Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This video teaser created in part by Ransom Riggs sums up Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children better than I ever could:

 

1.     Originality – 9.  This book just kept taking sharp turns, and while set in a relatively normal premise, things quickly unravel into a world of ghosts, time warps and loops and seriously bad bad guys. I was on my own and right spooked at points in this book. And the photos? I couldn’t even look at them at night. I was sleeping with the light on a few times and the next day work productivity suffered immensely.  Sorry Company.

2.     Absurdity – 5. Absurd, but in a pretty normal way if that makes sense.   I found the most absurd to be the Level of Paranormal Romance (see LoPR Section following).  I think the second most absurd thing are the main character's parents and their minor roles in the story- who would really let their child who they think is having a mental breakdown wander around an island alone?  They have obviously never seen any episode of LOST otherwise they would have stayed in groups. At all times. 

3.     Level of Paranormal Romance – 3.  A weird three.  There may be a ghost who falls in love with the main character who was once in love with his grandfather who he resembles… I just think that we could have left the teenage angst out of this one, because the rest of it WAS SO GOOD.  Let us just run amok in time and place and fight scary bad guys and call it a day.

4.     Level of Harry Potter-ness – 2.  No magic in this, and though there is a school for special children, these are not like Hogwarts kids.  Freaky is the theme here and while Harry had his freaky aspects, Miss Peregrine's kids woul destroy Hufflepuff in a Feak-Off.


This book is incredibly unique, had me on the EDGE of my seat/bed, and made me feel like a scared kid at times as I tried to figure out who were the good guys.  And since Grad Student told me the author is buddies with John Green, I can't lie, I would like them both to come over to my apartment for a drink, some olives and cheese,  and perhaps a game of Pictionary. 

Review: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Do you enjoy a protagonist who is kick-ass and street smart? Yes?!? Good! We all need more spunky heroines in our (YA) lives. No more insta-love/being totally lame until you get a supernatural boyfriend. The answer to this search is to read Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow. This book, the first of a five-book series, came out in 2009, but just because it isn't an ARC doesn't mean it isn't worth your time. Dru Anderson =cool. Dru has what her grandmother called “the touch”--she can tell when something paranormal and bad is coming her way (it tastes like waxy oranges in the back of her mouth, and it means RUN). This is a good talent, since she and her dad travel all over the country hunting  ghosts, suckers, wulfen, zombies, and the like.  As she says:

“I’m probably the only sixteen-year-old girl in a three hundred mile radius who knows how to distinguish between a poltergeist from an actual ghost (hint: If you can disrupt it with nitric acid, or if it throws new crap at you every time, it’s a poltergeist)... I know the six signs of a good occult store ...and the four things you never do when you’re in a bar with other people who know about the darker side of the world (don’t look weak).” 

Then her dad turns up a zombie trying to kill her, and she knows things have gotten serious. Luckily, along the way, Dru meets Graves, a homeless, hilarious, smart high-school guy who becomes an unexpected partner in the mystery of what happened to her dad, who the bad guys lurking outside are, and why every creepy vampire in the Dakotas is suddenly interested in her.

Originality: 5. Standard "there is a paranormal alternative world out there" but I think its refreshing that the paranormals are the BAD GUYS and not sparkling vampire love interests. I like the scary side to this book, and it stands out for all the gross smells, decaying zombies, and explosions. 

Absurdity: 4. NOW I know this sounds absurd, but it is really just gritty and a bit dark. And full of swearing and ass-kicking. Truthfully, if this all happened to me, there would be lots of swearing as well. And I would hope to hand out some sweet punches. But as Crazy Camper and I often discuss, I would be the first to go in the Hunger Games, so probs not. Which is why I would need a friend like Dru, 'cause she is the real deal.

Level of Paranormal Romance: 2. Dru is busy NOT DYING and doesn't have time for this stuff. Which is an awesome change of pace. Not that there are not boys around (one who smells like apple pie, which she realizes is weird but intriguing). This series builds over time, so you will just have to keep reading.

Level of Harry Potter-ness: 2. No one drops the F bomb in HP. And people don't have to shoot their dad-turned-zombie. This is a bit crass as YA goes, and I thought it was a welcome relief. BUT beware if you are a delicate flower.

Omnivorous Readers

A recent G-chat convo about our mother, the reader.

Grad Student: mom liked it, she is pretty funny. whats that word for animals that eat anything? (besides hunny badgers) that's what mom is for reading

Crazy Camper: omnivores?

Grad Student: omnivorous

Crazy Camper: HA and its honey badger

Grad Student: HAHAHAHAHA I like HUNNY, like "sweetie pie badger"

(P.S. Hi Mom!)

I am a fan of many things ...

But combine young adult fiction turned Hollywood blockbuster with ittie bittie pitties, and my gosh, you have a fan for life! Courtesy of BuzzFeed, Josh Hutcherson (aka Peeta) adopted an adora-bull little blue nose pittie! I die!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Helllooooooo and good morning on this Waiting on Wednesday. Since Crazy Camper is swamped at work, I am going to pinch-hit for her today here at YAF and WS. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and is all about what books we can't wait to get our hands on.

Now it is no secret that I liked The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (my review). So imagine my excitement when this fabulous author announced the FIRST TWO CHAPTERS of her next book, The Raven Boys, were available.

GASP! EXCITEMENT! GASP! You can read them here. In an obvious turn of events, I am adding this book to my must read list, as soon as September 18, 2012 rolls around.

"It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore." (Good Reads)


This looks like it will be great, no?! (If you don't think so you are probably wrong.) Share your WoW below! 

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame. (Good Reads)

 Pandemonium (Delirium #2) byLauren Oliver hooked me a lot faster than Delirium did. The "now" and"then" alternating chapter setup was a perfect way to learn about Lena's transition to the resistance and also let us get to know the new fairly fierce Lena. Her grief about Alex is well done but not overwhelming since it is tempered by action (and the increasingly intriguing Julian) in the present as Lena goes undercover in New York City. I found Lena a bit grating and lame in the first book, but she proves here that she has some steel inside her. She is resourceful and physically strong--a welcomed bit of character growth! When you get to the part with the umbrella you too will be like, geez Lena you are MacGyvering all over town!!!

Originality: 9. I don't much about writing and story arcs, but moving two forward and making them both engrossing seems like a big challenge that Oliver excels at, and it really makes this book unique.

Absurdity: 3. The absurdity here is low. The life in the wilds is challenging and often dire and the threats seem real.

Level of Paranormal Romance: 6. This can only be so high, since Lena is dealing with her grief over Alex for most of the book, not looking for a rebound. Nevertheless, I liked Julian, maybe more than I liked Alex. It is because he is attracted to her because she is smart and strong in her beliefs. That, as a reason to like someone, was appealing to me. Lena was a much weaker person when Alex met her. (Didn't you just keep wondering if he would still recognize this Lena?!)

Levelof Harry-Potter-ness:7. Sometimes the second book in a series feels like filler, but this excellent sequel added new compelling characters, taught us a lot about the state of Lena's world, and moved the story along with GREAT twists and revelations.

PS.This has the most outrageous cliff hanger! I loved it. I GASPED out loud.

PPS.YAF and WS does not condone spoilers- I actually found out what happens at the end of a book because someone somewhere posted it in a comments section. Sad face. DON'T be that person.

Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

"Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't alot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all. Nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to morequestions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future." (GoodReads)

THIS BOOK. Amazing. Did you already know that? Probably. But I have just stumbled into the YA world of Melina Marchetta. And it is glorious.

I am not sure I am as much in lust with Griggs as the rest of the YA-reading world (see here). I’m sorry! I don’t mean to let anyone down! He is hunky and all, but he couldn’t compete for my attention with the beautiful story Hannah is writing, and how it intersects with Taylor’s life. Both stories are about friend’s saving each other but also coming to terms with letting go. Cue the tears!

Jellicoe Road snuck up on me. I got on the train, headed home for Easter, and the ending hit me like a ton of bricks. Books don't usually make me cry, usually its things like Legends of the Fall and the Olympics. ButI cried. In public. For the last thirty pages. The writing is gorgeous and the story all comes together in such an intricate and heart breaking way. I didn't want the book to end, and tried to move on to start Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (I clearly travel with multiple library books-- a girl has to be prepared) but my mind was just not ready, and that’s saying something because I was dying to get to Pandemonium. Instead I had to sit and think about Taylor and Narnie and Fitz and Webb and how beautiful Jellico Road must be.

• Originality: 10. Mostly because I know literally nothing about Australia (except that they really don’t drink Fosters there). So this was all new to me. On a more legitimate reason for the 10, these characters feel very real.
• Absurdity: Negative 1,000. Who knew I could buy contemporary fiction this much!?
• Level of Paranormal Romance: 6. Don’t get me wrong, Griggs is dreamy. But he did not steal the top spot on my swoon-worthy chart of YA boys (that chart may or may not exist….yet…)
• Level of Harry Potter-ness.10. Guys, the writing here--it’s incredible. I was on the fence about Marchetta after Finnikin of the Rock, but boy, can she write contemporary fiction. I would throw elbows at MERYL STREEP to get to this book. And I love Meryl—I want to be her daughter and drink wine with her in her house from Its Complicated.

Review: When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

"After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it. " (Good Reads)

I was looking forward to When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen. The early reviews were good. I Waiting on Wednesday-ed this book, waited patiently for it from the library....and when I read it, I was, well, underwhelmed.  I could not connect with any of the characters I was supposed to be rooting for.  The world that Hellisen creates is gritty and intriguing, but I just didn't find myself hooked.

• Originality: 9. This is pretty high fantasy stuff, in my opinion. But I thought the details about accents and hair color and the scene at the local cheap cafes was well done. And there is the drug-induced magic. Drugs! in YA fiction! And liquor and good-time bar nights! Since YA fiction can be so hands-off on drinking, it was interesting to see, and it does play a role in the story, as inhibitions are loosened and secret relationships are exposed. Beer CAN move a plot forward!
• Absurdity: 7. This absurdity is not necessarily bad, just 'fantasy level' absurd. There is a LOT of lingo to take in here. The Hobs, the high-Lammers, and the Gris (it is a swear...I think?) and the layers of magic. I am usually on board with magical elements, but I didn't always have a good grasp on what was what here.
• Level of Paranormal Romance: 4. I couldn't get into Dash. I didn't see his appeal, or believe that Felicita would be into him (or anybody else....side-eye to replace potential spoiler). One the plus side, I didn't hate the vampire and could totally see Jannik as a love interest. So points there! The standout thing regarding relationships in this book is that there are no sexual norms. People connect. Gender does not circumscribe love or lust. This is well done and a good addition to YA in general. 
• Level of Harry Potter-ness: 5. Even if it wasn't my thing, this book is certainly atmospheric. 

Can't Stop, Won't Stop...Swooning over the Awesome that is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

GUYS I am loving John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. I am halfway through. And I it keeps making me laugh! I tried to call my boyfriend and explain the funny last night. SIGH. That never, ever works. But it was about Nintendo games. I thought he would relate. (PS I fear the tears are to come in this book, I love Augustus Waters too much.)

Here is a bit of the awesome to share with you. Happy almost weekend!

  

WAIT FOR IT:  The author with the manuscript balanced on his head.

Waiting on Wednesday: Endlessly by Kiersten White

This Waiting on Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, features Endlessly by Kiersten White. YOU should read White’s Paranormalcy series for at least 2 reasons:

1. Evie, the main character, doesn’t swear. She bleeps. In the first book Paranormalcy we meet Evie’s best friend Lish, a mermaid living in a tank where the computer refuses to translate her dirty mouth. So Lish sounds like this: “Bleep stupid bleep bleep faeries and their bleep bleep bleep obsessions. He had better stop bleep bleep bleep the bleep bleep rules or I will bleep bleep bleep the little bleeeeeeeeeeep.” 
2. Her weapon of choice is a taser bedazzled with pink rhinestones and nicknamed Tasey. It made me snort-laugh. More than once.

Kiersten White has a funny bone and knows how to use it. This series is highly entertaining and an easy read. It is fun fluff. Evie is hilarious and does not take herself or any situation too seriously. My biggest complaint is that I do not believe that teenagers say things like “Golly, that was my first kiss, how’d I do.” I paraphrase, but still.  I have hopes that the rather funny love interest Lend will overcome the blandness that bogged him down in book two, Endlessly. He might not be lame: it could have been because his dashing back and forth to college didn’t leave much time for any solid evidence that these two were actually emotionally connected. (I would also like to point out being a college freshman is FUN. Don't leave on the weekends, Lend!)

In Paranormalcy Evie longs for a locker and high school and all things normal; in Supernaturally she realizes that she misses the International Paranormal Containment Agency, where she worked and grew up. Despite trying for normal, Evie falls deeper into the paranormal world and faery politics because of the Puck-ish Jake. The blurb for Endlessly doesn’t reveal much yet, but I want to see how Evie’s adventures come to a close. Does this title mean she is immortal!?! Discuss.

“Try as she might, Evie can’t seem to escape her not-so-normal past. And what was supposed to be a blissfully normal school break is ruined when a massive group of paranormals shows up at her house, claiming that Evie is the only one who can protect them from a mysterious, perilous fate.  The deadly war between the faerie courts looms ever closer. The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its future rests solely in Evie’s hands. So much for normal.” (Good Reads)