Book Blather

The only home that Bertie Shakespeare Smith has ever truly known is the Théâtre Illuminata. No, she’s not an actress, she actually lives there. This may seem odd, but the Théâtre Illuminata is not your normal theatre. It’s a place that characters from every play ever written call home, where a scene change magically happens by speaking into a headset, and where four tiny fairies can be your sidekicks. It’s also a place where your main love interest can either be a dashing pirate or a seductive airy element. The Théâtre Illuminata is the only place that Bertie has ever wanted to be, but now she may just lose it all. After a stunt gone wrong, Bertie must prove that she is invaluable to the theatre. Will Bertie be able to do it or will she’ll be forced to take her final bow and brave the world outside alone?

I really don’t know what I can say about this book other than I simply ADORED it. It did take a couple of pages for me to understand what was going on, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. It was fun to see my favorite Shakespeare characters come alive in a way I had never seen them before. I couldn’t help but giggle at the traits that the characters carried on and off the stage. Of course, there are plenty of smaller characters I’d never noticed before, but will never forget after reading Eyes Like Stars. (Team Nate!) And Bertie…I loved her with her blue hair and mischievous spirit. She’s the type of heroine you secretly wished you had as a best friend. She may get you into a lot of trouble, but you’d be sure to have fun along the way!

Eyes Like Stars will have you laughing, cheering, and possibly screaming at your favorite characters with every page turn. There was never a dull moment and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey with the Bertie. The only bad point? I want more NOW. As in yesterday. I seriously hate waiting and have no idea how I’ll be able to handle to a year-long wait to find out what happens next. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to read some Shakespeare to hold me over until book two hits the shelves!

David Dahlgren, a high-school senior, finds solace in running with the track team; he’s a fast runner, and he enjoys the camaraderie. But team events become a source of tension when he develops a crush on one of his teammates, Sean. Scared to admit his feelings, David does everything he can to suppress them: he dates a girl, keeps his distance from his best friend who has become openly gay, and snaps a rubber band on his wrist every time he has “inappropriate” urges. Before long, Sean expresses the thoughts David has been trying to hide, and everything changes for the better. Or so it seems.

I have to admit that when I got this book I was expecting a nice GLBT love story, but that is definitely not what David Inside Out is. In fact, by the end of the book I completely hated his main love interest. I understand that Sean is probably dealing with many of the same emotions as David, but he came off as a jerk who was only using David for sex. I never felt like there was a real connection between them beyond physical acts. Even the camaraderie we see at track meets and study groups feels like it was just a way to get into David’s pants. I know this situation is very realistic, but it still really rubbed me the wrong way.

On the other hand, this is an excellent coming-out story. David’s emotions are raw and truthful as he tries to come to terms with being gay and accepting himself as he is. I believe that any GLBT person would be able to relate with the road he has to travel. No matter what age you are, coming out is never an easy thing. Thumbs up to Bantle for capturing those emotions nicely.

The only other thing I wanted to mention was the pacing. At times it feels a little disjointed as Bentle alternates between skipping ahead and spending time in the moment. It was almost like a bunch of smaller stories sewn together to form the big picture. While there were a couple of spots where I wished there had been more/less detail, overall, it works well for the novel.

While David Inside Out may not be my favorite GBLT book, it was an enjoyable read and one I will certainly add to my collection.

Madison Avery isn’t your everyday normal teenager. She’s got a spunky attitude, purple hair, oh, and she’s dead. That’s right, she’s dead. The only thing giving her any illusion to life is a strange amulet she stole from the dark reaper who tried to kill her. Stuck in a purgatory of dead but not gone, Madison longs for her old life (and body) back. If she could only figure out who the dark reaper was and why he was after her!

Things get a little sticky as secrets are revealed and truths become a million shades of grey. Light vs. dark, free will vs. fate…who are the good guys and how does Madison fit among them? With the help of a couple of reapers, her crush, a guardian angel, and a little creativity, Madison may just be able to take control of her future before it comes crashing down around her.

I think the number one complaint I’ve heard about this book is how confusing it is. I will admit that Harrison doesn’t set up her universe very well, but I’m not sure the reader is meant to know what exactly is going on. Yes, I had no idea what a light reaper, dark reaper, or time keeper was, but I just rolled with the punches and allowed the story to unfold. I still have a few questions about the logistics of the world, but by the end of the book I had a pretty good handle on it. (On a side note: I have heard there is a short story in Prom Dates from Hell that tells about the prom night and sets the story up better. I have not had the chance to read it yet so can’t verify this, but I would recommend giving a try before starting Once Dead, Twice Shy.)

Beyond the set-up issues, Harrison creates a fun, fast paced story that paranormal lovers are sure to adore. The ending leaves much to be desired as there are a lot of questions left unanswered. However, since this is a series, I’m being  lenient in hopes that answers and action will pick up as the story continues. I will say, however, that I loved the issue of fate vs. free will as it is a debate that I’ve struggled with most my life. I like to believe that life has a little of each in it, which seems to be the direction that Harrison may be taking it. (I believe this may be the reason I liked the book so much.)  All in all, I am definitely looking forward to the next book to see where Madison’s journey will take her.

It’s my mission in life is to make you care about these words, Anna. About these people and everything they say and everything they were. He traced the lines of my face with his fingers as he spoke. Every story is a part of a whole, entire life, you know? Happy and sad and tragic and whatever, but an entire life. And books let you know them. (p. 167)

It’s been a year since Matt first kissed Anna on her 15th birthday. A year since her dreams came true and she fell in love. A year since a tragic accident took Matt away from them. No one seems to be able move on, but perhaps a trip to Zanzibar Bay could be the perfect thing. And Frankie swears that it’s the perfect place to meet twenty boys in less than a month. Anna agrees to the scheme, unable to tell her best friend that she’s already experienced her first great romance with Frankie’s brother, Matt.

Life at Zanzibar Bay is anything but easy sailing. Anna finds herself buried in memories of conversations with Matt as she steps in the very places he used to write and tell her about. Afraid of erasing her memories of him, Anna ignores each new boy they meet. Well, that is until Jake enters the picture. With his help, she may just be able to find the strength to move on and allow herself to feel again

When I first picked up this book, I was not expecting what I got. I was anticipating a light-hearted beach story full of romance. One thing that has bothered me about some reviews I’ve read is that they say it’s the perfect beach read. While I agree Twenty Boy Summer has beach setting and romance, it is not your typical beach read.

In fact, I would say not to read this book on the beach unless you have a pair of sunglass to hid red eyes and plenty of tissues. I can’t even count how many time this book had me sobbing, which is not something easily accomplished. Even as I think about it writing this review, my eyes grow a little misty. Ockler writes a beautiful story about a girl who has lost her first love/best friend and is struggling with the hole he left behind. Anna’s character jumped off the pages to me right away. Her emotion tugged at my heartstrings and her pain felt as if it was my own. I highly recommend everyone read Ockler’s amazing debut novel, but maybe not on the beach!

Check out all of the cool Twenty Boy Summer Contests @ Sarah Ockler’s Contest Page

I’ve decided it’s simply not possible to catch up with ALL my reviews. However, I don’t want to forget about them completely either. Instead, I’ll be doing mini-reviews to help get me up to date.

Authors such as Coe Booth, Daniel Pinkwater, Ellen Hopkins, Sarra Manning, and Barry Lyga tackle tough issues regarding body image. This includes anything from weight, height, eating too much or too little, being too chesty or too flat, or the size of one’s butt.  The style varies from author to author as some decide to express their own struggles in personal essays while other explore through story form. There were a couple stories that I didn’t really like, but overall, this book contains a good collection of thoughts that are witty, touching, and creative. A great way for authors and readers to connect over issues we all share.

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, has never been able to find her footing among her court and kingdom. Her gift of speaking does not rest with people, but among animals. Sent away to marry a neighboring prince, Ani finds herself helpless and alone after her lady-in-waiting tries to kill her and takes her place. Unable to admit who she is, Ani becomes the goose girl for the king to survive. Will she ever be able to reclaim her identity or will she be a goose girl forever? This is wonderful retelling of the Grimm Brothers Goose Girl. Ani is strong character with a lot of spunk and courage. There were a couple of parts that felt like they dragged a little, but nothing that made me bored or took away from the book.

First cousins Laura and Miles grew up like sisters. Miles thought of Laura as the golden one — smart, beautiful, rich, and popular — while Miles considered herself the unwanted one — an unattractive, underachieving outcast. Laura’s suicide shatters Miles and leaves her feeling completely alone, and sets Miles on a dangerous downward spiral. But in the strength Miles finds in herself and in those she didn’t believe cared about her, she is able to rebuild her life in unexpected ways.

My Thoughts

I have to admit that I was a little caught off guard by this book. Cohn had been on by TBR author list for a while, so when I saw this book come in I decided to pick it up and read it without knowing anything about it. I think part of me expected something along the lines of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist or Ely and Naomi’s No Kiss List and instead found a book dealing with dark and serious issues such as suicide, drugs, and body image. Thankfully, Cohn sets the stage pretty well and I knew what I was getting into within the first 20 pages.

While Laura is central to the plot as a reader you don’t really have any true connection to her. What is seen of her is through other’s eye and never actually met the character. Laura is merely something that allows for the story to manifest, but the real star is Miles. This is her journey through grief and trying to come to terms with losing her sister/cousin. Grief is universal and it’s easy to understand why Miles would be so upset and the struggles that she is going through.  Her voice was true and real and easily came to life to me. There were times I wanted to hug and comfort her and then shake her until she saw the errors of her ways.  I will say that Miles is probably the only character truly fleshed out. We get a glimpse of them through Miles’ eyes, but never who they truly are. Jim was probably the only other character that I felt any connection to. The rest I was pretty indifferent to.

I will also warn that the book can be slow moving and confusing.  There were several things that made me go “huh?”. For example, the second chapter is entitled A Love Letter to Percocet, which is a review by Miles explaining how to use Percocet and the “lovely” effects it has.  While I struggled with this a bit, I do believe that it was a good reflection of the mental state Miles was in.

The only thing that really bothered me was the fact that her best friend found her several time in a drug-induced unconsciousness and did nothing.  In fact, when she ends up in the hospital, he gets mad at her for allowing it to go that far! If one friend had just died due to over-dosing wouldn’t you be sure that the other didn’t follow? I would have been telling someone who could get her help rather than believing that she was in-control or would eventually stop. I understand that getting mad at her is a natural reaction, but I didn’t think he truly had a right to. He saw it happening and did nothing to stop it from going that far. But maybe that’s just me?

If you’ve read the book, I would love to hear your thoughts as well!

Eighth grader Celeste Harris is no stranger to being the big girl. At school, she is taunted by mooing and nicknames like “Burrito Grande” by many of the popular kids. And while Celeste may not be picture-perfect, give her comfy sweatpants, a stack of Oreo cookies, and her long time best friend (Sandra) and life isn’t so bad.  Well, that was until the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge entered her life. Thanks to her aunt, she finds herself trapped into a contest she wishes to be no part of. Sure, everyone would love to be a model, but when you add the word plus to it…well, Celeste would rather not think about it. Thankfully, she has plan on to get out of the competition without quitting.

Launch Operation Skinny Celeste. It’s all about no Oreos, no snacks, and certainly no big slices of her aunt delicious dessert with ice cream. After all, if she’s no longer husky there’s no way she can be Miss HuskyPeach, right? Right?! Striving to lose the competition any way possible, Celeste lands in humiliating and disastrous situations. Despite it all, she learns that what matters most is to do what you want (no matter what anyone else thinks) and to have fun along the way. With the chance to pull out of the final round Celeste must make a choice: will she run away or will she return to have fun no matter what the outcome may be?

My Thoughts

First, I have to state how much of a difference one year can make in my mind. Due to an error on the back of the book, I began Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies under the impression that Celeste was only twelve years old in seventh grade. This really warped my perception of the book. I kept yelling over and over in my head that no twelve year old should be worried about dieting and losing weight. I wanted to hug her, give her more cookies, and tell her it would be okay. Okay, I know this is illogical and that kids of all ages get teased and worry about body image, but something about actively dieting at twelve just didn’t sit right with me. Of course, the truth is that Celeste is really in eighth grade and is thirteen. When Celeste finally states what grade she’s in my defenses did lower a bit more. The story became more believable to me at that point. However, her grade level didn’t come out until I was a good way through the book and was at that point it was little hard to change my mindset. (I do realize it states early on that she is thirteen, but it didn’t fully sink in until much later. And I think the seventh grader part still irked me for somereason.)

I will also warn you that Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies is not really about body size acceptance. Celeste does diet, she does lose weight, and she does feel better herself due to it. However, she does it in a healthy manner. She switches cookies for apples, stops snacking so much, and starts walking more with her friends. It was really more about a healthy life style than a crash course diet. In fact, she probably only loses a fraction of her overall weight goal. Celeste’s self esteem does go up with her weight loss, but her happiness isn’t solely based on it. Sometimes new clothes and a new look can go a long way, but during her transformation she learns more about who she is. She discovers how to stand up for herself, what she likes, and to find enjoyment even in the most undesirable situations. It made for a very realistic approach to body image for teenage girls.

In the end, I’m very glad I got to meet Celeste. She was charming, humorous and very likable. Her voice is what really makes the book and even with my other issues I never stopped rooting for her. I look forward to seeing what future stories Dionne offers.