Victorian Mysteries...one of my favorite genres!

In my last post I mentioned that I was already hooked on a new book after only two chapters. I finished the book this afternoon and it didn't disappoint. My only disappointment comes from desperately wanting more of the sweet, tense, awkward, humorous, and biting interactions between the two main characters. Secret Letters by Leah Scheier is a mystery set in Victorian London. Two of my most favorite adult book series are mysteries set in Victorian London (The William Monk series by Anne Perry) and turn of the century London (The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King.) That being the case, I was a little worried about how this book would stack up to such beautifully written and beloved characters. Remembering that the book was written for young adult readers, I tried not to compare it to the much more complex adult mysteries I'm used to reading. As I read, I couldn't help but wonder if Leah Scheier is familiar with and influenced by Anne Perry and Laurie R. King. Maybe this book will serve as a bridge for young readers leading them to a love of the genre!

Dora Joyce is a 16 year old in the care of her aunt with a shameful secret. She has traveled with her cousin, Adelaide, who is being blackmailed over old love letters, under the pretense of seeking help from a private investigator. Her aim is Sherlock Holmes but must settle instead for a Mr. Porter after Sherlock Holmes is thrown from a waterfall. Through Mr. Porter, Dora meets the mysterious Peter Cartwright, a young apprentice to Porter. The tentative relationship that develops between Dora and Peter is where the real beauty of the novel lies. Looking into Adelaide's blackmailer leads to a connection with another case in which Dora deceives her cousin in order to go undercover as an assistant to Peter posing as a maid at a country manor.

Dora has always been a bit of a rebel and a disappointment to her family since she finds it difficult to conduct herself in the proper, demure manner that is expected of upper class women. There are whispers of Mary Russell (Laurie R. King's heroine) and Hester Latterly (Anne Perry's heroine from the Monk series) in Dora which only served to increase my affinity for her! She is clever and strong-willed, frequently speaking before thinking. While many other young adult books rely on descriptions of physical relationships in order tell a love story, Scheier relies on brilliantly constructed conversations to build the chemistry between Dora and Peter. Obviously, this is as it should be since the story is set in Victorian England. In my opinion, the delayed gratification that comes from witty word play is much more satisfying for my romantic sensibilities. Plus, as I've previously admitted, I crave a literary love/hate relationship between characters!

While some lovers of the mythology of Sherlock Holmes may be put off by the liberties Scheier takes with Holmes' character and reputation, I didn't find it to be distracting. I hope that Scheier continues to write. Her mysteries will only get better and more intricate with time and practice. Both her main characters are tortured by feelings of personal guilt which will allow her to further develop them as she continues her writing career. There is also a looming unsolved mystery from Peter's past that beautifully sets the stage for many more books to come. Although the book has been marketed for young adult readers, I would recommend it for readers of all ages!

Secret Letters by Leah Scheier will be released on June 26th. Please purchase it or request it from your library! I would love for this author to be a success!

Start your summer reading list!

I know, I know. I have heard from many friends reminding me that I haven't written a post in many days. My excuse is of the best sort though. I've been reading. Three new books to be exact. I will be completely honest though, the only reason I'm writing a post at this moment is because I'm at my parent's home this morning and I've forgotten my charger for the iPad and am almost out of power. If I had the charger, I would most definitely be reading further than the two chapters I got in this morning of a pre-pub called Secret Letters by Leah Scheier. I'm already thoroughly enjoying the introduction of the main characters, so more about the book once I've finished it!

What have I been reading? Insurgent by Veronica Roth, which I finished far too quickly. Funny how I always rush to get through a book, but am disappointed when I have to leave the characters behind! It is doubly frustrating that I must wait for the final book in the trilogy to be written and published. I'll hold back from saying anything of consequence about the book for those of you who may still be planning to read the series. However, I will say the twists and turns of the plot, the progression of the love story, and the questions of loyalty further enhanced my love for this particular dystopian society. Read it soon. There is a particularly satisfying exchange between Tris and Tobias near the end. And as my sister knows, I have a particular fondness for yelling matches that have declarations of love attached...I'm sick, I know.

The second book I devoured was the 5th installment in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, City of Lost Souls. One of these days I will write a post attempting to explain my love affair with the teen drama and angst that is so prevalent in YA fiction. One of my favorite things about these books is there are a bounty of colorful characters, and while Clary and Jace are the main story, the other characters get a lot of page time. Midway through the book I started to think this would be the last book in the series since Clare appeared to be tying up a lot of loose ends. As I came to the last fifty pages or so it began to be evident that she was setting up a new plot twist that will need to be continued in another book! Thank goodness, as I have clearly confessed my addiction for a great series! Again though, there's the problem of being current and having to be in a perpetual state of waiting for what's next!

Lastly, I made my way through Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi. Interestingly, after doing a little digging, I found that this book was previously published as an adult novel (with some adult content) under the name Razor Girl. The main character's name was changed from Molly to Peyton, and while the main characters in the original manuscript were adults, they are teenagers in Tomorrow Land. I have not read the original, but after reading the author's own plot summary, they sound identical. It sounds like Mancusi "cleaned it up" and decided to take advantage of the current dystopian craze. Tomorrow Land is a post apocalyptic tale of love and survival among zombies. I didn't love the book, but I did enjoy the suspense of the story. I figured out the end before it was revealed which I think is more likely a sign that I read a lot rather than of the plot being too basic. I would recommend this book for middle and high schoolers because there are sexual references. For instance, teenagers must get inoculated against AIDS before they can have sex. (All adults receive the vaccine at 18.) Teenagers have nicknamed the paperwork that proves you've had the shot an LTF (license to...well, you get the idea.) The story is told in alternating chapters of the year 2030, just before the apocalypse, and 2034 after Peyton emerges from her underground shelter. The pop references Peyton and her friends make about 2011 are funny. They range from Edward and Jacob to the Kardashians. Here is the crux of my issue. Mancusi refers to reruns of Kardashian reality TV as an "obscure and ancient family." While we can only hope that in 18 years they will, in fact be obscure, I don't know that ancient is the correct term. I mean, we're only talking about 18 years in the future. I'll only be 52! Hardly ancient, thank you very much! Even so, the book was written for teenagers and let's face it, they certainly think 52 is ancient, so maybe I should let the reference slide! If you decide to read it, you'll have to overlook the numerous editing errors which really don't make sense because of the earlier publishing of the manuscript. Tomorrow Land is only available in e-format for about $3.99 which makes it worth it if you love teenager angst, romance, cyborgs, and zombies.

Technology is hazardous to my health...

I have recently acquired an Ipad. It is my first gadget-y piece of technology. I don't even use a smart phone, but with my new position as a librarian, I felt it was time for me to delve into technology head first. I must admit, I don't know what I did without the Ipad. It's just so sleek and fun to use! I feel infinitely more cool whenever pulling it out in public. Here's my problem: I can't read it in bed before drifting off into dream land. Not because (as you might assume) the glowing light from the screen is painful to my eyes. That is easily fixed both in the settings of the device itself but also in the settings of whatever App I've downloaded my book to. The problem is I frequently fall asleep while reading and wake in the morning with my book still lying on the bed next to me...but, on occasion, the book has been flung onto to the floor. I do not have a carpeted bedroom so flinging the Ipad to the floor in my sleep would likely shatter the screen. Even that, while annoying isn't really a threat to my health!

If you are a bedtime reader, this will sound quite familiar to you. You only have another page and a half to read before the end of the chapter, and you are determined to stay awake until you've finished. (Which is so silly to me because the next day I have no memory of those few paragraphs I forced myself to read and must reread them anyways.) But, while forcing my eyelids open again and again, and nodding off, all my muscles relax, and I frequently have a habit of being startled awake because the book smacked me in the face. Not a problem if I happen to be reading a pocket sized paperback...but an Ipad?! I'm sure most people wouldn't believe me if I explained that my black eye, broken nose, or swollen lip are from dropping my Ipad on my face while reading in bed! Because of this, I have decided to be sure to always have a print copy of something next to my bed to read at night. So...it's seriously funny that because of my addiction to novel series, my current book of choice is City of Lost Souls the 5th installment in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series that just came out last week. At 535 pages it has some serious injury capabilities! And let's not forget, traditional books are still technology even if it is low tech. Only I could somehow make reading a contact sport!

More Dystopian Love Triangles...

I really hate that I'm about to review a sequel to a book before mentioning the first in the trilogy. But it isn't enough to stop me! I will try to be extremely careful regarding all plot details I share so as not to discourage any of you from starting at the beginning!

That being said, I will start with some important background about Matched  by Ally Condie, the first book in the series. Matched is once again a dystopian novel...surprise, surprise! It's never clear to me whether or not the setting of the book is on land that was formerly the United States. What we do know is that "The Society" has different provinces and there is a war being fought against "The Enemy" in the outer provinces. If you are a member of society, you want for nothing. You are educated, given a job, matched with a perfect mate, and live a disease free existence until your life ends. Living this perfect life means giving a lot of control to The Society. Jobs are given based upon your aptitude and talents, you are scheduled for recreational time and most of your communications are monitored by officials in The Society. Written language has fallen by the wayside. Of course, members of society can read and write but only what has been printed on computer screens. Society decided that is was too saturated with music, art and creative writing so committees were formed to select only 100 of each. One hundred pieces of art, poetry, songs, movies, etc.

The first book opens with Cassia on the eve of her Match Banquet where she will find out whom she has been matched with by the society for the maximum chance at happiness. When she is matched with her best friend Xander, Cassia's belief that The Society knows best is reinforced. That is until she inserts the data card that is loaded with information about her match and Xander's face doesn't appear. Instead it is Ky, another boy from her city that she has barely noticed. The next time Cassia looks at the data card, Xander appears, as he should. Now Cassia can't help but notice and watch the mysterious Ky. She is torn between being drawn to the familiar and safe that she loves and the mysterious and unknown that is new and exciting.

I didn't love Matched, but I liked it and was drawn to it. I couldn't stop reading. The overwhelming mood of the book is dark even though it deals with something that should be carefree and happy like first love. There is clearly something sinister going on. For me, the entire set up was even more upsetting because members of the society don't seem to understand how much they are actually being studied and controlled. What I really had a hard time with was getting on Ky's side, which is I'm sure what Condie wants of her readers. I just couldn't believe the draw and power he has over Cassia, and I sympathized with Xander. Because of that, I didn't get caught up in the character development. But, as I've said in a previous post, I am compelled to read the entire series so I forged on with Crossed.

What I will say about the sequel is the reader meets new characters in Vic, Indy, and Eli. The chapters are told from alternating points of view from Ky and Cassia as they are both trying desperately to get back to each other. For me, this book was less about the characters and more about the mystery of The Society. We find out more about the history of The Society, the people who chose to live outside of it, and the underground rebellion called The Rising. This book feels like it's setting up the final book in the trilogy, Reached, which is out on November 13th of this year. I am hopeful that the reason I couldn't connect with the original love story is because Condie always planned to take the characters down a different path that Crossed seems to set up. At first I thought this would be a series I would have a "take it or leave it" attitude about, but now I'm inclined to believe that I will be rewarded for hanging on until the last installment.

No doubt there are some of you who are reading this thinking The Society can be compared to the community in The Giver by Lois Lowry. Yes, there are some similarities, but when creating a dystopian society, many authors have recycled or tweaked someone else's imagined future. These books are less philosophical. Any similarities you might notice doesn't mar the fact that middle school and high school girls will likely gravitate to these books on plot premise alone.

The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook

In my last post I talked about my constant search for the next book that will recreate how I felt while reading something I loved. I have found that in the book, The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin. This realistic fiction story took me back to how I felt while reading Bud, Buddy Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis and Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. I read both of those books with a giant grin plastered on my face! And now, Oona, the narrator of The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook has taken me to that same happy and care-free place in my heart.

                 

Oona and her brother, Freddy own a beloved cat named Zook, short for zucchini. Although the book is named for the cat, it isn't strictly an animal story. It's a story about how life changes and how we aren't always ready and willing for that change when it comes. Oona's story telling is delightful! She has theories about everything from telling lies (whoppers) to cat owners vs. dog owners to her "hope-of-the-world theory."

 I think one reason this book resonates so much with me is because I recognize the voice of the writer. I'd like to think that if I ever had a good story to tell, my own writing style would mirror Rocklin's. Oona has many side tracked thoughts and personal commentaries on life that are very familiar to me. I laughed my agreement out loud when Oona complains, "Freddy's school is called the Little Tots Playskool. That's the way they spell it. Playskool. It seems weird that an educational establishment would use the wrong spelling on purpose, but there you go." Her wicked sense of humor shines when she comments on her classmates, "Our class is made up of Rowdies and Listeners. I'm in the latter group. Rowdies are a few sandwiches short of an all-day picnic, as my daddy would have said." I'm sure as you read you will recognize Oona in yourself or someone you know!

While The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook is lighthearted and funny, I was almost brought to tears during a scene in a vet's office. I found myself imagining how I will feel someday when I have to put my own beloved pet down. Tears stung my eyes as I imagined staring into Max's sweet eyes during his last moments. There are beautiful lessons in this story about learning to continue living even after a loved one (in this case a father and husband) has died.

I would recommend this book for 4th-6th graders or as a read aloud. There are stories within the story as Oona crafts tales for her brother about Zook's previous lives as she tries to reassure him about the cat's fate using the cat's nine lives myth. This book could easily be used to get students excited about trying their hand at writing their own stories.

Divergent: Just Read It!

It was almost three years ago now that I fell in love with Katniss, Peeta and the world that Suzanne Collins created in The Hunger Games. Katniss has become a literary hero of mine and I have no idea the number of people that the series was passed on to because I put the book in the hands of someone I knew. When I have that kind of literary experience I find myself comparing everything else I read to it. I'm hoping to recapture the way I felt while caught up in the story. I'm hoping to read characters that inspire and challenge my thinking again. I'm hoping to feel compelled to read into the wee hours of the morning. And honestly, anything that doesn't stand up to it leaves me desperately wanting more. While I've read plenty of excellent books since I first discovered Katniss, I've not been excited about a book until I read Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Divergent is another dystopian society set far into the future in my beloved Chicago once Lake Michigan has been reduced to a marsh. Most of the familiar landmarks of Chicago's downtown make an appearance in the book but are mere remnants of their glory days. Part of my love for the book is the role Chicago plays. Teenagers zip-line off the top of the Hancock building, climb the defunct Ferris wheel at Navy Pier, and jump on and off of the moving El all in an attempt to prove their bravery. But, my familiarity with Chicago landmarks only adds to my love of the characters and the way I'm forced to think about myself while reading this book.

In order for the current society to be at peace, the people have broken into five different factions. At the age of 16, adolescents go through a virtual test that helps them decide which faction they will live in for the rest of their lives. Either you choose to stay with your family and the people whom have shaped you thus far, or you choose a new faction effectively turning your back on family and friends. Once your choice is made you must go through a battery of tests to prove your worth in order to receive full status as a citizen. Each of the five factions represents a specific character trait that their members uphold above everything else. Candor (honesty), Dauntless (bravery), Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (peace), and Erudite (intelligence.)

The less I say about the actual plot, the more you will love the story that unfolds as Beatrice, the heroine of the story, makes decisions about her future. As the story develops, Beatrice learns that everything and everyone is not as they may seem. The real beauty of this story comes from the questions you will ask yourself while reading, beginning with, "What would I choose?" There are questions raised about prejudices and stereotypes and worth as each group has another faction that they view as particularly repugnant. Veronica Roth is really taking a long hard look at how something in society that was originally created for good and peace can become distorted and an agent for harm. Somewhere, within that oppression is a group of people who are hungry for rebellion. And who doesn't love a story about righteous rebellion?!

Today marks the release of the second book in Veronica Roth's trilogy. Insurgent hits stores today in both print and ebook format. Sweet sister that I am, I opted to purchase the book in print rather than download it to my iPad because my roommate and sister said, "You aren't going to let me borrow your iPad to read it are you?" So I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of a good-old-fashioned copy of Insurgent. If you see it on a shelf and are intrigued by the cover art, just be sure to check out book one first!