Review: Pirate Penguin Vs Ninja Chicken

Pirate Penguin Vs Ninja Chicken, Volume 1: Troublems with Frenemies by Ray Friesen

Pirate Penguin and Ninja Chicken are the perfect definition of frenemies. One minute they’re the best of friends, and then the next they’re fighting and trying to beat each other. But you can count on them having lots of fun along the way.

There is something so endearing about this book, and it’s not just the charming illustrative style (which I really enjoyed). It was instant book love for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that consistently made me genuinely belly laugh. And then I was not only laughing, but also running to the next room to share my favorite jokes with family members. The antics of these two characters are completely silly and ridiculous, but somehow that works for their personalities. The “troublems” in the title should give you a clue that there’s a lot of odd word combinations, which sometimes works great for the storylines and sometimes not so much.

 My one complaint was that the format of the book was a little weird. The first half is made up of mini-comics episodes 1-3 pages long, while the second half of the book was a longer continuous story (albeit made of up of smaller episodes). If you can’t stand silly or ridiculous things, you’re probably not going to enjoy this one, but I can see kids totally eating this up (and adults who don’t take life too seriously will enjoy it too).

Shady Glade Rating: 5 leaves

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Review: Drama

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

The plot of Drama is hard to sum up.  I think this is because I see it more as a "slice in the life of" book.  Callie is a middle school student who loves theater (especailly musicals).  Due to a less than stellar singing voice though, rather than trying out for a role in her school's production of Moon Over Mississippi, she's part of the stage crew.   And you can bet there will be a whole lot of drama to ensue.

I’ll start by getting the controversial out of the way first. This is a middle grade book, featuring middle school aged characters, a book aimed at 9-12ish years of age. And one of the characters is gay. So if you’re a parent and that’s something that will bother you, keep that in mind. For me, personally, it didn’t bother me, and I say that coming from a conservative perspective. It is definitely presented as a situation where being gay is not a big deal, so parents you may want to use that to start a conversation with your children. Personally, I am of the opinion that a child in middle school doesn’t know enough about him/herself to know if he/she is gay yet, but that’s a discussion for a different medium.

 Moving on to the book itself, I have to start by saying that I love Raina Telgemeier’s books. I have read pretty much every one she’s done, and Smile in particular ranks up there in my favorite books of all time. That being said, I felt something was missing in Drama. There were parts of it that I loved. The artwork and characterization is spectacular as always, and I enjoyed the theater aspect greatly because it reminded me of my (brief) stint in high school theater. But as mentioned above I just didn’t feel like there was much of a plot. Callie seemed a little too boy crazy for my taste (although I realize some girls are really like that), I just felt like it didn’t gel well with the whole theater plot thread. I will also say that I wasn’t very happy with the shoehorned climax at the school dance, which I won’t talk more about because it would give the ending away. But it just felt a tad too cliché for me.

 All that being said, I would still recommend this, especially if like me you’re a fan of Telgemeier’s other books. I just think it’s going to need to find the right audience to really enjoy it.

Shady Glade Rating: 3 leaves

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Review: The Forbidden Stone

The Forbidden Stone (The Copernicus Legacy #1) by Tony Abbott

Wade Kaplan loves astronomy, something he learned from his Uncle Henry. When Wade, his stepbrother Darrell, and their two friends Becca and Lily get a strange email from Uncle Henry shortly before receiving word of the old man’s death, Wade is sure it has something to do with the star map Uncle Henry gave him for his birthday. Together the group of friends, although with Wade’s father, travel to Germany to attend Uncle Henry’s funeral, where they discover the strange email was in fact a code. The code leads to a clue which leads the kids to discover the mysterious Copernicus Legacy. Now they must race against time to find the other clue and protect this ancient secret before a sinister secret society gets to it first.

This book has all the hallmarks of a good adventure story, with international espionage, clues, secrets, codes, historical artifacts, and just enough wonder to push the book over the edge from realistic fiction to that speculative/science fiction “what if” sphere. This being the first book in a series, it does get bogged down a bit in the beginning through the introduction of the characters and the plot. That being said, it definitely does a good job of building the suspense through these introductions, which kept me going even though I felt a bit bored and confused at the beginning.

I may be posting a separate review of the additional books at another time, but I can confidently say that although my rating of this first book may be a little on the low side, the series definitely gets better the farther you go along. As of this post I’ve read all but the last (yet unpublished) volume, and I am eagerly awaiting its release in November of this year. I’m only awarding this one an “it was okay” rating, but I do still recommend it, especially as it gets better the farther the series goes on. This one also gets an Up All Night award leaf since the action kept me eagerly reading, especially near the end. Recommended especially for middle grade/teen readers that enjoy astronomy and/or spy stories.

Shady Glade Rating: 3 leaves and the Up All Night Award

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Review: Princesses Comic #2

Disney Princess Comics #2 by Amy Mebberson and Geoffrey Golden

If you know me well, you know that I have a bit of a Disney obsession. Well, maybe more than a bit. My mom likes to say that my blood cells are probably Mickey shaped. And as a girly-girl at heart, there’s nothing I love more than the Disney Princesses. So when I found out about this new comic series that was being published, I knew it was a no brainer for me to try it. Sadly, I missed out on the first issue (it was sold out long before I got to the comic book store), but I was able to pick up this second volume on a birthday trip this year.

Unlike some serial comics, the Princess comics are done as a series of short stories with no correlation to each other, so it wasn’t a problem to pick up the second issue without reading the first at all. Each story is more of a behind-the-scenes type peek into the lives of the princesses, outside what the movies show of their stories. The balance of smaller 1 strip and large multi-strip stories is a good combination, and both types of strips have the perfect amount of humor. I particularly liked the story of Princess Jasmine dealing with her tiger Rajah at bedtime. Anyone who has ever owned a cat will understand that one.

And as much as I love the storytelling, I have to say that I love, love, love, the artwork. I am a big fan of Amy Mebberson from her Pocket Princesses fanfic comic on her Facebook page, and it is nice to see her Disney artwork in an official capacity. For those who haven’t seen her work before, I would describe this as a sort of Japanese “chibi” style, while still being very true to the actual Disney artwork. I will definitely look forward to collecting these comics!

Shady Glade Rating: 5 leaves and the Gold Leaf Award 

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Review: Wild Born

Wild Born (Spirit Animals #1) by Brandon Mull

In the fantasy world of Erdas, each child who comes of age must go through a special ceremony. The purpose of this ritual is to see if the child summons a spirit animal; a special animal with which you form a spiritual/mental bond with that grants additional strengths to both human and animal. It’s kind of like your own personal animal best friend. Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan all summon spirit animals. But not just any animals. The wolf, leopard, panda, and falcon who apper during their ceremony are special animals, great beasts; animals of legend who have been foretold to return to Erdas in its greatest need. Together the four must work together and learn how to use their spirit animals in battle before the sinister forces taking over Erdas one country at a time have a chance to succeed.

I went into this one with pretty high expectations, mostly because I just love Brandon Mull. On the other hand, I’m always a bit worried with these multi-author series that Scholastic does (39 Clues and Infinity Ring being two other examples) just because I’m worried about continuity between character traits, world settings, plots, etc. I’m happy to say that Mull does a good job introducing the series. For a book that’s much shorter than many introductory middle grade fantasy books, there’s a nice balance between character introduction and the initial conflict of the series’ overall plot. Readers really only get glimpses of settings and characters other than the main four characters, but I felt it was enough to keep me satisfied, expecting that further explorations will occur in later books in the series. While there may not be a lot of substance literarily to this series, I think the kid appeal is definitely there, especially for kids who like books with animal characters. I plan on continuing with the rest of the series, which is always a good indication it hasn’t lost my interest so far.

Shady Glade Rating: 4 leaves

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Review: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by Sydney Padua

Did you know the basis of the first computer program was invented back in 1842? When I think of the beginnings of the computer, the newish scene in Spaceship Earth featuring a lady in 70s go-go boots surrounded by enormous beeping white machines comes to mind. So when I happened upon this book in a library exploration trip I was very intrigued to find out more about the very beginning of the computer, which apparently happened way earlier than I thought it did. The beginnings of the computer involved the collaboration of Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage working on an invention called the Difference Engine. Sadly, Countess Lovelace died young and the Difference Engine was never actually built.

But in the grand way that fiction allows us, this book explores the idea of “what if”. What if Lovelace and Babbage had actually completed the Difference Engine, and then used its marvelous computing abilities to go on strange adventures? This book not only gives an accurate historical biography of Lovelace and Babbage and their collaboration, but also features a section where in an alternate universe the duo complete their engine and use it’s awesome power to have all sorts of adventures and mishaps (mostly mishaps).

Those who are particularly interested in the history behind Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, and the Difference Engine will be delighted by the sheer amount of research that must have gone into this book. There are extensive footnotes explaining and expounding on the historical events and people featured, as well as a very large appendix containing a vast amount of primary resources. But it’s not just about the history. The adventurous side of the book is quite fun too, and has a very steampunk-esque feel to it. This is where the author’s characterization of Lovelace and Babbage really has the chance to shine, such as when both receive Queen Victoria for a demonstration of the Difference Engine.

I have to say I quite enjoyed the art style of this one. It has a very whimsical feel to it, especially in the “adventures” section of the book, but it is also right at home in the very historical part one as well. The expressions and emotions I thought were particularly well done. Overall, this is a great recommendation for both the historical and alternate reality sections, which lends itself to the graphic novel format quite well. This one is definitely recommended.

Shady Glade Rating: 4 leaves

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Review: Ivy's Ever After

Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that if there’s one book weakness I have, it’s fractured/retold fairy tales. So Ivy's Ever After looked right up my alley.

Ivy is the only child of the king of Ardendale (not to be confused with Arendelle of Frozen fame), and it’s her 14th birthday. While that may be a good thing for some girls, for Ivy it means that she’s about to be locked up in a tower. Ardendale is a kingdom on the edge of the dragon lands, and each area has a fragile peace held together by the so-called Dragon Treaty. And the treaty says that the princess of Ardendale must be imprisoned in the tower on her 14th birthday, guarded by a dragon, until a prince comes to kill the dragon and rescue her.

So despite Ivy's misgivings about the whole thing, she ends up in the tower, waiting for a prince and guarded by her dragon guard Eldridge. And while that sounds like a familiar tale, author Dawn Lairamore has a twist in store for readers. Because Ivy doesn't really want to be rescued, and Eldridge doesn't really want to be slain. In fact, he’s a peace-loving dragon who is quite unhappy about the situation. So when Ivy’s prince, Prince Romil shows up to rescue her, and it becomes clear that he’s really out to take over Ardendale, there’s only one thing a princess can do: escape. Now Ivy and Eldridge must embark on a quest to find Ivy’s fairy godmother and save the kingdom, before Prince Romil can achieve his plans.

As much as I love retold fairy tales, sometimes it’s nice to read a story that takes fairy tale elements and makes its own story, which is one of the thing that’s so nice about Ivy's Ever After. But in the end, it really is mostly a fluff book. Ivy’s characterization isn’t particularly deep, and most of the other characters pretty much are fueled by a single motivation. Although I loved the inventiveness of the quest that dragon and girl embark on, the plot really is definitely the focus on this one. Girls from 8-12 who love princess stories will definitely eat it up, and I enjoyed reading it, but it’s not particularly thought-provoking. This may make a good crossover book for boys as well, since the plot is not focused on romantic love, but more about the friendship that exists between Ivy and Eldridge.

However, despite the fluff aspect, it still is a good read, and a book that I enjoyed in the reading process. If you do like the book, make sure to also check out the sequel Ivy and the Meanstalk, which was also a fun, fluffy read.

Also, this is definitely a "don't judge a book by its cover" moment.  I'm not a fan of the artwork on the cover at all.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

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Review: Doll Bones

Doll Bones by Holly Black, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

Here's a book that has just the perfect amount of creepy for the upcoming Halloween season.

Zach has two friends he’s known forever, Poppy and Alice. Their favorite thing to do after school is to hang out at Poppy’s house and play with action figures and dolls, creating a fantastical world of adventure and magic with their alter egos. But when Zach's toys get thrown away by Zach's dad (who thinks it’s time for Zach to grow up), Zach is so hurt by the episode that he decides it’s easier to just stop being friends with Poppy and Alice.

Of course, that wouldn't be any fun if that was the end of the book. Despite the rift in their relationship, Alice and Poppy show up at Zach's house late one night with a doll. A creepy old china doll that Poppy's mom normally keeps locked up in the china cupboard. Poppy claims that’s she’s being haunted by the doll, a doll whose china body was supposedly made from the bones of a dead girl. With Poppy's urging, the three friends set out on a nighttime clandestine trip to discover the truth of the doll's creation, and hopefully bring the girl's spirit to its final rest.

From the cover you would think this is pure ghost story, but it’s really not. It's more about Zach's journey from childhood to being a teenager, and trying to navigate how his friendships are changing because of him growing up. There's also a great deal about Zach trying to process the relationship with his father, and especially dealing with the expectations his father has about how grown up he should be.

Of course, there's a ghost story aspect to it too. The history of the doll and the gruesome creation (that may or may not have actually happened) add a dash of creep factor and mystery to the otherwise (relatively) normal adventure of the friend’s journey and relationships. The haunting is more of the "is or isn't it" kind, so throughout the book you're never really quite sure if the doll is haunted or everything is just a strange set of coincidences. It adds the perfect prickling at your neck atmosphere to what would otherwise be a quite serious story line, while being safe enough that it should not scare younger readers.

Part mystery, part coming of age, part quest/adventure, part haunting (or not), Doll Bones is a great story for younger readers who enjoy more complex stories than straight fluff series books. Oh, and the creepy illustrations are a perfect addition to the story too.

Now, if you're in the mood for a story about a really haunted doll/dollhouse, you should also check out my review of Sweet Miss Honeywell’s Revenge.

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Review: Prince Tennyson

Prince Tennyson by Jenni James

The first thing you need to know about Prince Tennyson is that it’s an inspirational book about a 10-year-old’s search for God. So if that kind of thing isn’t your thing, this book isn’t for you. The other thing is that it will make you cry. Really. I totally mean that completely and 100%.

This is the story of a broken family and their search for healing, told through the eyes of ten-year-old Chelsea . Chelsea, her mom, and her brother and sister have just moved in with their grandmother in Phoenix after Chelsea’s mom suffers a mental breakdown. The breakdown is due to the death of Chelsea’s father, nicknamed Prince Tennyson, who died a year ago in military service in the Iraq war. Not only is Chelsea dealing with the issues of adjusting to a new school, new friends, and a new house, she is watching her mother become emotionally weaker and weaker as she struggles to deal with the aftermath of her husband’s death.

The turmoil in her life leads Chelsea on a quest to find the answer to one question: Is God real? And although her grandmother assures her He is, her mother is not. As Chelsea struggles to find her own answers, she seeks out church, the bible, asks her new friends, anything that can show her God is real. Because if heaven is not real, she’s afraid she will never get to see her dad again.

This is one of those books that’s kind of hard to explain for me. It’s not really plot driven much, which is weird for my usual taste, because I tend to like plot over characters in the books I pick up. But there’s something about Chelsea’s innocence and genuineness that kept me reading. I got to the point where I absolutely could not pick this book down.

I have to say first that it has been a long time since I have cried over a book. The last one I remember for sure is Where the Red Fern Grows. There might have been some other ones in there over the years, but I didn't even cry after the bloodbath in the later Harry Potter books. (Movies, on the other hand, will get me every time; I even cry for Hallmark commercials). So when I saw from other reviews that this would make you cry, I was skeptical. And I made it through most of the book without crying, that’s for sure. But the last 20% of the book or so had me sobbing in a way I haven’t cried for a book before (except for reading scriptures). Unfortunately I don’t want to go into too much detail about why, because it will completely spoil the ending. The emotional release I got from that crying, however did cause me to be extremely emotionally satisfied with the conclusion.

If I had one complaint about the book, it would be that at times Chelsea’s narration seemed a little juvenile for a 10-year-old. On the other hand, I don’t hang around with many 10-year-olds on a day to day basis, so if they were writing in a journal, maybe that is what it would sound like. I just noticed that it was a very different toned voice from the other middle grade books I've read recently.

I’m assuming if you've made it thus far into the review that you must be religious at least to some extent, so I think what really resonated with me as far as Chelsea’s story is that I think everyone who is religious has been through this journey at some point. We've all had to discover if whatever we are placing our faith in is real or not. And although this is a "kid’s book", it was thought-provoking for me as a young adult as well.

Shady Glade Rating: 9/10

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Review: Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (The Olympians)

Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (Olympians) by George O'Connor

When I was growing up, we studied ancient civilizations for our 6th grade social studies class. Well, my 5th grade year, I was in a 5/6 combination class, so I got a “sneak peek” at a lot of the things the 6th graders learned. And I was entranced by their social studies lessons. But most of all, when they got to Ancient Greece, I fell in love with Greek myths. And that’s a love I've continued to this day. 

So when I first heard about George O'Connor Olympians graphic novel series a few years ago, I was really excited. Two of my favorite things, myths and graphic novels, it couldn't possibly go wrong. I've had the pleasure of reading two of previous books in the series, Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess and Hades: Lord of the Dead and enjoyed them both. O'Connor has a way of including both well-known and obscure points of the myths he chooses to highlight for his books, and is excellent at exploring the personalities behind each Greek god or goddess.

So when I saw that the newest version of the series was about Aphrodite, I knew I had to read it. Aphrodite has long been my favorite goddess, but other than the story about what led to the Trojan war, and the famous “born on sea foam” creation story, you don’t seem to hear much about her. I had high expectations for this book, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

There were three things I really enjoyed about this book. First of all, with a graphic novel, the artwork plays such an important part in the characterization and story line. I was surprised that O'Connor chose to make Aphrodite an exotic beauty with long darker hair, instead of the blond haired/blue eyed character you usually see in illustrations. It’s different, but really effective. It sets Aphrodite off as being different from the other Olympians, which really plays well into her creation story line.

Secondly, I really have to admire the way that O'Connor chooses the stories that he includes in his books. They are well researched, and as I mentioned before, he includes several less well known stories in his plot. And although each vignette is technically its own story, he weaves them together in a way that feels like a fluid continuous plot. He also fleshes out the reasons behind the characters’ actions, giving the gods and goddesses an element of humanity. In that regard, I especially liked the conversation Aphrodite has about her motivations for participating in the To the Fairest competition between her, Athena, and Hera that will lead up to the Trojan War.

The third thing I really like about this series is something that makes this book perfect for all ages. O'Connor includes extensive notes, broken down page by page, at the back of the book. This is great for those who aren't as familiar with Greek myths, since the notes shed lights on other myths that influence the stories in the book, as well as explaining some subtle nuances that aren't always obvious in a graphic novel format.

I have to say that Aphrodite: Goddess of Love has definitely been my favorite volume of the Olympians series that I've read so far, and I definitely look forward to reading more books in this series in the future.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

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Review: Secrets at Sea

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck

The Hudson Rvier Valley circa Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee is home to the stately Cranston family. Of course, there’s really two Crantson families: the Upstairs Cranstons and the Downstairs Cranstons. If you’re into a certain popular BBC historical drama on TV recently like I am *cough* Downton Abbey *cough*, you may be expecting the Downstairs Cranstons to be servants. But they’re not. They’re actually mice. And they would like to point out theirs is the older Cranston family.

Helena is the oldest mouse, and since her mother, father, and two older sisters have since passed on (it’s a dangerous life being a mouse!) she has the responsibility of worrying about and taking care of her two younger sisters, Louise and Beatrice, and younger brother, Lamont. So when the Upstairs Cranstons decide to leave their home and take of tour of Europe in order to give their eldest daughter Olive “her chance” (to catch a husband), Helena decides that rather than face and empty house and starvation, the Downstairs Cranstons will just have accompany their humans across the ocean. Even though mice aren’t good with water. The resulting voyage is full of strange new experiences, intrigues, dangerous situations (cats!), brushes with royalty, and maybe even a little romance.

I have to say, I’ve almost never met a Richard Peck book I didn’t like. In fact, I can only think of 2 that I didn’t enjoy thoroughly, and they were both fine books, just not for me. And that’s okay. Luckily, Secrets at Sea can easily fit the category of “thoroughly enjoyed”.

I suppose it bears mentioning that the whole book itself is quite silly. This is definitely a “suspension of disbelief” book. However, I think for the middle grade audience it’s aiming for, this isn’t necessarily a problem. As a (young) adult reading this book, I personally didn’t have any problem with it. But I’m pretty gullible that way. I’ve seen reviews that have beaten this one up a bit for this very reason, because it seems little too unlikely and the plot is fairly simplistic. But I think if you go into expecting it to be silly, you won’t have a problem with it. So the moral of the story is: don’t take your reading too seriously!

The book is narrated by Helena, and as the oldest, she does come off as bossy quite a bit. However, being the oldest (and pretty bossy) myself, I found myself relating to Helena quite a lot. She’s simply concerned with how she can keep her dwindling family together, which is something I’ve worried about myself before. So although some might find her unlikeable, I enjoyed Helena quite a bit.

The other nice thing about this book is that I think it has appeal for a wide audience. Yes, it has some romance (think along the lines of “we love each other and now we’re getting married!”), but not enough to necessarily turn off the young male reader. It is historical fiction, but isn’t heavy enough in historical detail to turn off readers who shy away from history. And I think it is a book that all ages can enjoy, especially its target middle grade audience.

I really did enjoy Secrets at Sea, it was a short, quick read, and I am still putting Richard Peck at the top of my favorite authors list. According to Goodreads it appears he has another mouse book that’s been recently published, The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail, which I will have to pick up and try soon.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

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Review: Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

I didn't have a chance to put up a new WOW post this week, but I do have another review to make up for it.

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers

At first glance Theodosia Throckmorton appears to be like any other normal 11-year-old girl living in London at the turn of the century. But Theodosia’s life is anything but normal. First of all, her archeologist mother is currently off on a dig in Egypt, uncovering treasures in the Valley of the Kings. And rather than going to boarding school or having a governess like a normal, respectable girl her age, Theodosia spends her time exploring the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, where her father is Head Curator.

But that’s not the most unique thing about Theodosia either. It’s the fact that she seems to be the only one who can see the horrible black magic and curses that often accompany the Egyptian artifacts the museum acquires. Which means it’s up to her to break said curses too. When her mother returns from her most recent dig with the famed Heart of Egypt amulet, only Theodosia seems to notice that the item perfectly reeks of black magic. And the curse is a bad one. Bad enough that the entire British Empire might be at stake if she can’t figure out how to break it.

This is the kind of book I would have LOVED when I was younger. I was obsessed with anything Egyptian in 5th grade, and this book would have been made for me. Kids have it so easy these days! There’s so many more good books than when I was younger. Not that I had a lack of books to read, of course. :)

This is also a book that took me completely by surprise. I’m not sure why I didn’t pick it up sooner. I had kind of seen it hovering on friend’s bookshelves and wish lists online, but I wasn’t ever really interested enough to even investigate what it was about. And the cover copy is pretty boring, so if I had, I’m not sure I would have investigated further anyway. But I recently picked it up from the library as I was browsing, and I grabbed it the other day when looking for something new to start. Kind of a “hey, why not?” moment.

Theodosia narrates the story in first person, and her voice drew me in right away. First thing she already starts mentioning Egyptian artifacts and curses, which was a great hook for a girl who used to love (and still kind of does) all things ancient Egyptian. Theodosia’s story is engaging in its uniqueness. You want to know who this girl is, how she knows so much about ancient curses, and why she spends so much of her time in a museum. Then, as the story progresses, you add in mysterious characters, plot twists, secret societies, double agents, forbidden new friends… really, it’s a dynamite mix. I can’t wait to pick up the next one.

And on a side note, since I’m such a cover fanatic… I’m not a fan of the cover. Something about the artwork is off to me. Theodosia is really not a boring character at all, but I don’t think this cover makes her look intriguing in the least. Honestly, I think if I saw this at the bookstore or library I would probably pass it right by. Which, obviously I did, since it’s been out since 2007. So this is definitely a case of don’t judge a book by its cover!

Shady Glade Rating: 9/10

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Review: Foiled

This is one of those book reviews where I actually read this book a while ago, and have been meaning to post a review for some time. Well, I finally got around to it now!

Foiled by Jane Yolen

Aliera eats, sleeps, and drinks fencing. Not very popular at school, and with not a lot of friends, she spends most of her free time working on her fencing technique. And it helps that she’s good. Very good. Little does she know that her life is about to change when she gets assigned a new lab partner in science class. Chris is engaging, funny, and maybe a little bit mischievous (and mysterious). He brings a little bit of levity and excitement to Aliera’s life, and fencing just might start to slip out of first place in her book. When she aquires a new practice fencing foil with a red jeweled handle, Aliera’s fencing skills are about to take center stage, and she just might get more new excitement than she bargained for.

I’m going to be honest: Foiled really disappointed me at first. I’m hoping it was because I had such high expectations going into it, since it was not only a graphic novel, but one done by one of my favorite authors, Jane Yolen.

First of all, the artwork wasn’t my favorite. Eh. But I can get over that. Artistic license and all that. But one of the most disappointing things was that for a graphic novel that was published in full color, there was not a lot of color to go around. Mostly shades of gray, dark blue/purple, you get the idea. Granted, the end of the book reveals a very good reason why this is. So in retrospect, I understand why that chose was made, and I admire them making that choice. But in my initial reading of the book, the whole thing came off as “blah” to me.

Second of all, it doesn’t seem like much happens plot-wise until the last third or so. I realize to some extent there’s a certain amount of necessary background information that needs to be presented. In a graphic novel that’s show sort, where every panel is carefully planned to impart the maximum information to the reader, I found the amount of what felt like background a little overkill. I got a sick of all the fencing, Aliera at school with Chris, more fencing, Aliera hanging out with her cousin, more fencing… you get the idea. And once all the action does show up (in that final third) the resolution is rather abrupt. Kind of like “okay, here we go… and we’re done!”. Everything does turn out to be significant in the end, but I feel like there should have been more to keep me engaged as I went along, so I could pay a little more attention to those things while I was reading.

In the end, it’s a much better read the second time around. Knowing how it ends up, you do see more connections than the first time. And I think the book ended up being stronger than I originally thought. I see there’s been a sequel published since I first read this (Curses! Foiled Again), and I have high hopes for that second book. There’s a lot of questions and loose ends to be wrapped up, which I imagine would be just right for a sequel. In the end, Foiled isn’t a bad book, and despite my initial disappointment, I would still recommend it, especially to Jane Yolen fans. Maybe if you don’t have as high of hopes for it as I do, you’ll enjoy it more the first time than I did.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10


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Review: A World Without Heroes (Beyonders)

Yup, it's another review!  I'm on a roll lately.  :)  I've been able to  write up several of these in free moments over the last little while, so hopefully it will keep me supplied for a few weeks.

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

Jason feels like he’s in a rut. Although his real passion is baseball and animals, he feels like he will have to live up to his parents’ expectation of him becoming a dentist. Why? Because his dad is a dentist, and both of his older siblings are on their way to becoming dentists as well. It seems to be a blossoming family tradition. Jason’s one escape, other than baseball practice, is his volunteer job working at the local zoo. Which is about to get a lot more interesting, as one day while working near the hippo tank he ends up falling in and getting swallowed whole. But rather than being eaten alive, the hippo leads him to an alternate world: Lyrian.

Here Jason is a “Beyonder”: someone from the world beyond this strange place he has found himself in. Lyrian is ruled over by the evil Emperor Maldor; who happens to have outlawed anything to do with the Beyond. Through a “curiosity killed the cat” moment, Jason ends up engaged on a quest to find a Word of Power that will destroy Maldor and hopefully save Lyrian. The problem? The Word has a total of six syllables, which have been scattered and hidden all over Lyrian. With the help of another Beyonder named Rachel, Jason must quickly gather all the syllables of the Word, or he might not make it home alive.

I’m a big fan of Brandon Mull’s. I loved his Fablehaven books, the Candy Shop War books are also a lot of fun, and I even got to meet him one on one once. So I definitely have a soft spot for him. So when I first heard about the Beyonders series, and that it was one he had been working on for many years, I was pretty excited.

A World Without Heroes is a book that is both alike and different from Brandon Mull’s other books. Like the Fablehaven books, this features both a male and female main character, with Jason definitely taking the larger role. Although that feature does seem to change nearer the end of the book and I expect it will continue shifting in future books. The supporting cast of characters is quite large, to the point where it was almost a little difficult to pick up on characters that were mentioned once or twice in the beginning when they pop up again in the plot later.

The plot itself is full of twists and turns. Although not much seems to happen to Jason and Rachel at first, I was certainly never bored as a reader, or felt I was being plagued with introductory material. There is a chapter of the necessary background information, but the action gets going pretty quickly, within the first chapter. One of the things that caught my attention when watching the Star Wars movies for the first time (way back in elementary school) was that in addition to a great story, if you pay attention there’s also some political/intrigue subplots taking place. I felt like this book was a lot the same. Jason is on a quest to find the Word, but there’s a lot of political reasons he comes up against the things he does, which add a whole new layer to things when you start paying attention.

The world building of this book is intriguing. Lyrian definitely has a medieval/feudal feel to it, which is typical of epic fantasy. However, there’s something weirdly alien as well as that familiar fantasy feel. The description of foreign foods/fruits, strange musical instruments, and inventive architecture (such as a tavern that rotates like a merry go round) add plenty of strange to what you would expect from this setting. There’s even the addition of the “wizard born” races that add a dimension to the populace of Lyrian. These are all magically created races, but are quite human in appearance and action, but have special features such as being able to separate from your body, or being reborn after you die thanks to a seed that grows on your neck. Yeah, I know, that sounds really weird, but you should just go with it, okay? Cuz it’s awesome.

As a general warning, this book does have a pretty decent cliffhanger ending, so you will definitely want to have the next one (Seeds of Rebellion) on hand when you finish this one. Overall, I think this is a strong start to a great trilogy.

Shady Glade Rating: 10/10! 

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Review: Dorothy of Oz

So I know it’s been a while since I’ve done reviews. And despite the fact that things are little crazy around here recently (see previous post about impending court date and Disneyland trip), I would like to get back into doing more reviews here on the blog. So I’m going to start with this graphic novel series I picked up recently.

Dorothy Of Oz by Son Hee-Jun

This is a sort of manga-style retelling of the Wizard of Oz story. Or more appropriately, a manhwa retelling, since it hails from Korea instead of Japan. But the artistic style is pretty typical of your average manga shojo series. Quick side note: favorite character is Toto. Why? Because he is just so darn adorable! He’s like a little ball of fluff with ears and legs. But anyway, moving on.

Dorothy Of Oz, not to be confused with an upcoming animated sequel to the Wizard of Oz (which I found out about in my Google searching for images), is the story of Mara Shin. Like Dorothy, she finds herself unexpectedly in the Land of Oz, and is chiefly interested in finding her way back home. Though in a twist of events, she ends up in Oz more like Alice ends up in Wonderland, by following Toto down a dark alley that leads to a yellow brick road. There, she meets up with the typical characters: scarecrow, tin man, cowardly lion, though not necessarily in the form you would expect them. I won’t give away how they are different here, as it would ruin the plot. Everyone is so excited to meet her, because they think she’s Dorothy, who’s been prophesied to return to Oz and fix everything that’s gone wrong since she left. The problem is, Mara isn’t Dorothy, she’s Mara, and she doesn’t want to save Oz, she just wants to get back home to Korea.

This is an Oz that’s both familiar, and completely alien. The role of magic is much more prevelanet, and it appears as though Oz is ruled over by the four witches (North, South, East, West) since the Wizard has mysteriously disappeared. The land is covered by war, and there seems to be a lot of mercenaries roaming about as well, each with their own agenda. Of course, I’m not really sure exactly what’s going on, as in typical manga tradition, Volume 1 drops you into the middle of the story, has a bunch of action, and then drops back to the introductory material once the battle is over. It’s great for drawing a reader in (nothing more exciting than unanswered questions), but can be a little disorienting.

As a content warning for those who are so inclined, the book does feature quite a bit of fighting, and some resulting violence/blood is depicted, although it’s toned down a lot from some manga I’ve seen. There’s also a typically manga skimpy fighting outfit for Mara, which is quite sexed-up. Those familiar with manga will know what I’m talking about, but if this is your first foray into the genre, you have been warned. As of the writing of this review, I’ve read three of the books in this series (the aptly named Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3). Unfortunately, it looks like the series quit after Volume 4. And based on what’s happened so far in just the first 3 books, I’m not optimistic the action can all be wrapped up in that last book. So it looks like I might have to just resign myself to a lot of unanswered questions. But I will still definitely pick up that last book, just as soon as I can get it from the Interlibrary Loan.

Overall, it tends a bit to the mediocre side of things once you’re no longer reading and trying to figure out what’s going on in the story. But the storyline is engaging enough, and I think those who love books that have anything to do with Oz will enjoy it. And I would recommend it to those readers based on that facet alone. As long as you can get past that possibility of there not being a true ending after Volume 4, that is.

Shady Glade Rating: 5/10

Although apparently out of print, it is available at Amazon.com in Paperback
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On a side note: 

If you'd like a more classic, and in my opinion stronger, Oz-related graphic novel, you should check out the adaptations of the original L. Frank Baum Oz books that are published by Marvel.   The story is done by Eric Shanower (a veteran of both Oz adaptations and graphic novels) with excellent artwork by Skottie Young.  I haven't read one of those that I haven't enjoyed yet.  For those wondering on the chronology, they follow the original oz books: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Graphic Novel), The Marvelous Land of Oz, Oz: Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, and Road to Oz have all been published at this point, with The Emerald City of Oz to follow soon I believe.  

Review: Never After

Never After Dan Elconin

16-year-old Ricky Darlin is sick of his life. He'd much rather be spending his time on the mysterious tropical paradise he keeps dreaming about: "The Island". So when a teenager named Peter shows up at his window one night and offers to fly him there, Ricky jumps at the chance to leave everything behind.

Once they get to the Island, however, things don't go as planned. It turns out Peter's not nearly as nice as he pretends to be. And while the Island is certainly beautiful, it's also full of dangers, one of which is Peter himself. Ricky is rescued by a ragtag group of boys (and one girl) led by the slightly insane James Hooke, who the group refers to as "Captain". No one seems to know what Peter's motives are, but unfortunately he's the only way to get off the Island and back home. And Peter's zombie-like Lost Boys aren't going to make capturing Peter easy.

I would personally call this more of a re-imagining of Peter Pan than a retelling. The reason being that some things have the same names, but so many things are different that if you didn't know the story of Peter Pan and you no one told you it was based on Peter Pan, you'd probably think you'd picked up a great adventure story.

And the book is full of plenty of adventure. The other great thing are the characters. Ricky and his friends act exactly like the people I knew in high school, and they have a gritty realness about them that adds dimension to the story. Dan Elconin has also mastered the art of the suspenseful chapter ending, which gives the story pull and makes it move along at a fairly quick pace.

Now, I think I have to mention at this point that I didn't finish the book. While I can see a lot of merit here, there were a few things that bothered me. Namely the profanity, which is quite prevalent. These characters act like teenager with all the swearing and behavior that you would expect from teens dealing with dysfunctional homes. So I understand why it's there. But that is something personally that I don't enjoy reading. Once I found myself scanning the pages rather than fully reading them I put the book down. I was more 100 pages in by that point, so I think I have a pretty good handle on the book without knowing how it ends. The profanity certainly won't bother some readers, and that's great, but I would not be writing an honest review if I didn't mention it. Because honestly, I would have finished the book if it hadn't been for that.

So not my sort of thing, but I can see how other people would love this book. Because of the profanity issue and some of the other things the characters discuss, I definitely wouldn't give this to say a 12-year-old. But older teens (especially ones who love adventure books) will probably enjoy this. For those readers who are desperately searching for a strong male protagonist in YA lit, this would certainly be a good choice.

Review: Penguin's Special Christmas Tree

Penguin's Special Christmas Tree by Jeannie St. John Taylor and Molly Idle

Penguin really, really wants to win "Santa's Best Tree Award". The only problem is he doesn't know how to decorate the tree. With a help from a little angel friend the team come up with all sorts of wacky and wild ideas for tree decorations (including my favorite, which is a frog). But will it be enough to impress Santa?

Now you are probably getting sick of hearing me gush about illustrations when I talk about picture books. But really, the illustrations are what makes a picture book a picture book! So excuse me while I gush for a moment here.

I LOVE these illustrations. Love them. The illustrator, Molly Idle, was another person I got to interview for Roberts Snow back in 2007. And I totally fell in love with her style then. So when she told me she had a new Christmas book coming out AND it had penguins (I love penguins), I had to have it.

I succeeded in getting a copy last year, and I absolutely love this book. The story is very cute, and has a unique element because the whole book is told completely in dialogue. Since there isn't a "narration" element here, the illustrations are EVERYTHING to making sense of this book. I love how they look like a cross between colored pencil and pastels. And the facial expressions of the characters (the penguin especially) are hilarious. I am also thoroughly entertained that my version of the book also came with a paper ornament in the back of it. So Penguin's tree is now hanging on my tree. (Yes, I am entertained easily sometimes).

Bottom line is that it's the overall uniqueness that really pulls this all together for me. It doesn't really have much to do with Christmas (other than they are decorating a tree for Santa's contest) but it's a great Christmas book anyway.

Shady Glade Rating: 9/10

Review: Mary Engelbreit and Christmas

For me Mary Engelbreit and Christmas just go together. I picked up my love of this artist from my mom. She has liked her work for a long as I can remember and it was a tradition for us to get her a Mary Engelbreit calendar each year for her birthday. Which, incidentally is today. Happy birthday Mom!

So that brings in the Christmas part. But in looking around, there is LOT of Mary Engelbreit books that have to do with Christmas. Just Google her name + Christmas and you'll see what I mean. So for this post I have three mini-reviews of Christmas-y Mary Engelbreit books.

Believe: A Christmas Treasury

If I were an illustrator (which I'm totally not. Really. I can't even draw stick figures well) this would be the kind of book I would want to do. Believe is a collection of Christmas carols, poems, stories, and quotes that Mary Engelbreit picked out herself. Mostly it's poetry and carols, so it reads really quickly. Though this isn't necessarily a book you pick up and read straight through. There's more than enough things to read it as an advent style (one thing per night) or just read a couple pages every now and then. it's even got a handy ribbon bookmark to make that sort of thing easy. The one disappointing thing was that I wish the very few stories she has included had been more illustrated. They had a border around the outside but the huge blocks of text (no pictures) made them seem out of sync with the rest of the treasure. Other than that I have no complaints. In fact, this is the type of treasury I wish I had had at Christmas when I was a kid.

Shady Glade Rating: 9/10

Mary Engelbreit's A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate from A to Z

If you've read Mary Engelbreit's version of The Night Before Christmas you're familiar with the character of Gregory Mouse. This book brings readers back to Gregory's mouse village to celebrate Christmas with a Seasonal Alphabet. Everything A if for Angel to Z is for the Zillion ways Christmas brings cheer. Each letter is presented in rhyming text and has accompanying illustrations. I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of alphabet books, but I did enjoy this one. There's plenty going on in each illustration to keep young eyes buys and the rhymes are cute. Perhaps not a shining star among picture books in general, but definitely among alphabet books as a group.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

A Very Mary Christmas: A Collection of Holiday Art

If you're looking for a book with mostly just art and no text, then this is the book for you. Here you'll find over 100 pages of Christmas/winter Mary Engelbreit art including a chapter on snow, one on Santa, and one on religious art. Some of my favorite Christmas prints are here and I've found a lot more that I love. I wish there had been an occasional artist commentary throughout the book, but maybe I'm just spoiled from other art books I have. I'm also not a fan of two page spreads in these types of books because the middle gets lost in the crevice of the binding. Other than that I have no complaints. This would be a great gift if you have someone on your list who is a Mary Engelbreit fan. It's a good sized book with lots of lots of her artwork. Plus the dust jacket has embossed snowflakes on it (you can't tell from the picture) that I really think add a little something to the presentation. Just remember it's pretty much about the art and nothing else.

Shady Glade Rating 9/10

Review: Holly Claus

The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan and Laurel Long

The land of Forever (land of the Immortals) is ruled over by King Nicholas, better known to the world as Santa Claus. In the winter of 1878 Santa receives a letter from a young boy that asks Santa what he wants for Christmas. This simple act allows Santa to have his dearest wish granted, and the King and Queen of Forever soon have a daughter, Princess Holly Claus.

Holly's heart is the purest and gentlest in all the world, but a jealous sorcerer curses her heart to become frozen in ice, sentencing Holly to be forever kept in cold climates lest her heart melt. The gates of Forever are closed shut, and Santa can no longer bring Christmas joy to the world. It's up to Holly to take the matter in her own hands as she escapes to Victorian New York with her animal friends to once more bring joy to the world.

This book is has a very fairy-tale feel to it, which I think adds to the story. It can be a little cliche at times, but not necessarily in a bad way. I think that particular aspect would not be noticed so much by children readers. It is a hefty read though (600 pages) so it's not a great book for reluctant readers.

Despite its flaws, the premise is original and interesting and adds the perfect blend of magic and romance to the magic of the Christmas legend. Definitely a great read for fantasy readers looking for something a little different around the holidays.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

Now, the absolute best, best thing about this book are the illustrations that are sprinkled throughout the book. They are wonderfully beautiful. So when I found out shortly after getting the above book that there was also a picture book, I was ecstatic. My favorite thing about the book, the illustrations, were to be reproduced larger and in full color. Was there a disadvantage?

Keep in mind that I hadn't read the book yet at this point, just flipped through it. I went to Amazon to buy Holly Claus: The Christmas Princess (the picture book) and was surprised to find that although the novel had pretty much all 5 star reviews, the picture book had lots of negative press. Most of these had to do with the fact that there were gaps left in the plot of the picture book and too many questions were left over when it was over. But the full color illustrations were too much of a pull, so I bought the book anyway.

Keeping in mind the negative reviews I decided to read the picture book first. I'm so glad I did. Rather than be disappointed with the gaps in the picture book (yes, there are some gaps) I was delighted to find them filled in by reading the book. So I would definitely recommend if you're going to pick up the picture book at all, do it BEFORE reading the novel.

I'm not going to deny that there aren't problems with the picture book version, because there are. Mostly the plot gaps. That being said, the design of the picture is breathtaking. Seeing the illustrations larger made them all the more magical and they are stunning in color. I can see children falling in love with this book (the picture version) as a child and then discovering the magic of the full novel as they get older.

Shady Glade Rating: 7/10