ARC Review: Greenglass House by Kate Milford

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book reviews, fantasy, Greenglass House, holiday reads, Kate Milford, MG, MG fiction, middle grade, middle grade fiction, middle grade mystery, mystery, The Boneshaker

There is a right way to do things and a wrong way, if you’re going to run a hotel in a smugglers’ town. 

“A rambling old inn, a strange map, an attic packed with treasures, squabbling guests, theft, friendship, and an unusual haunting mark this smart middle grade mystery in the tradition of the Mysterious Benedict Society books and Blue Balliet’s Chasing Vermeer series.”

Greenglass House was a quirky and rather amusing middle grade mystery; it was a light read that definitely hit the spot. Although it started better than it finished, I ultimately enjoyed it. The Boneshaker is a much better book though.

The main character of Greenglass House is a Milo, a boy of about twelve who lives in a beautiful old house at the top of a hill, and not just any house. It’s a smuggler’s inn, and was originally owned by the famous smuggler of all. One December, normally a quiet season, a group of varied guests converges on the house, each with their own mysterious reasons for being there. Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter (or so he believes) must figure out what exactly is going on, and whether anyone’s there for nefarious purposes (hint: they are). 

Many of the characters are developed quite well, but really the only thing described is the purpose of their traveling to Greenglass House. A lot about each guest’s backstory was left untold. The omission of one character’s development also made it pretty obvious who the bad guy was as well. Nevertheless, I think younger readers will be engaged by the book, and I was certainly charmed, especially by the whole motif of storytelling woven throughout the book. 

One of my complaints in recent times with middle grade fiction is that everything feels forced and simplistic. By contrast, Greenglass House flowed quite smoothly, and if some elements of the mystery weren’t tied together enough, it still made for an exciting read. It’s also pretty much one of those smart middle grade books, featuring an intelligent protagonist and an interesting plot.

The book’s tone is really charming and old time; the setting and the some elements of the plot are quite quaint. It’s also set right before Christmastime and to me it seemed as if the warmth of the holidays came across well on the page. At first, Milo is annoyed that his holiday has been disrupted, but he gradually starts to enjoy himself and realizes that in the end he’s gotten a lot more than just physical gifts from the season. All of this makes the book’s August 2014 release rather puzzling; to me, Greenglass House is best read around Christmas (if, unlike me, you celebrate it), and certainly as a warming winter read. The book’s just really…cozy. And yet somewhat thrilling at the same time.

The Boneshaker remains my favorite middle grade novel by Kate Milford, but Greenglass House has some of the familiar quirkiness and eccentricity of all of her books. It was just as good as The Broken Lands, if not a little better. I wasn’t wild about it,, but Greenglass House is a fun one. I received an ARC of the book from Harcourt; it doesn’t release until August.

373 pages (in the ARC).

Rating: ****

REVIEW: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

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animal books, book reviews, children's books, fantasy, Flora & Ulysses, Flora and Ulysses, humor, Kate DiCamillo, MG, middle grade, middle grade fiction, Newbery, Newbery 2013, Newbery Medal, Newbery Medal 2013, squirrels

Flora Belle Buckman was in her room at her desk. She was very busy. She was doing two things at once. She was ignoring her mother, and she was also reading a comic book entitled The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto!

“Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.”

I read Flora and Ulysses in the span of a day; it flew by, but I’m still not really sure what I thought of it overall or what rating to give it. On the one hand, it was entertaining and funny, and I loved the illustrations; on the other, it was such an odd specimen of a book. I have to say that I was immediately drawn in by the first scenario: a squirrel is accidentally vacuumed up by the Ulysses Vacuum Cleaner, and when he emerges, Flora gives him squirrel CPR. Ah, the absurdity of it all. The newly named Ulysses comes back to life – only now he has powers that no other squirrel has. As it turns out, Ulysses has super-squirrel strength, flies, and…he can type. Which he enjoys.

But a lot happens before all that is revealed, and it was quite amusing to be swept up along with Flora on her wild, surreal adventure. Things are not all light-hearted; Flora’s parents are divorced, and she lives with her romance-writing mother, who doesn’t pay much attention to her, to say the least. The cynical Flora believes that her mother loves a shepherdess lamp more than she does Flora, and it certainly seems that way, because Flora’s mother is always, always criticizing her. And she’s not pleased by this new addition to the home; to her mother the squirrel is just another embodiment of Flora’s quirkiness.

Quirky is how I would describe this book in general. There are so many little things just not quite right about the book; sometimes it seems realistic, but then of course it takes a turn into the wildly fantastical, with Ulysses typing up not very good poetry and craving giant donuts. It was all very goofy, yet there was also a certain charm about the book. It might appeal to younger readers, especially the cute, furry, intelligent animal aspect of it. And it’s illustrated superbly.

I just loved the illustrations; they’re skillful pencil drawings, and there was just such detail in each and every drawing, down to books on shelves and small objects in the scene. The drawings weren’t life-like, but they were certainly realistic; it was easy to tell what everything was, and every detail fit the book. I also loved the illustrations of Ulysses; he’s so cute and mischievous looking. My favorite was probably towards the beginning when he gets crackers out of the vacuum cleaner. The other characters are interestingly drawn  too, and I think the book worked very well on that level. Also, how is anyone able to draw like that??!!!? Other people’s talent always inspire envy.

Flora was also a pretty awesome character; she’s intelligent and animated and she longs for adventure. Her father was odd though, and I really disliked her mother, whose sudden change of heart at the end seemed rather sudden. And I have no words for William Spiver.

Some parts of the book were sort of corny, especially the exclamations of “holy bagumba” and other things. I got kind of tired of those after a while, and the insanity was a bit much. However, in short bursts it was amusing and welcome. I’m not sure that Flora and Ulysses is worthy of the Newbery Medal, but it’s a fun children’s book. Thanks to Candlewick for providing me with a review copy, and a worth a read for the humor.

233 pages.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

REVIEW: Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

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book reviews, children's books, disabilities, MG, MG fiction, middle grade, middle grade fiction, Out of My Mind, realistic fiction, Sharon M. Draper

Words. I’m surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions.

“Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there’s no delete button. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school; but no one knows it. Most people; her teachers and doctors included, don’t think she’s capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can’t, because Melody can’t talk. She can’t walk. She can’t write. Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind, that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it.”

Out of My Mind is a middle grade book that one can still enjoy later; at times it was annoying, but at others really moving. It certainly was intensely readable, and I raced through it. Melody has quite a compelling voice and style of narration, and at times the book was quite heartbreaking, particularly when Melody is trying to communicate something important but can’t. The adults and other kids around her are constantly misunderstanding her because she can’t speak her mind. There’s that one scene with the goldfish, and Melody’s mom blames her even though it wasn’t her fault; it was quite infuriating, and probably even more frustrating to Melody herself.

Yes, this book was rather cheesy, but it was slightly better than Counting For 7’s; at least it was a  more impressive book in terms of its ambition. That said, the tone was rather odd at times, the way that Melody and the other people around her interacted and spoke. Some of the fifth graders didn’t really speak like I imagine fifth graders would. Also, much like A Mango Shaped Space, I find it unlikely that only in fifth grade would Melody and her parents want to start researching machines that could help her talk. I realize it was brought on by having classes with the “normal” kids, but I would think that she would have wanted to research various technologies earlier.

I liked Out of My Mind, but I had one main problem with it: nothing much happened for a while. Melody was just kind of introducing all the people she knew, and her life. That was fine, but it seemed to take up too much of the book. Then, for a while we had a kind of summary of her school life like “I went to history. I went here. I went there. I did this”. It seemed rather uninteresting, yet despite it I kept on reading. The same thing happened with the Whiz Kids competition; it felt like the author was just listing the questions and the things Melody did in a kind of bland, uninteresting way, taking a long time and then suddenly realizing she was doing it and speeding up again.

And then there was the last section, in which a lot happened all of a sudden. I’m not going to spoil it, but the events were quite shocking, almost too much so. The last event felt rushed, odd, and out-of-place, but it was a compelling novel in spite of its flaws. It definitely changed how I view people. As one might expect, Out of My Mind ends on a hopeful note despite all the setbacks, and I liked the ending.

Out of My Mind was certainly an emotional read; I was very invested in Melody’s joys and her sorrows throughout this short but sweet book. I have no delusions about its greatness or how long it will be remembered, but this is still a fun and interesting book. I’m sure it’s affected a lot of people positively.

295 pages.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

REVIEWS: The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

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book reviews, children's fiction, Chronicles of Narnia, fantasy, MG, MG fantasy, MG fiction, middle grade, middle grade fantasy, middle grade fiction, Norway, Norwegian fiction, pets, The Twistrose Key, Tone Almhjell, Twistrose Key

The grave that Lin had made for her friend could not be touched by wind. Above, the dripping rosebush flailed, scratching its thorns at the wall. But the whittled cross of twigs and string did not so much as shiver. Instead a lick of rime had crept up to cover the wood with white. Later, Lin Rosenquist would remember this as a sign, the first. 

“Something is wrong in the house that Lin’s family has rented; Lin is sure of it. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flowerbed, even in a rain storm. And when a secret key marked “Twistrose” arrives for her, Lin finds a crack in the cellar, a gate to the world of Sylver. This frozen realm is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with Rufus, the pet she buried under the rosebush. But together they must find the missing Winter Prince in order to save Sylver from destruction. They are not the only ones hunting for the boy this night. In the dark hides a shadow-lipped man, waiting for the last Winter Prince to be delivered into his hands.”

The Twistrose Key looked so, so good when I first heard about it, like a middle grade novel that could be enjoyed by everyone. And then Laini Taylor raved about it, and I heard that it was Norwegian, and I saw how beautiful the book was (the photo doesn’t do it justice). The book is not, perhaps, great, but The Twistrose Key is nonetheless a mix of all the best elements; read one of Laini Taylor’s posts about it here.

In another summary, I saw The Twistrose Key compared to The Golden Compass and The Chronicles of Narnia, and a mix of the two is about accurate. The style is completely different from The Golden Compass, but although I don’t remember the latter very well, both highlight the deep bonds between children and their pets (or their daemons, which are admittedly slightly different). In the case of The Golden Compass, however, the bond is so much more fierce and primal; The Twistrose Key is tame by comparison. It’s is definitely much more similar to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; there are talking animals and a young girl who goes from her world to their perpetually frozen one. And of course there’s a deadline; there’s always a deadline before which a certain task must be completed.

I enjoyed this lovely little fairy tale, but it definitely had some issues. For one, the world that Lin enters is a bit silly, with all the dead, beloved pets of children living there as “Petlings”. I didn’t like that name at all; it just sounds so cutesy, although it is a nice idea. The plot and magic in general was a bit silly and vague, though in a comforting sort of way. I feel like the world and the magic could have both been explored further, especially the Winterfyrst, which I didn’t find compelling at all. At times, the writing made things confusing and there was weirdly written dialogue, but for the most part the language and the atmosphere it created was quite charming.

The Twistrose Key is pretty smart for a middle grade novel, and I definitely enjoyed its intelligence. The book is also just gorgeous and from the lovely cover image to the raised gold lettering to the inside jacket art, it completely enchanted me.

I liked the main character, Lin; she’s at an age where she basically accepts all the remarkable things that happen to her without too much questioning. Obviously, she’s surprised to find her pet vole Rufus alive and five feet tall in another world, but Lin also enjoys playing a troll hunting game, so she’s ready to believe in Sylver. Teodor the fox was a great character too, as were some of the other animals that Lin meets.

I would have actually liked a bit more of the book to take place in the real world, in Lin’s strange rental house, presumably in Norway (since that’s where the author’s from). I found the beginning few chapters quite interesting, and her family and home could have been developed more before she leaves them. Alas, it was not to be, but this didn’t bother me too much. On a rather unrelated note: there are some amazing descriptions of food both in Norway and in Sylver, and they were quite mouthwatering.

The overall atmosphere and plot of The Twistrose Key was amazing, but it could have been more focused and stronger in terms of specifics in the world development. I think it would have also been better if there were less branches of magic that were all described in more detail; there are so many different elements and gadgets that it was a bit too much. However, I loved the feel of this book, and I liked it, although I didn’t love it. Ultimately, however, I found that in the hands of a different author this could have been an amazing fantasy novel, but there was just too much crammed into one book. That’s not to say the book is bad, but it could use some work. I look forward to Tone Almhjell’s next creation; hopeful the promise in this one will be better developed.

354 pages.

Rating: ***

REVIEW: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

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book reviews, England, ghosts, historical fantasy, historical fiction, historical mystery, Jonathan Stroud, Lockwood & Co, MG, MG fantasy, MG fiction, middle grade, middle grade fantasy, middle grade fiction, mystery, The Screaming Staircase

Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood & Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victims, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in messing them all up.

“When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . . For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions. Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.”

I wasn’t sure whether I would like this one, but I did; it was creepy and humorous at the same time, though not that scary. I found The Screaming Staircase very readable and also very entertaining, with an interesting and somewhat original set-up and a compelling narrator, Lucy Carlyle. The cover is hideous, though; there could have been something much better and more Gothic feeling, if that makes sense. I initially thought that the book was set in the 19th century, but I quickly realized it wasn’t when there was mention of a TV set; this partly due to a somewhat misleading review in the New York Times (the other book featured there is in fact set in the 19th century). The reviewer keeps referring to them both as “Victorian”, when of course The Screaming Staircase is not. 

Anyway, I found the book very amusing in terms of snappy dialogue and back-and-forths between the characters, mainly between Lucy and Lockwood, the young manager of the organization. Such as: “Well, that was useful.” “Really?” “No. I’m being ironic. Or is it sarcastic? I can never remember.” “Irony’s cleverer, so you’re probably being sarcastic.” I really enjoyed this exchange, and the friendship between Lucy and Lockwood in general. 

The book drew me in almost immediately; it started off with a fast-paced and breathless action sequence without much explanation, later going back to tell the story of how Lucy arrived in London and was hired by Lockwood & Co., also providing some much needed explanation for the premise of the novel, with the ghostly and ghastly “Visitors” that have become a problem in recent years, causing eradication agencies to spring up. Of course, children have the most psychic abilities, and so they are the ones doing the work. The drawback to middle grade novels is that kids are almost always the heroes and heroines, no matter how improbable the situation. Like, really, kids would not become the sole ghost-ridders in a situation like this.  But such is the nature of middle grade; the kids are the ones who are better and smarter than the adults, and they are the ones who will ultimately triumph and (perhaps) save the world. It’s quite appealing, and I think accounts for some of the charm of Harry Potter. 

The Screaming Staircase is also very readable in terms of texture; the paper and the font are both quite nice. I also really liked the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, which were appropriately dark and shadowy. The book wasn’t that scary though, and it was very easy to read and get through. The Screaming Staircase is nothing special, nor was I expecting it to be, but it was a fun read, a good mix of the light and the dark. I really enjoyed the two main characters, as well as George, the other member of the agency. The villains were great too, and the book was quite creative and absorbing as the characters tried to solve the mystery and save the agency with humor and chills.

381 pages.

Rating: ****

REVIEW: The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

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book reviews, fairy tale retellings, fairy tales, fantasy, Julie Berry, middle grade, middle grade fantasy, The Amaranth Enchantment

I was sweeping the shop when a glimmer between two floorboards caught my eye. A penny? I knelt for a closer look.

“Lucinda Chapdelaine was orphaned as a young child when her parents left for a royal ball and never returned. Ever since, she has toiled away in her uncle’s lonely jewelry shop under the cruel hand of her step-aunt. But now, all at once, Lucinda’s lot is about to change. A mysterious woman, a handsome young gentleman, and an unusual gem all enter the shop on the very same day. The woman is none other than the dreaded Amaranth Witch, and she has a daring task to offer. If Lucinda succeeds, she will not only reclaim all that is rightfully hers, but she will a discover a true friend…and perhaps a true love. Family secret, magical surprises, and another royal ball will test her, but Lucinda is determined to find her own happily ever after.”

The Amaranth Enchantment is an unremarkable but fun and entertaining fairy tale. I picked it up at my school library, and it’s worth a read if you’re a fan of fairy tale-esque stories, which I am. It was very reminiscent at least in some respects of other middle grade fairy tale/fantasy novels such as The Runaway Princess and one other one I’ve read but whose name I’m blanking on.

In this case, the beginning of the book was much better than the ending. At first, the novel felt really atmospheric, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. The Amaranth Enchantment is set in the real world, historically, except that it also has magic, and there are other worlds that can be reached through wells (that was kind of weird). I feel like the adding of countless other worlds just made the book way more complex, and it wasn’t fleshed out properly. I did enjoy the main character though, and some of the secondary characters too. The plot itself isn’t that interesting, but follows the same mold as many fairy tale retellings; it’s vaguely like Cinderella. Lucinda is from a wealthy family and she’s taken in by her cruel aunt who abuses her horribly. Then she meets a prince, completes a quest…you get the idea. All very well and good, but nothing special.

I found the book entertaining, breezy, and quick, and I did like it; it just wasn’t structured very well. There was never really a climax, and what could have passed for a climax was just quick and rushed. Overall if you were to draw out the book’s progression it would just be a bunch of small waves, rather confusing actually. The book’s not action-packed, that’s for sure.

Beryl or the amaranth witch was a really odd character, at least to me. She kind of randomly appeared, and so did the prince for that matter, coincidentally showing up at the shop on the same day and turning Lucinda’s life upside down. This stretched belief just a little bit; “Beryl” as a name also wasn’t very good. It was hardly fitting for someone from a different world with intense magical powers.

Overall the book was very predictable except for one twist at the end that I was totally not expecting. It was good as a fantasy novel, but the world didn’t particularly interest me, nor would I ever see myself rereading this book or reading a sequel. I would skip it, although there’s nothing particularly bad about The Amaranth Enchantment; it just had some issues in terms of plotting and wasn’t very suspenseful or memorable. In other words, it was rather bland.

320 pages.

Rating: ***

REVIEW: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

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book reviews, Camp Half-Blood, fantasy, Greek gods, Greek mythology, Greek myths, Heroes of Olympus, House of Hades, middle grade, mythology, Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan, the Heroes of Olympus, The House of Hades

During the third attack, Hazel almost ate a boulder. She was peering into the fog, wondering how it could be so difficult to fly across one stupid mountain range, when the ship’s alarm bells sounded.

“At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape? They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.”

I probably wouldn’t have read this one, except it showed up at my school library. And I did enjoy The Mark of Athena after all; it’s just that Riordan’s novels are really, really predictable and sometimes way too dense (as in this case). On their own, they’re entertaining enough, but then you start to realize that each one is so similar to the last in terms of plot and set-up. We usually have some evil force trying to destroy or take over the world, and a group of unlikely heroes trying to stop them from doing it by traveling through the world, usually with a time limit. The demigods all have really disturbing and cryptic dreams and mysterious ways that they have to prove themselves, tests that they have to pass without even really knowing it. There are always many scenarios where just when the demigods’ deaths seems imminent, help arrives from an unexpected quarter. I got more and more annoyed as this long book went on, because I felt like I’d read the same stuff already in prior Riordan novels. Talk about mass media.

Still, I have to admit that it is entertaining, and I do really like the characters and how they’re developed. Percy and Annabeth are having their own adventures, and meanwhile the rest of the crew are trying to get to save them and the world (of course). However, I’m not sure if I’ll be reading future books in this series or this world; I think I’ve kind of outgrown them. I can definitely see how younger readers will just swallow up this latest installment though, so in terms of appealing to his target audience, Riordan succeeded.

Let’s talk about the good: despite the whole bit about the world as we know it ending on August 1st, there’s still a lot of trademark Riordan humor in the book, absurd situations, for example. At one point, Nico gets briefly turned into a corn stalk by the god of farming, which is hilarious given who Nico is and what he’s like. That particular scene in Venice was one of the funniest in its absurdities. Rick Riordan certainly is good at creating strange scenarios; in this case, Frank Zhang ends up killing several hundred weird cow creatures in order to find a python in order to convince the god of farming to heal Hazel and restore Nico to his usual non-corn state. Yeah, it’s pretty ridiculous, but even to me it was entertaining, and to younger people it would probably be more so. That whole sequence is pages 133-157, and it’s pretty hard to forget.  Riordan also does some punning in the book as well as other kinds of jokes.

The descriptions of Tartarus were rather chilling; the whole landscape is really just one giant body. The ground is squishy and permeable, like skin. The air is sulphorous, there are lots of monsters constantly reforming, and the only water is a spicy, bad-tasting fire that’s purpose is to keep you alive to endure more torments.

Despite all this and Gaea’s whole scheme of taking over the world, The House of Hades still is for the most part a light book, although some of the dream sequences are disturbing as well. There’s a lot of humor, and you know everything’s going to work out all right in the end (at least, at the end of the series). The book is really dense though; I suppose Riordan could have cut out some of the mini-quests or a bit of the extra padding. It didn’t need to be nearly 600 pages. Still, The House of Hades was pretty good considering everything.

583 pages.

Rating: ****

REVIEW: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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accidents, book reviews, children's books, children's fiction, Counting by 7s, Holly Goldberg Sloan, Holly Sloan, MG, MG fiction, middle grade, middle grade fiction, realistic fiction

We sit together outside the Fosters Freeze at a sea-green, metal picnic table. All four of us. We eat soft ice cream, which has been plunged into a vat of liquid chocolate (that then hardens into a crispy shell). I don’t tell anyone that what makes this work is wax. Or to be more accurate: edible, food-grade paraffin wax.

“Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now. Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.”

There are some middle grade novels that are still very lovely to read even if you’re older than the intended age group, like The Tale of Despereaux, which is just gorgeous. Counting by 7s isn’t as good as that, and it’s a very different type of book, but I nonetheless enjoyed it a lot. I haven’t read Mockingbird, but I will say that this book seems very, very similar in terms of both books having a different and highly intelligent young narrator who has many quirks (counting by 7s, etc) who has to cope with a terrible tragedy. Out of My Mind also sounds somewhat similar; I might read both of those books when I get the chance. They seem amazing too, if somewhat unoriginal. 

Still, I loved the narration in Counting by 7s which was, I think, distinctive. There were also so many great characters, each getting their turn narrating, although of course the book’s mostly from Willow’s point of view. Willow herself was a great character; she’s highly intelligent, but still kind of young and unable to contextualize things sometimes. She also sometimes doesn’t realize when it’s best to keep her intelligence hidden in certain settings. Obsessed by all things medical, Willow also keeps an extensive garden behind her house, carefully, meticulously ordering her world which centers around 7s. Of course, the accident changes everything, and she can’t just line up her life again. Willow is quite odd, and probably would be difficult to get along with. I imagine one would always feel sort of intellectually inferior, at least in certain areas. Some of Willow’s observations were spot-on though, without her even seeming to realize it. Some of the parts were a bit over-the-top, such as the whole story-line with the taxi driver, but it was kind of sweet. Willow inadvertently helps a lot of people get their lives back on track, and so when she needs some help, they’re ready to come to her aid.

Despite the tragedy in the book, it’s remarkably hopeful. It’s not a tearful read at all, even though Willow’s predicament is pretty awful, and one does feel for her deeply. I thought Counting by 7s might be a bit depressing, but it’s really not. And the new Vietnamese family that Willow starts to join is very different from her previous one, but still great. This aspect was interesting, because Willow herself is black, but her adopted parents were white. And now she’s sort of moving in with this Vietnamese family whose daughter she just moved in with. There’s also the odd counselor, Dell Duke, assigned to deal with Willow’s “behavioral” problems which consist of a false accusation of cheating. I actually didn’t like him as a character; he was weird and probably the most unlikable, but still another important piece to the story. It is with Dell Duke, Mai, and Quang-ha that she first finds out the news about the accident, and that was certainly very purposeful on the author’s part.

The premise of the book is kind of cliche, but I felt that Holly Sloan executed it pretty well, and it had just enough unique elements to make it interesting, entertaining, and thoughtful. It cannot be argued that Counting by 7s is an odd little book, and I’m not sure if its intended younger readers will like it much; Holly Sloan turns the cliche upside down so much that the story is kind of hard to get into; it goes a bit slowly and is a rather introverted novel. I, however, liked it a lot. It’s a quick but beautiful read, even though some parts had me (inwardly) rolling my eyes just a bit.

378 pages.

Rating: ****

REVIEW: Daughter Dancer Traitor Spy by Elizabeth Kiem

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1980's, 1980's Soviet Union, book reviews, Daughter Dancer Traitor Spy, Elizabeth Kiem, fantasy, historical fantasy, historical fiction, historical mystery, MG, middle grade, middle grade fiction, mystery, Russia, Soviet Union, spy novels, spy thrillers, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, YA, young adult fiction

November dusk slips into Moscow like a spy; you don’t know it’s there until it has stolen the day and vanished into the dark. But on the night that my mother disappears from my life, I could swear that I see it happen. The arrival of twilight, I mean – not my mother’s disappearance. That’s something I don’t see coming. Not  until it is too late. Not until she’s already gone.

“Marina is born of privilege. Her mother, Sveta, is the Soviet Union’s prima ballerina: an international star handpicked by the regime. But Sveta is afflicted with a mysterious second sight and becomes obsessed with exposing a horrific state secret. Then she disappears. Fearing for their lives, Marina and her father defect to Brooklyn. Marina struggles to  reestablish herself as a dancer at Juilliard. But her enigmatic partner, Sergei, makes concentration almost impossible, as does the fact that Marina shares her mother’s “gift,” and has a vision of her father’s murder at the hands of the Russian crooks and con artists she thought they’d left behind. Now Marina must navigate the web of intrigue surrounding her mother’s disappearance, her ability, and exactly whom she can—and can’t—trust.”

I totally can’t remember where I first heard about this book, but as soon as I read the plot description, I was hooked. As it turned out, Dancer Daughter Traitor Spy isn’t a great book (I didn’t really think it would be), but it is somewhat entertaining and a quick read. It’s a blend of mystery, historical fiction, spy novel, thriller, and fantasy. Plus a Russian setting, which sounded like it had the potential to be intriguing. I was actually a bit disappointed by the level of the book. It’s marketed as young adult, but it’s really short (under 300 pages) and the font is super big. With a plot like this one, the book could have been fleshed out more; however, at least it wasn’t overwritten or long-drawn. It was just kind of an easier read than I was expecting, and it was disappointingly both simplified.

Still, as I mentioned, there are some good elements in this book, which gives a nod in its title to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the famous John le Carre Cold War spy novel. It’s not nearly as suspenseful though, and it also felt kind of simplistic, as if the author didn’t fully have a grasp of the political situation and didn’t even try to. As I said, this was mainly because of the level of the book, which was not high. Some parts of the narration and the way that Marina talked offhandedly about her family seemed odd too. 

I kept hoping that the book would come together more, but it was very discombobulated. For example, there is a fantasy element to the novel, but for a lot of the book it’s not developed or explained much at all, and only really comes in later. This was not a good technique, as thus the different parts of the book didn’t mesh well at all. I’m not quite sure what the author was thinking there. Rather than being a blend of historical fiction, spy novel, and fantasy, the book was more like different sections that were more different genres. And it was never very suspenseful. Still, the story had its points; it just wasn’t nearly as good as I was expecting it to be. I was expecting it to be a 4 star read, but it was more like 3 stars. The characters also weren’t developed enough for my tastes; I didn’t find Marina or any of her relatives all that convincing. The fantasy element could have been taken out and not that much would have been missed.

It often happens that books either get better or worse when the setting changes, and such was the case here. The book definitely picked up at least a little bit once Marina and her father arrive in New York. Although the fantasy element still isn’t incorporated enough, there are some new characters that Marina meets, and her initial plunge into America was the most interesting part of Dancer Daughter Traitor Spy. She wants to keep dancing, but it’s difficult since she’s undercover in terms of her identity and she doesn’t speak much English.

Dancer Daughter Traitor Spy is a really short book, and it’s a pretty fast read. It wasn’t great or anything, but it had an interesting premise, and is worth reading if the plot sounds particularly interesting. I am glad that I checked it out of the library though, as I’m certainly not going to be rereading this one.

264 pages.

Rating: ***

REVIEW: The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

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1950's, apothecaries, Apothecary, book reviews, children's books, fantasy, historical fantasy, historical fiction, Maile Meloy, mature narrators, McCarthyism, MG fantasy, MG fiction, middle grade, middle grade fantasy, middle grade fiction, middle grade historical, mystery, post World War II, The Apothecary, World War II

I was seven and living in Los Angeles when Japan surrendered at the end of World War II, and my first vivid memories are of how excited and happy everyone was. 

“It’s 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. Here, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows – a fascinating boy who’s not afraid to stand up to authority and dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin’s father is kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary’s sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping it out of the hands of their enemies – Russian spies in possession of nuclear weapons. Discovering and testing potions they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending disaster. Together with Ian Schoenherr’s breathtaking illustrations, this is a truly stunning package from cover to cover.”
I really enjoyed The Apothecary; it was an excellent middle grade novel that drew me in almost immediately, with beautiful prose and descriptions, as well as gorgeous illustrations to accompany the text. It didn’t really feel like a middle grade novel though; it was more young adult, and the narrator (for once) felt mature for her age, fourteen. I liked that, actually, as I find middle grade fiction too simplistic sometimes. I was pleasantly surprised; it’s a book with all the best elements: magic, a mysterious old book, a rebel, historical detail, an intelligent narrator, beautiful illustrations and atmosphere, and a move to a strange new place (in this case, England). There was a lot of great stuff, and plus, I really loved the font. It’s weird, but if a book has nice looking font then I just enjoy it so much more.
The writing drew me in, and the story was a really great and creative one. I loved Janie, who actually felt like a fourteen year old rather than someone younger. That happens a lot, particularly when I read middle grade books. The narrator feels way too young (like in A Mango Shaped Space) and that makes me enjoy the book less. In this case, I loved Janie and how she copes with all the strange, new things in her life. She’s highly intelligent, witty, and conscious of the world around her. The story and writing were also richly atmospheric, with the black and white illustrations and talk of apothecaries. And anti-Communism; the reason Janie’s parents move to England is subtle accusations of Communism back in America. Not a period I’m particularly proud of, but this is the first children’s book I’ve read that mentions it at all.
The fantasy element of The Apothecary doesn’t come in until later; at first it just seems like a fun historical fiction novel. But I knew the magic was coming having read the summary, and obviously because the cover reads “a dose of magic can save the world.” Plus, Janie’s had the weird feeling of being followed ever since the beginning of the book, and it’s not just the agents who suspect her parents of Communism; it’s something much more sinister. Exactly what, I was eager to find out. The real mysteries begin when Benjamin’s father is kidnapped, but not before leaving his precious book, the Pharmacopoeia, to Benjamin and Janie. The story definitely picks up after that, but overall the pace is pretty slow, and I liked that. There was a lot of great magic too, with people turning into birds, muting spells, and truth spells. Plus espionage.

Side-note: Why does middle grade fiction always get amazing covers? Most middle grade books have covers that are at least passable, and many that are lovely and fit the book perfectly, whether they’re wacky, mysterious, creepy, or just beautiful. Sure there are some decent and even really nice YA covers out there (like the gorgeous Chaos of Stars), but there are so many that feature hideously perfect models (Requiem) and covers that practically stamp them as “junky teen fiction” or some variant of that. The genre does itself a kind of disservice, I think. Middle grade covers actually have nice illustrations and covers, attempting to actually attract readers. And I know, there’s the old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but let’s face it: everyone does to some extent. There are so many books out there, and sometimes one has to judge a book based on the cover and a quick peek at the plot summary.

Anyway, that didn’t have a whole lot to do with The Apothecary, except that it’s a middle grade novel with a pretty nice cover. The story is really good too. I would recommend The Apothecary for those looking for a smart read where the narrator actually seems like her age. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel when it comes out in paperback.

353 pages.

Rating: ****