Lola, A Ghost Story by J. Torres
Lola, A Ghost Story by J. Torres. Illustrated by Elbert Or
Pages: 102
Ages: 12+
First Published: Jan. 13, 2010
Publisher: Oni Press
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
The Tagalog word for grandmother is “Lola”.
Acquired: Borrowed a copy through Interlibrary Loan.
Reason for Reading: This was a Cybils ‘10 nominee and as a panelist for Graphic Novels was required reading for me. The panelists did not receive a review copy from the publisher and like most other panelists, I, unfortunately, was unable to find a copy before our nominations were due. My copy from Interlibrary Loan request had just now come in.
This is a great ghost story told in the classic tradition and very worthy to be read by all ghost story aficionados. Jesse sees dead people, goblins, demons, monsters, etc. but he’s learned to stop telling anyone since his parents’ and teachers’ reactions have been less than accepting. Now he and his family are traveling “home” to the Philippines; Jesse’s parents immigrated to Canada when he was four and this is his third visit here. He hates it here. They have come for the funeral of his grandmother, “Lola” in Filipino. The culture of his Filipino family is quite hard for Jesse to accept, they are devout Catholics, carrying Rosaries, with beautiful shrines of worship in the house and yet they are steeped in the superstitions of tradition. Lola had the “gift” and he’s heard all the stories of how she’s helped the community and even defeated demons. Jesse fears what it will be like here now that Lola is gone.
A fabulous story with lots of creepy moments. The tension mounts slowly through the story. Things start happening right away and the reader becomes unsettled knowing something is not quite right. Gradually we learn what is going on, and Jesse realizes the truth as well. His cousin easily figures out Jesse’s gift and berates him for hiding it, telling him it is a gift from God and he must use it. He has something he must do before he leaves. Then like any really good ghost story the book ends with a really fantastic heart-pounding shocker of an ending where one can only imagine what comes next. Loved this one!
Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan
Birth of a Killer by Darren ShanThe Saga of Larten Crepsley: Book One
Pages: 253
Ages: 12+
First Published: Oct. 5, 2010 US (Oct. 19, 2010 CAN)
Publisher: Harper Trophy Canada
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
When Larten Crepsley awoke and yawned one grey Tuesday morning, he had no idea that by midday he would have become a killer.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.
Reason for Reading: I love Darren and read each new book as it comes out.
Larten Crepsley is a major character in Shan’s “Cirque Du Freak” series and this book, first in a proposed 4-book series, tells his life story starting briefly with his pre-vampire childhood and continuing on through the years until he becomes a fully blooded vampire and leaves his master to go out in the world by himself.
Since this book happens before the “Cirque Du Freak” series it is not necessary to have read it to understand this book but the joy of meeting familiar faces and learning their past history will be missed if this book is read cold turkey. Larten is an interesting character from the first page and quickly develops the personality traits we are used to seeing in him but now we know where his silent, hardness comes from and the roots of his greatness. Somehow reading the story when you know how the whole story of his life ends in the distant future leaves out some of the tension as we already know the ultimate fate of many characters, including Larten . But there are many questions about Larten’s past that need explaining and his connection with the Cirque Du Freak and Mr. Tall is covered in this volume as is his whole apprenticeship, half-blooding, full blooding and his first trip to the Council to participate in the games as a fresh blood. Lots of excitement, with much action and the introduction of Larten’s role-models shape the beginning of his life and the ending leaves us with a quick glance at the introduction of an old enemy from “Cirque Du Freak” making me eager to pick up Book Two, which will be out in May of this year (2011).
Another Pan by Daniel & Dina Nayeri
Another Pan by Daniel & Dina Nayeri
The Second of Another Series
Pages: 393
Ages: 14+
First Published: Sept. 14, 2010
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
All nights come to an end — that is to say, all nights see the break of day.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Candlewick Press.
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
I loved this book almost as much as the first in the series! In fact, I think I loved the story even more but I didn’t find it to be the page-turner that Another Faust was. This was more of a slow read, one that kept me interested and I loved falling into the world, but somehow it did have a slow pace. I’m not sure if this is the book’s fault or my own as my mind has been all over the place so close to Christmas. But fast or slow paced who cares? I loved Another Pan!
Professor Darling is a teacher at the Marlowe school. Both his children attend, Wendy and John Darling; this is his first year at the high school. There are a few new Resource Assistants this year and one them is named Peter. Professor Darling’s history class revolves around Ancient Egyptology and a particular set of 5 myths and artifacts in which he alone believes prove that the Egyptian god of the Dead was not Anubis but a female. Peter is at the school looking for bonedust from a certain set of 5 mummies which when ground together will provide the elixir of permanent youth. So far he’s managed to slow the aging process considerably with the dust from one such special mummy. It seems the underworld has attached itself to Marlowe along with a new mousy, plain looking school nurse with a strange eye. Wendy and John join Peter and his crew of Lost Boys (in place all over the world and naturally at Marlowe as well) in entering the underworld and trying to retrieve the mummies and fighting (or tricking) the guardians of each after they hear and study each myth to help them locate the point of entry in Marlowe to the correct place in the underworld.
It is with the nurse that the connection with the previous book comes. Another Faust introduced us to the demon posing as a governess and here she returns before she has had time to fully recuperate in the form of the nurse. This is all covered in the first chapter. But when she returns to the underworld she regains her full power as the Dark Lady. The Dark Lady has taken on many manifestations in the living world, the glamorous governess in Another Faust and the terrible, frightening nanny of Peter’s childhood.
I love how all the elements of the Peter Pan story are brought together here in a completely different fashion. Peter Pan is represented in his true form (from the book) as a nasty, self-centred youth and his sidekick who is in love with him, Tina, will do anything for him even though he does not reciprocate her undying love. Tina, like Tinkerbell (in the book) is jealous of Wendy with a pure hatred. Other elements that find their way into Another Pan but have nothing to do with pirates or crocodiles are the hook and the tick-tock of a watch. Truly, a very original re-imagining of the ingredients that make up Peter Pan that the authors have used in a completely unique way to tell their own story.
As a series, I find this very compelling as it does not follow the same cookie cutter recipe of most series. There is not a continuing plot line with the same characters. In fact, these first two books could be read on their own, apart from a series. What connects them as a series is a villain and a school, which is becoming a character itself. There is also a very brief mention in passing of an event that happened last year at the school involving Christopher Faust and connecting it to the evil within Marlowe.
I’m a fan of this series and can’t wait to see what classic story the brother/sister author team use as the springboard for the next book.
Tales of Mystery and Magic by Hugh Lupton
Tales of Mystery and Magic retold by Hugh Lupton. Illustrated by Agnese Baruzziwith Storytime CD
Pages: 64
Ages: 5+ (ALL AGES)
First Published: Sept. 1, 2010
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
Once upon a time there lived a blackbird and his wife and they sang so sweetly together that everyone who passed beneath the tree where they lived would stop and listen.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Barefoot Books.
Reason for Reading: I love reading illustrated books of fairytales, myths and legends. The tales mentioned in the publisher’s summary didn’t sound familiar to me so this book intrigued me.
A fabulous collection of fairytales (and a couple of legends) that all involve elements of magic or unexplained happenings. Some have happy endings, but not all. This collection was all new to me except one, and not knowing the originals I cannot say whether they have been watered down but I doubt it because of the elements that are included. We have a disembodied body, a reanimated corpse and a couple of elves who cut off their feet! And sometimes someone learns there lesson the hard way.
These tales are all perfect for even the youngest listener and perfect for reading aloud as they are written in a storyteller voice and these tales all include the element of repetition in various formats. One story uses the sing song phrase which gets repeated over and over throughout the tale, another has an animal walking along and asking a question, the answer is yes, then another animal comes along and so on until at the very end things change when the answer is no. Then there’s the scenario where one goes out and tries one thing for a certain result and that doesn’t work, so they do another thing and that doesn’t and so on. These repetitious tales are always favourites for younger children and I’ve found them the most fun to read aloud. If you are not into reading aloud, then you are in luck as the book comes with an audio CD with all the tales narrated by the author Hugh Lupton, a professional storyteller.
Besides the repetition, another thing that makes this selection unique is that not one of the tales is common. I read a lot that I can’t be sure I haven’t heard some before once, but out of the seven stories I know, for sure, only one. The average person will not know any unless perhaps they are from the culture the tale comes from. Each tale originates from around the world and present here are: India, Chile, Inuit, Seneca Natives, Scotland, Russia and West Africa. My favourite was the last story from West Africa which is the one that involves the reanimation of a corpse, but it has a very touching ending. It’s original title is “The Cow Switch Tail” and I should remember it as I’ve read “The Cow-Tail Switch, and Other West African Stories” by Harold Courlander, a Newbery Honor winning book, but that was a long time ago. Due for another read I guess! The illustrations are all done in digital collage and nothing more can be said than that they are wonderful to behold and this is a fine book both visually and textually.
Finally, the book ends with a little goldmine. The author tells us the source from which he took the original tale before he wrote his retelling. Here we are introduced to books from the ’30s and ’60s, some long out of print, others not, but great additions to fairy tale enthusiasts list. Also another random bit of information is imparted here. Hugh Lupton is the great-nephew of Arthur Ransome, whom he used to visit as a boy. He even recommends Ransome’s Old Peter’s Russian Tales as the book from which his Russian tale is told. This is the one I knew beforehand. Recommended for all ages. Young and old who love fairy tales & legends.
Bookweirder (Nicola)
Bookweirder by Paul GlennonBookweird Trilogy, book 2
Pages: 246
Ages: 9+
First Published: Sept. 28, 2010
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
It could have been a forest back home.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Random House Canada.
Reason for Reading: next in the series.
When I read Bookweird back in 2008, I had no idea there would be a sequel, and I’d be pretty surprised if the author was positive there would be a sequel either as the book just didn’t read like part of a series. That first book made my honorable mentions list of best books read that year so when I discovered the sequel published this year I just had to read it!
It’s been a year since the previous events and Norman has not gone into a book again figuring the results are much too dire for him to be messing around with. His family is spending the summer in England in his mother’s family home, owned by her brother, who is away. Here Norman finds a set of his mother’s childhood books about “The Intrepid Three” and starts reading one only to fall asleep and wake up in the book. Both Norman and Malcolm, the stoat king, have been lured into this book by the mysterious librarian who is playing the part of Mr. Todd, the lawyer this time. But just what is going on? Malcolm needs a map that his father gave Norman as a gift last time, things are not going right in this book for the Intrepid Three as they are being harassed by a “poacher” who just happens to be the killer Norman set loose from his mother’s mystery book last time. As Malcolm and Norman try to put this book back on track Norman needs to go into other books to put the pieces together of a family secret as Norman suspects his mother might actually know about the bookweird. This time he visits 19th century Paris in a Poe short story, then a medieval adventure story as well as the WWI era Intrepid Three.
A splendid book. The events from book one, Bookweird, are quite pertinent to the story so do read that first to appreciate this book at its fullest. Though it’s been two years since I read Bookweird, the events came back to me very quickly as they were briefly referred to here and I was deep inside Bookweirder right away. This is a brilliant world Glennon has created and one that any bibliophile is going to love immersing themselves into. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hop into the books you were reading and have a quick conversation with your favourite character? But unfortunately, going into a book starts to change the story as soon as you arrive so you have to be careful! The book is deceptive with its 246 page count, since it is a trade paperback and the type is unusually small. So don’t count on it being such a quick read as it looks before you open it up. However, it’s an engaging story, which this time has definitely been written as the precursor to another book. There are plenty of mysteries still unsolved, threads hanging, and in fact the book ends with one problem all wrapped up and Malcolm and Norman setting out to fix the next. Any guesses on the next book’s title? Bookweirdest? Bookweirderer? I’ll be looking forward to it!
PS - Just found out this is being called a trilogy. So one more book, but no details can be found yet.
Torment (Nicola)
Torment by Lauren KateA Fallen Novel, Book 2
Pages: 452
Ages: 14+
First Published: Sep. 28, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 3.5/5
First sentence:
Daniel stared out at the bay.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Random House Canada.
Reason for Reading: next in the series.
First I’ll mention that this is one of the most stunning covers I’ve ever seen. I love b/w photography and the design here is breathtaking. Now on to the book.
I can’t really give a summary as not much happens in Torment. Luce is sent to an exclusive boarding school which just happens to have a special class for Nephilim and amongst the Nephilim Luce can be hidden from those who seek to destroy her. In the meantime Daniel and Cam have made an 18 day truce between the angels and demons to work together to kill those who seek to kill Luce. Thus the book takes place over those 18 days. There’s a lot of Daniel and Cam getting the bad guys, the bad guys trying to get Luce, Luce getting herself into trouble by disregarding the rules she’s been given and Luce learning more about the shadows, the Announcers, and how to control and use them.
There is a lot of “Twilight syndrome” going on here in Torment. Daniel has become demanding, giving Luce rules and instructions to follow without reasons, he orders her around and isn’t telling her everything. He has become the dominant male species. While Luce, when she is away from and gets close to Daniel feels the overwhelming passion, desire, pull and love for him. Regardless, she is no Bella. Luce starts questioning Daniel’s behaviour and doesn’t take kindly to being pushed around even though she can’t get past the inhuman passionate bond they share. What all this amounts to is a bunch of not much happening, making the book a slow read leading up to an anti-climax that ends in a “to be continued” manner with no resolution.
I did really enjoy the two new characters introduced that befriend Luce, both Nephilim. Shelby her roommate, a no nonsense type of girl who at first resents Luce for her infamous reputation. And then Miles, a watered down Nephilim, with the Angel in his heredity in the distant past. Miles is a friend Luce can count on and one who might become more than just a friend.
My problem, same I had with the couple of Twilight books I read, is that I don’t like Daniel. I’m not rooting for Luce and Daniel. I want him to turn out a bad guy and in the end I want Luce and Miles to end up together, just a couple of regular people (well almost) in real love, not some earth shattering, passionate, end of the world, meant to be, for infinity, lust-love. Won’t happen though. Just like it was obvious Edward would win in the end, Daniel will also.
I had thought this was going to be a trilogy but they are calling book three “the next book in the Fallen series” which sounds ominously like there are plans for a 4th book and so on. If this does conclude in a trilogy I will read the third book when it comes out to see how it all ends. If more are planned, I’ll just wait until the series is done and see if I still feel like reading them when that time comes.
The Circle Series: The Visual Edition (Nicola)
The Circle Series: The Visual Edition of Black, Red, and White by Ted DekkerPages: 416
Ages: 14+
First Published: Dec. 29 2009
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
One of the benefits of the last shift at the Java Hut: free caffeine …
Acquired: Received a review copy from Thomas Nelson.
Reason for Reading: This is a Cybils ‘10 nominee and required reading for me as a graphic novels panelist.
Ted Dekker is one of my favourite authors and I was very excited to read this as I haven’t read any of his fantasy yet, meaning I hadn’t read the original novels this graphic novel was based on either. Absolutely amazing story. Part fantasy and part urban fantasy. Thomas Hunter is nicked in the head with a bullet and starting from that point on whenever he falls asleep he travels between two realities. One a medieval sort of world where evil is fast encroaching upon good and he is the one who can find the answer to saving the world by finding the long lost Books of Histories and travelling into the other reality gain information. While in the modern world he realizes that the two worlds are somehow connected through him and here he may be the only one with the answer to a terrorist who is unleashing a deadly virus on the world if his demands for nuclear submission from the entire planet are not met. Eventually Thomas starts dreaming on purpose to travel between worlds, sometimes needing a bash over the head or a sedative to get to sleep quickly.
In the alternative Earth, good and evil are much more visible than they are in the modern reality but as Thomas travels he never knows which one is the dream and which one is the reality. Ultimately this is a fantastic Christian allegory of the Gospels, the Passion of Christ and the power of Baptism. An utterly thrilling story on many levels. Often reading like an episode of 24 when in the modern reality. There is the president under pressure, terrorists, kidnapped scientists and such but on the other hand when in the alternate reality it reads more like a grown-up, more violent Narnia-like story and how the two combine makes for a riveting read. The artwork is topnotch. Beautiful, dark and bold whichever is needed to represent the mood. Overall, a stunning piece of allegorical Christian fantasy.
Of course, the original novels are written for adults, but I would classify this graphic novel as a cross-over suitable for both adults and young adults. There is a young adult set of novels that compliments the series that are being turned into GNs as well. I think at this time 4 of the 6 books have been done. I’ll wait for an omnibus edition like this one.
I enjoyed this so much that my next foray into Dekker’s backlist is going to be this series, which also has a 4th book (Green), and all it’s various offshoot series.
End of Days (Nicola)
End of Days by Max Turner
Night Runner, #2
Pages: 318
Ages: 13+
First Published: Aug. 16, 2010 CAN (Sept. 28, 2010 US)
Publisher: Harper Trophy Canada
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
I’m told vampires are popular in books these days.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
That a sequel to Night Runner was coming out came upon me fairly close to its actual publication. I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to read the new book as I had been out of the loop about the sequel being a go!
The very first thing I want to say to US readers is that the US cover is awful! This book is aimed at teenage boys and is *not* a vampire romance like the usual fare out there. Sure girls will love it too, but please don’t let that girl-appealing US cover let you think that it’s not for boys, spend the little extra and get the awesome Canadian cover, if you have to!
Everybody is a year older now and getting used to either knowing they are vampire or having just been turned. The Coven is still out to get Zach, and other child vampires, keeping him on the run, though he has been safely holed up for the last year. But with the death of the one who held them together The Coven is fighting within itself making it an unstable organization; the Underground who protect the vampires from society has been breached and detection from that side is now out of control and suppliers find their blood tainted and vampires are dying. But that is not all. An ancient prophecy of the son of a hunter who will either save or destroy the vampire world seems to be coming true as vampires are ripped to shreds by an incredible Beast, that not even the strongest vampire among them can defeat. Zach finds himself in the middle of this chaos, being a child vampire on the run from those who wish him dead and being the son of a hunter whom some think may be the promised Messiah. A select few of the remaining old wise ones remind him to stay on the side of the good, to choose saint over evil. But can he?
It’s been just over two years since the first book came out that I don’t know if I’m being fair when I say this is even better than Night Runner! While the immediacy of having just read End of Days may make it feel better than the first, it is certainly of equal brilliance. What an incredible vampire story! Turner has created a vampire mythos and world that tends toward the tried and true vampire lore but he hasn’t been afraid to inject his own new, fresh vision that creates something very refreshing and exciting. Breathtakingly revitalizing is the absence of a mopey, clingy love story. There is a love relationship, which is important to characterization but is not essential or even necessary to the plot. They are simply two characters who love each other and whom the reader grows fond of as well. All the characters are fascinating from the evil Beast, which has a mystery behind it, to Ophelia their caretaker and on. More background is given on everybody really fleshing out the characters from book one. This is a page-turner, a stay-up all-nighter and a return to the vampire (with an attitude) genre. Best for those who don’t like their vampires ala Edward. The book comes to a satisfying conclusion but there are many unanswered questions and dangling threads that can be picked up for another book. Hopefully, the wait will be shorter than two years Mr. Turner!
Dust City (Nicola)
Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
Pages: 299
Ages: 13+
First Published: (Sept. 30, 2010 USA) Oct. 5, 2010 CAN
Ages: 13+
First Published: (Sept. 30, 2010 USA) Oct. 5, 2010 CAN
Publisher: Puffin Canada
Genre: YA, urban fantasy, fairy tales
Genre: YA, urban fantasy, fairy tales
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
Once upon a time, fairydust came from where you’d expect. From fairies.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Penguin Group (Canada).
Reason for Reading: I’m a big fan of books with fairy tale characters in a modern setting.
The publisher’s summary had me believing that this fantasy was going to be some sort of mystery adventure as the son of the big bad wolf tried to prove his innocence. I was not prepared for the gritty, urban fantasy world that I was about to enter! This is a dark, harsh world that imagines what would have happened if Grimm’s medieval fairy tale characters had evolved into bi-pedal, speaking creatures integrated with the human population. Henry Whelp, whose father is in prison for killing a girl and her grandmother, is in detention centre for wayward youth, but mainly animalia, and especially wolves. He doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps and visits his psychiatrist every week. But when the doctor is found hanging from the rafters one fine day, Henry discovers some secrets and manages to escape. Dust City is the major producer of fairydust since the fairies all took off and left and in trying to prove his father’s innocence he is lead on a trail that takes him to the depths of the city’s grimy underworld, and learns horrendous secrets about the missing fairies.
This was a non-stop read for me. Highly entertaining and suspenseful, plot driven with lots of action. The cast is a motley crew of creatures from giants and goblins to a lovable elven grandma. Henry is the only one with a full development of background and motivators but all the characters come across enough to have feelings for (or against) them in this action driven novel. It is dark, harsh and gritty. There is violence, bullying, torture and everything else not nice, with a few uncomfortable scenes, but never beyond age appropriateness. Dust City is a book you can really get your teeth into. Mostly populated with male characters, there do come into play two (perhaps we can say three) strong females who carry important roles in the plot.
I was very impressed with this novel, absolutely loved the story and it’s dark, gritty tale. A must add to any urban fantasy enthusiast’s bookshelf!
Wayfarer (Nicola)
Wayfarer by R.J. Anderson
Faery Realms, #2
Pages: 296
Ages: 12+
First Published: June 22, 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
The Queen is dying.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
Wayfarer continues the story started in Spell Hunter (Knife UK). The publisher has upgraded the recommended age range to YA which I find more appropriate, though this book is tamer than the first. The story however, if very detailed and intricate.
The entire cast of book 1 returns, including Knife and Paul but this time the main characters are Linden and Paul’s nephew, Timothy. Now that the Queen is on her deathbed it is time to find the other faeries and see if the Oakenfolk can get their magic restored to them so they may survive as a people. The Queen transfers half her magic to Valerian, her chosen successor as Queen, and the other half to Linden, the chosen one to undertake the journey. At 15, Linden is not expected to leave until she has matured a bit and learnt to master her new magic but when she sees that Timothy is running away she grabs her opportunity to travel quickly by hiding in his backpack. What she finds out about the rest of faerydom in England sends terror through her heart, an evil so horrific it threatens both faeries and humans. Linden and Timothy are sent on a quest to the western most tip of Wales to find a group of faeries only known to exist through ancient human folklore.
This book is even better than the first one! The plot has become much more intricate and involved with several layers to it. There is of course the main peril to contend with but there are also side stories involving a few separate characters here and there. The main plot is wonderfully entertaining, fast-paced and a unique take on the faery realm. It is also a story of personal values and beliefs. The Oakenfolk have a high code of honour and Linden is placed in a world of temptation when she enters the human domain. Her values often seem weak and small when compared with the corruption going on around her. Timothy himself is a “missionary kid” who since coming to England for schooling six months ago now questions the faith he grew up with and has become somewhat bitter toward it. He experiences a personal journey of Faith as he questions the hypocrisy he finds in some Christians and experiences the true love he finds in others as well as starting to acknowledge the work of God in his own life. Another thing I really liked was the dynamics between Linden and Timothy because they were not romantically involved at all. They became great friends and both are great characters. Linden puts on an act of bravery but is really very scared deep inside, though she is a completely honourable person. Timothy is a character who is not very likable at first, but grows and develops as a person as the book progresses. A fine story of personal Faith journey, Welsh folklore and faery magic.
Black Gate (Vol. 1-3) (Nicola)
Black Gate (Vol. 1-3) by Yukiko Sumiyoshi
Pages: 640 pages
Ages: 13+
First Published: (2007,2008 Japan) Sept. 28, 2010 English Trans.
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
Is a person’s life … set in stone?
Acquired: Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.
Reason for Reading: The publisher’s summary had me very interested plus I liked the idea of reading a small mangas series all in one go.
Dare I say it? I think this is the best manga I have read to date. What a compelling, epic saga that covers many years through flashbacks and skipping forward into the future. When a person dies a white gate opens in which their soul goes through to the other side (which the story does not explore) but on rare occasions a black gate will open and these gates are not satisfied with just one soul, they will try to suck the souls out of the nearby living and often cause mass destruction such as fires to gather as many souls as possible. Just as rare is a certain breed of people who can see these gates the Mitedamashi; they are also the only ones who can close black gates. This is the story of Hijiri, a boy, with a Mitedamashi guardian who grows to learn of his own special powers, his true background and his important role in the future. And I can’t tell you anything else because it’s just too exciting to find it out yourself as you read.
From the copyright dates, and some on-line searching, it looks like the individual volumes of this series were never published in English before, making this all-in-one edition the first English publication of a most awesome trilogy. Most manga series go on for several up to infinity volumes, so it is a real pleasure to sit down and read a series from start to finish, knowing when it ends, that really is the end. This story becomes very deep and without going into any detail it ends up questioning life and death. Do people who fear death so much have a right to put an end to death? If we could stop death, would that be ethical? Would it be good for us as human beings? Would we really want to live forever? When you think about forever do you really take into account how long forever actually is??
A truly brilliant story that had me glued to my seat, kept me turning the pages and had me finishing the book over the course of a day. The characters are all well-developed with pasts and certain things that motivate them to act and behave the way they do. Any character is worthy of being favoured by a reader and I think each will have their fans. Of course I liked Hijiri, the main character. So many people messed around with his life and yet he never stops caring and trusting. He starts off as a troublesome, mouthy little kid and grows to become a worthy leader. I also liked Michizane, a boy whose childhood was emotionally abusive and he is still not treated well, though it is through no fault of his own that he is not liked. He has an attitude to cover himself from being hurt and unfortunately often becomes the victim. But Hijiri befriends him right away (against his will) and eventually Michizine allows himself to care and trust. There are no long drawn out battle scenes, no s*x, no gory violence. What you do get for the Teen rating is the mild swear words (d@mn and h3ll) and after non-graphic kill scenes a spatter of blood or blood on hands, etc.
I can’t help but sound like I’m gushing, as I really did love this book and highly recommend it to fantasy manga fans or those who enjoy stories dealing with souls and death.
Blimpo: The Third Circle of Heck (Nicola)
Blimpo by Dale E. Basye. Illustrations by Bob DobThe Third Circle of Heck
Pages: 446
Ages: 10+
First Published: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Random House
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
Virgil’s stomach rumbled like a gastric earthquake, registering somewhere between a 6.7 and 9.4 on the digestive Richter scale.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Random House Canada.
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
I read this series for the pure fun of it and for Basye the third time is the charm. Blimpo is the best book yet of this series. As anyone reading the series knows, when we were told at the end of book two that the next volume would be called Blimpo, my eyes lit up knowing we would be returning to the character Virgil from book one. Virgil, who became Milton’s best friend in the first book, is the central figure in this volume earning him the position of hero.
Milton and Marlo are right where we left them at the end of Rapacia. Marlo is her usual opinionated, aggressive self and getting herself in trouble while at the same time finding out things she shouldn’t know; putting herself in a dangerous position when Milton finally comes to rescue her as promised in book 2. Milton is simply trying to keep away from Principal Bubb and hide. His first choice of friends include Jack Kerouac and a blind Viking who can see, both of whom are absolutely hilarious. But when Milton comes upon Blimpo, he puts on a fat suit and goes undercover to rescue Virgil. Little does he know of the nefarious plot going down between the vice principals to become make Blimpo much more powerful in the whole realm of Heck. The fun teachers in Blimpo are King Tantalus, complete with portable pool of water and peach tree, and the chubby Elvis.
The humour level was right where expected, funny and silly, worthy of a smile. This volume does bring back the toilet humour of book one but it isn’t overly done and fits well when used. The storyline is becoming more involved. While each book has its own individual open and shut plot, this book introduces some elements that will be ongoing and adds a deeper, overall story arc to the series. While not exactly ending with a cliff hanger, as foreshadowing is used to let us know where things are headed, the book does end with certain characters in situations that leave the reader anxious for the next volume. The only negative remark I have about Blimpo is the size. At well over 400 pages it is the largest of the series, with the others being 300-odd pages each. I am not a fan of authors who seemingly think that every book in a series needs to get larger and larger until the reader is stuck with unwieldy door stoppers by the end of the series. If Blimpo is larger because of the topic matter, then I see that as an extension of the author’s humour and can appreciate it, but I certainly hope to see the next volume back down to around the size of Book 2 (362 pgs).
Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium (Nicola)
Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium by Rona Arato
Pages: 188 pages
Ages: 8+
First Published: Apr. 13, 2010
Publisher: Tundra Books
Rating: 3/5
First sentence:
Shoshi Kapustin clapped her hands over her ears to shut out the pitying voices.
Reason for Reading: The combination of the time period (1898) and a dragon intrigued me. I read this aloud to my 9yo.
The Kapustins have immigrated to the USA because Papa has been gone for five years and has not answered any of their letters. Escaping the Cossacks and worried they arrive on Ellis Island, find the family restaurant and are told Papa left one day and didn’t come back. The aunt and uncle running the place have turned it into a shambles. On their first night there, aunt and uncle steal their money leaving a note that they have taken it as payment for the restaurant, Mama can have it, they are going south. Mama must figure out a way to make a living off the restaurant but her matzo balls won’t cook properly; they are more like stones. The children are trying to find Papa. The gangster Nick the Stick is making them pay protection money and they are never quite sure if their new friend Mr. Thornswaddle, circus barker extraordinaire, can be trusted. Oh, yes, and by the way they also accidentally brought a baby dragon over with them who doesn’t make the situation any easier.
A fun, story with lots of silly situations going on that are unrealistic. The Russian Jew immigrants bring with them a folk tale sense of the tall tale and much that happens in the story is over the top, creating some laugh out loud moments and just plain silliness. But also, the author manages to set the characters in the real world of a turn of the century Jewish neighbourhood in New York and the reader sees the immigrant experience as well as life for a child in this era of New York. The names of the characters are a lot of fun too, such as Aloysius P. Thornswaddle and Dingle Hinglehoffer and the book works well as a read aloud allowing the teller to put on both Jewish and Irish accents during some of the most fun bits.
The one thing that disappointed me was the dragon; he had no charisma. While not being a main character, he was a constant throughout the plot and he did not have a personality of his own. He was very lightly sketched out but there was nothing to endear him to the reading audience. I think if he’d been given a personality his place would have felt more as one of the main characters and it would have given the story that extra bit of oomph that feels to be lacking.
Ghostopolis (Nicola)
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Pages: 268
Ages: 12+
First Published: July 1, 2010
Publisher: Graphix
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re having a little engine trouble.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Scholastic Canada.
Reason for Reading: I’m always intrigued by stories that take place in the “afterlife”.
Frank Gallows is a ghost wrangler. He hunts down ghosts who’ve escaped the afterlife and sends them back but after 30 years on the job he’s losing his touch, bored and plain grumpy with life. Sent to track down a night mare, the skeletal horse is on the run. As she goes through a wall, Frank shackles her and hit’s the send button. Problem: on the other side of the wall the skeletal mare had en-caged a human boy, Garth, and he ends up in the afterlife with her. As headquarters sets up a team to rescue him, Frank and his ex-girlfriend, a ghost, go after him themselves. They find Ghostopolis, the city centre of the afterlife, greatly changed and dominated by Vaugner, an evil, powerful human-type being. Garth, Frank and Claire must find a way back to the mortal world and since Vaugner is trying to stop them at every turn they must first stop him.
I found the story a little hard to get into as it starts right away with the action and it takes a bit to figure out what is going on. Plus the artwork was a little startling, the artist’s depiction of people are on the ugly side of ugly. Once the plot became clearer, I started to enjoy the book and once the artist had the opportunity to add action scenes with non-human characters to the illustrations, I became more comfortable with the style and even enjoyed it by book’s end.
The story has several layers to it: a grown man with the behaviour of a child learns to grow up on the inside, a man who can’t express his love outwardly makes the ultimate sacrifice to earn the love he craved and power and the begetting of power for power’s sake can only lead to evil in the end, to name a few. Then there is the basic plot which is both exciting and fun. The book is quite dark though, death being the main theme here; my 10yo certainly couldn’t handle it. Along the way Garth and company meet killer insects, skeletal armies, zombies, mummies and some other very strange characters. There is humour added to lighten up the darkness mostly in the form of sarcasm and wit, though there is some outright grossness to make you laugh (or cringe) too such as the delicacy of tarantula on a stick and an ancient fortune telling wolf who is blind and tells the future through smells and happens to “toot”.
At well over 200 pages there is a lot of story and characterization to be found in this simple story of good vs. evil and redemption for those who seek it.
The Dark Deeps (Nicola)
The Dark Deeps by Arthur SladeThe Hunchback Assignments II
Pages: 314 pages
Ages: 12+
First Published: May 3, 2010 Canada (Sept. 14, 2010 USA)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
The boy hadn’t always been yellow.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.
Reason for Reading: Next in the series. I’m a fan of the author’s and I read every new book he publishes.
Modo and Octavia’s assignment is to investigate certain co-ordinates where something referred to as big fish has been sinking fishing boats and any ships that enter that water near Iceland. Modo and Octavia are separated and ‘tavia does not play a large role in this story. Instead Modo finds himself kidnapped along with a French spy who has been working the same case for her government. Modo and Colette spend this adventure together which takes them underwater to a strange life aboard their world’s first submarine; they are taken to the ideological, socialist, utopia the captain is building and protecting. But they have been infiltrated and it isn’t long before the Clockwork Guild shows up in the form of Miss Hakkandottir.
I loved this book, even more than the first one I think! Taking to the underwater world is exciting and creates a unique setting compared to book one. One thing I really like that Slade has done here is rather than populate book two with all the characters he has already established, he’s chosen a few to be the heroes and villain, given the others smaller parts or mere mentions, while allowing a few new characters to make a fresh story. I find this way of writing a series keeps it vibrant and original. Modo’s relationship with Colette was intriguing and very different than his with Octavia. Colette, being French, is more forward with Modo and he experiences some new dynamics with a woman. I loved Colette, she is a fiery character who charges every page she is on. While Octavia is not as central a figure this time around she still has enough time in the story to satisfy fans and she also goes through some emotional experiences that the reader at least can tell have affected her feelings for Modo.
The plot itself is non-stop action with an ever present disturbing atmosphere. The new villain is a creepy presence and Miss Hakkandottir is her glorious cruel and ego-centric self. A great entry in The Hunchback Assignments brings another dark, atmospheric story that starts in an alternate London but travels to America, Iceland and down into the oceanic dark deeps.
The Thin Executioner (Nicola)
The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan
Pages: 410
Ages: 14+
First Published: May 21, 2010 (UK, Can) Aug. 1, 2010 USA
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 3.5/5
First sentence:
The executioner swung his axe - thwack! - and another head went rolling into the dust.
Acquired: Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.
Reason for Reading: I’m a big fan of the author’s. I was also very excited about this being his first standalone book.
The world of Makhras is made up of many different towns, empires, territories, etc. and each of these is peopled by it’s own unique society with their own traditions, religions, ways of life and behaviour. Mainly they keep to themselves except for trading and capturing each other as slaves, at least those who keep slaves. Jebel Rum is the runt in his family and when his father, the very respected town executioner announces that he will be retiring after a 30 year career, he only mentions Jebel’s two older brother’s as hopefully succeeding him in the contest that will be thrown to find the new executioner one year from that day. Jebel is fraught with shame, he has been dishonoured in his warrior society. With nothing left to loose he seeks a quest to a dangerous god’s lair faraway where it is promised he can receive invincibility if he makes it there only by land and brings a slave to offer to the god as a sacrifice. Then he would return and win the contest or at least die with honour on the quest.
I’m going to start right off by saying this is very different than anything Shan has written before and unfortunately it didn’t quite win me over. There were times I was very into the story, which I think just had much more potential than where Shan went with it. Other times, the story came over as very heavy-handed. The second main character, the slave, is a religious, non-violent person who explains all the different cultures they meet as they journey on and while he dare not say anyone is less equal than another in his one God’s eyes he would stand by and let an aggressor tear him to pieces or take his friends and neighbours away as slaves rather than break any rule of his religion by defending himself. I had a hard time knowing, at times, if Shan was writing this character as an ideal or was using him as the extreme opposite example to Jebel and his people, which I’m sure, I think, was supposed to be the point. Heavy-handed with the morals as he was, he just wasn’t the likable character to me that he should have been. Jebel starts off as an nasty piece of work, who thinks slaves are not human and possibly less worthless than animals. When meeting the other cultures, he quickly decides they are contemptible, stupid or crazy because of what they deem important compared to his own clan.
It is these two strange characters who embark on the hellish journey of Jebel’s quest which is full of dark dangers, terrible creatures and death-inducing terrain. Certainly an interesting story that kept me reading. Plenty of action, violence and creepiness. The plot could be simply broken down to the basic fantasy quest but covered up by adding dark elements such as an executioner, cannibals, rocks that digest people and a colony of people who live with and depend upon vampire bats, to name a few. Not Shan’s best work but worth a read by fans, at the least.
Neil Young’s Greendale (Nicola)
Neil Young’s Greendale by Joshua Dysart. illustrated by Cliff Chiang. foreward by Neil Young
Pages: 160
Ages: 18+
First Published: June 15, 2010
Publisher: Vertigo
Rating: 3/5
First sentence:
On a warm spring day way back in 1985, two precious children were born to Edith O’Reilly and Earl Green.
Acquired: Borrowed a copy from my local library.
Reason for Reading: Long-winded reason follows. (LOL) When I heard that this graphic novel was based on an album I though that was so cool and I suddenly had imaginations of what could come next, the graphic versions of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, Queen’s “News of the World”, Meatloaf’s “Bat Out of Hell”. It is an awesome concept. Now I don’t like Neil Young as a singer {sorry} and have never heard of this album but was so intrigued with the concept and thought “Neil Young is Canadian so the book would qualify for the Canadian Book Challenge”; I might as well read it.
So here we have the Green Family going back to a great-grandmother living in the town of Greendale, America, population 20 to 25,000. When Sun Green (the main character) was born her twin Luna died in infancy. She is now a 17 year old teen. Her great-aunt Ciela Oaks married both Green brothers, leaving one for the other and eventually one day simply disappeared into the Botanical Gardens forever. Her daughter, Sea Green, also disappeared one day as a teen into the forest never to return. Now Sun is feeling strange, thinking of the past Green women and being followed by a man who obviously represents Satan. Bad things happen. Strange things happen.
Sun becomes an activist. An anti-war, anti-meat, anti-hunting, anti-big electricity companies, anti-oil drilling left-wing mouthy irritant. At this point, I know this book is not for me. I quickly started skipping over all the bubbles full of the political ranting, which was a large portion of text. Honestly the whole political part of the book could have been removed and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the story as the book really doesn’t go anywhere. The two plots, the girl’s political coming of age and the mysterious hippie, nature, environmentalist magical element of the Green woman and the fate of the Green women just kind of flop and end abruptly. And so will my review. Weird and so not my kind of story.
Salem Brownstone: All Along the Watchtowers (Nicola)
Salem Brownstone: All Along the Watchtowers by John Harris Dunning. Art by Nikhil Singh
Pages: 96 pages
Ages: 15+
First Published: July 13, 2010 US ( Oct. 2009 UK)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
There are those who love the rum and unusual, the uncanny, the macabre.
Acquired: Received a review copy from the publisher.
Reason for Reading: I was immediately taken with the publisher’s eerie plot summary.
This is a beautiful book. Oversized like a large picture book with decorated cloth covered boards, it feels like a treasure in your hands. Upon opening the book, the story grips you right away as if something by Poe. Then turn the page where the artwork starts and immediately Gory comes to mind and the further one gets into the story with the mixture of art and text their is a very strong Tim Burton vibe going and I actually started imaging the story being filmed with Johnny Depp as Salem Brownstone. The artwork is truly masterful. Each frame is so detailed, this book could take many readings and each reading would reveal something you had missed the previous times through. How do I describe the art? Outlandish, eerie, macabre, bizarre and just outright fiendishly freakish (in a good way!).
Salem Brownstone, a grown man, who hasn’t seen his father since he was six receives a telegram that his father has died and left him his mansion and the contents and he must come claim it ASAP that evening at 9pm. Upon arrival Salem finds an old creepy Victorian house and notices a sign announcing a circus nearby. Once inside he discovers his father was a magician and dons the cape, when he hears a noise. As he investigates he happens upon Cassandra Contortionist who has been waiting for him. She has a scrying orb that belonged to his father that she must pass on to him. She takes him down to the circus for further explanation and it is here he learns that he must take over his father’s role in keeping the world safe from the evil creatures of another dimension.
This is a macabre story and certainly not going to be for everyone but if you like Poe or Lovecraft then this will be along your tastes. The atmosphere is very dark and heavy, the story is very creepy and when you think you’ve seen it all something even creepier happens. I was engrossed with the story and the whole book itself. A wonderful Hallowe’en read. From the ending, there are hints that Salem may appear in a sequel.
Early to Death, Early to Rise (Nicola)
Early to Death, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison
Madison Avery, Book 2
Pages: 228 pages
Ages: 13+
First Published: May 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
The car was hot from the sun, and I pulled my fingerprints from it as I slunk past.
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
A fabulous sequel to Once Dead, Twice Shy! An exciting story from beginning to end that had me glued to the book until I was finished. Once again Kim Harrison finished off with a nice, neat, satisfactory ending without the use of a cliffhanger, though leaving the loose threads and plot direction for the next and what may be the last book of a trilogy. All the characters from book one return so that even though we’ve had to wait a whole year for this book, their familiarity quickly comes back to mind and the author does give quick mentions throughout of events that happened in book one to refresh our memory without going into a rehash of book one except for a quick half-page prologue.
I really don’t want to say a lot about the plot in the book as it carries on from book one taking the main character Madison Avery, who is dead, further along with the job she has been assigned and I don’t want to give plot spoilers for either book. We get a greater insight into the workings behind the scenes and while this actually is an angel book where the angels come from heaven and god (with a little g) is once mentioned, the author has taken great liberty to create her own fictional vision of how death works and what part angels play in helping souls to reach heaven. Harrison’s vision is fantastical (having nothing to do with Christianity) but does pose some seriously tough questions about free will.
The characters are wonderful. Madison grows into some of her powers and finds it’s not all fun and games to be a supernatural being. Madison grows to connect closer and even bond with some of her supernatural friends, Barnabas the light angel and Nakita the dark angel and Grace the guardian angel. Madison’s love interest Josh, is not an integral part of this story, but in the brief page time he gets at the beginning and end their relationship does take a step in the right direction.
Some very cool ideas at work in this sequel which not only entertained me but had me thinking and and seeing the point of view of both sides, the Dark and the Light. While, morally, I know where I stand, I can understand the various points of view. It will be very interesting to see how all threads and issues are resolved though I do have an idea as to a possible direction. A great series that I am really enjoying. Just wish I didn’t have to wait a whole year for the next book!
Claim to Fame (Nicola)
Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Pages: 256 pages
Ages: 13+
First Published: Nov. 10, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
I was supposed to be doing my algebra homework that night.
Reason for Reading: I’m a fan of the author’s.
Deep topics are under discussion in this book, first and foremost being transcendentalism. The main character does an awful lot of thinking and figuring things out in her head rather than impulsively acting upon her feelings as so many juvenile book character do. This leaves me somewhat concerned with the age group the book is marketed to. (The dust jacket says 10-14). I think that age group expects action rather than quotes from great transcendentalists such as Emerson. Personally, I recommend the book for Young Adults, 13+.
I enjoyed the book immensely. I haven’t read too many books by Haddix, yet, but I’ve yet to find one I don’t like. Lindsay Scott is a mysterious character at first as we find her. Then as she opens up and tells her story I found her to be a compelling character. The story is a slow one, with lots of thinking, reminiscing, and the turnings inside Lindsay’s head. The action does not start until near the end, bringing the book to a satisfactory conclusion.
Lindsay is a former television sitcom star (sort of a “Full House” knock off) where she was the cute little kid. When she hit puberty, her powers also hit. Lindsay can hear anything, anyone, anywhere in the world says about her. Being a popular actress this brought on an avalanche of voices in her head and while she tried to cope she eventually had something akin to a nervous breakdown (to the outside world). The show was canceled and Lindsay became a recluse for the next five years, not leaving her house, living with her father who was abandoned by her mother upon her birth. We meet Lindsay at age 16, just as her father has died and she begins the journey into figuring out why she is the way she is. What starts this journey is a night on which two teenage fans “kidnap” Lindsay, having read in a tabloid that she was being kept under lock and key by an abusive father. This forces Lindsay to look at her life and she discovers she may not be the only one with her powers.
A very unique topic, with characters that are real and sincere. I found this an enjoyable read that dealt with a lot of issues teens will relate too such as death of a parent, peer pressure, what others think of us, wanting to hide away from the world and ultimately leaves with a positive message that when others think ill of us (are unkind, even bullying) there are likely to be issues in that person’s life making them act out aggressively to others, letting one understand how to feel compassion for one’s enemies. This was a quick, page-turner for me. Recommended.