"The Night Circus"

     Hello, BlogWorld! I'm sorry I've been gone for such an infernally long time, but--as you all are very aware--I'm bad at posting. I promise to start posting more often (it's summer now, and I'm in a new town with nothing to do, so I have no excuse). I also promise to post more than book reviews, but I've read so many good ones recently, so that might be tough. Today's piece of modern literature (and yes, I said modern literature. There is such a thing, kids. Good books don't have to be old and boring): "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. 

     Here is the description from Amazon.com:

   The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves , and it is only open at night.
   But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
      True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

     Reading this, you might think that this is just another fantasy romance, equivalent to garbage such as "Twilight" (sorry, Stephanie Meyer.) No, sir. This book is filled with amazing imagination, vivid characters, and a plot so intricate and woven together, I'm surprised nobody in the film industry has claimed it (but as soon as I graduate, Morgenstern, I'm coming for you.) 

     But what good would literature be without a message? After all, that is the point of fiction, isn't it--a story set in even the most fantastic of worlds has no value if it cannot be applied to reality. And the message of "The Night Circus": Nothing is ever black-and-white. This book explores morality and ethics in all its many forms--the corrupting force of power, the danger of pride, the cruelties of enslavement--while maintaining a great story in a wonderful world (and yes, even a decent romance). This book will be impossible to put down (I stole my mother's Kindle to read it), and will leave you thinking long after you do. 

     So give up "Shades of Grey." This is the real expert on grey-scale moral quandaries. And there's no porn involved.  

Going Postal

Andrea Pearson, I am so sorry.

I was supposed to review this book like three weeks ago, and completely forgot about it until I got an e-mail from Tristi. So not only is this a) late and b) off-schedule, but also c) written-in-a-hurry and therefore d) not-very-good. But it's here. So...sorry. Again.

So the book I read is called The Ember Gods, the second review in the Key of Kilenya series (for the previous review, as well as purchase information, click here). Here's the blurb:

Jacob Clark has just returned from the world of Eklaron, where he frustrated the evil plans of the Lorkon and returned the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners. His quest is far from over, though—Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and Jacob can't return to save her until he receives the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon.

Balancing between this new world and his own proves tricky. Not only has he started his first year of high school, but his magical abilities are bringing him too much attention. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he'll figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time.

Once again, I felt that Andrea Pearson's Middle Grade novel is just that much above and beyond the norm. The characters feel more real, the plot seems more substantial, and the dialogue has more flavor. Overall, The Ember Gods is a good read, well worth your time.

First, the characters. The arcs that started in The Key of Kilenya continue to develop throughout the second book in the series, including some revelations (don't worry--no spoilers) about Jacob's past that I found creative and exciting. My one sort-of complaint in this category--one that isn't really Andrea's fault, just a plot thing--is that I didn't get to hear enough of Aloren. I really liked her character and her voice in the first book, but with the kind of huge plot problem of her being locked away for the majority of the second, I as the reader didn't get to hear much from her. Overall though, great job.

Second, the plot. Again, Andrea strikes a clever balance between the magical and the mediocre, with Jacob forced to divide his time between his world and Eklaron. At times the plot leaps boggled my brain (for no more than a few paragraphs), but when looking at the book from a Middle Grade perspective (something I think we reviewers do far too little), the plot is absolutely perfect. Andrea is golden in the area of appealing to her audience and giving those little tykes something with which to keep themselves occupied.

Finally, the dialogue. In Kilenya, I was relatively impressed with the dialogue, mostly with how it progressed the plot and the character arcs. This time, I knew enough about the story to focus on the dialogue for the sake of dialogue, and again Andrea succeeded. The dialogue is real, exactly tuned to the language of Middle Grade, and overall impressive. Again, I wish I could have heard more from Aloren, but that's the fault of the Lorkon, not Andrea. Kudos.

So overall, I definitely reccommend The Ember Gods for any adventerous Middle Grade-rs, as well as for some slightly more (or less, depending on your point of view) adventerous adults. And I'm sorry for being late.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Fault in Our Stars

So I have a problem. Well, to put it more accurately, you have a problem. You see, I have so little time on my hands that it restricts the number of books I am able to read. This means that I only read the very best books available, and you have to sift through reviews that really only consist of "Wow, this book is amazing."

Wow. This book is amazing.

John Green never ceases to amaze me. I am not--strictly speaking--always a great fan of YA contemporary because of the teenage boy/girl writing that ususally accompanies the storyline, in which an author insists on writing dirty-mouthed, horny teenagers who want nothing more than to cuss/hate their life/get laid. When the author doesn't do this, though, the powerful storyline comes through to grab your heartstrings and hold them hostage.

And John Green's storyline in The Fault in Our Stars in the most powerful yet.

Here's the jacket blurb:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

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I really don't have words to describe how much this book moved me. I went from laughing to crying to cracking up to bawling in a span of about thirty seconds. It is touching, deep, moving, philosophical, humorous, and beautiful all at once, as it addressess some of the most important questions ever to lodge themselves in human consciousness: will I be remembered? Is love really forever? And, perhaps most importantly--why are eggs only a breakfast food?

Fantastic book, and a great read. I will definitely try to find some more good contemporary.
Rating: 6 stars / 5 stars (an extra one for the Shakespearean title)

That Awkward Moment...

when you finish a book and wander around your house in a daze for hours because your life has lost all meaning.

It's been a long time since I've read a book that was that good. But wow. Philip Pullman, you did it to me again.

Really, this is a review for all of the His Dark Materials trilogy, even though the picture only shows The Amber Spyglass. Here's the synopsis Amazon gives for the whole series:

The Golden Compass forms the first part of a story in three volumes. The first volume is set in a world like ours, but different in many ways. The second volume is set partly in the world we know. The third moves between many worlds.

In The Golden Compass, readers meet 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Jordan College in Oxford, England. It quickly becomes clear that Lyra's Oxford is not precisely like our own—nor is her world. In Lyra's world, everyone has a personal dæmon, a lifelong animal familiar. This is a world in which science, theology and magic are closely intertwined.

The Subtle Knife is the second part of the trilogy that began with The Golden Compass. That first book was set in a world like ours, but different. This book begins in our own world.

In The Subtle Knife, readers are introduced to Will Parry, a young boy living in modern-day Oxford, England. Will is only twelve years old, but he bears the responsibilities of an adult. Following the disappearance of his explorer-father, John Parry, during an expedition in the North, Will became parent, provider and protector to his frail, confused mother. And it's in protecting her that he becomes a murderer, too: he accidentally kills a man who breaks into their home to steal valuable letters written by John Parry. After placing his mother in the care of a kind friend, Will takes those letters and sets off to discover the truth about his father.
The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heartstopping close, marking the third and final volume as the most powerful of the trilogy. Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, The Amber Spyglass introduces a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spy-master to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. And this final volume brings startling revelations, too: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live—and who will die—for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that—in its shocking outcome—will reveal the secret of Dust.

I read these books first when I was seven or eight despite the warnings of grown-ups who thought the books were way too anti-religious. I got all the way to the end of The Amber Spyglass, past all the atheist themes and anti-Christian stuff and was just find...until (spoiler alert) Will and Lyra had to part. I was shocked and devastated, and threw down the books promising never to read them again.

And now, when I thought I was a little wiser and stronger, I read them again. And I cried all over again like I did when I was seven, but WOW! The ending is phenomenal.

For those of you who are Mormon, or who are devoutly religious, these books are definitely a challenge to read. The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife aren't too bad--really, they just seem anti-Catholic--but The Amber Spyglass is a little more candid. But if you can not get offended and see Pullman's point (or even just get past it enough to enjoy the storyline) you will be blown away. And I can guarantee that you will cry at the ending. I think I will be depressed for the rest of this day, and probably for the rest of the week.

But hey. That's when you know the book is good, right?

Rating: 5/5. (I promise--I won't give every book I review a 5. We just got lucky.)

Don't forget! If you see this post, please give me a book to read!!! Please.

Review--"Out of My Mind."

As promised, here is the first book in my review series--Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind. Here's the jacket info:

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.

All I can say is...wow.

This book blew me away. The greatest thing about YA contemporary are the characters and how real they are, and Melody is no exception. She amazes me, and makes me feel just the slightest bit guilty for all the things I have in my life that she doesn't. Even pressed between pices of paper and little black marks, this girl impresses me with her dedication and endurance. I could never have done what she did.

Draper fantastically weaves a story together built of little more than the thoughts of a crippled girl, and makes you laugh and cry simultaneously with her voice. An amazing book from an amazing author.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

If you read this post, give me a book to review. Or several. I'm almost out of good books to read.