April Books 2012

(27) My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

In the first book I’ve read by Picoult, a young girl fights for her legal rights to her own body and organs after years of being used to keep her sister alive. Each chapter is told from one of the character’s points of view, and to mark the change in perspective, the font changes for each character. I’m not sure if that would come through on the kindle version—but it was a bonus that added some extra personality to the novel. Because the story comes at you from so many different angles, your emotions are constantly yanked around; do you agree or disagree with her choice to seek legal backing to withhold an organ that could save her sister? This novel is an extremely engaging reading experience--until the last 10 pages. In my opinion and imagination, I believe Picoult was lost about how to finish her novel, so she gave Nicholas Sparks a ring and he suggested the ending. The way this novel is finally wrapped up is so emotionally manipulative that I cannot recommend the book. I will say, if you choose to read this, stop right after the court case has ended and don’t go any further. (After talking to my sister, who has seen the film version, I discovered that the film is ended in a different way; even the filmmakers realized what an awful ending the book had.)

Content Rating: Language & Sexuality

Length: 432 Pages

Format Read: Library Book

Genre: Adult Fiction

(28) Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

This first novel in the Dexter book series follows the case that is also featured in the first season of Showtime’s Dexter television series. It was fun to read the original descriptions of characters that I now feel I know so well after six seasons of the television show. Although there were some plot differences between the series and the story, it was very fun to revisit the ice truck killer case and get deeper inside the mind of Dexter. The writing is simple and the story is short, but it was a great escape. I do feel the television series does a better job telling a truly engaging story. Unlike a two-hour film version of a book, television gives a story much more time to develop and they did a great job enhancing this story through the medium.

Content Rating: Everything—it’s about a serial killer.

Length: 288 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Adult Fiction

(29) The Death Cure by James Dashner

Although I wasn’t a fan of the second book in this trilogy, I had to finish the series to see what happened to the characters in a world that was falling apart. The characters decide whether or not to get back their memories, and finally leave the tests of the mazes and visit actual cities of their world. This book was an improvement, but still struggled to match the suspense and mystery that was so successful in the first novel. The ending was extremely satisfying, I approved of the way it finally ended and for that it was worth finishing the series. I wouldn’t say that these books are bad; it is just that they have many long action scenes and although that may be exciting to most readers, I don’t find those scenes personally engaging.

Content Rating: Young Adult

Length: 336 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

(30) Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

A young girl in a culture far different from our own faces death due to her mother’s passing. This is book is labeled as a sequel to The Giver, but it does not follow the original society or characters followed in the original book. I did enjoy the characters, but the mystery of this civilization was too transparent (although not to the characters). For a short book meant for older children, I felt that more could have happened in the story. The middle of the book focuses on our female protagonist’s quest to learn how to properly dye thread. Not exactly the most compelling topic, especially since the original book of the series is accessible for both boys and girls. I think a kid who got swept up in imaginative world of The Giver would be disappointed and unlikely to finish.

Content Rating: Older Children

Length: 244 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Children’s Dystopia

(31) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Yeah, I’ve never read the Harry Potter books. Not because I hadn’t gotten around to it, I had avoiding reading them because the hype annoyed me. I was just watching a SNL rerun with Daniel Radcliffe, and he made a joke in the opening monologue to adults, saying something like, “You know they were books for kids?” Anyway when the books were getting really popular, I was in college and I wasn’t interested in kid’s books. After finishing the wonderful Fablehaven series last year, I began to question my choice to avoid the Harry Potter series and wonder if I was really missing out on something amazing. 

So what are my thoughts about the first book? I realize it is a kid’s book. I don’t think that all its faults can be forgiven for that fact. Is it okay to say, the story and writing aren’t that great, but that’s okay, we’ll just give it to our children to read? I realize that they probably get better, but I’m not concerned with the series as a whole, I’m reviewing this one individual and beloved novel. I felt that the “main” story was too far in the background, and instead the story was told through a series of B-stories. It jumped around too much. I didn’t feel the world was too imaginative; how hard is it to describe witches and wizards and funny stylish wands? I did enjoy the beginning of the story when Harry was living with his awful aunt and uncle, but as soon as the story shifted to his schooling, Zzzzzz.

Will I read anymore? I don’t know. Not anytime soon.

Content Rating: Kids

Length: 320 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

(32) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I love the story—two real magicians raise two children to eventually battle in an ultimate magic duel. Beautifully written, an original premise, and fully immersive in the late 1800’s setting. The vivid descriptions of the night circus itself are enough to make it well worth the read. But, the story moves at a snail’s pace. Maybe slower than a snail’s pace. In a race, a snail would destroy the pace of this story. I was okay with that because I was fully invested in the circus, characters and the outcome of this duel. Yet, I think many readers might find this too slowly developing.

Content Rating: Adult (there is one f-bomb 10 pages in, and then it is oddly nearly devoid of all strong language. So if you are bothered by language and are upset by that first instance—don’t worry it does not occur throughout.)

Length: 400 Pages

Genre: Adult Fiction

(33) Matched by Allie Condie

People love this book. Multiple people recommended it. I don’t think those people had ever read The Giver, because this rips off so many elements from that story it is pathetic. What is more original here is that the characters are too stupid to see what is really happening in their dystopian world. Grandpa is going to die at midnight! But don’t eat his food! Why? Who knows! I’m just told it’s forbidden! I read the final 30% in anger due to the awful, unoriginal and boring writing. You see a flash of another boy’s picture for one brief moment, and you instantly fall in love? Really? Please spend the book reminding us 3,000 times that you are inexplicably in love with the unattainable boy. I do love the repetition. Not. Actually, if you go to the goodreads.com page for this book, and scroll down--find Ghiradelli’s expletive and sarcasm filled loathing of this book; it matches my feelings exactly.

Content Rating: Young Adult

Length: 400 Pages (of agony)

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

(34) Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

I wanted to read this because it seemed to be the quintessential vampire book; I had seen portions of the film version and the graphic scenes intrigued me. The entirety of the book is the vampire, Louis, telling his life story to a boy (a reporter—he’s referred to as “the boy”). His narration does successfully immerse the reader in the tales of his vampire trials and tribulations. The initial beginning of the book (I’d say 20% or so) is quite engaging; I was swept up in wanting to understand his adjustment to a vampire life and how he deals with his murderous guilt. His companion vampire is one-dimensionally evil, yet Louis maintains some of his human emotions towards the value of life for most of the story. As more characters are introduced, my interest continued to grow, as I wanted to know more about what it would be like to be a child vampire. While much interest was created at the front end of the story, the story stagnated for me as Louis and his counterparts search Europe for other vampires. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed and regretful that I had read it by the end; gave it a rating of one star on goodreads.

Content Rating: Language, violence, sexuality

Length: 352 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Adult Fiction

(35) Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull

From the author of the Fablehaven series, this Beyonders novel is the second in the trilogy. Jason returns to Lyrian to continue the battle to overthrow the evil emperor. For a book meant for older children, I am impressed with the maturity of his writing. Mull doesn’t shy away from using challenging vocabulary to enrich his story, and that makes this fantasy story a delight for an adult reader. A lot of the book ends up being a travelogue for the characters, which is not especially interesting, but Mull’s settings and characters are inventive and interesting enough to keep you reading. I did enjoy this sequel more than the first book.

Content Rating: Older Children or Young Adult

Length: 512 Pages

Format Read: Library Book

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

(36) Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

The second book in the series explores another gruesome case faced by serial killer and blood analyst for the Miami Police department, Dexter Morgan. These books are fluffy macabre, and I’m looking forward to reading more. This story was not used in the television series, so reading this and the remaining books in the series is like entering a separate parallel universe of these characters.

Content Rating: Everything, not for the faint of heart.

Length: 320 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Adult Fiction

(37) Across the Universe by Beth Revis

After having a minor mental breakdown after reading Matched, I swore I’d never read another young adult book. And then, a few days later I found myself starting this novel—a story marketed as a young adult romance. I am so happy I didn’t give up completely on this genre! This was a satisfying dystopia. Unlike many of these futuristic worlds, Revis actually is successful in fully explaining why the people have changed their culture and traditions so drastically. By the end, you understood whom to blame for these losses of freedoms, and something is dramatically done to change things.

The opening scene is riveting. A young woman watches her parents get frozen alive to begin their 300-year journey across space. And then, it is her turn. Oddly though, she is woken from her frozen sleep much too early to find a strange civilization living on this massive space ship.

This is dystopia in space. There is a really fun sci-fi living on a space ship aspect to this story. It is claustrophobic. It is also extremely edgy for a young adult book. The teenagers here don’t live in a world where truly awful things don’t happen just because it might be too much for a young adult reader to digest. I think this book respects young adults by dealing with serious issues. I think this is better suited for a high school student because it does have some fairly graphic scenes.

Content Rating: Older Young Adults for Sexuality (15 & up)

Length: 416 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Library Book

Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopia Fiction