Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling
Youth fantasy. 759 pp.
Levine. 2007.

Now that my self-imposed two-week moratorium on a review of Hallows is at an end, I can actually get in and write my thoughts on the final tome in the series. I am certain there will be spoilers, especially considering that I'm not pleased with some of the methods of resolution, so if you still haven't finished the book, my recommendation is that you stop reading here.

In my previous post, I jotted down a short list of those things I did and did not like. Mostly I'm going to expand on those things here.

The low:

• The epilogue. The stupid, stupid, stupid epilogue. For starters, I think I should just point out a personal bias here, especially because I believe it will answer Theric's questions Why the hate for the epilogue? Would you have preferred none? Other? I hate epilogues in general. My authors always complained when I cut their epilogues. I don't believe you have to spell out for the reader how, in the end, everyone ends up happy and content and married to the right people and blah blah blah. I am very keen on the notion that if it doesn't pertain to the timeframe of the story you're telling, it shouldn't be in the book. So epilogues are out. I'm slightly more forgiving of prologues, but they must be ridiculously short and serve to establish the tone or setting of the story.
  
  Hallow's epilogue was a particularly egregious and terrible one. So Ron and Hermione get married. Big deal. Like we didn't all know that was going to happen. The writing was rather lame. The characters were rather lame. Everything was rather lame. Now, most people I have talked with have also complained about the terribleness of the epilogue. Some have tried to come up with most interesting and twisted arguments to defend it. My particular favorite is from an acquaintance of mine and Absent's. Her theory is that Rowling intentionally wrote a lame epilogue so that everyone can see how lame Harry and his friends are once Voldie is defeated and thus everybody will understand why she's not writing any more Harry books and nobody will be tempted to pick up her characters and write their own stories about Harry. Creative theory, but I think that Rowling just wrote a sucky and lame epilogue.
  
  (To be a positive person, I can point to two small, itty bitty minor elements that I liked about the epilogue. I liked the acknowledgement, albeit cold and stiff, between Harry and Draco. I also liked that Harry had named his son after Dumbledore and Snape.)
  
  
• The smoking wand that was thrown in for resolution at the end. Though technically on the wall . . . This, more than anything, was the greatest downfall of the book. I don't mind that Rowling essentially hinted at it throughout the book with all the reference to wand lore. That was rather brilliant. What bugs me is that at no point in time prior to his I-am-the-rightful-master-of-the-wand speech does Harry have the realization that Draco de-wanded Dumbledore and Harry de-wanded Draco and therefore the wand is obedient to him. You can claim that it's part of keeping the reader guessing without revealing too much all you want, but the story is told from Harry's perspective, so the reader is always aware of what he is thinking. This is a bit of information you can't simply withhold. You can withhold all the things Harry doesn't see or know all you want, but you can't withhold the most crucial key to the resolution. Bad Rowling. Bad Rowling's editor.
  
  
• The slooooooow beginning. (But I guess I had forgotten that you always have to wait until a third of the way into the book for it to actually get going.) Not much more to say here. At least there was slightly more action in the beginning than there have been in previous books.
  
  
• The exposition of Dumbledore's history. I don't remember why this is on the list. Likely I found it to be slow. And long. More about this particular aspect in the next bullet point and in the next list, though.
  
  
• The penulitmate chapter reveal. The not-quite-dead-yet scene was troubling to me. For starters, it interrupted a great action and movement sequence. It's just an awkward place to suddenly slam the brakes. Additionally, the scene really didn't contribute that much to the final resolution. Yes, it was nice to finally get Dumbledore sharing his past in a straightforward manner, but still. Now, had Harry actually figured out in this scene that he was master of the Elder Want, I might not have disliked it so. But that didn't happen. On the bright side, which will only lead to disappointment, I'm looking forward to the movie now to see if they actually start this scene with a naked Harry.
  
  
• The hat trick at the end. Considering all the talk throughout the books about the treatment of the "lower" magical beings, I was most upset that Neville was able to pull the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat. The sword was no longer in a wizard's possession; it was in a goblin's possession. Neville ought not to have had access to it.
  
  
• The stupidity of Harry. This last one is a realization I had as I went through the books again in preparation for Hallows. I don't really like Harry. Absent thinks I don't like him because he's ruled by too much emotion for my liking. And I'm sure that's part of it. But he just does stupid things. All. The. Time. During this reading of the series, I realized that what I like most is the world Rowling has created.

The high:

• The body count. And I must admit that I'm surprised at the two that actually upset me most. I throw out monster kudos to Rowling and her editor for killing off as many characters as they did. But I've always been a fan of that. One of the best books I worked on as an editor was one where the author had two main characters and killed one halfway through the book. Death brings about particularly strong emotions, and I think they're ones we don't need to shy away from because we're worried about how the audiene might respond. So I'm pleased that she knocked off as many as she did.
  
  People have been wondering which deaths I found to be most significant. It certainly wasn't Fred. But, then, I've been calling that one of the Weasleys would have to die; that's to be expected in a family of that size. Nor was it Moody or Lupin or Tonks. The first death that really touched me was Dobby. He was always faithful. I am so pleased that Harry dug Dobby's grave by hand instead of with magic. I'm pleased that he recognized Dobby's value there. The second death that really touched me was Colin Creevey. Throughout the series, the main characters always focused on how obnoxious Colin was. And he was. But in the end. In the end, Colin snuck back to fight.
  
  
• The history of Dumbledore. I know that many people were annoyed with how much time was spent on Dumbledore's history. Many wonder about the point. I think the point is significant: We must understand why Dumbledore was insistent on giving everyone a second chance.
  
  
• The unforgiveable curses. In my opinion, this was the most brilliant element of this book. We start at the beginning with Lupin lecturing Harry about his expeliarmus fixation and how, while a unique and kind dueling technique, it is rather weak if he intends to defeat Voldie. Then we move on to Harry actually using the imperius curse. And then there's the cruciatus curse. Rowling had me believing that Harry would actually be able to use the killing curse on Voldie. But then he didn't. Brilliant.
  
  
• The battle at Hogwarts. Rowling writes a rather good action sequence. If only she wrote more of those. My favorite line, though, was from Professor Sprout at the bottom of 600:

  And as she jogged out of sight, they could hear her muttering, "Tentacula. Devil's Snare. And Snargaluff pods . . . yes, I'd like to see the Death Eaters fighting those too."

• The courage of Neville Longbottom. I don't know if there's anything more to be said about this. It's unfortunate that Neville was a minor major character because he showed the most growth and development as a whole. He actually became the hero we're expected to believe Harry is.
  
  
• The insight of Luna Lovegood. I feel the same way about Luna as I do about Neville. Here is a character we can actually, truly love. If Rowling does write more Potterverse books, I hope they're about Neville and Luna.
  
  
• The truth about Snape. I find it interesting that one of the articles I've read indicates that Rowling never considered Snape to be any kind of hero. Because I think he was. A tragic hero, yes, but more of a hero than Harry. Harry never made any choice to sacrifice; it was just expected of him what he'd do. And I think that also has a great deal to do with why I'm not overly fond of him as a character. But Snape . . . Now there's a character who is tormented, who must wake up every day and make a willful decision about who he is and who he will be.

So that's it. Overall, I found the book generally well-written, generally enjoyable. I'm not sure if I'm sad that there isn't another book to look forward to. I think I'm more sad that there isn't another book release to look forward to. I found it thrilling that you had people around the world preparing for the release of a book. In the end, that's the true magic of Harry Potter.

e is for

Editing

I apologize for the delay in this post; however, this has been due to a lack of sponsorship. Please see below.

I am, by profession, an editor. This is, for better or worse, the most natural realization of my inner being. I took Engl 410 Editing for Publction (that's what my AIM calls it) my second senior year from Doris Dant. One day, Don Norton was a bit slow in letting out his class prior to us. He asked what class we were, and then he waxed philosophical. "Anyone can be taught editing skills, but truly great editors are born." I only share this because I, in all my humility, think you should know going into this post that I am a truly great editor. Fortunately, there isn't a soul who currently reads this blog who can refute this claim. At least, not yet.

I didn't always know I was an editor; I had six majors--History, Secondary Education; International Relations; Accounting; Construction Management; Art History--in college before I graduated with my bachelor's. My education was quite well rounded, if I do say so myself, and my parents will confirm that. I believe I am one of the few students at BYU to have had a class in every building on campus, including the elusive B-66.

You think I digress, but this is relevant information. You will notice the lack of an English major. No, I bounced from college to college, discipline to discipline, and course to course, gleaning information here and tidbits there. But, unbeknownst to me at the time, an editor must know a whole lot o' crap. And if you couple my plethora of studies with the Retention of Useless Knowledge gene I inherited from my dad, I was well on my way to being an editor.

While in my final major (Art History), I discovered my love of editing. My favorite professor (Martha Peacock for those who need numerous details) determined our grades on three things: midterm exam, paper, final exam. Part of the paper assignment was to exchange papers with a classmate and edit your peer's paper. That was an assignment I could get into. In the four classes I had from Dr. Peacock, I managed to develop quite the reputation. Mostly because the paper came back with me having written more on the page than the student who handed it in. I would reorganize structure and hone word choice. I would question arguments. The last class I had from Dr. Peacock, she mentioned prior to the swap that the Powers That Be were smiling down upon the student who received my attention. Yea, said student would practically be guaranteed an A merely by doing what I told said student to do.

So this is how I discovered that I am an editor. I then took the Engl 410 class. Dr. Dant was less than impressed with me at the beginning because I wasn't an English major and had never taken an English class. She felt certain that I was doomed to failure. Which, of course, is why I was the only student at the end of the semester to whom she offered a paid internship at BYU Studies. (The other girl who got an internship had to do it for credit, though she was paid the following term.)

Anyway, I decided to stay on at BYU to get a master's in English because I thought it would be good to have some actual English training. Come to find out, actual English training wasn't even necessary to enter into my field. Experience is what counts. Woo hoo! I took off for New York one summer to attend NYU's Summer Publishing Institute. I learned the bones of the business and made great contacts, even if I didn't actually use any of those contacts to get a job. That's the history of my becoming a bona fide, professional editor.

I feel that I should be clear on one point. I'm an editor. I'm not an editor who wishes I were an author. As evidence in support of this claim, I offer up my master's thesis. You know, the one I never wrote because I didn't want to write it. Mom likes to point this out regularly, especially as it related to my many years at the university with only one degree to show for it. I have no interest in writing. Although I do find myself writing now, but that's the fault of Coworker and Iguana, who have formed a writers group because they like to write. They invited me to join, and I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to sit around and discuss writing. But Coworker seems to believe in some Pact of Mutual Vulnerability; therefore, I must write. This is further enhanced by prodding from Fobby. But that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, I mention this because I am not an editor who will rewrite my authors' books for them. That's their job. I may send them a rewrite letter with a phrase akin to You've put in a lot of great effort with this manuscript; however, your audience is only interested in such and such plot, and so as you rewrite, I request that you eliminate everything that is not pertinent to this plot. Oops. Not my fault that you are now left with only five pages. Again also not my fault that you wrote about a forty-five year old woman's issues with pregnancy and high blood pressure and too much stress from her Relief Society calling. In a book geared for teenage girls. (For the record, she completely rewrote the book. And it came back significantly improved and actually geared toward her audience.)

I am the Happy Cutter. I like the bare bones, even if that isn't evidenced by this post. I recently asked an author to cut 10% of his most recent novel. He balked. He complained. He eventually cut about 5%. Good for him. He told me it was as honed as it could possibly be. There was not another single word that could possibly be cut. I cut 10% more.

Now, I know I come across as harsh and abrasive; Cicada is not the first person to accuse me of having little interest in winning friends and influencing people. I acknowledge that I am rather, well, forceful in my opinions. But that stems from my editing philosophy. I guess it's a bit renegade. You see, editors are the bridges between authors and publishers. Editors are the only people in the publishing house who have actually read the book and care about its artistic integrity. Marketing doesn't; marketing sees dollar signs and ker-ching ker-ching. Sales doesn't; sales sees, well, sales. Art doesn't; art sees grand sweeping vistas of autumn fields, even if the book takes place in the middle of a barren winter on the Canadian plains. (To be fair, they're not going to complain if it's good stuff, but it actually being good doesn't really do much for their task list.) So the editor is the go-between. Editors must make everyone happy, including the poor, abused artists and the Big Bosses Who Sign the Not-As-Big-As-I-Would-Wish-Them-to-Be Checks.

But like I'm said, I'm a bit of a renegade. My loyalty is not to the publisher or the author; it's to the book. If the publisher wants a fast-paced action prologue that I feel destroys the methodical development that is so crucial to the character of the book, I won't put it in. Likewise, if the author wants an epilogue because he must tie up every loose end and it has his favorite sentence in the whole book and I feel that the epilogue destroys the emotional impact of the resolution of the book, I will do everything in my power to convince the author to eliminate the epilogue, even if it requires a number of hours on the phone and myriad e-mail exchanges over a course of days resulting in a compromise where the chapter gets inserted a few chapters prior to the end of the book and the author must kill off a favorite character five years prior to when the character actually dies.

As much as my willful behavior may irritate publisher and author alike, everyone is pleased in the end, because the book is good. And books are king.

This post has been brought to you by Ennio Morricone. Sure, John Williams and Danny Elfman seem to be the masters of the movie soundtrack; however, neither has produced a melody so haunting and beautiful and exquisite as "Gabriel's Oboe."

You may have noticed there is no author sponsor this post. As I was preparing last week, I realized I don't have anyone who could feasibly sponsor as I don't think I've read anything by an E author. I could have Bart Ehrman sponsor, but as you'll notice, his book is still in the Accumulating on the Nightstand list.

And this brings me to my request. I have gone through and planned the sponsors for the remainder of the alphabiography. Some letters lack musical sponsors, some authorial sponsors. If you have suggestions, please let me know.

In need of musical sponsors: H U X Z
In need of authorial sponsors: I U X

Thank you for your support.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling
Youth fantasy. 759 pp.
Levine. 2007.

So, as I've been planning for over five months now, I spent yesterday holed up in my house reading the final tome in the Harry Potter series. Absent and a friend joined me for reading. Tall Drink came over for food and to entertain Puppy (because she was rather miffed that there were an abundance of people in the house who were not paying her any attention at all). I am, apparently, now dead to some people because I did not attend their birthday movies or wedding receptions. But, in all fairness, I had planned this day long before they decided to go to a movie in the middle of the afternoon or, for that matter, even get engaged.

Regardless, yesterday was a most enjoyable day. Absent made lots of yumminess. (And I quite like her pumpkin pasties and butter beer.) The story was generally good. Oh, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL . . . Absent was a good girl and did not read the ending before she began the book. This is a significant and major accomplishment. Of course, had she read the third to last chapter, as she normally does, she would have been most distraught, so now she must be grateful for my insistense that she enjoy the book from front to back.

I shan't review the book at this particular point in time, since I know that not everyone has read the book and I think that I will be unable to keep spoilers out of the review. However, I would like to leave some notes on the low points and high points.

The low:

• The epilogue. The stupid, stupid, stupid epilogue.
  
• The smoking wand that was thrown in for resolution at the end. Though technically on the wall . . .
  
• The slooooooow beginning. (But I guess I had forgotten that you always have to wait until a third of the way into the book for it to actually get going.)
  
• The exposition of Dumbledore's history.
  
• The penulitmate chapter reveal.
  
• The hat trick at the end.
  
• The stupidity of Harry.

The high:

• The body count. And I must admit that I'm surprised at the two that actually upset me most.
  
• The history of Dumbledore.
  
• The battle at Hogwarts.
  
• The courage of Neville Longbottom.
  
• The insight of Luna Lovegood.
  
• The truth about Snape.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox
by Mary E. Pearson
YA apocalypse fiction. 265 pp.
Henry Holt. 2008.

flap copy:

Who is Jenna Fox?
Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen?

Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions—questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident?

In this fascinating novel, acclaimed author Mary E. Pearson presents an unforgettable look at human life and a glimpse into a possible future that may be closer than we think.

I had generally overlooked most reviews of this book, partly because the cover just didn't quite catch me. But then I read Abby's review, which did more to intrigue me before it sold me by connecting it to The House of the Scorpion.

And it is good. Of course, I have this thing for dystopian/post-apocalyptic sci fi. It's not as good as Scorpion (or at least what my lingering feelings for Scorpion indicate), but it presents an extremely plausible future and sharp questions about bioethics and human environmental responsibility. I like the poetic use of language throughout the book, which even includes poetry to function as chapter breaks.

I'm not in love with the book because I do feel there were some holes in development. (I'm still trying to figure out if I somehow skimmed over whatever reference was made to help me understand the "three babies" bit.) One character seems to disappear without the conflict there actually having some kind of resolution. It has an epilogue. This is one instance where the epilogue actually served a purpose that I won't begrudge it, but I still didn't like it.

Overall, though, this is a good book and should be read.

Other reviews:
Abby (the) Librarian
The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Book Nut

The God Box

The God Box
by Alex Sanchez
YA fiction. 248 pp.
Simon & Schuster. 2007.

I've noticed that it's books that merge with some kind of political or other type of fallout that stall me in my reviews. I read this book back in October. Just after I finished reading it, I saw the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So. I had originally intended to merge reviews of the two pieces into one, since they deal with the same subject matter. But I could just never get it to gel. Obviously I'll never be Frank Rich.

The flap copy:

High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir and being active in Bible club. But when Manuel transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone in their small town has ever met, and yet he also says he's a committed Christian. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on homosexuality causes Paul to reevaluate everything he believed. Manuel's outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand.

I'm finally starting to like Sanchez as an author. That has more to do with the improvement in his writing than anything else. He's often focused on Latino gays, which he does here as well, making him unique among YA authors who write about sexuality. What I'm liking is that his didacticism is merging much better with the actual story. The lessons come more from dialogue as opposed to monologue in this book. Sure, the last chapter, which may as well be an epilogue (and we all know how I feel about those), smacks of didacticism, but overall, this is good for Sanchez.

I like that Manuel is an openly gay Christian who is comfortable with himself. Too often our culture automatically casts gays over to the Secular Outcast Heathen Hellbent on Destroying Everything Good and Holy side of things. I like that he is one of the most Christlike characters in the book. (There is a girl in the Bible club who figures that since Jesus said to love everyone, there is no reason why she can't eat lunch with and become friends with Manuel. And not with that ulterior friendship motive to call him to repentance like one of the other girls in the book.) I like that he doesn't shy away from debate. I like that he's patient with Paul as Paul deals with his own issues.

Paul is a more interesting character than just the closeted teen coming to terms with himself, and this is an aspect that I like as well. Paul is also dealing with the loss of his mother and the chasm that's opened between him and his father. Paul is also dealing with his personal eradication and denial of his Latino heritage, which I found to be an interesting mirror to how he deals with his sexuality.

Overall, the book has compelling characters who work through the complications of where sexuality and religion meet in contemporary culture. I wish there were more books like this. I'd like to think that such books would improve the rampant self-destruction—alcohol and drug abuse, unsafe sex practices, suicide—that seems to be overly present in gay communities that overlap with religious communities.

The Final Farewell

The Final Farewell
by Patricia Wiles
YA fiction. 246 pp.
Covenant Communications. 2007.

back copy:

Growing up can be hard. Especially if you live in a funeral home and your friends have either moved away, turned away—or passed away. Now that Kevin is getting close to graduation, the decision he always thought would be simple are becoming increasingly difficult. Everyone seems to be changing, including him. He wonders if he really should serve a two-year Church mission—or if he should accept the scholarship he's been offered in the field he loves. After all, the scholarship is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and he feels like he has nothing to say when he goes out with the local missionaries. Kevin needs help to find an answer. However, just when he thinks he has made up his mind, a disaster strikes that could change everything. Get caught up in the whirlwind of a young man's life in The Final Farewell of the Kevin Kirk Chronicles.

A few months ago, Puppicent was going through this Eat Edgy's Books phase (which led to the previous policy known as Lock Puppicent in the Laundry Room While We're Out [which has since been replaced with the Chain Puppicent Up Outside Because She Still Isn't Controlling Her Bowels policy]). During her book eating, aside from taking out Deathly Hallows, she also destroyed my Kevin Kirk Chronicles. I recently had these replaced and realized that I hadn't yet read the final book in the series. So I did that on Thursday.

This is perhaps the most difficult book review I've written.

So let's start with some full disclosure: I love Patricia Wiles. Though I had many authors I enjoyed working with while at Covenant, I can easily—oh so easily—say that Patricia was my favorite. And that's because she's brilliant. Utterly brilliant. Her sense of voice is wonderful. Her dedication to her craft—particularly the revision element of her craft—is absolutely stellar. And she doesn't resent and despise her editor. In fact, she actually takes criticism and praise quite well.

As an example, for her second novel, she had submitted a manuscript that was, well, good but not great. Bordering a bit on the meh side of things, perhaps. We spent about an hour or so talking about it on the phone and had come to the conclusion that there were likely too many things going on and things just weren't clicking quite right. So she set out to work on it. About three weeks later, I received her revised manuscript in the mail. And it was magnificent. She had done far more than we had talked about on the phone because she was brilliant enough to recognize what needed to happen. Even if that meant that she and I both lost some of the parts we dearly loved about the initial manuscript.

So I think she's grand.

Unfortunately, I don't think this novel is grand. It's the fourth and final book in the series, and so it's suffering from End of Series Doom I suspect. And it has an epilogue (and we all know how I feel about those). And there just seems to be too much going on with inadequate focus on the more important action scenes. The humor and voice are still good, so it's an enjoyable read that I recommend, it's just that I think the earlier books in the series pull through better.

How I Live Now

How I Live Now
by Meg Rosoff
YA fiction. 194 pp.
Wendy Lamb Books. 2004.
2005 Printz Award.

from Kirkus Reviews:
Manhattanite Daisy, 15, moves to London to stay with an aunt and cousins she's never met. Without preamble or fanfare, an unidentified enemy attacks and war ensues. Her aunt is abroad on a peace mission, meaning that Daisy and her three cousins, with whom she forges a remarkable relationship, must survive almost entirely on their own. This is a very relatable contemporary story, told in honest, raw first-person and filled with humor, love, pathos, and carnage. War, as it will, changes these young people irrevocably, not necessarily for the worse. They and readers know that no one will ever be the same. The story of Daisy and her three exceptional cousins, one of whom becomes her first lover, offers a keen perspective on human courage and resilience. An epilogue, set six years after the conclusion, while war still lingers, ends Daisy's story on a bittersweet, hopeful note.

Do you remember yesterday when I talked about how refreshing it was to read Flush as a reprieve from the Weird Award-Winning Books? Well, this is the book it happily interrupted. As you can tell from the summary by Kirkus, this book has some weird stuff to it. Primarily that by page 50, Daisy is, ahem, intimate with her cousin Edmond. It's kinda weird. Okay, it's really weird. But since I read books to their conclusion (a personality flaw I'm cursed with), I finished the book.

There are some things notable about the book. The voice is strong and distinct. The writing style is gripping. There are some wonderful turns of phrases and images here and there. (At one point, Daisy describes eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after a night of fleeing the enemy as "hopeful.") The setting is an odd but extremely well-done combination of contemporary and World War II. The characters themselves are intriguing. Daisy is anorexic (part of the reason she's been shipped off to England). Edmond and Daisy have a telepathic connection that enables them to communicate with each other across wide distances. Edmond's twin brother can communicate with animals, as can his younger sister. And then there's the struggle as Daisy is forced to mature as she tries to cross the country with her youngest cousin in search of their other cousins.

But despite all that's good, I still find that I can't get past the cousin loving. I realize it's not a taboo everywhere and that marriage between cousins is even legal in some places. But still . . .

I can't give this book a full endorsement, but I would be interested in reading this author again.

The Books of Ember

Note: Having just finished the third book in The Books of Ember series yesterday, I had thought to review all of them in a single post, seeing as how I'm behind on the previous two posts as it is. However, that would just throw off my numbers for the year—because the number of review posts would not match the number of books read—which would drive me slightly batty. So I then decided to give them their own posts, but write them at the same time. In the end, that seemed too disjointed. Consequently, they're all bundled up into a single post. The number thing will make me slightly neurotic, but I'm hoping the cohesion placates me.

The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
MG apocalyptic fiction. 270 pp.
Random House. 2003.

back copy:

Lina Mayfleet desperately wants to be a messenger. Instead, she draws the dreaded job of Pipeworks laborer, which means she'll be working in damp tunnels deep underground.

Doon Harrow draws messenger—and asks Lina to trade! Doon wants to be underground. That's where the generator is, and Doon has ideas about how to fix it. For as long as anyone can remember, the great lights of Ember have kept the endless darkness at bay. But now the lights are beginning to flicker . . .

I'd heard about this series quite some time ago but never really picked it up to read. Then, somewhere along the way, I came across a review that actually piqued my interest. So I bought the first book. But then I still didn't read it. I finally changed that this year and finished off the series along the way.

The first book is, in terms of story and quality, the better book in the series. I think that has to do with the fact that apocalyptic fiction relies on the world you create. The same decline in quality essentially happened with The Giver and its subsequent books (though Gathering Blue was quite good as well, but that was only because I believed it was a different world from the first book, a notion that Messenger essentially debunked). The primary difference in the fall I see between these two series is that Lowry is a better writer than DuPrau and at least had quality of writing to salvage the end of her series.

I think the development of themes is more interesting in the subsequent books.

The People of Sparks
by Jeanne DuPrau
MG apocalyptic fiction. 338 pp.
Yearling. 2004.

back copy:

When Lina and Doon lead their people up from the underground city of Ember, they discover a surface world of color and life. The people of a small village called Sparks agree to help the Emberites, but the villagers have never had to share their world before. Soon differences between the two groups escalate, and it's up to Lina and Doon to find a way to avoid war!

In the riveting sequel to the highly acclaimed The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau explores the nature of conflict and the strength and courage necessary to overcome it.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I think the quality of storytelling and writing is in a bit of a decline. Here, I attribute that to my general Dislike of the Sequel. I can't say I was particularly interested in more of Lina and Doon's adventures. And I guess my problem with this is that I find it a bit on the implausible side that Lina and Doon can be the saviors of civilization yet again. Perhaps it would have been better for the author to spread the glory around a bit.

What I think works really well in this book is the notion of conflict and how it leads to war. It's particularly interesting as you have two cultures butting heads following some grand destruction. You have the cool heads who want peace to prevail as well as the hotheads that are looking for a fight to acquire power. In the end, you see the importance of cooperation.

The Prophet of Yonwood
by Jeanne DuPrau
YA fiction. 289 pp.
Yearling. 2007.

back copy:

War looms on the horizon as eleven-year-old Nickie and her aunt travel to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina. There, one of the town's respected citizens has had a terrible vision of fire and destruction. As the people of Yonwood scramble to make sense of the woman's mysterious utterances, Nickie explores the oddities she finds around town, while keeping an eye out for ways to help the world. Is this vision her chance? Or is it already too late to avoid a devastating war?

In this prequel to the acclaimed The City of Ember and The People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau investigates how, in a world that seems out of control, hope and comfort can be found in the strangest of places.

In terms of actual writing and storytelling, I felt this book was the weakest of the three. I think that is most evident when you get to the last chapter, which is essentially a required epilogue. And we all know how I feel about those. But DuPrau forced herself into that by leaving too many open threads that needed resolution. And she had to somehow connect this book to the other two, since it's billed as a prequel.

However, I found myself quite intrigued by the author's exploration of the use of religion and God to justify war and conflict. Nickie's conflict comes in her desire to do and be good but in the unintended negative consequences that follow from that when she doesn't pause to question whether or not the things she's asked to do truly are good and moral.

I guess the one thing I walk away with from the series as a whole is the notion of respect for others and how that ought to be the key that leads to peace. In the first book, you have a civilization in decline that needs to find an answer, but you also have a corrupt government that is inhibiting others from seeking out solutions. In the second, you have two groups of people who must strive to work together, but again you have power-hungry individuals who are thwarting those attempts and aggravating the peace. The third throws in the element of religious/moral do-gooders who don't always do so much good, particularly as they set themselves up as the arbiters of what and who is good and bad.

In the end, I like the themes that DuPrau explores, though I find myself unimpressed with the writing skill employed. Regardless, I can see this as a good series to perhaps start a discussion with younger kids about conflict and love of neighbor.

harvest 2008

So I swear that this year I will actually stay current and produce my year-end post in a timely manner. I'm even starting it in March. March, I tell you!

And now that it's January, I can see that I did a good job with this during the past year. Even if I'm not posting the harvest until the tenth eleventh of the month.

This was a good year of reading for me. I managed to hit seventy books. Even if I was having to push through the last book of the year, just finishing it with hours to spare.

I think this is the first time I've compiled stats of what I read. This is, surprisingly, more difficult than I had anticipated it would be. I believe this is due to the fluidity and imprecision of labels. Or at least the imprecision with which I labeled books. For example, in reviewing my reviews, I'm not sure why I classified Percy Jackson and The Shadow Thieves as fantasy but Oh. My. Gods. and Pandora Gets Jealous and Gods Behaving Badly as fiction when they're all about the Greek/Roman gods. And why did I label Suck It Up as fiction whereas, had I actually read it, I would have classified Breaking Craptastica as fantasy? So I believe that for my stats, I'm going to have to generalize the categories a bit to make them easier to assess. Perhaps I'll be more precise next year in my labeling.

That said, here are this year's stats:

Books read: 70
Pages read: 20,706

Nonfiction—Inspirational: 1
Nonfiction—Informational: 3
Nonfiction—Essay/Memoir: 1
Poetry: 1
Short Stories: 1
Graphic Novel: 3
General Fiction—Adult: 4
General Fiction—YA: 23
General Fiction—MG: 6
Fantasy—Adult: 3
Fantasy—YA: 8
Fantasy—MG: 8
Sci Fi/Apocalyptic—YA: 5
Sci Fi/Apocalyptic—MG: 3

2008: 32
2007: 21
2006: 5
2005: 3
2004: 3
2003: 2
2001: 2
1988: 1

Books Edited: 15
Books Evaluated for Publication: 4 (1 evaluated twice)

All in all, not a bad year. I think my best books for the year are Thirteen Reasons Why, The Willoughbys, How They Met, Unwind, Suck It Up, Larklight series, Gods Behaving Badly, My Most Excellent Year, The Graveyard Book, Paper Towns, What I Saw and How I Lied, Vintage, and Swish.

There aren't many that I regret picking up, though my least books for the year would include the books of Ember, Click, Changing Jamie, Girl v. Boy, Gifted, Magyk, Broadway Nights, The Shadow Thieves, Big Fat Manifesto, and A Mercy.

And finally, the year in review . . .

1. The Well of Lost Plots

   I think this may be my favorite Thursday Next book at this point. It's in this one where the world Fforde has created gets truly ingenious. I really love his characters, and Next really becomes likable at this point as she's not out creating her own problems (necessarily, anyway).

   
   
2. Click

   I picked this book up because I thought it was an intriguing idea and I like some of the authors. I like that the narrative is employing a variety of short stories by different authors. I just don't think it worked.

   
   
3. Thirteen Reasons Why

   This book is rather haunting. Good, but haunting nonetheless.

   
   
4. Slam

   I do remember that I picked it up because I like Nick Hornby and I was interested in seeing what he would do when writing YA. Truth be told, I recall being a bit disappointed. The writing was fair enough, it's just that neither the book nor the writing stood out.

   
   
5. The City of Ember

   The first book is, in terms of story and quality, the better book in the series. I think that has to do with the fact that apocalyptic fiction relies on the world you create.

   
   
6. The People of Sparks

   I think the quality of storytelling and writing is in a bit of a decline. Here, I attribute that to my general Dislike of the Sequel. I can't say I was particularly interested in more of Lina and Doon's adventures. And I guess my problem with this is that I find it a bit on the implausible side that Lina and Doon can be the saviors of civilization yet again. Perhaps it would have been better for the author to spread the glory around a bit.

   
   
7. How They Met

   And it's brilliant. Brilliant, I tell you. Then again, I have a tendency to think Levithan is brilliant as it is. The best part, though, is that through this book we discover that Levithan has always been brilliant.

   
   
8. Life As We Knew It

   What I like about these books in particular is the idea behind them. I read in an interview with Pfeffer that she intentionally wanted to explore how people respond to cataclysmic events but she wanted to do so without the event being the fault of humans. Hence the asteroid pushing the moon closer to earth. And the books are wonderful because of this.

   
   
9. Repossessed

   It's not my favorite Printz book I've read. It does have one of the sharper covers, but that's not necessarily a reason to recommend it.

   
   
10. The White Darkness

    I had initial difficulty getting into it because I just didn't like Sym. Fortunately, one thing she had going for her was that I could tell that I would more than likely end up liking her. I had to work at this, because she adores her uncle, who I could tell was a very bad seed from the get-go. And she's very passive, which I find to be an amazingly taxing trait to tolerate. She was also a bit slow on figuring out what was going on. I've noticed that I can handle this in third-person narratives, but I don't take it quite as well in first-person narratives.

    
    
11. The Prophet of Yonwood

    In terms of actual writing and storytelling, I felt this book was the weakest of the three. I think that is most evident when you get to the last chapter, which is essentially a required epilogue. And we all know how I feel about those. But DuPrau forced herself into that by leaving too many open threads that needed resolution. And she had to somehow connect this book to the other two, since it's billed as a prequel.

    
    
12. A Really Nice Prom Mess

    Initially, I wasn't digging the book. The action was rather blah and I wasn't overly fond of the protagonist's voice either. Fortunately, that all changed when Cameron left the prom with the bisexual Russian pot dealer. Suddenly there was something interesting happening. And suddenly Cameron's voice wasn't quite so irritating and whiny.

    
    
13. The Willoughbys

    I'm beginning to feel that you can't lose with a Lowry book. I've always enjoyed her writing. I find her to be insightful and well paced. This book is just as entertaining. I like the "old" feel to it. I like the dry, almost macabre, sense of humor to it.

    
    
14. Pandora Gets Jealous

    This book is cute, but it borders a bit on the fluff side. It's still set in Ancient Greece, but the language and attitude is very much contemporary American. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I guess it works well enough. The characters are interesting and seem to work well together.

    
    
15. Unwind

    Yes, it's another sci fi novel. And this one is good too. It's dark, there's no denying that. I mean, consider the premise: as a political compromise between the pro-life and pro-choice camps, legislation is passed that prohibits abortion, though when kids turns thirteen, they can be retroactively aborted, but all their parts must be harvested and recycled. Creepy. (Especially since you actually get to have a scene where a kid is being unwound.)

    
    
16. Attack of the Fiend

    I find that this series gets better and better with each book. Unlike Harry Potter, Tom continues to grow and learn and piece things together on his own. Yes, he makes some poor decisions, but he's drawn in such a way that you care about his learning curve and the conflict he has with his emotions and his profession.

    
    
17. Magyk

    I don't remember much about this book except that I found it to be rather disappointing. And I think I recall corresponding with someone about it (DesMama maybe?) wherein I enumerated its many flaws, but now I can't find those e-mails. Part of me wants to think that the plot was underdeveloped and overly predictable, that the characters were shallow, that there was nothing to stand out about this book. Of course, if it gives kids who are in love with Harry another series to dive into, then go for it.

    
    
18. Broadway Nights

    Whatever reviews I had read of this, they made it sound like this wonderfully written, gleeful romp. By and large, I was disappointed. I guess, when all is said and done, the writing was fine. The Broadway trivia was fun. But where I had issues with the book was with the protagonist. Knowing that, it shouldn't surprise you that I'm now going to complain about how I couldn't respect the character because I don't like books where the plot conflict stems from the character's inherent stupidity. I just have no sympathy for a guy who wants to bitch about how much his love life sucks when he insists on only dating guys who already have boyfriends. For years. If you choose to be the other man, you choose to be miserable.

    
    
19. The Battle of the Labyrinth

    I love it. Lots and lots and heaps and heaps. Basically, this is one of my favorite series. And I really like where Riordan has taken it. I find the way in which he has given the Labyrinth life and character to be intriguing. I like that Percy is still an utterly likable character. I like that he's being put in positions where he has to make difficult decisions. And I like the end and how Percy has chosen to relate to the characters around him. I'm anxious for the next (perhaps closing?) volume in the series.

    
    
20. The Manny Files

    My surprise with this book was the age. I confess that I was expecting it to be an adult novel, taking after Nanny Diaries. But I was wrong. After I adjusted to that massive paradigm shift, I found that I enjoyed the novel.

    
    
21. The Shadow Thieves

    I picked this book up from a Devil's Den end stand that basically said if you like Percy Jackson, you should read this. The employee who put up that stand ought to be fired. The premise behind this book has so much promise, even if it is fairly standard—two kids must venture into the Underworld to save us all. The characters the author has created are actually fairly interesting. But somehow, it all just fell apart and failed to work.

    
    
22. Savvy

    I really liked this book. It's a fairly simple, straight-forward read, but it settles into just the right places. You get the "extraordinary" ability fantasy elements of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, but because the author doesn't take you out of this world, it seems all the more endearing.

    
    
23. Saints of Augustine

    This was a slow book to get into, but in the end, I enjoyed it. It's not at the top of my to recommend list, because I really don't recall much more about it other than the impression that I appreciated how Ryan approached their friendship and the tension Sam brought to it because he wasn't able to own up to his homosexuality or how that would affect his friendship.

    
    
24. Heart to Heart

    Initially, I thought this book was amazing and had decided I was going to get a copy for the kids to have. I really liked that you had poetry inspired by and about art. Now that some time has passed, I find that my feelings of love and adoration have quelled significantly. There was more poetry in there that didn't impress than there was that did. At least in terms of what I remember. I think the organizational breakdown for the book is a good concept but ineffectively realized.

    
    
25. Zen and the Art of Faking It

    This was a cute story. I mean, how can you help but love a boy who finally gets something good from moving every year? Granted, declaring yourself a zen guru can't help but end poorly. But it was a cute story. Nothing to jump up and down about, but cute nonetheless.

    
    
26. Vintage

    I'm frustrated that I've taken so long to get around to writing about this book. It's one of the stories I found most interesting this year. And this considering that I am not generally a fan of ghost stories. (Although, I guess that technically there are two ghost stories I've read in the last year that I've really liked.) Even today, there are particular scenes that were conceived so well that I can still visualize them. That's the talent of this author.

    
    
27. If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period

    I remember nothing about this book. Even the book blurb isn't helping me this time. I apparently Goodreaded it three stars. Perhaps I should downgrade that since it obviously wasn't memorable.

    
    
28. Strays

    At this point, I remember rather little about this book. I picked it up because the premise—lonely boy talks to dogs—seemed rather intriguing. And I've enjoyed Koertge in the past. In the end, I enjoyed this book as well. At least that's the impression I have. There was nothing stellar to make it stand out, but it was a good book about learning to find your place in a new pack.

    
    
29. Alt Ed

    Again, not much remembering going on here. Although I think that I'm more fond of it now than I might have been when I read it. On Goodreads, I gave it three stars, so it likely was just an average read. It likely had good resolution. I was likely frustrated with some of the characters. Perhaps, though, because The Breakfast Club is one of those movies from my youth, I couldn't help but not be impressed by this novel.

    
    
30. The Dead & the Gone

    I like how the second one moves from a rural setting to a metropolis setting. I like how her protagonists rise to meet the challenge of surviving. I like how in the second you already know what's going to happen with the weather, which in some ways made the book even more chilling since you knew what the protagonist and his sisters would soon be coming up against.

    
    
31. Changing Jamie

    I'm not sure what to say about this book. I think the story idea is interesting, but I really didn't like the execution.

    
    
32. Something Rotten

    It has been well-established that I lurves me some Fforde. This has been my least favorite book in the series. Not that that's bad—it's still Fforde and it's still the brilliant world he's created. But I think I might be burning out a bit on it. I think that's why I just recently finally started the fifth novel in the series. Regardless, you should read The Eyre Affair so that you too can fall in love with the series.

    
    
33. The Adoration of Jenna Fox

    I had generally overlooked most reviews of this book, partly because the cover just didn't quite catch me. But then I read Abby's review, which did more to intrigue me before it sold me by connecting it to The House of the Scorpion. And it is good. Of course, I have this thing for dystopian/post-apocalyptic sci fi. It's not as good as Scorpion (or at least what my lingering feelings for Scorpion indicate), but it presents an extremely plausible future and sharp questions about bioethics and human environmental responsibility. I like the poetic use of language throughout the book, which even includes poetry to function as chapter breaks.

    
    
34. The Spark

    This book has some good inspiration, but I must confess to not liking the presentation. At all. It's set up in a fictional narrative. Cool concept, but it just doesn't work right. I think this is because we are introduced to all these characters who are intriguing and wise and brilliant in their own way, but they each only get a page and a half to offer up some variation of an anecdotal soliloquy. And that was frustrating.

    
    
35. Outbreak

    I wonder about some of the connections the author draws between epidemics and social changes, and that's perhaps the best thing I pull from this book. But I don't see too many junior high kids wanting to delve further into research pursuing the link between the Romantic worship of tuberculosis with our current obsession with waifish models as the pinnacle of beauty and health.

    
    
36. The Final Farewell

    So let's start with some full disclosure: I love Patricia Wiles. Though I had many authors I enjoyed working with while at Covenant, I can easily—oh so easily—say that Patricia was my favorite. And that's because she's brilliant. Utterly brilliant. Her sense of voice is wonderful. Her dedication to her craft—particularly the revision element of her craft—is absolutely stellar. And she doesn't resent and despise her editor. In fact, she actually takes criticism and praise quite well.

    
    
37. Suck It Up

    It's part vampire novel/part superhero novel/part gay metaphor novel. But it's fully enjoyable. The author has done a grand job of creating a character—Morning McCobb—who is so fully likable. And that's nice for a change. I like the snippets of the IVLeague.us website that have been included. (Though I was greatly disappointed to find out that when you log on to that website, it is not the IVLeague website but is merely a redirectional link to the author's website.)

    
    
38. Girl v. Boy

    So, let's just get it out on the table. We all know by page five (if not when we pick up the book) that Luisa is going to end up dating the boy writing the male perspective. Fortunately, Luisa and her friends know and acknowledge this as well, though she does her best to ensure she doesn't date Scoop. That said, the one thing I must completely commend the authors for are the red herrings and other diversions to make us believe that maybe Luisa isn't actually dating Scoop. There is one very good diversion thrown in there, and I was impressed by it.

    
    
39. Gifted

    I don't think there is really anything touching or tender about it, and it's a far cry from compelling (as evidenced by the five other books I completed during its reading). I also question anyone who claims that the novel is funny. Tragic, perhaps. But certainly not funny. (I found it to lack even a semblance of a sense of humor.)

    
    
40. Larklight

    What I find to be most enjoyable about this book is the voice. It is written with a Victorian sensibility that can only be achieved with a twenty-first century enjoyment of the currently perceived absurdity of the Victorian voice. ("I felt a little like saying 'Eeeeeeeeek!' myself, but seeing Myrtle so afraid reminded me that I was British, and must be brave.") This carries through from narrative voice through chapter titles to even the subtitles of the book itself. The characters are also very likable and fun to spend time with. And they're not the cause of the problems. I really like that in a character.

    
    
41. Rapunzel's Revenge

    Personally, I'm rather meh about this novel. I think the story is interesting, but I would have preferred the phenomenal, full-fleshed version that I know Shannon can produce. That said, kudos to her for delivering a girl power book with a heroine who actually has some internal power, as opposed to that unnamed-travesty-that-I-have-still-not-cracked-open-regardless-of-the-glee-I-feel-in-all-the-negative-reviews-I've-read-of-it. Most of the graphics are rather cool, but I feel that quality was sometimes inconsistent. Of course, that's coming from a non–graphic-novel-reader perspective. It's not my favorite book out there, but I'm glad it iis out there.

    
    
42. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

    I find the method of storytelling here to be fascinating. I think the subject of old movies works well, particularly when considering how the author has reinforced that feel by framing each page in black. I can't say I'm gaga over the style of the illustrations or even the quality of the writing, but I can say that I'm impressed with how the illustrations and story work so well together and enhance the overall feel. I don't believe the book earned the effusive praise it garnered for quality (as everything is merely average), but it does merit the attention it has received for its uniqueness.

    
    
43. Gods Behaving Badly

    This book is clearly not for everyone (chapter two is Apollo and Aphrodite going at it—bored—in the bathroom). That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So much. I'm trying to think of how to describe this book to give it justice. Basically, I found myself laughing. Often. I was so entertained by it. Your main character in this one is Artemis, which was pleasant to see since she's often ignored in mythological retellings for the other more boisterous gods, and she's rather disgruntled and unhappy. Of course, you cram the gods and their larger-than-life personalities into a London town home when they're dying because people no longer believe in them and that's bound to happen. Though, truth be told, Hermes is my favorite god in this book. Of course, that's likely due to him getting some rather choice scenes.

    
    
44. Starcross

    Starcross continues the Larklight saga, and it's every bit as enjoyable as the first one. What's especially nice is the quick pacing, especially from the get go. Of course, this is possible because the world has already been set up, and we know how to approach it. Art is still quite enjoyable in all his proper British stiff upper lipness.

    
    
45. Audrey, Wait!

    I'm torn on how much I actually enjoyed this book. Let me explain . . . While I was reading this book, I was proofreading a book that also deals with a rocker and his best friend who happens to be his muse and he writes many songs about her not loving him and blah blah blah. Anyway, Audrey is clearly such a better book. But I'm unsure if I liked Audrey on its own merits or on its comparative merits.

    
    
46. Oh. My. Gods.

    Overall, I'm left with an average impression of Oh. My. Gods. I take a bit of issue with Phoebe neglecting the good, nice guy, even though he is every bit as much a god as the jerkwad she does go after. I think the overall plot and world development is a bit shallow and unsatisfying. I'm not sure if I even like Phoebe. However, it's nice to read a sports book about a girl. The moments about running are genuinely good in terms of description and feeling. (During these scenes, it made me think of Samantha.) I really liked that this novel didn't constrain itself to the pantheon, as a good portion of the kids are descendants of the minor gods.

    
    
47. Generation Dead

    Since I'm still unwilling to pick up the Vampire Craptastica burdening my shelves, it makes perfect sense that I would instead pick up a book about zombies. I found this to be an intriguing book. For starters, I really like the premise—some teenagers are undead, and we have no idea why. I like that instead of being about popularity (like the other zombie books out there), this one is about social integration and community tolerance.

    
    
48. The Maze of Bones

    This book is a little bit Westing Game meets DaVinci Code meets Baudelaire Orphans meets Harry Potter.

    
    
49. The Last Apprentice: Wrath of the Bloodeye

    For starters, I'm not happy with the flap copy as it's quite misleading. The Fiend (a.k.a. the Devil) is roaming the County, intent on destroying everything in its path. And yes, it wants to destroy Tom, but it has its reasons for sending its daughter Bloodeye after Tom instead. And I really don't see the "critical mistake" that Tom makes. True, he makes a questionable choice, but it really isn't a mistake. Unless all choices that lead to difficult or trying circumstances are mistakes. I always figured that was just part of living life and growing.

    
    
50. My Most Excellent Year

    This was such an enjoyable book. Really. I found myself entertained throughout. The flap copy doesn't really tell you much about the plot. Part of that is because what really matters in this book is the characters. Fortunately, unlike the award-winning atrocity that is Criss Cross, this character-driven book has well-drawn characters who you can actually like. It also has wit and heart. As another blog I came across at one point (but can't find now) put it, this is a book about the family you're born with and the family you choose.

    
    
51. Big Fat Manifesto

    For starters, I'd say this book is far from hilarious. As a point of fact, I really didn't like this book. At all. Oprah's Kids Reading List be damned. I'm not even sure now how this book ended up on my To Read list, seeing as how I can't find any reviews of it in the blogs I generally haunt.

    
    
52. A Giant Problem

    I confess that I wish I hadn't picked up the first book in this series as I feel compelled to complete the series. They should have left well enough alone with the first series. Fortunately, this second book is paced much better without the self-referential crap of the first one. I'm even starting to like the protagonist. Even better, it looks like this series is only going to be a trilogy instead of a pentology.

    
    
53. The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second

    For starters, let me say how pleased I am that this book wasn't promoted as a YA novel just because it has a teenaged protagonist. I'd say there's far too much discussion of sexuality for them to consider doing that, but, well, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging anyone?

    
    
54. The Loser's Guide to Life and Love

    By and large, I was disappointed with this book. I'm sure that it likely failed for me because of higher-than-appropriate expectations. The mechanics of the writing weren't bad, but I feel the novel as a whole lacked spark.

    
    
55. The Graveyard Book

    I must confess to being very pleased with this book. It has a slow start as far as pacing goes, but the writing really is quite lovely. And the characters are drawn rather well. I like the layout, with the novel being composed of a number of short stories that tie together to reveal the overarching plot and denouement. Overall, it works quite nicely. And I think it is also a rather appropriate seasonal book.

    
    
56. Paper Towns

    I really really really like John Green's writing. Paper Towns is no exception. Sure, all three of his books seem to follow the somewhat geeky, antisocial boy who is obsessed with the ever enigmatic and illusive girl. But it works. And it works well. I like the intelligence and wit that Green brings to his characters. Even when his characters are built around one or two primary characteristics, they still feel like they've been fully rounded out. And I find them to be likable.

    
    
57. Do Not Open

    As is seemingly the case with all nonfiction, it took me a while to read this book. Unlike most nonfiction, though, that seems perfectly fine for this book. For starters, all the information is typically bundled into two-page spreads. As is the case with most DK books, text is clumped into one- or two-sentence fact bites. And it's interesting. I really like the randomness of it all. Another feature I find intriguing with the layout on this book is the little bubble at the bottom of each spread pointing you to a couple other related topics. Which means that you don't have to read the book linearly.

    
    
58. Out of Patience

    Out of Patience is delightfully quirky in the same way that Holes is quirky, though not quite as complicated. And what's not to love about a story that revolves around the history of toilets and plungers and a bizarre curse? Where the local baseball team gets up for the Seventh Inning Stench as the trucks from the local fertilizer company drive by making their deliveries? The characters are realistic and truly likable. I think this is something Meehl does well, as I compare his two books. He creates protagonists that are quirky and lovable and who you really want to succeed.

    
    
59. Mothstorm

    Really, there's not much to say about Mothstorm that hasn't been said about the previous two books in the series. I enjoy the voice and writing. I enjoy the story and the alternative world the author has created. It all just makes me quite happy.

    
    
60. The Adventures of You

    The point where I'm most befuddled about my feelings is the voice. To preface, the publisher is the same as produced the Choose Your Own Adventure books that I dearly loved in my youth. They were fun and empowering for a reader. This book, as were those, is told in the second person. I find the novelty of that to be intriguing, and so when the publisher sent me the book, I was anxious to read it and see how it worked.

    
    
61. Chains

    I picked up Chains because it's one of the NBA finalists. I was looking forward to it because of its author. Unfortunately, I find myself grossly underwhelmed by it.

    
    
62. Runaways

    I don't read graphic novels very often as they're just not something I'm all that into. But someone at some point blogged about this series, and it sounded intriguing to me. Basically, you have a group of kids who discover that their parents are super villains who intend to bring about the end of the world. Throughout the series, you get some cross-pollination with other heroes (presumable from the Marvel universe, but my knowledge here is lacking). There's treachery and heroics and all sorts of stuff. I guess it was okay. If nothing else, they were easy Trax reads. I'm sure I know others who would appreciate them better than I do.

    
    
63. Cal Cameron by Day, Spider-Man by Night

    I'm actually a bit surprised that I hadn't read this particular book before, but I'm glad I hadn't. You see, it's nice to come across something that is older. It's oddly refreshing. It's nice to have a story that's told rather straight forwardly. It's nice to have normal characters who aren't riddled with dysfunction and abnormality. The writing is good. The characterization is good. Actually, this is how good the characterization is—Cannon actually got me to be sympathetic toward and like a quarterback. That in and of itself is a feat worth commending. I really like how she walked us through his growth to where he becomes a better, truly likable person.

    
    
64. What I Saw and How I Lied

    Despite an intriguing opening scene, I feared I was in for more blah. The beginning is slow. The initial looks at the characters are as through a dirty window. The setting and atmosphere are okay, but nothing to shake a stick at. But then it kicks in. And the book is good. More than anything, Evie turns out to be phenomenal. Her growth and development is unexpected and wonderful. You watch her do hard things, impressed that she's actually able to do them. And yet she redeems herself so that you're not as worried about who she might become.

    
    
65. The Book of Animal Ignorance

    This is so my kind of nonfiction book. Trivia. Lots and lots o' trivia. It's smartly written. Entries are brief. It's quite an enjoyable book. And it's instructive. Oh. And the authors are clearly dog people, which means they're good people.

    
    
66. One False Note

    When I reviewed the first book in the series, I complained about the alternating first-person chapters, because I hated being in Amy's head. Fortunately, Korman has moved the story to third person, which works a lot better for me as a reader (even if I'm not fond of third-person omniscient or Korman's frequent shifts in character POV throughout the novel). I think it also works better for the story. There's something to be said for following the mystery while observing the action as opposed to being the action.

    
    
67. The Tales of Beedle the Bard

    I'm glad that Rowling is not letting the Harry Potter universe fade away. As I've noted before, I'm not overly fond of Harry himself, but I do like the universe in which he exists. So I'm glad we get some of the fairy tales that form the core of that universe. I'm pleased that we get Dumbledore's commentary with them; he's so much more likable than Harry.

    
    
68. Swish

    To say that I loved this book would be a bit of an understatement. Such joy and amusement while reading. (If you ask Dec, too much joy and amusement, otherwise he wouldn't have told me to be quiet so he could sleep or concentrate on his sudoku.) Derfner has a voice and attitude rather similar to Dan Savage, and I think we all know how much I love Savage. When it comes down to it, Derfner is a good cross between Savage (wit and wisdom) and Sedaris (narrative storytelling).

    
    
69. Science Fair

    The story itself has an intriguing premise and quirky characters. But it just doesn't come together in the end. Furthermore, the wit and charm seemed to be largely MIA. When all is said and done, I felt the book was far too long, and I was just yearning for it to be over. (Stupid Must-Finish-the-Book curse.)

    
    
70. A Mercy

    It should not take three weeks to read a 165-page book. I picked this book up because I heard Morrison on the Diane Reams show (which Dec tells me is being rebroadcast today). It sounded interesting to me, and because I'd never read any Morrison before, I thought I'd give it a go. To say I didn't like it would be somewhat of an understatement. Truth be told, the only reason I finished it when I did was because I wanted desperately to finish seventy books this last year.