Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

September 22, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Name of the Wind has probably the most stubbornly arrogant protagonist I’ve ever been willing to put up with for 722 pages, though Kvothe makes up for it by being charmingly intelligent and well-written enough to sway the sympathy of the reader. The novel acts as a frame story for an innkeeper—Kote—in an out-of-the-way small town to tell the story of his tumultuous past as the legendary Kvothe Kingkiller to a scribe that has sought him out. From his childhood as a member of a traveling theater troupe to his trials at the prestigious University, Kvothe’s myriad of unique characteristics make him an unlikely yet quite lovable hero. Rothfuss’ writing is fluid and witty and does much to bring Kvothe alive and off of the 2-D page. Highly recommended to all fantasy lovers. – Elisabeth S. ‘16

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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (review by Mr. Silk)

September 17, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If there was ever a book that defines comedic science fiction, this is it. Based on his own radio scripts (which are also available to read) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the first of six books that tell the story of Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered, somewhat helpless Earthling who gets swept up into a space adventure with his best friend Ford, who happens to be an alien, when the Earth is unceremoniously destroyed. Adams keeps the pace brisk in this short novel, introducing a variety of wacky characters as Arthur and Ford hitchhike across the galaxy. Although the science fiction is much more fiction than science, the dialogue is crisp, and the laugh-out-loud moments are frequent. And, while the rest of the series never captures the brilliance of this first book, you’ll be eager to find out what happens to Arthur’s motley crew – if only to discover why all your friends think the number 42 is so hysterical. – Mr. Silk, Harker teacher

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Beloved by Toni Morrison (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

September 17, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Beloved by Toni Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A warning: Beloved is not for the light of heart. Sethe is an escaped slave and mother of three that heads for Ohio with her broken family, having lost her husband in flight. The trauma that she has endured as a slave and during her escape haunts her, so she does her best to repress those troubling memories. With the appearance of a figure from her past, however, she slowly begins to question the choices she once made with the interests of her children in mind. This novel is based off of real events and will sicken, disgust, and cause you great despair and shame for the United States and slavery. However, this novel also involves supernatural elements, with the presence of a main supporting character who is a manifest form of Sethe’s dead daughter. Overall, Beloved is recommended to anyone even a little bit interested in slavery for a new perspective, sorely needed as the years progress and the Civil War era seeps into the past. – Elisabeth S. ‘16

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Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins (review by Andy W. ’14)

September 17, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mitali Perkins expertly depicts the political and social conflicts within modern Burma/Myanmar through the stories of two teenage boys. We follow the paths of Chiko, an avid lover of learning and books, trapped in the midst of political turmoil, and Tu Reh, a Karenni boy who hopes to fight for his people’s freedom. Employing parallel structure, Perkins expertly weaves real depth within the problems these boys face. Their relationships of love, family, and friendship are extremely touching. Geographically, these two boys come from two different sides of a deep-rooted conflict; however, the similarity in their approach on life eventually causes them to become much closer than they ever expected. Anyone who is into coming-of-age novels should definitely read Bamboo People. It is not to be missed. – Andy W. ‘14

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Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (review by Monica K. ’14)

September 17, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If books were meals, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen would be the chicken noodle soup of the YA Lit world. The youngest of three sisters, Annabel Greene withdraws into herself following her sister’s eating disorder, her former best friend’s malicious bullying, her growing lack of interest in her modeling career, and the constant isolation at school and home. However, before she can completely fade away, she meets the music-obsessed, completely honest Owen, who helps her gain the self-confidence to speak of what really happened the night her remaining friendships were ruined. Dessen skillfully combines family story and romance with dashes of humor, making a very accessible, engaging read. Fans of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.Just and other novels by Sarah Dessen will enjoy Just Listen. – Monica K. ‘14

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Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr. (review by Monica K. ’14)

September 17, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In thirty six years, everyone on Earth will die.

Entrusted with this knowledge since birth, Junior Thibodeau must navigate the messy thirty odd years with his alcoholic mother, silent, stoic father, and cocaine-addict-turned-pro-baseball-player brother, all while dealing with breakup from the love of his life and the mysterious voice in his head insisting a comet will smash into the Earth in T minus x amount of years. Sounds weird/awesome/crazy/exhausting? Well, I agree!

While the seamless interplay of first, second, and third person narrative, love, and family drama shows off Currie’s talent as a writer, Everything Matters! by Ron Currie Jr. has a detached and cerebral approach to it, unlike the more visceral, emotional first or third person perspective of most teen books. Rather than empathizing with the characters, I related more with the situations and messages woven into the novel. Fans of Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, The Magicians by Lev Grossman (who, by the way, are twins! I swear I had no idea.), and Kurt Vonnegut may like this book.

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The Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb (review by Tiffany Z. ’17)

September 13, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Book of Proper Names by Amélie Nothomb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The simplicity of the prose in Amélie Nothomb’s The Book of Proper Names may recall a children’s story, but in fact it belies the fairly bizarre nature of the novella. Lucette, a young mother, is extremely irritated by her husband’s predictions of their child being a perfectly ordinary person—so irritated that she feels the only way to disagree is to murder him. The rest of the novella is dedicated to the unusual yet somehow relatable life of Lucette’s daughter Plectrude, an equally unusual girl seemingly caught up in the threads of fate. Instead of attempting to defy her destiny, Plectrude ecstatically embraces hers—but is she really playing into the hands of Fate, or is she merely entertaining her own fantasies? The language of the novella is simple, but the complexity of thought and human emotion may make it a confusing read for many. However, Nothomb portrays her characters with startling accuracy and discusses many interesting ideas during the course of this book. For those who are willing to spend an hour or so on this piece, I certainly recommend The Book of Proper Names. Puzzling yet satisfying, it is definitely worth the short time it takes to finish it. – Tiffany Z. ‘17

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Screwed by Eoin Colfer (review by Mrs. Vaughan, Harker librarian)

September 9, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Screwed by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eoin Colfer successfully follows up his first adult crime novel Plugged with Screwed. Former member of Ireland’s UN forces in Lebanon and current New Jersey night club owner, Daniel McEvoy is back wending his way through the unintentional but thrilling labyrinth that comes with living on the seedy side. Small time Irish crime boss Mike Madden has McEvoy over a barrel and wiggling his way out forces loveable if slightly unbalanced McEvoy to suffer a host of dangerous fools and predicaments. The action is top notch and, like Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, littered with whip-smart humor. Colfer provides more back story in this second novel and weaves in information about McEvoy’s alcoholic father and doomed mother and brother as well as McEvoy’s experiences in the Middle East. Colfer further develops characters introduced in Plugged and adds a few more, all colorful and keenly crafted. Like his young adult Artemis Fowl series, Colfer proves he can sustain a character through more than one ever-twisting plotline. And like Artemis Fowl, let’s hope there’s no end in sight for McEvoy’s travails and adventures. – Mrs. Vaughan, Harker librarian

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Everwild by Neal Shusterman (review by Andrew R. ’17)

September 9, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Everwild by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two near-legendary creatures are raising armies in preparation for their final confrontation, two feared individuals who have risen high in the ranks of the phantom-world known as Everlost. The Sky Witch patrols the clouds in the ghost of a monstrous zeppelin, searching for children to entrap and recruit to her troops, while her nemesis the Chocolate Ogre works to free all the spirits of Everlost by sending them into the final peace of death. The title of the second book in the Skinjacker trilogy is accurate in more ways than one: not only does Shusterman introduce the impassible wilderness of Everwild, he also picks up the pace of the plot. His fantasy realm followed strict rules in the first installment of the trilogy, but in Everwild the world is revealed to be a chaotic whirlwind of ghosts and monsters. This chaos, however, is exciting, suspenseful, and not unbearably confusing. The only difficult part about reading this novel is that the reader must choose a side in the imminent battle—so, to anyone who plans to plunge into this hectic fantasy world: beware, for each side is deeply, terribly flawed. – Andrew R. ‘17

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Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (review by Andrew R. ’17)

September 8, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Ace detective, snappy dresser, razor-tongued wit, crackerjack sorcerer, and walking, talking, fire-throwing skeleton.” That’s how author Derek Landy describes Skulduggery Pleasant, who, in this first book of an ongoing series, must track down and stop his old nemesis Nefarian Serpine from acquiring a staff of unimaginable power. Fortunately, a young girl named Stephanie Edgley is eager to join the chase – and once she sees the world of sorcery and wonder – never wants to leave. While action and humor are scattered liberally throughout its pages, I found that this novel provides instant gratification, rather than the long-lasting satisfaction I tend to prefer. The characters are consistent but forgettable; the plot is engaging but not particularly unique. Fans of Artemis Fowl and The Bartimaeus Trilogy will enjoy reading Skulduggery Pleasant for pleasure, but should not expect a thought-provoking or memorable experience. – Andrew R. ‘17

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