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mrs_a_is_a_book_nerd's reviews
456 reviews
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
5.0
Beautiful. Just beautiful. The story, the illustrations... captivating.
Conor's mother is very ill, battling cancer. Conor is plagued by nightmares... a nightmare--the same one, night after night. So when the monster visits him at 12:07 the first night, he thinks he's dreaming. But he's very much awake. In the form of an enormous ancient yew tree, the monster visits Conor regularly. He tells Conor that over time, he will tell him three stories, and when the third story is told, Conor must tell HIS story; he must tell his truth.
As Conor's life grows more complicated and his mother declines, Conor listens to the stories of the ancient sage who has "come a-walking" to tell them to him. These stories confuse Conor; their endings are unexpected, and their morals illogical to Conor. As the final story approaches, Conor becomes convinced that this yew tree--known for its healing powers--has come to cure his mother.
Indeed, the tree has come to make someone whole again, but is it Conor's mother?
Funny, poignant, honest, enchanting, and gorgeously illustrated, A Monster Calls will resonate with anyone who has ever loved someone who's ill, who has felt powerless, helpless, invisible, and lost, and who has secretly yearned for someone to set them free.
Conor's mother is very ill, battling cancer. Conor is plagued by nightmares... a nightmare--the same one, night after night. So when the monster visits him at 12:07 the first night, he thinks he's dreaming. But he's very much awake. In the form of an enormous ancient yew tree, the monster visits Conor regularly. He tells Conor that over time, he will tell him three stories, and when the third story is told, Conor must tell HIS story; he must tell his truth.
As Conor's life grows more complicated and his mother declines, Conor listens to the stories of the ancient sage who has "come a-walking" to tell them to him. These stories confuse Conor; their endings are unexpected, and their morals illogical to Conor. As the final story approaches, Conor becomes convinced that this yew tree--known for its healing powers--has come to cure his mother.
Indeed, the tree has come to make someone whole again, but is it Conor's mother?
Funny, poignant, honest, enchanting, and gorgeously illustrated, A Monster Calls will resonate with anyone who has ever loved someone who's ill, who has felt powerless, helpless, invisible, and lost, and who has secretly yearned for someone to set them free.
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle
Still reading; in holding...
This book is so interesting; it has many thought-provoking topics and startling studies and anecdotes. However, it is also so boring; Turkle's writing style is not very captivating, and at times, the book feels repetitive, too. So, when I read, I skim a bit at times, and then, once I put it down, it's hard to pick up again.
But I will.
This book is so interesting; it has many thought-provoking topics and startling studies and anecdotes. However, it is also so boring; Turkle's writing style is not very captivating, and at times, the book feels repetitive, too. So, when I read, I skim a bit at times, and then, once I put it down, it's hard to pick up again.
But I will.
Kill Switch by Chris Lynch
4.0
Despite others' lackluster reviews, I thought it was a pretty decent YA thriller. No, it doesn't have a race-to-the-end finale; the end was actually pretty subdued, but that didn't make it BAD. In fact, I thought the premise was original, the characters lively and interesting, and the plot had some decent twists.
Daniel loves his Da, and Da seems to have a special regard for Daniel, so the summer before he leaves for college, Daniel is determined to make the most of his time with "the old man," especially seeing Da is slipping a bit more and more from what his ID bracelet calls "Memory Loss." When Da starts behaving strangely and telling wild stories about a past full of world travels and violent deeds, Daniel first thinks it's the brain disorder in action. Until Da's old "work" friends start making appearances in unexpected places, and Da is convinced it won't be long before they come to silence him for good.
On a gut instinct, the "Young man" whisks his Da away in the dark early morning hours, unsure if Da needs protection from outside threats, or from himself. Their travels take them farther from home and safety, as Daniel tries to discern what's real, and Da seems to be preparing Daniel for what's to come.
This was a quick, sometimes funny, captivating read.
Daniel loves his Da, and Da seems to have a special regard for Daniel, so the summer before he leaves for college, Daniel is determined to make the most of his time with "the old man," especially seeing Da is slipping a bit more and more from what his ID bracelet calls "Memory Loss." When Da starts behaving strangely and telling wild stories about a past full of world travels and violent deeds, Daniel first thinks it's the brain disorder in action. Until Da's old "work" friends start making appearances in unexpected places, and Da is convinced it won't be long before they come to silence him for good.
On a gut instinct, the "Young man" whisks his Da away in the dark early morning hours, unsure if Da needs protection from outside threats, or from himself. Their travels take them farther from home and safety, as Daniel tries to discern what's real, and Da seems to be preparing Daniel for what's to come.
This was a quick, sometimes funny, captivating read.
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
5.0
Loved this novel and Starla's spunky, narrative voice. Set in the 1960s, it resonates with the same pure-of-heart coming-of-age awakening issues as To Kill a Mockingbird. Whistling does a wonderful job showing that good and bad people come in all colors, and deals insightfully with who can be your family, if bullies can be held accountable, the consequences of keeping secrets and acting on impulse, and finding your gifts--even when the world tells you that you have none.
Lovely, lovely read!
Lovely, lovely read!
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
3.0
I'd like to give the book 2.5 stars; 2 seems a bit unfair, but 3 feels a little generous...
Given that school shootings and mass shootings have become a more regular occurrence in US culture, I was looking forward to seeing how the author unravelled the situation and depicted the shooter. However, unfortunately, I feel like the book fell flat.
The characters were largely similar. For most of the book, I had to remind myself who was whom as the narrators shifted. I hated the random "tweets" interspersed between chapters. They did little or nothing to propel the main plot, and created no coherent drama or subplot. They were cliche and trite at best, distracting and annoying at their worst. The same is true of the random "blog posts" by Mei.
There were moments when the suspense of the story was captivating, but mostly I was just reading to see how the story would play out, with no major sense of urgency or investment.
I was particularly disappointed with the "kumbaya" ending--town suffers an immense tragedy and everyone gathers to "let go" of those they lost, together, arm in arm.
Even the title is still a mystery to me. I noticed it in the story, re-read the section, even. I still don't get it. I'm sincerely hoping the implication is NOT that now all who live there will see how ostracized some of those in the community feel and will stop the judgement and lack of acceptance so something similar never happens again...
There were lovely moments in the book, but in the end, I wish I'd spent my time reading something else.
Given that school shootings and mass shootings have become a more regular occurrence in US culture, I was looking forward to seeing how the author unravelled the situation and depicted the shooter. However, unfortunately, I feel like the book fell flat.
The characters were largely similar. For most of the book, I had to remind myself who was whom as the narrators shifted. I hated the random "tweets" interspersed between chapters. They did little or nothing to propel the main plot, and created no coherent drama or subplot. They were cliche and trite at best, distracting and annoying at their worst. The same is true of the random "blog posts" by Mei.
There were moments when the suspense of the story was captivating, but mostly I was just reading to see how the story would play out, with no major sense of urgency or investment.
I was particularly disappointed with the "kumbaya" ending--town suffers an immense tragedy and everyone gathers to "let go" of those they lost, together, arm in arm.
Even the title is still a mystery to me. I noticed it in the story, re-read the section, even. I still don't get it. I'm sincerely hoping the implication is NOT that now all who live there will see how ostracized some of those in the community feel and will stop the judgement and lack of acceptance so something similar never happens again...
There were lovely moments in the book, but in the end, I wish I'd spent my time reading something else.
The Party by Robyn Harding
4.0
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway I entered after reading its description. It did not disappoint! I'm surprised to see all of the 3-star ratings; I thought the story was engaging and the characters intriguing.
When 16-year-old Hannah's birthday party goes horribly wrong, no one is spared from the fallout. Desperate to hang on to her newly obtained social status and the popular boyfriend that got her there, Hannah becomes enmeshed in lies and choices that she's less than comfortable with. Meanwhile, the adults involved spin out of control, trying to protect what's most important to them, and to preserve secrets they'd rather not come out. In the middle of it all is Lauren, the most cunning, conniving mean girl you've met in a long time. She loves nothing more than fanning the flames and watching them burn up people around her.
Told from varying perspectives, this book had twists and turns to spare. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
When 16-year-old Hannah's birthday party goes horribly wrong, no one is spared from the fallout. Desperate to hang on to her newly obtained social status and the popular boyfriend that got her there, Hannah becomes enmeshed in lies and choices that she's less than comfortable with. Meanwhile, the adults involved spin out of control, trying to protect what's most important to them, and to preserve secrets they'd rather not come out. In the middle of it all is Lauren, the most cunning, conniving mean girl you've met in a long time. She loves nothing more than fanning the flames and watching them burn up people around her.
Told from varying perspectives, this book had twists and turns to spare. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
3.0
I read this a while ago, and apparently, I forgot to move it on my shelves. My recollection of specific details is a bit hazy, but I can tell about the impressions I remember.
First, I thought the concept was fantastic--Billy Lynn and the other surviving members of his unit return to the states following an intense firefight where some of his comrades were killed. The US government takes these survivors on a tour around the country, displaying them as national heroes in an epic display of patriotism. The culmination is the Super Bowl in Texas. Once this last stop is completed, including a half-time display showcasing them in all of their heroic glory, they will board a plane and return to the battlefield overseas. Told from Billy Lynn's perspective, the book flashes around his memories from the war, this tour, scenes with his family--all to show the surreality of the materialism, excess, patriotic fervor, and celebration shadowed against Billy's memories of the firefight and his fallen friends. Brilliantly ridiculous.
That said, I still remember having a hard time really getting into the book, and I was relieved to finish it.
While I appreciated its overall ideas, it wasn't entirely "my kind of book."
First, I thought the concept was fantastic--Billy Lynn and the other surviving members of his unit return to the states following an intense firefight where some of his comrades were killed. The US government takes these survivors on a tour around the country, displaying them as national heroes in an epic display of patriotism. The culmination is the Super Bowl in Texas. Once this last stop is completed, including a half-time display showcasing them in all of their heroic glory, they will board a plane and return to the battlefield overseas. Told from Billy Lynn's perspective, the book flashes around his memories from the war, this tour, scenes with his family--all to show the surreality of the materialism, excess, patriotic fervor, and celebration shadowed against Billy's memories of the firefight and his fallen friends. Brilliantly ridiculous.
That said, I still remember having a hard time really getting into the book, and I was relieved to finish it.
While I appreciated its overall ideas, it wasn't entirely "my kind of book."
What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler
5.0
Wow. Just wow. Aaron Hartzler can write!
This YA novel is a master work of fiction. It deals so expertly with issues of sexual assault, consent, feminism, and the rape culture of our society (especially small-town rural high schools) that I kept wondering, "Can a man really have written this?"
Aside from the intelligent, raw handling of these thematic issues, Hartzler has created real, compelling characters with issues and flaws, and tells the story with tight, skilled, sometimes beautifully lyrical prose.
Kudos, Mr. Hartzler: I'll be looking for more by you, and in the meantime, I'll be enthusiastically getting this into the hands of my students (and anyone else I can) this fall!
This YA novel is a master work of fiction. It deals so expertly with issues of sexual assault, consent, feminism, and the rape culture of our society (especially small-town rural high schools) that I kept wondering, "Can a man really have written this?"
Aside from the intelligent, raw handling of these thematic issues, Hartzler has created real, compelling characters with issues and flaws, and tells the story with tight, skilled, sometimes beautifully lyrical prose.
Kudos, Mr. Hartzler: I'll be looking for more by you, and in the meantime, I'll be enthusiastically getting this into the hands of my students (and anyone else I can) this fall!