that rivals the very ocean she loves.  Personally, I loved her words.  I loved the way she spoke, the way she related her history and made it a sensory experience.

As a reader, I enjoyed those little details that gave an added emphasis to what she felt, tastes and sounds and tactile sensations that made her experiences undeniably real.  It’s fascinating to see her story unfold, to see her life come together in bits and pieces as she uncovers dark secrets from her family and makes new friends, finds new ways to heal herself and her relationships, and I quickly became entranced by her narrative.

Overall, I absolutely loved reading The First Time She Drowned.  It's heart-breaking, but it's so beautifully compelling.  I can't completely describe how much I enjoyed this novel, simply because it hit me on an emotional level and made me care about Cassie, made me care about what was happening--and made me ugly cry.

That's always the mark of a good book:  when it makes you care.

The Bad
Cassie's narrative bounces through time, which sometimes threw me for a loop.  It's easy enough to distinguish between the past and present:  one, Cassie frequently notes when she's reaching into her memories; two, she speaks in the past tense when she's referring to her memories, but she speaks in the present tense when she's living in the moment.  There's a definitive line between her past and present, but I was sometimes surprised (or, maybe, alarmed?) by her history as the boundary between the two seemed very fluid.

Basically, you're confronted by the very middle of her story.  She's still living her life, struggling to endure and heal from the various hurts she endured from her mother (and, by proxy, her malleable father), but she's also reliving her past.  You start in the middle of her story and work your way out, seeing her past and glimpsing her future as she lives it.

The Ugly
Abuse.

Great-aunt Dora was terrible, of course.  I hated her, because I could tell her place in the story would lead to bad things.  (I was right, which didn't make me feel better.  It reminds me of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, much more than I expected.)  She's the fulcrum point at which Cassie's life goes horribly, horribly wrong.

But I was shocked and appalled by her mother.  I mean, at first you see these little slights--small, tiny things, like her preference for Cassie's brother or her demeaning comments meant to make Cassie feel bad about herself--and then it turns into outright abuse.  Her mother is malicious and, if things don't go her way, she'll manipulate the situation to turn things for herself.

Like sending Cassie to a mental facility when she couldn't control her every moment, when Cassie refused to be demeaned or abused anymore.

It's absolutely gut-wrenching.  I hated to see it.