A Review of 'A Long, Long Sleep' by Anna Sheehan (Audio Book)

"Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss.  Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew.  Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.  Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh.  But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all."

This story was incredibly interesting.  The beginning was similar to the beginning of 'Across the Universe' in that the main character is woken up after having been asleep for a really long time, but beyond that, this story is about an intergalactic-scale business and a family name as well as a girl, Rose, caught up in dangers and complicated knots of problems that she scarcely understands.

I liked that Rose was just as alien to the world Anna Sheehan depicts in this story.  It's so different than what a lot of readers are probably used to, technology aside, that it's really helpful for Rose to explore and learn about the things that we're curious about and don't understand as outsiders to the situation.  I like that Bren is there to explain what things are, how things are, and what exactly happened at any given time.  Again, it's as helpful to Rose as it is to the reader.

The parallels between the story of Sleeping Beauty and this story are intriguing.  I like that it's not a complete rewrite of the Sleeping Beauty story, but you can tell that it's related because of some of the phrases and images the characters use (Otto calls Rose "Briar") and because of the beginning when Bren wakes Rose with a kiss (what he thought was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).

It took me a really long time to like Rose even a little bit.  I've got some real problems as a feminist with her.  It bothers me that her only friends are boys and she's only interested in boys.  I really bothers me that she's so down on herself about her own abilities.  She thinks that she can't do anything and that she's not good enough the way other people are.  I don't like it when characters, especially lady characters, just write themselves off from the beginning.  Have some confidence and find yourself not just in the men of the book, but in the women as well.  There's more to Rose than a boyfriend or a crush.  I hate that she spends so much time thinking about Xavier and wondering whether or not Bren like-likes her or not.  Honey, you've got bigger things to worry about.  You're being groomed to run this huge corrupt company.  You'd better start thinking about what you're going to do, whether that's taking over the company or not.  Rose does what she's told.  That can get a little boring sometimes.

The fact that stas (spelling?) is used as a sort of drug and is a form of assault was also quite interesting.  When Bren found out more about what happened to Rose when her parents were still alive, it became clearer to me why stassing someone, especially a minor, was considered assault.  In the flashbbacks of the book, you lose track of Rose's age really fast.  I didn't noticed that she wasn't changing or aging except when she'd been out of stas for a while.  Rose had been deprived of her childhood because every time her parents would leave (sometimes for a few weeks, other times years) they would put Rose into stas until they returned.  So if Rose was fourteen when she went into stas and her parents returned seven years later, she'd be 21 years old (if she'd never been stassed before) but she'd still have the body and mind of a fourteen-year-old.  That's terrifying.  I hated that Rose's parents stassed her when they left, but I hated even more when they put her into stas just because they didn't want to be defied or they didn't want to deal with her.  Completely barbaric.

One last thing: did anyone else feel really conflicted about Rose's relationships with Xavier and Bren towards the end of the book?  I still don't know how I feel about this whole situation...

All in all, the story was interesting but I'm still not a huge fan of Rose.  If this is the first book in a series, I'll probably read it, but I'm hoping that Rose improves as a character.  I'd like for her to have a little more spine going forward as she recovers from trauma and from waking up after so long.

I give 'A Long, Long Sleep':

1/2

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Please Ignore Vera Dietz' by A.S. King (Audio Book)

"Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn.  And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets.  Even after he betrayed her.  Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone-- the kids at school, his family, even the police.  But will she emerge to clear his name?  Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising."

It was a little stressful listening to this book.  Vera is under so much pressure.  First, she has her dad on her back about getting hours at work.  She practically works a full-time job while attending high school.  I know that I'd be in tears every night if that were my situation.  I could barely handle a regular part-time job in college.  It just affected my mood so much-- I was losing friends that I had just made because I could never spend an evening hanging out due to the fact that I was working.  My grades weren't what I'd hoped they'd be.  I'd wake up in the middle of the night all the time and often cry myself to sleep.  I can only imagine what it would be like to have a full-time work status, have six or so classes (doesn't matter how easy they might be), and be a senior in high school.  Holy crap.

On top of working, Vera holds an enormous secret.  I'd even say that it's too big of a secret for one person to carry, especially because it's the secret of how her best friend died and how a business burned down.  To not tell anyone of significance these humongous secrets... I'm surprised that she hasn't made herself sick.

This book took a little while for me to get into partly because Vera would be telling us about her life (well, work, any way) and we know that something happened to her best friend to cause his death, but we're not sure what and we're also not sure how these things are related.  You're hooked from the beginning, but for me at least, I had a hard time seeing where the story was going at first.  If you stick with it though, the ending is actually quite interesting and totally worth the wait.  For me, the story was a lot bigger than I thought it would ever be, despite knowing that a death occurs from the beginning of the book.  That was really exciting.

I give 'Please Ignore Vera Dietz':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Watch That Ends The Night' by Allan Wolf (Audio Book)

"Arrogance and innocence, hubris and hope-- twenty-four haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy, as well as the iceberg itself, are evoked in a stunning tour de force.

Millionaire John Jacob Astor hopes to bring home his pregnant teen bride with a minimum of media scandal.  A beautiful Lebanese refugee, on her way to family in Florida, discovers the first stirring of love.  And an ancient iceberg glides south, anticipating its fateful encounter.  The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret ('the unsinkable Molly') Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks.  Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker's reports, and other records, poet Allan Wold offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power."

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book.  My gardening job has started up again, meaning that I have tons of time to listen to audio books during the day.  This one kept my mind busy for quite a while.

I loved that this book looked at more than just the passengers of the ship and more than just the first class passengers of the ship.  My main background for Titanic is the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as well as an extraordinary traveling exhibit that came to the Science Museum of Minnesota a handful of years back.  While I got way more background from the exhibit than I did the movie, I felt like I was missing a lot of the experiences that this book presented.  I liked that this book gave voice to the people who were working on Titanic-- the captain, the people who were sending out the CQD/SOS signals and communicating among the other ships at sea, the stokers in the boiler rooms, the people who sorted the mail, etc.  It was also good to hear from those in the second and third classes.  Some were escaping terrors in their home countries and had to leave while others were facing personal traumas and chose to leave.

I didn't like hearing from the rats or from the iceberg.  The voice of the rat was incredibly repetitive.  It was nice to break up some of the heavier parts that the passengers and workers talked about, but I don't feel that the rat really added anything vitally important to the story.  I absolutely hated to hear from the iceberg.  Allan Wolf writes the various mistakes that were made on board the Titanic (and sometimes these were common mistakes on other ships): the radio communication systems were shut off on other ships (not all, but some), the binoculars in the look-out post had been lost, the ship was going way too fast, the workers were ignoring warnings from other ships that they were heading into an area with tons of icebergs, and of course, there weren't enough lifeboats to rescue everyone on board the ship.  And yet as he gave the iceberg a voice, the iceberg became a hunter-- that it's sole intention was to hit Titanic.  It's taking the blame off of people and putting it on an object that doesn't control how it moves or how people react to it.  I think it's a cop out.  Titanic is a tragic incident, certainly, but it must be understood that some thought-processes on board were fatally flawed.  The number of deaths could have been prevented had more lifeboats been provided and if class separation weren't so vitally important to those on board (or at least those who ran the ship).  You can't blame a piece of ice for what happened.  What could it do?  It can't move out of the way, nor can it launch itself in front of ship seeking to destroy it.  This part of history is tragic because of the oversights of many, many people.  And that's why I hated to hear from the iceberg.

To return to something more positive about the book, I liked the little details that were included at the very end, after the story ended.  The number of the people on board, what the ship was carrying besides people (the car that's in the Titanic movie?  Yeah, that was really there), etc.  I also liked the level of detail.  One such details was the last meals that people in each class had (though they weren't aware that it was their last meal).  It reminded me of this thing on Buzzfeed where photographer Henry Hargreaves took pictures of the last meals of death-row prisoners.  That series of photos was haunting as the pictures of the food (or no food at all) accompanied the prisoner's name, age, home state, and crime(s).  It was a lot like Titanic.  A lot of people were prisoners on this ship and there was no way they could know that until the Titanic started to sink and they couldn't escape their levels and get to the life boats.

This is exclusive to the audio book, but I loved hearing Morse Code as it was punched out.  I also liked the rhythmic reading (sort, shuffleshuffle slot) of the mail room.  They were wonderful auditory details.  I'm kind of fan-girling over them, honestly.

This is a great book if you're very interested in the Titanic story.

I give 'The Watch That Ends The Night':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Big Girl' by Danielle Steel (Audio Book)

"Victoria Dawson has always felt out of place in her family, especially in body-conscious L.A.  Her father, Jim, is tall and slender, and her mother, Christina, is a fine-boned, dark-haired beauty.  Both are self-centered, outspoken, and disappointed by their daughter's looks.  While her parents and sister can eat anything they want and not gain an ounce, Victoria must watch everything she eats, as well as endure her father's belittling comments about her body and see her academic achievements go unacknowledged.  Ice cream and over-sized helpings of all the wrong foods give her comfort, but only briefly.  The one thing she knows is that she has to get away from home, and after college in Chicago, she moves to New York City.


Behind Victoria is a lifetime of hurt and neglect she has tried to forget, and even ice cream can no longer dull the pain.  Ahead is a challenge and a risk: to accept herself as she is, celebrate it, and claim the victories she has fought so hard for and deserves.  Big girl or not, she is terrific and discovers that herself."

It has been a while since a book has provoked this kind of reaction from me.  'The Fault in Our Stars' made me cry, but 'Big Girl' made me angry, disgusted, a little hopeful, and sad in a different way.  As I began to really listen to this book, I was shocked by the number of similarities I saw between myself and this book.  Victoria believed that she was too big and ugly.  She's blonde, she went to college in the Midwest, and she became an English teacher.  Her sister is tiny and drop-dead gorgeous.  This much sounds like my life-- past, present, and future.  That's where the similarities ended as we learned of Jim and Christina's cruelty.

I was shocked by how they treated their eldest daughter.  They were subtle at first, naming Victoria after Queen Victoria, whom her parents didn't believe was particularly beautiful.  As Victoria grew older, their verbal abuse became more blatant-- calling her big and telling her that they wouldn't even help pay for her future wedding and, at her sister's wedding, telling her that she shouldn't even bother catching the bouquet because she was never going to get married any way.  I was just so dumbfounded.  Why would any parent think that it was okay to put down their own child like that?  Why would they make their child feel like they can't do anything  right, essentially driving them away from home?

Even more shocking to me was after Victoria graduated college and was about to start her first teaching job.  Her parents told her that she couldn't be a teacher forever because she would eventually have to grow up and get a real job where she could make money.  Pardon my language, but I became pissed off upon hearing that.

Victoria's family's pursuit for perfection was just sickening on a variety of levels.  It was sad to see what this obsession could do to a person.  Victoria didn't feel like she was worth it.  She was a waste of space and no one would ever love her.

Okay, deep breath.  Let's move on to something else...

The characters and their development in this novel was phenomenal.  The characters were all so different and they each had personalities that popped off the page (or they would have, had I had a hard copy of this novel as opposed to an audio book version).

The one negative thing that I found about this book was that it was a little repetitive in the beginning before Victoria got help from her psychiatrist, but that's the only not-so-awesome thing about this book.

Overall, Danielle Steel writes a very provocative and effective novel that will interest teens and adults alike.

I give 'Big Girl':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Sisterhood Everlasting' by Ann Brashares (Audio Book)

"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation.  Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own.  And though the jeans they shares are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.


Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them.  Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends.  Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn't take.  Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can't seem to shed her old restlessness.


Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await.  And indeed, it will change their lives forever-- but in ways that none of them could ever have expected."

A little fan-girl squeal escaped me when I found this audio book at the library.  This is a continuation of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, though Tibby, Carmen, Bee, and Lena are much older than when we last saw them at age eighteen/nineteen.  Even though they're almost thirty in this book, I, a teenager, got a lot of enjoyment out of this book.  The characters still have their same old personalities as before, which was lovely!

I think I liked this one more than the other Traveling Pants books because it had the added elements of loss, dealing with grief, and moving on (in more ways than one) along with the usual elements of romance and being human.  I appreciated the more grown-up novel as opposed to the novel that's meant to be read on the beach during the summer.  It was beautiful in ways that the original four books couldn't be.

I didn't like that the new minor characters weren't introduced more.  There was a character, Drew, who showed up once or twice, but I couldn't remember who he was-- whether he appeared in a previous book or not-- I feel like a little context could have helped, even though Drew wasn't important.  This would have been more important for Carmen's fiance, Jones, though.  He's a more prominent character any way.  It would have been nice if Jones had put up a little bit of a fight for Carmen.  It would have shown that he wasn't a completely one-sided character-- that he cared at least a little bit about Carmen and wasn't just rushing into marriage because it was the thing to do.

This is definitely not a book you can just pick up and understand.  It really helps to have read the first four books in order to truly appreciate the book.

Overall, this book is a great read (or listen) and those who loved the first four Traveling Pants books will simply devour it!

I give 'Sisterhood Everlasting':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip-- Confessions of a Cynical Waiter' by Steve Dublanica (Audio Book)

"According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat.  The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths.  'Waiter rant' offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant behavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places.  Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food.  The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's really thrived."

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when i picked this out at the library.  I only knew what I recognized it from when my friend found a copy at Half-Price Books and she recommended it after she was a ways into it.

Readers/Listeners learn the secrets of tipping, what happens in the kitchen if you tick off the waiters or the cooks, and the various crises and excuses that crop up around many restaurants around the country from The Waiter.  All of these things aren't told to you point-blank though.  No.  As a waiter, the author has numerous stories to tell and loads of advice to give in the process.

Something kind of cool is, this book was essentially started on a blog.  It still exists, too!  Go to Google and type in "Waiter Rant Blog" or something similar.

As a waiter, the author witnesses a plethora of crazy, shocking, and perplexing incidents.  Now, in this book, you too can share in the craziness of being a waiter.

While things like tipping are very important in American society, I thought the author went on about tipping for quite a long time.  What I found most exciting was an incident (several, actually) that occurred in the middle of the summer and how he dealt with the situation.  I was getting a bit of an adrenaline rush just listening.  It was amazing!

'Waiter Rant' is a book meant for young adults and up.  The Waiter keeps you with him all along the way, but you'll always want to keep looking because you want to.  It's quite funny with strong language throughout and is well worth the read/listen!

I give 'Waiter Rant':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Golden Compass' by Philip Pullman (Audio Book)

"Lyra is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with daemon familiar always by her side.  The arrival of Lyra's fearsome uncle, Lord Astriel, to Jordan College draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle-- a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears.  As she hurtles toward danger in the far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth...


Philip Pullman's award-winning 'The Golden Compass' is a masterwork of storytelling and suspense, critically acclaimed and hailed as a modern fantasy classic."

I've had this book recommended to me by an IRL friend (she's the one who lent me the book in the first place) and also by a blogger who reviewed the entire "His Dark Materials" trilogy.  Click HERE to pay him a visit!

I'm glad that I read this book.  It was a good adventure story that left me wanting more at the end (good thing there are two more books!).

I listened to this book as opposed to reading a hard copy of it.  This is another excellent audio book because there is an entire cast of voice actors that make the book seem more like a radio show (I use 'show' loosely here).  I loved the voice of Lyra and now I want an armored bear ("BEARS!!!")

(I don't know about you, but I think they're kind of cute... in a slightly terrifying way)

I wasn't quite sure why I wasn't allowed to read these when I was younger.  I'm still not quite sure why-- I know that there are atheistic themes in this book, but they're just that.  Themes.  It's nothing new-- people struggle with this every day.  But it's important to think and talk about it, as Philip Pullman did moreso towards the end of this installment.  Any way, I found myself focusing more on the actual plot rather than searching for the themes.

This was a beautiful first installment to the series.  I feel like I can't write an awesome review until after I continue the series, but I will still write about the individual books in the series.  I can't wait to read the rest!

I give 'The Golden Compass':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Annexed' by Sharon Dogar (Audio Book)

"'I look out the window into the street... I'm meant to be at Mr. Frank's workplace in a few hours.  We're arriving separately, all of us.  We'll walk into the building just like it was any other visit-- only this time we'll never walk out again.'


What was it like hiding in the annex with Anne Frank?  To be with Anne Frank every day while she wrote so passionately in her diary?  To be in a secret world within a world at war-- alive on the inside, everything dying on the outside?


Peter Van Pels and his family have lost their country, their home, and their freedom, and now they are fighting desperately to remain alive.


Look through Peter's eyes.


He has a story to tell, too.


Are you listening?"

I've been having trouble finding time to just sit down and read a physical book.  While I wasn't originally aware of this book when it came to creating my 'To Be Read' list, I'm pleased that my library carried an audio book version of this book.

Listening to this book seems to be the way to go because of the way it's written.  "Are you listening?"  Even though Peter Van Pels never actually wrote this, it was like having Peter actually speak to you, telling another side of the story Anne Frank told in her diary but then going farther and talking about being in a death camp, up until the day he supposedly died (that's the tricky part about the Holocaust-- so many deaths and only so much documentation).

With Anne, we have an idea of what it was like to grow up as a girl into a woman in the secret annex, but now we have an idea (of course it's speculation, because this is historical fiction, but some of this can be backed up with Anne's diary) of what it was like to grow from a boy into a man in the same setting.  The only difference is, Peter seems to delve a little bit deeper into such topics as love, questioning religion, that sort of thing.  Things that are quite normal for a teenager to go through as they discover just who they are.

One thing that really worked for this audio book was the use of many voices, that is, multiple voice actors.  It was really neat and quite effective.

Something that I didn't like was the person playing Peter.  Very often, he would drift into this dreamy, deep-in-thought sort of voice.  This became particularly annoying when Peter was in Auschwitz, because this part spanned over several months (that sounds terrible when I put it that way).

At the end of the audio book, the author herself spoke.  There, she dictated to her listeners a rough timeline of everyone in the annex-- who they were, when they died, how they died, and how old they were when they died.  It was absolutely shocking.

Overall, a very well-written piece of historical fiction.  It felt very real and it was insightful in places where I don't remember Anne Frank ever offering an opinion.

I give 'Annexed':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Catalyst' by Laurie Halse Anderson (Audio Book)

"Meet Katie Malone-- straight-A science and math geek, minister's daughter, ace long-distance runner, new girlfriend (to Mitchell 'Early Decision Harvard' Pangborn III), unwilling family caretaker, and emotional avoidance champion.  Kate manages  her life by organizing it as logically as the periodic table.  She can handle it all-- or so she thinks.  Then, things happen like a string of chemical reactions: first, the Malones' neighbors get burned out of their own home and move in.  Kate has to share her room with her nemesis, Teri Litch, and Teri's little brother.  The days are ticking by and she's still waiting to hear from the only college where she's applied: MIT.  Kate feels that her life is spinning out of control-- and then, something occurs that truly blows it all apart.


Set in the same community as the remarkable 'Speak,' 'Catalyst' is a novel that will change the way you look at the world."

Note: a catalyst is used when one wants to speed up a chemical reaction.  More bonus points for integrating what I learned (sophomore year)?  You'll think about it?  Great.

Once more, Laurie Halse Anderson leaves me in awe.  I don't know how she does it.

At the beginning of this book, Anderson hits home for me as Katie applies to colleges (well, one college: MIT) and waits to hear what the verdict is.  Right from the start, I had a horrible feeling when Katie said that she'd only applied to one college.  I have a friend who's doing that, and I'm so afraid for her.  She's not applying anywhere as gutsy as MIT, but still, wouldn't you rather have that peace of mind that you have a back up plan waiting for you?  That's my feeling, and now I'm for sure going to apply to number of colleges, not just my first choice.

I felt that dread after (SPOILER) Katie gets her rejection letter and she has to figure out what to do next.  And the bad thing is, she struggles with this decision until the end of the book, which means I'm left hanging and sweating out this problem myself (which, in hindsight, seems a little silly, since this is fictional, but I guess that's the sign of an author doing an awesome job).

After this occurrence, the story takes an unexpected turn as Teri's-- son?  Littlest brother?-- Mikey dies of an electrical shock.  The response to this tragedy is sad, but awesome.  There is a large funeral and I loved it when Katie and her friends decide to create a sort of mural in the room that would have been Mikey's room.  It seemed like a good way to have closure and a good way to let the anger at the situation out.

Anderson's characters were very well-written, I continue to enjoy her writing style, and I was able to connect to this book emotionally (as well as understand the chemistry and math references... some of them... to a certain degree...)

I didn't care for this book as much as I liked 'Wintergirls' or 'Speak,' but it was very interesting nevertheless.

I give 'Catalyst':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Revolver' by Marcus Sedgewick (Audio Book)

"A loaded gun, stolen gold, and a menacing stranger.


In an isolated cabin in an arctic wilderness, 14-year-old Sig is along with a corpse: her father, who has fallen through the ice on the lake outside and frozen to death only hours earlier.  Then, out of the arctic darkness, comes a stranger: a terrifying giant of a man claiming that Sig's father owes him a share of a horde of stolen gold-- and threatening awful violence if Sig doesn't reveal the gold's whereabouts.


Sig knows nothing about the gold, but he does know that there's a loaded Colt revolver hidden in the cabin's storeroom-- a gun that his father had said would protect him, but which his mother had abhorred.  'Revolver' alternated between the lonely cabin and events during the Alaska Gold Rush ten years earlier, gradually unspooling the mystery of the stolen gold and the terrifying stranger, building to a climax that turns on whether and why Sig will use the hidden gun.


'Revolver' is a compelling frontier survival story, crafted with the intensity and precision of a one-act play."

I can't help but feel that the description of this audio book is propping up the actual story being told.  As I was listening, I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something.  This would make me go back and listen to certain parts of the story only to realize that I had understood what was happening during that part.

The description mentions that this could be a one-act play.  I feel like it would have been more effectively told had this story been a one-act play.  I would probably be a little more interested.

The story only picked up towards the end when Wold (the giant man) and Sig end up having to go outside to search for the missing papers to Sig and his older sister can hand over the gold this intruder speaks of.  That was kind of exciting because there was more immediate danger.  Otherwise, were mostly empty threats and talk (at least, that's what it felt like).

As a saving grace, the cover (both versions of it... I couldn't find a big enough picture to post here) are very well done.  Elegant, in a way.

Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed with this book.  Maybe I'll have to give it another try later, but for now, this is my verdict.

I give 'Revolver':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

P.S. Expect another review in two days!  I take my ACT tomorrow for the second time, so wish me luck!

A Review of 'Black Box' by Julie Schumacher (Audio Book)

"Elena is quieter and steadier than her fun, unpredictable older sister, Dora.  But they have always been close, and have always told each other everything.  So when Dora is diagnosed with depression and has to be admitted to the hospital, nothing makes sense to Elena without her.

At school, the only people who acknowledge Elena are Dora's friends and Jimmy Zenk-- who wears black every day of the week and seems to be getting through ninth grade on his own special schedule.  At home, Elena's parents have started arguing with each other after they think Elena has gone to bed, and it just gets worse once Dora is finally discharged.  Now Elena will do anything to help her sister get better and get their lives back to normal-- even when the responsibility becomes too much to bear.

In this gripping, moving audio book about a family in crisis, Julie Schumacher asks: How far should we go to try to protect the people we love?"

I like that Julie Schumacher focuses on the family of a depressed person.  It was an interesting point of view-- I felt stressed with Elena's parents, I felt helpless and on-edge when Elena felt helpless and on-edge.

I really didn't like Dora at all.  Maybe I would have like her better had this story been from her point of view, but from this standpoint, it felt like she didn't care and that she was doing these things on purpose (I've learned in psychology that what I'm doing is called attribution theory.  I think that the actor (in this case Dora) is deliberately being rather horrible, but she may have motives behind her behavior other than depression.  Bonus points for applying my learning?  No?  Fine).  I'm sure that's not the case, but I can't say that I've know someone who has been diagnosed with depression, so I can't say what goes on in the mind...

While I thought Julie Schumacher's novel was affective, I didn't care very much for her writing style.  It was bad, just not my cup of tea.  I can't even put my finger on what it is that I don't like, but she lacks something that just about all of my favorite authors have.

I thought that Schumacher did a great job with character development.  That's what kept me listening-- the good characters.

Overall, 'Black Box' had interesting characters and clever metaphors but still left something to be desired.

I give 'Black Box':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' by John Green and David Levithan (Audio Book)

"It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets.  When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected direction.  With a push from friends new and old-- including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire-- Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical."

One of the most hilarious books I've ever listened to!  I love John Green and also David Levithan.  When they get together, they work magic like nobody's business.

I was a little worried about listening to this book as opposed to reading it because of the two Will Graysons, but that didn't prove to be too big of a problem.  The authors have distinctive writing styles, so if you have read any of their previous works, you might be able to tell.  Otherwise, John Green wrote the odd chapters and David Levithan wrote the even ones.

Tiny Cooper was amazing and I absolutely would have seen his musical!  The lyrics were awesome and they spoke the truth.  I also appreciated that the men who read the chapters were willing to sing Tiny Cooper's lyrics (that's an extra special treat you get when you listen to the audio book!).  That made listening to this book as opposed to reading this book completely worth it.

If you have ever been in love-- or lust-- of any kind, it will be easy to relate to this story.  And if you've struggled with your sexuality, you'll appreciate this book as well.  It's beautiful and honest as well as funny.

In summation, 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' will appeal to anyone that like a young adult, kind-of-love, self-acceptance story saturated in humor.

I give 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

P.S. I have a large number of reviews coming your way, for real this time, but I'm going to schedule them so you aren't bombarded.  The next one will be next week!

A Review of 'Delirium' by Lauren Oliver (Audio Book)

"'They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever.  And I've always believed them.  Until now.  Now everything has changed.  Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.'"

I have truly discovered my love for Lauren Oliver.  Actually, I know very little about the author herself, so I amend this statement to, "I love her writing style!"  I've only read/listened to "Before I Fall" and now "Delirium" (please tell me, are there any other books written by her?) and they were so different from each other, but they still managed to work quite well!

Allow me to shift the focus completely  to "Delirium."

The societies portrayed in this book were so interesting.  One was sterile and dull (or, perhaps 'controlled' would be a better word to use) on the epidermis, but once you got through all of that, you realize along with Lena that this new world isn't as flawless as those in charge want everything else in the society to think.  When you head into the Wilds, it's so desolate and even desperate.  Here, no one tries to stifle love.  In the end, both worlds made sense, as odd as that might sound.  Futuristic United States demolished love and there were fewer wars and conflicts because these things require a kind of twisted passion.  The Wilds keep love because even if parts of the world suck with love in it, there is nothing like the feeling of being in love.  It just seems to fix everything, even though in reality, it probably doesn't.

Lauren Oliver does an excellent job of portraying all kinds of people and giving them all personalities (or lack of one, if they've been cured).

I'm still really interested in hearing about Lena's mother.  So you can imagine that I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel, if that's what Lauren Oliver has in store for us.

I give 'Delirium':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

P.S. With this review, I have officially finished my goal for the 2011 Audio Book Challenge!  Hurray!  And we're only 2/3 of the way through the year.  That's a scary fraction... Hurray!  I guess that means an official announcement post, huh?  Nah... this will suffice :)  I'm still trying to catch up with posting!

A Review of 'Where She Went' by Gayle Forman (Audio Book)

"'My first impulse is not to grab her or kiss her or yell at her.  I simply want to touch her cheek, still flushed from the night's performance.  I want to cut through the space that separates us, measured in feet-- not miles, not continents, not years-- and to take a callused finger to her face...


But I can't touch her.  This is a privilege that's been revoked.'


It's been three years since Adam's love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it...


...and three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.


Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is L.A. tabloid fodder,thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend.  When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night.  As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-- and each other.


Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined, "If I Stay," "Where She Went" explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope,and the flame of rekindled romance."

I was nervous when I discovered that "If I Stay," one of the most eloquently written novels I have ever read, had a sequel.  You know that nervousness one sometimes gets when they walk into a movie that's based on a book that they really liked?  Yeah.  That doesn't change with sequels to books.  But luckily, I was pleasantly surprised!

Gayle Forman has never failed to deliver before (at least from what I've read of her writing), so my nervousness was for not.  I was just as attached to everything that Adam had to say as I had been to Mia's story.  I loved that music continued to play a huge role in this book.  It added an element of surrealism to the story.  It's hard to put into words, but if you are a musician yourself, I think you'll know what I mean when you read this (or listen to it, as I did).

Another thing that I appreciated that I remember appreciating in "If I Stay" was the realism of Adam and Mia's relationship (how it was, is, and will be).  They had history together, they had their rough patches and arguments, as well as their tender moments where they're just talking and being honest with each other or joking around.  It feels like the most flawless relationship in all of fiction, even though it's truly far from perfection.

I loved that we learn more that we knew from "If I Stay" and I also liked that this book didn't take place at the exact same time and place as "If I Stay."  This way, the two were connected, but it had a soul of its own, if that makes any sense.

"Where She Went" was a wonderful sequel that has just the right amount of "aww" moments balanced with unfortunate and/or less than desirable events.

I give "Where She Went":

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Hold Still' by Nina LaCour (Audio Book)

"An arresting story about starting over after a friend's suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in Young Adult fiction.  

Dear Caitlin, there are so many things that I want so badly to tell you, but I just can't.

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful... in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin.  Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend's suicide.  With the help of family and newfound friend, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn't die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed to chronicle Ingrid's descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who love Ingrid-- and Caitlin herself."

I found it kind of scary that Caitlin's friend left an entire journal for her detailing everything that went on in her head up until her death.  I can't even imagine having a close friend of mine leaving a note, much less an entire journal, just for me detailing what happened in their life.  It's both scary and sad.

I like that even though this story started out quite sad, with Caitlin still recovering from Ingrid's demise and purposely trying to fail one of her favorite classes, she opens up and meets new people and also begins to construct in her grief.

The characters (what was left of Ingrid, Caitlin, Dylan (spelling?  That's the only down-side of audio books... you're never sure how to properly spell the names of characters...), and many of Ingrid's old friends) fit well with each other-- they didn't feel like they were pulled from different stories or anything like that, which is always a good sign.

The part of the book that really got to me was how Caitlin's mother reacted when she heard Caitlin ask for rope that would be thick and strong enough to hold her weight.  Her mother thought that she was going down the same road as Ingrid, when all Caitlin needed the rope for was for her tree house.  This scene really hit home how a suicide doesn't just touch the victim's immediate family and friends, but also the extended family and the parents of those friends.  This example helped to hit this point home and it was very effective.

I liked the use of photography in this story too, though I think the book was just trying to torture me, knowing that my camera is still in for repair... kidding :)  But it was still torturing me.

Overall, I give 'Hold Still':

Thanks for reading!  I promise I'll read books that aren't about suicide for a while.  I think I need a break from such a dark subject myself.

--Jude

A Review of 'Still Alice' by Lisa Genova

 "What if every mempry you've ever had will be erased from your mind, and you have no choice but to carry on... powerless to stop it?


Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build.  At fifty years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children.  When she begins to grow disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life-- and her relationship with her family and the world-- forever.


At once beautiful and terrifying, the extraordinary debut novel by Lisa Genova is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Ordinary People."

I've never read A Beautiful Mind or Ordinary People, but this was a spectacular novel just the same.  I think I might just read other books by Lisa Genova!

It's been a while since I've read (listened to) a book about mental illness.  This might sound really twisted, but those are some of my personal favorites-- I love delving into the human psyche!

Before reading (listening) to this book, I knew very little about Alzheimer's.  I knew that it was something that had something to do with losing your memory.  What's nice about this book is you don't necessarily have to know anything about this disease in order to read (or listen to) this book.

Still Alice was a bit of an emotional roller coaster throughout the book.  From the beginning when she was upset that one of her daughters wanted to be an actor instead of going to college to feeling Alice's frustration and anguish when she couldn't remember where anything was.

It's been a little while since a book has coaxed an outward reaction from me to what was happening in the book.  Towards the end, I was screaming because of what was happening and where it looked like the story was going to go.

As tragic as this disease is, I thought it was really neat to see how this disease brought Alice and her family (and even a community of people outside of her family) together as a support system and as people who were constantly getting to know each other.

Still Alice was a beautiful novel that hooks you in and doesn't let you go until it ends.  I give this novel:

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Girl, 15, Charming But Insane' by Sue Limb (Audio Book)

"Girl, 15, charming but insane, huge bum, massive ears, seeks... well, seeks Ben Jones, but failing that, seeks large burka-type garment to cover her deformities.

I'm trying to draft a personals ad, but instead I'm slowly losing the will to live.  I'm young, creative, only slightly mental.  I'm really quite attractive, when not standing next to my blindingly gorgeous best friend, Flora.  I think I look like Catherine Zeta-Jones... but my ex-friend Fred seems to think I look like Mike Myers in drag.  And gorgeous Ben Jones--well, gorgeous Ben Jones doesn't seem to think anything about me.  At all.

With her hilariously active imagination, Jess Jordan has a tendency to complicate her life, but now, as she's finally getting closer to her crush, she's determined to keep things under control.  Readers will fall in love with Sue Limb's optimistic heroine in this uproarious tribute to the kind of insanity that, strangely enough, can keep a girl sane."

I literally laughed out loud on a number of occasions whilst listening to this.  It's just the way Sue Limb puts words together (and usually in the most unexpected combinations) that makes nearly everything Jess says funny.  Not only that, but she's put in the most outrageous of situations from being filmed in the bathroom to cleaning up the flood that her granny started.

This book (audio book) basically deals with the life of the not-so-typical life of an average fifteen-year-old that wants to be a stand-up comedian.

Sue Limb's characters are distinctive from each other and very well-developed.  They create the story and it feels like she (the author) does not have any part in the creation part of this.  It's super cool!

I feel like I can't really tell you more in this review without babbling and gushing (a little) or giving something from the story away, so I'll conclude the actual review there and get right to the rating.

Sue Limb really knows how to create a great story that'll keep you interested for ages.  British humor is a wonderful thing.  I give 'Girl, 15, Charming But Insane':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Marbury Lens' by Andrew Smith (Audio Book)

"Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He is kidnapped.  He escapes, narrowly.  The only person he tells is his best friend, Connor.  When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses.  Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.


There is war in Marbury.  It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys.  Connor is there, too.  But he's trying to kill them.


Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he's losing his mind.


Connor tells Jack it's going to be okay.


But it's not.


Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and minds.


At first, I was a little confused.  I had to go back and listen a few times because I thought I missed something that happened between when Jack was kidnapped and when he and Connor went to London.  This was probably the biggest thing that stands out as not working so well-- the transitions.

I appreciated the many differences this book had from the other novels.  For instance, Jack was often at a moment of weakness whether that was puking his guts out after leaving Marbury or beating himself up in his own head saying, "F*** you, Jack."  Not that I promote and support this kind of behavior, but usually when there's a male protagonist, he doesn't get tossed around nearly as much.  And there certainly isn't trauma on the same level as the trauma that Jack experiences.

What was interesting was the relationship between Jack and Connor.  They're basically opposites, but they act like brothers.  Never before have I read of any characters in a situation where they just aren't awkward around each other-- no matter how much they try to be.  Nothing comes as a surprise because they've been friends for so long.  Many guys (in books and I've noticed this in real life too) give awkward hugs and then brush it off like it's nothing.  It's completely stereotypical and I'm really glad that Andrew Smith tried to add a level of realism to this novel.

I didn't quite understand how Seth fit into the story other than he appeared to Jack.  Certainly, his story was interesting, but I think this brings me back to the not-so-good transitions.

There was also one particular loose-end that I can remember.  Whatever happened to Freddy, Jack's attacker?  I didn't hear if he was ever found.

While there were many good parts (both interesting and well-written) and excellent character development, it was the bringing together of several parts of the story that made many parts confusing.  Therefore, I give 'The Marbury Lens':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Before I Fall' by Lauren Oliver (Audio Book)

"What if you had only one day left to live?  What would you do?  Who would you kiss?  And how far would you go to save your own life?


Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High-- from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot.  Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.


Instead, it turns out to be her last.


Then she gets a second chance.  Seven chances, in fact.  Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death-- and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing."

My first impression upon first listening to 'Before I Fall' were that one, it was a lot like the movie 'Mean Girls'-- not only the line "You're a b****, you're a mean girl," but also the voices that the reader, Sarah Drew, gave the characters.  Two, I thought that the voices were rather annoying.  All of the boys (save for Kent) had drunken stoner voices (just really tired-sounding) and all of the girls sounded mock sexy or like they were trying too hard.  They were really high-pitched and just a stereotypical stupid female (for lack of a better description).  Three, the book was a lot like the movie 'Groundhogs Day' where one man relives one day in his life over and over and over again until he gets it right.  I didn't appreciate the lack of originality in this sense.

Even though the voices were stereotypical and annoying at times, I eventually got used to them and I could eventually move on.  This is no fault of Lauren Oliver's.

Lauren Oliver does an excellent job of developing her characters.  I really liked how Samantha turned out.  In the beginning, I absolutely hated her because she was so mean to everyone she came across (friend, family, acquaintances...) and there just appeared to be nothing to her.  But throughout the book, she gained valuable insight and she was an overall more relate-able character.

A lot of the story was quite shocking, especially when it came to Samantha deciding not to go to school to hang out with her sister Izzy, or going to school but doing the opposite of what she'd normally do.

Another thing that I liked was the numerous opportunities for innocent romance scenes.  I absolutely loved those scenes (I'm such a girl...).

'Before I Fall' was such a beautiful, shocking, engaging, and satisfying read (or listen).  I give this book:

Thanks for reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'I Am Not a Serial Killer' by Dan Wells (Audio Book)

"John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous and he knows it.  He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.


John is obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one.  So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.


Dead bodies are normal to John.  He likes them, actually.  They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer.  Perhaps that's what give him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat-- and to appreciate what that difference means.


Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could."

This is a very eerie read, especially if you begin listening at night before falling asleep, as I did.  John Wayne is extremely fascinated by dead people and on top of that, he helps his mom and one of his sisters (I think she's a sister) in their mortuary.  On the first CD, he goes through the embalming process.  It was uncomfortable to listen to, but it was really effective.

Another interesting thing is John Wayne's rules.  As said in the description above, John knows a lot about serial killers.  He researches them, tying them into his school work and even discovering that he shares a name with a serial killer.  John has researched the characteristics that most serial killers show before they even become serial killers.  John exhibits most if not all the predictors.  So in order to prevent himself from encountering a serial killer, he gives himself rules that he must follow.

More and more people keep dying.  There are suspects, but there aren't any strong candidates.  There doesn't seem to be a specific demographic this killer is targeting.  So far, the victims have only been men.  So what does John do?  He takes it upon him to solve this thing using his knowledge of serial killers.

There is a twist at the end that I really believe no one will guess.  It surprised me and I was really thrown for a loop.

I Am Not a Serial Killer was very intriguing and interesting to listen to.  It kept me on my toes and it involved psychology and a look into the human persona.  I'm rather excited to read/hear the sequel.

I give I Am Not a Serial Killer:

Thanks for reading!


--Jude