Book Review -- The Cracks in the Kingdom

The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty

My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book hangover rating: 4

Source: Library copy

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Objectionable material: None

Elliott is still fighting colors in the Kingdom of Cello; Madeleine is still hanging out in Cambridge, England. They are both still communicating via the crack in the universe that is housed in the parking meter at the end of Madeleine's street, and the search for the Royal Family of Cello continues.

Part II of Jaclyn Moriarty's The Colors of Madeleine series is just as whimsical, quirky, original, unique and fun as the first! This is the ONLY series I've continued since Harry Potter -- that's saying something!

There are some holes (pardon the pun) in the narrative -- links in the story that don't quite fit or work -- but I enjoyed both "worlds" so much and all the characters that I didn't really care.

If you are looking for a delightful and clever series, that doesn't involve dystopian death, depression, bleakness -- this should be next on your list.

Now...as with any series...I have to wait for the final book!!

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Book Review -- A Corner of White

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book hangover:  4

Source: Public library

Genre: YA fiction (with a bit of fantasy!)

Objectionable material: none

Parallel lives...parallel realities...and nothing but a crack between a broken TV set and a parking meter that divides the two.

Madeleine and her mother have started over in Cambridge, but Madeleine is wondering why.

Elliott's father is missing and he is determined to find him.

Both are leading practically normal teen lives, when they start communicating via a void in the universe that separates them -- neither one believing that the other is real.

I loved Madeleine -- she was tough, sassy, vulnerable, and trusting. Elliott was the tough guy, with the potential to break your heart.

This book was like nothing I've ever read: part fantasy, part time travel, part whimsy, part science lesson (be prepared for a primer on Sir Isaac Newton), part potential teen romance -- it was quite delightful!

One flaw: the story did take quite a bit of time to develop -- I was 3/4 through the book before anything really happened. So, it does take some patience.

However, it's the first book, in a planned series of books, that I'm actually EXCITED about reading the sequel! Take that Divergent!

I'm really happy I took a chance with A Corner of White.

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Book Review -- Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hangover rating:  4

Source: Personal copy

Genre: Fiction, fantasy, YA, dystopian

Objectionable material: Sexual illusion, but it was faint at best; I don't remember any language.

Ladies of Literature book club July pick

Summary: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My thoughts:

 

Totally. Out. Of. My. Comfort. Zone.

I feel like the Mikey commercial of the 70’s – she tried it and she liked it!

Seriously…I would NEVER have read this without prompting from my friend, Heather.

I don’t read books like this. Angels? Monsters? Teeth? Parts? Wings?

Hats off to author, Laini Taylor, for creating such an otherworld experience, and having it feel authentic. Her imagery of the “chimaera” – these monster-animal-human-like creations – is vivid, and seems almost plausible.

The relationship she builds between Karou and Akiva is like any other star-crossed/Romeo & Juliet love affair, fraught with passion, angst, longing, pain, desire. I too would run off with an angel if he looked and acted like Akiva! However, if the guy I was into was half goat, not so much.

And I think where her story was brilliantly executed – is with the character’s relationships (or lack thereof) – whether it was Karou & Brimstone, or Karou & Kaz, or Madrigal &Thiago, or Zuzana & Mik – all unique, different, emotionally charged, potent, dangerous. And, well, normal. Or as normal as can be.

I don’t do sequels unless your name is Harry, but I think I will be queuing up part 2 of the Smoke and Bone series, Days of Blood and Starlight.

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Book Review -- The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

My enjoyment rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source: Library

Genre: Fiction, fantasy, coming of age

Objectionable material: sexual situation

In the countryside of Sussex a man returns to the site of his childhood home, long since demolished, to reflect on his family after attending a funeral. Curious about the surrounding area, he wanders down the lane to visit the Hempstock farm, home to his childhood friend Lettie, her mother and grandmother.

But the visit does more than satisfy his curiosity – it also unveils years of repressed memories that are more frightening than dreams.

Neil Gaiman, where have you been all my life?

In the spirit of Grimm and L’Engle, Gaiman once again weaves fairytale magic as he creates a mysterious dimension within the boundaries of Hempstock farm.

I was scared, I was mesmerized, I was anxious…and ultimately, I was completely satisfied with the unfolding fable.

I loved Lettie and the courage she exhibited, much beyond her 11 years (and one wonders, how many years?). Her mother and grandmother, along with Lettie, represent the often used trifecta (think the 3 witches in Macbeth) of magical women – and their power was unmatched. Our unnamed narrator was equally terrified, weak, broken, and brave. All of the elements of reality and fantasy are “stitched” together masterfully.

The end makes one wonder if our memories should be trusted or if if life is all a dream.

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February Book Club -- Wyrd Sisters

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

My enjoyment rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source:  Personal copy

Genre:  Science Fiction; Fantasy

Objectionable material:  Not a single thing.

Double, double toil and trouble

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. Macbeth Act 4, Scene 1

When Duke Felmet kills King Verence and names himself the new King of Lancre, Verence's ghost haunts the castle and his young son is smuggled out of the kingdom and taken to a coven of three witches for protection. These witches bestow three gifts upon the baby and place him with the owner of an acting troupe. The new king is an evil one, and the entire kingdom (animal, vegetable, and mineral) expresses its displeasure. How could the witches possibly refrain from using their magic skills to meddle in royal politics, place the rightful heir on the throne, and set things right?

This was my first foray into Discworld and the writings of Terry Pratchett. All I can say is – what took me so long!

Every character is uniquely hilarious:

• The three witches – Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick – can ride circles around the kingdom and lead wayward kings back home to their kingdom.

• Fool – aide to the current King – but not as foolish as the royal couple might think.

• Tomjon – an actor by trade, but a noble by birth, he’d much rather be on stage than on a throne.

• Hwel (Will?) – playwright extraordinaire, with a passing familiarity to the Bard.

• Death – he’s always there, waiting.

The story is a clever lampoon of Shakespeare from the opening scene onwards. It's a fast-paced romp through a parody of scenes, themes, and lines from Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III and many more. Pratchett also throws in references to Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty (not to mention others I have probably missed). Not only is it a spoof of Shakespeare – but also a mash up of Shakespeare in Love, The Princess Bride and Monty Python.

I haven’t howled reading a book in a very long time. Dare I say, I was bewitched?

It was wickedly funny.

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