Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Agency: A Spy in the House
by Y. S. Lee
This spy mystery is set in Victorian London, and features the kind of anachronistic spunky young girl that makes the Enola Holmes mysteries so fun and engaging. In this case, though, she's not just going it alone, but is found and trained up by an agency that uses the invisibility of young women to gain entry into areas not open to police or male spies.
Her adventures are fast-paced, action-packed, and complex enough to keep teen readers guessing until the last. Along the way, she must deal with shadowy government types, suitors, society folk, and baddies alike, each with their own set of perils. She proves herself quite able, though, and by book -----2, is a trusted member of the mysterious Agency. Now to go and find book 2...
Book 1 is newly available in trade paperback.
This spy mystery is set in Victorian London, and features the kind of anachronistic spunky young girl that makes the Enola Holmes mysteries so fun and engaging. In this case, though, she's not just going it alone, but is found and trained up by an agency that uses the invisibility of young women to gain entry into areas not open to police or male spies.
Her adventures are fast-paced, action-packed, and complex enough to keep teen readers guessing until the last. Along the way, she must deal with shadowy government types, suitors, society folk, and baddies alike, each with their own set of perils. She proves herself quite able, though, and by book -----2, is a trusted member of the mysterious Agency. Now to go and find book 2...
Book 1 is newly available in trade paperback.
Labels: 2010, action/adventure, good stuff, historical fiction, Publisher Reviews, suspense, teen
Saturday, August 07, 2010
The Adventures of Jack Lime
by James Leck
Recommended by the Exelsior File, this sounded like fun, though I had seen a slightly less enthusiastic review elsewhere (the location has escaped me in the meantime).
This slim book has three separate cases in it, so it works even for someone who finds it hard to stick it out through a whole story, as they can be enjoyed one at a time. it's appealing, too, for its simple, graphic cover, which I love, and smacks of the era emulated (spoofed?) in the writing style.
The book is written in classic hard-boiled detective lingo, with small, smart substitutions made to bring it into the world of kids. A couple of examples from the opening pages of the first case, as Jack is setting the scene:
... I was inside, tucked into the rear booth of The Diner, where not even the rays of the sun could touch me, nursing a root beer float and trying to ignore my throbbing left eye as it swelled shut. ... That's when Sandra Kutcher walked into my life.
...
Sandra was the type of girl who made boys do stupid things, even boys who needed to take a long hiatus from finding things out.
The cases, too, are tailored to be those you expect a kid to get into, not the murders of adult mysteries. jack certainly does get himself into some scary situations along the way as he tangles with some town toughs, but nothing a grade 3 or 4 and higher couldn't handle. in fact, that element of danger is part of what makes the genre, so this simply wouldn't work without it - and it has massive boy appeal, too.
In short, I found this a great fun read with a sly sense of humour, so the fact that yes, it's not the first children's book to hop on the tails of classic noir and may not be wholly original doesn't take much away from my enjoying it.
Recommended by the Exelsior File, this sounded like fun, though I had seen a slightly less enthusiastic review elsewhere (the location has escaped me in the meantime).
This slim book has three separate cases in it, so it works even for someone who finds it hard to stick it out through a whole story, as they can be enjoyed one at a time. it's appealing, too, for its simple, graphic cover, which I love, and smacks of the era emulated (spoofed?) in the writing style.
The book is written in classic hard-boiled detective lingo, with small, smart substitutions made to bring it into the world of kids. A couple of examples from the opening pages of the first case, as Jack is setting the scene:
... I was inside, tucked into the rear booth of The Diner, where not even the rays of the sun could touch me, nursing a root beer float and trying to ignore my throbbing left eye as it swelled shut. ... That's when Sandra Kutcher walked into my life.
...
Sandra was the type of girl who made boys do stupid things, even boys who needed to take a long hiatus from finding things out.
The cases, too, are tailored to be those you expect a kid to get into, not the murders of adult mysteries. jack certainly does get himself into some scary situations along the way as he tangles with some town toughs, but nothing a grade 3 or 4 and higher couldn't handle. in fact, that element of danger is part of what makes the genre, so this simply wouldn't work without it - and it has massive boy appeal, too.
In short, I found this a great fun read with a sly sense of humour, so the fact that yes, it's not the first children's book to hop on the tails of classic noir and may not be wholly original doesn't take much away from my enjoying it.
Labels: 2010, action/adventure, good stuff, humour, middle grades, suspense
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline
An Enola Holmes Mystery
by Nancy Springer
This is the fifth installment of the terrific Enola Holmes series of mysteries, which I have been enjoying enormously.
Enola is the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, who is on the run and living on her own in Victorian London, depending on her wits, facility for disguise, and her intimate knowledge of society.
When her landlady, who she has grown close to, is kidnapped, she leaps into action, trying to discover who has kidnapped her, and why. Once she discovers the root of the long-ago misunderstanding that led to this, she takes on the baddies to rescue her landlady, and ensure her future safety.
None of this is cut-and-dried, however, for she also risks exposing herself, and her brother is tangled up in the case, being a famous detective and all. She manages to escape her brothers again, but by the end, finds she will have to change her living situation to stay one step ahead of them. (This is, for the record, not a terrible spoiler about the mystery itself!)
One additional twist is added in this story - Springer has included a figure from history, blending truth and imagination in equal measure to create a likeable character. She notes at the end how much is real and how much invented, but it's a fun bit of speculation to engage in for the sake of the plot!
These books are terrific fun and a great read for someone who likes a spunky female heroine.
by Nancy Springer
This is the fifth installment of the terrific Enola Holmes series of mysteries, which I have been enjoying enormously.
Enola is the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, who is on the run and living on her own in Victorian London, depending on her wits, facility for disguise, and her intimate knowledge of society.
When her landlady, who she has grown close to, is kidnapped, she leaps into action, trying to discover who has kidnapped her, and why. Once she discovers the root of the long-ago misunderstanding that led to this, she takes on the baddies to rescue her landlady, and ensure her future safety.
None of this is cut-and-dried, however, for she also risks exposing herself, and her brother is tangled up in the case, being a famous detective and all. She manages to escape her brothers again, but by the end, finds she will have to change her living situation to stay one step ahead of them. (This is, for the record, not a terrible spoiler about the mystery itself!)
One additional twist is added in this story - Springer has included a figure from history, blending truth and imagination in equal measure to create a likeable character. She notes at the end how much is real and how much invented, but it's a fun bit of speculation to engage in for the sake of the plot!
These books are terrific fun and a great read for someone who likes a spunky female heroine.
Labels: 2009, action/adventure, family, good stuff, growing up, historical fiction, suspense
Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
by Chris Riddell
Ottoline lives in an apartment on her own, except for her very odd little companion, Mr. Munroe, who is of unknown species, found in a bog in Norway. She has a cute, spunky little haircut, absent parents off hunting things down for collections, and several collections of her own, as well as several agencies who take care of everything in her apartment that might need taking care of, including the making of beds and plumping of pillows, the cleaning, the cooking of meals, and the shining of door handles.
She also has several costumes and a diploma from an academy of subterfuge, as well as a healthy curiosity that she isn't afraid to pursue. Which, of course, is how she gets herself and Mr. Munroe involved with the yellow cat.
You see, she had been noticing that several lapdogs were disappearing, and then an advertisement appeared offering help in finding lost lapdogs - isn't that odd? Ottoline thought so, too. And of course, she and Mr. Munroe sort things out with a little extra-special assistance from some of those many agencies and their specialties.
This book is an unusual little mystery, with a touch of the eccentric upbringing of Eloise thrown in for good measure. What pushed it past somewhat amusing and into the thoroughly charming, though, is the mix of story told in text and the many drawings that accompany it, making it one part graphic novel to two parts early chapter book.
It really is a fun, quirky little number for the child who likes something a little different.
Ottoline lives in an apartment on her own, except for her very odd little companion, Mr. Munroe, who is of unknown species, found in a bog in Norway. She has a cute, spunky little haircut, absent parents off hunting things down for collections, and several collections of her own, as well as several agencies who take care of everything in her apartment that might need taking care of, including the making of beds and plumping of pillows, the cleaning, the cooking of meals, and the shining of door handles.
She also has several costumes and a diploma from an academy of subterfuge, as well as a healthy curiosity that she isn't afraid to pursue. Which, of course, is how she gets herself and Mr. Munroe involved with the yellow cat.
You see, she had been noticing that several lapdogs were disappearing, and then an advertisement appeared offering help in finding lost lapdogs - isn't that odd? Ottoline thought so, too. And of course, she and Mr. Munroe sort things out with a little extra-special assistance from some of those many agencies and their specialties.
This book is an unusual little mystery, with a touch of the eccentric upbringing of Eloise thrown in for good measure. What pushed it past somewhat amusing and into the thoroughly charming, though, is the mix of story told in text and the many drawings that accompany it, making it one part graphic novel to two parts early chapter book.
It really is a fun, quirky little number for the child who likes something a little different.
Labels: 2007, early chapters, good stuff, graphic novel, suspense
Monday, May 03, 2010
The Remarkable Adventures of Tom Scatterhorn
: The Museum's Secret (Publisher Review)
by Henry Chancellor
This book is on the face of it in the vein of the Night at the Museum movies - Tom Scatterhorn's father seems to go a little bonkers, and then disappears, so tom is sent to live with his aunt and uncle while his mother goes to find his father. They live, of course, in the strange, spooky old Scatterhorn Museum, where strange, spooky things seem to be afoot.
This is not enough, however, so there is also a portal to the past, which may also be played out in a scale model of the town at that time, some 100 years ago, when the museum was first being built and opened by Sir Henry Scatterhorn and his genius taxidermist friend, August Catcher.
Add to this also a strange life-giving serum, "the divine spark" and a pair of odd characters who also seem to be traveling through time hunting for the bottle and ready to destroy Tom for it, some strange goings-on in Mongolia that involve Tom's parents, and the second-largest uncut sapphire in the world, and you have a LOT going on in this book.
It's not short, but it's packed, and it feels like a few threads were left untied at the end. Whether this spells sequel or just the fact that it was too much to keep track of is really not clear, but i could hardly blame the author for dropping one or two lesser plotlines, given the number that do find themselves neatly wound up.
The book did not immediately grab me, to be honest, but after a few chapters, began to pick up, when Tom begins to wander the museum a bit and you get a sense of where this is going. Once it does get going, there is plenty of suspense and action, though I did at times find it confusing with the hopping around in time and the references to the town model and the large eagle that seems to go unexplained even at the end. It had large sections that were great fun, but I think this is one for a dedicated reader or one really looking for a time travel or museum adventure.
by Henry Chancellor
This book is on the face of it in the vein of the Night at the Museum movies - Tom Scatterhorn's father seems to go a little bonkers, and then disappears, so tom is sent to live with his aunt and uncle while his mother goes to find his father. They live, of course, in the strange, spooky old Scatterhorn Museum, where strange, spooky things seem to be afoot.
This is not enough, however, so there is also a portal to the past, which may also be played out in a scale model of the town at that time, some 100 years ago, when the museum was first being built and opened by Sir Henry Scatterhorn and his genius taxidermist friend, August Catcher.
Add to this also a strange life-giving serum, "the divine spark" and a pair of odd characters who also seem to be traveling through time hunting for the bottle and ready to destroy Tom for it, some strange goings-on in Mongolia that involve Tom's parents, and the second-largest uncut sapphire in the world, and you have a LOT going on in this book.
It's not short, but it's packed, and it feels like a few threads were left untied at the end. Whether this spells sequel or just the fact that it was too much to keep track of is really not clear, but i could hardly blame the author for dropping one or two lesser plotlines, given the number that do find themselves neatly wound up.
The book did not immediately grab me, to be honest, but after a few chapters, began to pick up, when Tom begins to wander the museum a bit and you get a sense of where this is going. Once it does get going, there is plenty of suspense and action, though I did at times find it confusing with the hopping around in time and the references to the town model and the large eagle that seems to go unexplained even at the end. It had large sections that were great fun, but I think this is one for a dedicated reader or one really looking for a time travel or museum adventure.
Labels: 2008, action/adventure, enh, family, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, slightly weird stuff, suspense
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan
An Enola Holmes Mystery
By Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is another series I am really enjoying, this one still full of action and suspense, but more girl-oriented, if not all that girly.
(Follow links for my reviews of books #1 and #2.)
Enola is the runaway younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, who would see her contained and cultured in a girls' school, much against her unconventional wishes. Instead, she is solving mysteries herself, and has rather a knack for it.
In this fourth installment, she runs into and thwarts both brothers in turn, even helping Sherlock and working with him a little, as he is on the same case as she. This causes her a little distress, as she finds herself softening toward him, and seems to think she perceives the same in him, which makes her wonder if it might be possible one day to reconcile, leaving her less alone.
This doesn't dull her acuity one bit, though, and she uses a combination of smarts and inside knowledge of the feminine world to help her save the day once again.
I am interested, though, to see how that relationship will develop a little further in the next book!
By Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is another series I am really enjoying, this one still full of action and suspense, but more girl-oriented, if not all that girly.
(Follow links for my reviews of books #1 and #2.)
Enola is the runaway younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, who would see her contained and cultured in a girls' school, much against her unconventional wishes. Instead, she is solving mysteries herself, and has rather a knack for it.
In this fourth installment, she runs into and thwarts both brothers in turn, even helping Sherlock and working with him a little, as he is on the same case as she. This causes her a little distress, as she finds herself softening toward him, and seems to think she perceives the same in him, which makes her wonder if it might be possible one day to reconcile, leaving her less alone.
This doesn't dull her acuity one bit, though, and she uses a combination of smarts and inside knowledge of the feminine world to help her save the day once again.
I am interested, though, to see how that relationship will develop a little further in the next book!
Labels: 2008, family, girly, good stuff, historical fiction, middle grades, suspense
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Calder Game
by Blue Balliett
The author of the wonderful novels Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3 returns with another art-themed tale of suspense! I was very excited to read this, because I loved the first ones.
Calder, Tommy, and Petra are friends - well, Calder and Petra are friends, and Calder and Tommy are friends, but Tommy and Petra, not so much. The three of them do all share in the misery that is their new teacher, though. She even manages to put a damper on an exciting exhibit of Calder mobiles that has the whole of Chicago talking, but the three can't help but be a little inspired anyhow. It's not great, but it's something - at least, until Calder gets the chance to go to Britain with his dad and leaves the other two behind.
The author of the wonderful novels Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3 returns with another art-themed tale of suspense! I was very excited to read this, because I loved the first ones.
Calder, Tommy, and Petra are friends - well, Calder and Petra are friends, and Calder and Tommy are friends, but Tommy and Petra, not so much. The three of them do all share in the misery that is their new teacher, though. She even manages to put a damper on an exciting exhibit of Calder mobiles that has the whole of Chicago talking, but the three can't help but be a little inspired anyhow. It's not great, but it's something - at least, until Calder gets the chance to go to Britain with his dad and leaves the other two behind.
When he arrives there, he finds the whole town in an uproar over a new and mysteriously donated Calder sculpture, and no one seems friendly to outsiders. He passes a day or two on his own, exploring the grounds of Blenheim and its maze, and then both he and the sculpture disappear on the same night.
There is a little less puzzle-solving and a little more on-foot discovery here, but the relationships between the kids are still really well-drawn, and the emphasis on how inspiring art and ideas can be is as strong as ever, even leading each of the trio to start seeing patterns in words and numbers the way the others do. I love that about these books, that these kids are smart and quirky without being painted as hopeless geeks, and that their interests are not only useful tools, but also fun ways to look at what is around them.
Labels: 2008, friendship, good stuff, middle grades, set abroad, suspense
Monday, November 16, 2009
Montmorency's Revenge
by Eleanor Updale
#4 in the series.
The events at the end of book 3 in this series propel this book, as Montmorency and his circle burn with the need for revenge at the same time that they take on a mission that should lead them straight to the person they want to get their hands on. What could be more perfect? Though they do have to struggle to keep the mission in sight at times...
Once again, the intrigue in this episode takes various characters from Scotland to London, Italy, and New Jersey to pursue the international ring of anarchists and their shadowy leader. In the process, Montmorency takes to the sewers once again, they foil an assassination attempt, and the deadly plotmaster of the terrorist group finds out Montmorency's identity, making for a whole new level of menace, especially when the book ends with the cloaked man still on the loose. (I smell sequel! Again!)
Meanwhile, the paternity of Vi's son tom has been a mystery until now, and this not only changes the way parts of the mission are conducted, but also leads Montmorency to, for the very first time, not only talk about his past, but reveal his entire life story.
I think this book brings together a lot of the side plots that in some ways had seemed to detract from the action of the last few books, making it a good way to bring the series back onto the path of the main plot even while it opens up possibilities for the next book. it also forces Montmorency to grow up a little, which makes me wonder how he will handle things next time, and once again makes me eager to read about what comes next.
Labels: 2007, action/adventure, good stuff, historical fiction, suspense, teen
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Montmorency and the Assassins: Master Criminal, Spy?
by Eleanor Updale
#3 in the Series
Montmorency's back many years later, with a whole host of characters from the first books, not to mention a few from the new generation who are just growing into their own and able to join him and Lord George on their wild and dangerous spying missions.
Here, Montmorency, Vi and her son, George, and George's nephews all get in on the mission, which takes them all the way to Paterson, New Jersey in search of anarchists. Again, there is costume and undercover work involved, though this time, it's not Montmorency who dives into the lower classes and the plots of would-be terrorists. Instead, while a junior Fox-Selwyn joins the inner circle of anarchists, Dr. Farcett visits with Thomas Edison, and Montmorency falls for a woman so hard that it threatens the success of the mission when he is reluctant to leave on the ship that carries George's nephew Frank and a young man planning a bombing.
Quick thinking and new schemes hatched on a moment's notice save the day, and by the end of the book, they have, they think, found a way to extricate Frank from the anarchists without seeming to have betrayed them. Everything seems fine... until a package arrives and sets up book #4.
Again, the books seemed rather scattered over a few different plotlines, though it was more cohesive than the last. In the end, though, the action is fast-paced, the suspense kept taut, and the characters make you care about them, and those are the things that make or break a novel of this sort. So while I didn't love it as much as the first book either, I wasn't putting it down! Rather, I quickly picked up the next installment.
Here, Montmorency, Vi and her son, George, and George's nephews all get in on the mission, which takes them all the way to Paterson, New Jersey in search of anarchists. Again, there is costume and undercover work involved, though this time, it's not Montmorency who dives into the lower classes and the plots of would-be terrorists. Instead, while a junior Fox-Selwyn joins the inner circle of anarchists, Dr. Farcett visits with Thomas Edison, and Montmorency falls for a woman so hard that it threatens the success of the mission when he is reluctant to leave on the ship that carries George's nephew Frank and a young man planning a bombing.
Quick thinking and new schemes hatched on a moment's notice save the day, and by the end of the book, they have, they think, found a way to extricate Frank from the anarchists without seeming to have betrayed them. Everything seems fine... until a package arrives and sets up book #4.
Again, the books seemed rather scattered over a few different plotlines, though it was more cohesive than the last. In the end, though, the action is fast-paced, the suspense kept taut, and the characters make you care about them, and those are the things that make or break a novel of this sort. So while I didn't love it as much as the first book either, I wasn't putting it down! Rather, I quickly picked up the next installment.
Labels: 2007, action/adventure, good stuff, suspense, teen
Montmorency on the Rocks
by Eleanor Updale.
#2 in the series.
I am, quite frankly, not as enamoured of this one as I was of the first book.
It starts several years later, during which time we are told Montmorency and his friend Lord George Fox-Selwyn have had quite a career as international spies for the British government. As the book opens, Montmorency has become addicted to an unnamed drug while in Turkey, and George takes him north to his brother's estate in Scotland to cure him with the help of Dr. Farcett, who had healed his wounds in prison. Events soon lead them to a small island off of Scotland, Tarimond, which will come to feature prominently in this book and later ones.
On Tarimond, Dr. Farcett begins to look into why every baby there has died for the past 8 years, while in London, the investigation into a covered-up explosion requires the investigative services of the spies Montmorency and Lord George. The three make their way back to the city, only to find an old friend of Montmorency's ahs the information they need, and they bring her into their life, increasing their circle at the same time that they uncover the bomber - but not before he strikes again.
Once again, we have tales of intrigue and suspense, and the theme of dressing as another person or class helps them find out what they need by blending with a different group of people. I felt, though, that this book is trying to do a lot more than the first book did, and loses some of the wonderful straight-forward drive and plot that made that so good. Instead, the twists and turns feel less directed on one hand, and more contrived on the other, as they clearly set up things and characters for book #3.
In sum, I didn't not like it, but felt it didn't quite live up to the standard of its predecessor, which I loved.
Labels: 2005, action/adventure, historical fiction, lukewarm, suspense, teen
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Montmorency: Thief, liar, gentleman?
by Eleanor Updale
I had been meaning to read this book for a while, since it sounded so delicious. Suspense, set in the Victorian era, involving a man who was a thief slinking under London by night and a gentleman by day. Would he be found out as one or as the other, and what would he stand to lose?
This first book sets up the series, introducing us to Prisoner 493 and his history, walking us through his time in prison, where he nurses his bitterness and envy towards the upper class and plans his dual life in great detail.
When he is at last released, he begins by setting himself up with the tools, clothes, and lodgings he will need, and the adventure begins. The crimes are not written up in detail, which could become dull and repetitive really quickly. Instead, his plans and what he learns are outlined, his narrow misses and the things he realizes he must change are sprinkled throughout to keep a nice degree of tension, and his progress is notable, but well-paced.
By the end, he finds himself offered a legitimate job of sorts - but one perfectly suited to his skills and parts of his personality, for it is all about deception, sneaking, and the thrill of the narrow escape. This perfectly sets up the next book in the series, too, and closes the door on part of his deception while it opens a new avenue for the same sort of suspense. This neat trick to keep the series fresh doesn't even feel gimmicky, which can be tough to pull off.
It will tell you something of my opinion that having finished the book last night, I went to the teen section today to pick up the rest of the series, bumping the book I had brought to work to start today.
I had been meaning to read this book for a while, since it sounded so delicious. Suspense, set in the Victorian era, involving a man who was a thief slinking under London by night and a gentleman by day. Would he be found out as one or as the other, and what would he stand to lose?
This first book sets up the series, introducing us to Prisoner 493 and his history, walking us through his time in prison, where he nurses his bitterness and envy towards the upper class and plans his dual life in great detail.
When he is at last released, he begins by setting himself up with the tools, clothes, and lodgings he will need, and the adventure begins. The crimes are not written up in detail, which could become dull and repetitive really quickly. Instead, his plans and what he learns are outlined, his narrow misses and the things he realizes he must change are sprinkled throughout to keep a nice degree of tension, and his progress is notable, but well-paced.
By the end, he finds himself offered a legitimate job of sorts - but one perfectly suited to his skills and parts of his personality, for it is all about deception, sneaking, and the thrill of the narrow escape. This perfectly sets up the next book in the series, too, and closes the door on part of his deception while it opens a new avenue for the same sort of suspense. This neat trick to keep the series fresh doesn't even feel gimmicky, which can be tough to pull off.
It will tell you something of my opinion that having finished the book last night, I went to the teen section today to pick up the rest of the series, bumping the book I had brought to work to start today.
Labels: 2004, action/adventure, good stuff, historical fiction, loved it, suspense, teen
Sara's Face
by Melvin Burgess
Melvin Burgess has an incredible knack for dreaming up situations that sound like they could only lead to the cheesiest book in the world, yet making them entertaining and easy to buy into by virtue of his fantastic writing. His book Lady, for example, is about a teenaged girl who turns into a dog. Ridiculous? Sure. But he writes it so that the experience of being a dog seems like it must be realistic, it is so plausible.
So here, he writes about a rock star who has, teaming up with a gifted but unscrupulous plastic surgeon, pushed the boundaries of surgery well past normal or accepted. As a result, after years of constantly morphing his appearance, his face has collapsed. Still, he won't be kept down, and reinvents himself with a mask that propels him to even greater heights of global fame.
Sara, who considers herself a piece of performance art in her own way, is awestruck. She takes to wearing a mask of his face as much as she can, even before she burns her face with an iron. As she recovers, the great star Jonathon Heat visits her in the hospital, taking her under his wing and into his home, where he says he will nurture her talent, fix her face, and make her a star. The question is - is that what he really wants? Sar begins to have suspicions that he and his surgeon want her for a whole different reason, and that she may not even be the first.
The book has good suspense, an ending horrible enough to satisfy but not as bad as it could be, and a premise of evil plotting that leaves you with some delicious little chills. At the same time, for those who are inclined to a good think or good discussion, there is plenty here for that, too.
Not the kind of book I'd say you have to read, but a good little thriller, and just shocking enough to make you want to.
Melvin Burgess has an incredible knack for dreaming up situations that sound like they could only lead to the cheesiest book in the world, yet making them entertaining and easy to buy into by virtue of his fantastic writing. His book Lady, for example, is about a teenaged girl who turns into a dog. Ridiculous? Sure. But he writes it so that the experience of being a dog seems like it must be realistic, it is so plausible.
So here, he writes about a rock star who has, teaming up with a gifted but unscrupulous plastic surgeon, pushed the boundaries of surgery well past normal or accepted. As a result, after years of constantly morphing his appearance, his face has collapsed. Still, he won't be kept down, and reinvents himself with a mask that propels him to even greater heights of global fame.
Sara, who considers herself a piece of performance art in her own way, is awestruck. She takes to wearing a mask of his face as much as she can, even before she burns her face with an iron. As she recovers, the great star Jonathon Heat visits her in the hospital, taking her under his wing and into his home, where he says he will nurture her talent, fix her face, and make her a star. The question is - is that what he really wants? Sar begins to have suspicions that he and his surgeon want her for a whole different reason, and that she may not even be the first.
The book has good suspense, an ending horrible enough to satisfy but not as bad as it could be, and a premise of evil plotting that leaves you with some delicious little chills. At the same time, for those who are inclined to a good think or good discussion, there is plenty here for that, too.
Not the kind of book I'd say you have to read, but a good little thriller, and just shocking enough to make you want to.
Labels: 2006, good stuff, issues, slightly weird stuff, suspense, teen
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Dunderheads
By Paul Fleischman, ill. David Roberts
This new Easy Reading book draws on caper films like Ocean’s Eleven for its quirky cast of characters, each with their own highly specialized skill set. This is married with a tale of student revenge on a teacher who crosses the line to create a fun story illustrated to terrific effect without straying into Graphic Novel territory. The overall feeling is of something familiar and cinematic, yet original and refreshing in the category this book fits into. You’re definitely rooting for the underdog kids here, and kids in grades 2-4 are pretty certain to love it for the combination of kid superiority, suspense, and humour.
Labels: 2009, early chapters, good stuff, suspense
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Case of the Left-handed Lady
by Nancy Springer. An Enola Holmes mystery.
Enola has set up, since the first mystery, a reasonable semblance of an existance for herself, complete with a few different identities and associated disguises. Although set up as a "scientific perditorian," she is mostly concerned, at first anyhow, with keeping herself hidden and figuring out how much her brothers know about her whereabouts, as well as adapting herself to keeping safe on the dangerous streets of Victorian London. Her newfound passion for helping other disguised as a nun doesn't help any, as she performs this role at night, wandering among the slums.
Through the book, a strange series of events turn out to be related as she is drawn into the mystery of a missing girl, learns about some radical new political movements of the time, and set upon at night herself.
Parallel to this runs the continued avoidance of her brothers, complete with a trick message left by one to trap her, a bit of snooping on her part, and a direct run-in with the ever-so-sharp Sherlock Holmes. Thsi plot will clearly continue to push through any future volumes as well, and at the end of this book, she is determined to keep herself from their grasp, telling them via newspaper ad to 'rot.'
I like the blend of suspense from the two plotlines here, I like Enola's spunk and intelligence, and I especially like the high level of explanation as to Victorian customs that is done throughout, somehow without being overly intrusive. This is a great series for a girl who likes some adventure and some smarts in her reading, but won't leave the girlier girls behind, either.
Labels: 2007, family, girly, historical fiction, loved it, middle grades, siblings, suspense, teen
Invasion of the IQ Snatchers
by Arthur Slade, from the Canadian Chillers series.
Something weird is going on in Nanaimo, BC, where plates of nanaimo bars are being delivered, and a few of them stolen away by a large, hairy thief. And why do the parents all seem so strange, all of a sudden, what with the curlers and the TV-watching and the obsession with clean ears?
Determined to find out, a pair of friends and friendly competitors set out after the thief to find out what she knows. A fair bit, it turns out, but joining forces, the three just barely manage to stop the brains of Nanaimo from becoming fuel for intergalactic flight. No, really. But it's okay, everyone turns out normal in the end, and the thief becomes a friend - for future volumes, perhaps?
Strange and silly, this one reminds me a bit of Daniel Pinkwater's style, and is sure to have the same appeal, especially to reluctant readers. Teachers may appreciate the author, who is notable on the Canadian kid lit scene, while kids will pretty surely enjoy the thin size and the fun, quirky, fast-paced content.
Labels: 2007, enh, fluff, middle grades, slightly weird stuff, suspense
Monday, May 19, 2008
Publisher Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray. Reviewed for Random House. For more information on this title, see here.
(about publisher reviews on kittenpie reads)
Though largely set in Victorian England, this book open with Gemma chafing to leave her home in India and go to London. She is now 16, after all. Her journey to England is set in motion when a strange vision comes over her, and she sees her mother kill herself rather than be claimed by some mysterious creature while in the company of an unknown man. This shadow cast over her family, she is to go off to finishing school at Spence to be made marriageable. This is not quite what happens there, however.
Instead, Gemma learns more about the strange amulet her mother gave her, and about the visions she continues to have.It turns out that she is a conduit to another place, a centrepoint of the next generation of a group of women known as the Order who can access this land and the magic therein. It isn't all as beautiful as it looks, though, because there is a dark side, and someone known as Circe wants control.
As she learns more about the past from a diary, it seems that it is a hunger for power that caused things to go astray when the last generation of girls entered this other land, the Realms, and that they had been sealed to prevent Circe from crossing into our world. Which means that there is current danger of repeating history or allowing Circe to manipulate one of the girls in Gemma's circle by opening the portal again.
The ending does wrap things up fairly nicely, though there are sequels, which I appreciate. I don't love to be left hanging! I am curious about the sequels, though.
Although a substantial read at over 400 pages, the book moves along fairly quickly and drew me in enough that I read it in a few days, even as a slower reader. I loved the language in many places, and enjoyed that while it has a Victorian setting and some Victorian conventions, it moved faster than your average Victorian novel, and had enough rebellious sentiments among the girls to appeal to a modern girl's sensibility, particularly in the slightly naughty pranks and the horror at Pippa's being forced into a marriage with a much older and quite unappealing man.
All in all, I'm not surprised that this has been a big hit. It had a long holds list at the library for some time, and was much-requested in-branch, with lots of girls wanting to read it. It was one with great media push at the outset, as well, but unlike some books, I think this one has substance behind all of that. It's a great read for a teen girls, with its gothic and fantasy elements being well-handled, but not the whole story, and the characters being very strong and relateable.
Now off to reserve the next one in the set...
(about publisher reviews on kittenpie reads)
Though largely set in Victorian England, this book open with Gemma chafing to leave her home in India and go to London. She is now 16, after all. Her journey to England is set in motion when a strange vision comes over her, and she sees her mother kill herself rather than be claimed by some mysterious creature while in the company of an unknown man. This shadow cast over her family, she is to go off to finishing school at Spence to be made marriageable. This is not quite what happens there, however.Instead, Gemma learns more about the strange amulet her mother gave her, and about the visions she continues to have.It turns out that she is a conduit to another place, a centrepoint of the next generation of a group of women known as the Order who can access this land and the magic therein. It isn't all as beautiful as it looks, though, because there is a dark side, and someone known as Circe wants control.
As she learns more about the past from a diary, it seems that it is a hunger for power that caused things to go astray when the last generation of girls entered this other land, the Realms, and that they had been sealed to prevent Circe from crossing into our world. Which means that there is current danger of repeating history or allowing Circe to manipulate one of the girls in Gemma's circle by opening the portal again.
The ending does wrap things up fairly nicely, though there are sequels, which I appreciate. I don't love to be left hanging! I am curious about the sequels, though.
Although a substantial read at over 400 pages, the book moves along fairly quickly and drew me in enough that I read it in a few days, even as a slower reader. I loved the language in many places, and enjoyed that while it has a Victorian setting and some Victorian conventions, it moved faster than your average Victorian novel, and had enough rebellious sentiments among the girls to appeal to a modern girl's sensibility, particularly in the slightly naughty pranks and the horror at Pippa's being forced into a marriage with a much older and quite unappealing man.
All in all, I'm not surprised that this has been a big hit. It had a long holds list at the library for some time, and was much-requested in-branch, with lots of girls wanting to read it. It was one with great media push at the outset, as well, but unlike some books, I think this one has substance behind all of that. It's a great read for a teen girls, with its gothic and fantasy elements being well-handled, but not the whole story, and the characters being very strong and relateable.
Now off to reserve the next one in the set...
Labels: 2003, girly, good stuff, growing up, historical fiction, Publisher Reviews, suspense, teen, witches and wizards
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The Real Thief
by William Steig.
I have drivelled on ad nauseum in various places about how dearly I love William Steig, so I am slowly tucking in everything of his I haven't read before, reading them between other, more current fiction I'm reading. This latest is the slimmest of chapter books, an Easy Reader size and format, with a handful of his illustrations, though I would not necessarily place it there because of the reading level Steig writes at. Steig loves rich vocabulary and tends to use words that would leave the average ER reader in the dust, so I would still place this in fiction for middle grades, despite its slender size.
In the book, Gawain, a most honourable goose who has been appointed Chief Guard of the king's treasury, finds himself in a terrible bind when he brings some small discrepancies in the treasury's inventory to the attention of the king. The thefts continue, and he is accused, being the only one besides the king who has keys. The king doesn't want to believe this, but faced with the evidence, he brings Gawain to trial, and the goose is cooked, so to speak. He escapes, flying away, and then we meet the real thief, who had not really faced that he was stealing, exactly, only redecorating with the help of the treasure he had found his way to. When he sees his friend Gawain accused, he decides he must steal more so as to make the goose's innocence obvious. Accomplishing this, he then returns all that he has stolen, and sets out to find his friend, bring him home, and restore his honour.
The story is lovely, of course, sweet and simple, and the language beautiful. It would be a great early read-aloud, but do be prepared to answer lots of "what does that word mean?" questions along the way.
I have drivelled on ad nauseum in various places about how dearly I love William Steig, so I am slowly tucking in everything of his I haven't read before, reading them between other, more current fiction I'm reading. This latest is the slimmest of chapter books, an Easy Reader size and format, with a handful of his illustrations, though I would not necessarily place it there because of the reading level Steig writes at. Steig loves rich vocabulary and tends to use words that would leave the average ER reader in the dust, so I would still place this in fiction for middle grades, despite its slender size.
In the book, Gawain, a most honourable goose who has been appointed Chief Guard of the king's treasury, finds himself in a terrible bind when he brings some small discrepancies in the treasury's inventory to the attention of the king. The thefts continue, and he is accused, being the only one besides the king who has keys. The king doesn't want to believe this, but faced with the evidence, he brings Gawain to trial, and the goose is cooked, so to speak. He escapes, flying away, and then we meet the real thief, who had not really faced that he was stealing, exactly, only redecorating with the help of the treasure he had found his way to. When he sees his friend Gawain accused, he decides he must steal more so as to make the goose's innocence obvious. Accomplishing this, he then returns all that he has stolen, and sets out to find his friend, bring him home, and restore his honour.
The story is lovely, of course, sweet and simple, and the language beautiful. It would be a great early read-aloud, but do be prepared to answer lots of "what does that word mean?" questions along the way.
Labels: friendship, golden oldies, loved it, suspense
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Jackson Jones and the Curse of the Outlaw Rose
by Mary Quattlebaum.
This is a short read, about the length of an early chapter book, but the language is higher-level. It might make a great one for a reluctant reader or someone intimidated by heftier volumes.
It's a nice early mystery, too, with a very relate-able young boy in an urban setting who loves basketball as the central character. It's not a whodunnit-style mystery, but rather a strange series of circumstances that lead his friend to believe that a rose cutting they snatched for a friend of the family might be cursed. Or perhaps, thinks Jackson, haunted. In the end, they return it to where it originated, only to discover a little extra background.
It's a nice light read with just a touch of spooky atmosphere, but not enough to give anyone any nightmares. I think it would make a great transition from Easy Readers into older fiction for a kid in in about grade 3 or 4, but as always, I suggest having the kid try reading a paragraph or two to see if it's a good reading level for them when you are looking at these kinds of steps up.
This is a short read, about the length of an early chapter book, but the language is higher-level. It might make a great one for a reluctant reader or someone intimidated by heftier volumes.
It's a nice early mystery, too, with a very relate-able young boy in an urban setting who loves basketball as the central character. It's not a whodunnit-style mystery, but rather a strange series of circumstances that lead his friend to believe that a rose cutting they snatched for a friend of the family might be cursed. Or perhaps, thinks Jackson, haunted. In the end, they return it to where it originated, only to discover a little extra background.
It's a nice light read with just a touch of spooky atmosphere, but not enough to give anyone any nightmares. I think it would make a great transition from Easy Readers into older fiction for a kid in in about grade 3 or 4, but as always, I suggest having the kid try reading a paragraph or two to see if it's a good reading level for them when you are looking at these kinds of steps up.
Labels: 2006, early chapters, good stuff, middle grades, suspense
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Case of the Missing Marquess
by Nancy Springer.
This book starts with a premise that could make for cheese and disaster all over the place in the wrong hands - Enola Holmes, much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, has a sudden problem - her independent, strong-minded, older mother has disappeared.
She starts to realize why when she meets her brothers, and finds also that her mother has left her a message and the means to run off on her own, despite the plans of Mycroft, who wants to mold her into a proper upper-class young woman, not the untamed thing her mother has raised.
Along the way, she meets up with a young Marquess who is similarly looking to escape the confines of his family, and solves his missing persons case, all the while evading her brothers and some villains looking to kidnap the pair of them.
What makes this work is her independent spirit, her own methods of detecting (often enough by instinct or accident), and the fact that she is not some Sherlock clone in skirts. She in fact didn't really need the family connection, but it does make a nice tension that is not played too strongly. I really enjoyed this one, and will be looking for the other titles in the series.
This book starts with a premise that could make for cheese and disaster all over the place in the wrong hands - Enola Holmes, much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, has a sudden problem - her independent, strong-minded, older mother has disappeared.
She starts to realize why when she meets her brothers, and finds also that her mother has left her a message and the means to run off on her own, despite the plans of Mycroft, who wants to mold her into a proper upper-class young woman, not the untamed thing her mother has raised.
Along the way, she meets up with a young Marquess who is similarly looking to escape the confines of his family, and solves his missing persons case, all the while evading her brothers and some villains looking to kidnap the pair of them.
What makes this work is her independent spirit, her own methods of detecting (often enough by instinct or accident), and the fact that she is not some Sherlock clone in skirts. She in fact didn't really need the family connection, but it does make a nice tension that is not played too strongly. I really enjoyed this one, and will be looking for the other titles in the series.
Labels: 2006, historical fiction, loved it, middle grades, suspense
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Missing Abby
by Lee Weatherly.
Emily was best friends with Abby. The two used to play fantasy games and draw dragons and aliens and other worlds, and had a great time. But when a popular bully turned her sights from Abby, who ignored her, to Emily, who was truly tormented, Emily decided to change schools and escape all of it, transforming herself into someone who could fit with the popular girls, someone who would never be into something as freakish as fantasy.
She even had an uncomfortable run-in with Abby on a bus one day, when it became clear that Abby was a little bitter that she had changed and totally cut off their lifelong friendship. Emily was only thinking of leaving it all behind, pretending to be someone else... until the news came on. Abby was missing, and Emily, as it turned out, was the last person to see her.
Emily is torn between trying to keep a good face on for her new friends, to pretend she didn't really know this goth-y girl that well, and feeling really terribly guilty and worried about Abby. She falls in with Abby's "freak" friends, trying to help them find her, and even gets herself into serious trouble with her parents when she brushes off her friends and disappears when she thinks she knows where Abby might have gone.
In the end, she finds herself a hero of sorts, which helps mend fences with her parents, and finds that her new friends are actually real friends, who don't care if she is into fantasy as well as fashion. In fact, they had met that bully from Emily's old school, and thought she was a major bitch. Emily finally finds a place for herself - a blend of the Ems who like trendy clothes and cute boys and the Emily who likes to dream up crazy, magic-filled worlds. It's a nice ending, something I'd wish for for any teen, to discover that they can be who they are and still be accepted.
Emily was best friends with Abby. The two used to play fantasy games and draw dragons and aliens and other worlds, and had a great time. But when a popular bully turned her sights from Abby, who ignored her, to Emily, who was truly tormented, Emily decided to change schools and escape all of it, transforming herself into someone who could fit with the popular girls, someone who would never be into something as freakish as fantasy.
She even had an uncomfortable run-in with Abby on a bus one day, when it became clear that Abby was a little bitter that she had changed and totally cut off their lifelong friendship. Emily was only thinking of leaving it all behind, pretending to be someone else... until the news came on. Abby was missing, and Emily, as it turned out, was the last person to see her.
Emily is torn between trying to keep a good face on for her new friends, to pretend she didn't really know this goth-y girl that well, and feeling really terribly guilty and worried about Abby. She falls in with Abby's "freak" friends, trying to help them find her, and even gets herself into serious trouble with her parents when she brushes off her friends and disappears when she thinks she knows where Abby might have gone.
In the end, she finds herself a hero of sorts, which helps mend fences with her parents, and finds that her new friends are actually real friends, who don't care if she is into fantasy as well as fashion. In fact, they had met that bully from Emily's old school, and thought she was a major bitch. Emily finally finds a place for herself - a blend of the Ems who like trendy clothes and cute boys and the Emily who likes to dream up crazy, magic-filled worlds. It's a nice ending, something I'd wish for for any teen, to discover that they can be who they are and still be accepted.
Labels: 2004, good stuff, growing up, issues, suspense, teen
