All posts by Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Review: The Star Thief by Lindsey Becker

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

The Star Thief by Lindsey BeckerThe Star Thief
Lindsey Becker
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Available April 11, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Star Thief
Honorine’s life as as maid at the Vidalia mansion is rather dull, dusting treasures from faraway places and daydreaming in front of maps of the world. But everything changes when she catches two brutish sailors ransacking Lord Vidalia’s study, and then follows a mysterious girl with wings out into the night….

Suddenly, Honorine is whisked into the middle of a battle between the crew of a spectacular steamship and a band of mythical constellations. The stars in the sky have come to life to defend themselves against those who want to harness their powers. Much to her surprise, Honorine is the crux of it all, the center of an epic clash between magic and science, the old ways and the new. But can this spirited young girl bring both sides of a larger-than-life fight together before they unleash an evil power even older than the stars?

My Review
From the very first pages, I was totally hooked on this book. I loved Honorine right from those first few lines. She’s smart but so compassionate. Her interest and talent at mechanics not only made her an interesting character but contributed to several key points in the story. At first I found the concept of the Mordant a little bit confusing. I felt like I missed something, but I read the first few chapters really late at night, so it could have been entirely my slow brain not processing them very well.

One of the interesting things about The Star Thief is the fact that Honorine finds herself caught between two men: a sea captain determined to capture the Mordant and the Mapmaker, a powerful Mordant who vows to stop the captain at any cost. Honorine loves them both, though she trusts neither, and wants desperately to find a way to save them both.

Sometimes stories where all the adults turn out to be disappointing or untrustworthy really bother me. I think that’s because my experience was so the opposite and I want so much for other kids to have good adults in their lives and value them. Someone very close to me did not have the same experience, though. Stories where the hero emerges from difficult situations despite a lack of trustworthy adults really resonate with him, and I wonder if it’s because it’s closer to what he went through.

Either way, this book is a win. Totally imaginative and full of heart. If your reader isn’t quite ready for Percy Jackson, The Star Thief would make a great alternative read. If you’re already a PJ fan, you’ll want to add this book to your reading list. Either way, don’t miss it!

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of “hell.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
In The Star Thief, each constellation corresponds with a living creature called a Mordant. They inspire specific types of knowledge, invention, or creativity. For instance, spending time with one inspires advances in medicine. Fearsome creatures called Bellua inspire war and chaos and will try to kill the Mordant. While they’re not gods and goddesses exactly, it’s clear they have an elevated role compared to humanity.

Violent Content
Battles between a group of pirates and the Mordant and the Mordant and Bellua.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Perfect by Cecelia Ahern

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Perfect
Cecelia Ahern
Feiwel & Friends
Available April 4, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads
Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine’s life has completely fractured–all her freedoms gone.

Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with Carrick–the only person she can trust.

But Celestine has a secret–one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground. A secret that has already caused countless people to go missing.

Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save just herself or to risk her life to save all Flawed people.

And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed?

My Review
Perfect was the first book by Cecelia Ahern that I’ve read. Even though I haven’t read the first book in the series, I found it fairly easy to follow the story. I think reading the first book would have helped me understand her relationship with Carrick better and made their reunion more meaningful.

The premise was the most interesting part to me. Celestine lives in a society in which good behavior is vital to survival. One mistake can leave a person literally branded as imperfect and make them outcasts. When Celestine ignores her society’s rules about shunning those outcasts marked Flawed, she earns her own branding.

The story made me think a lot of the beginning of I Corinthians chapter 13. It starts with this list of really impressive abilities—being able to perform miracles, helping the poor, speaking in the tongues of angels, etc—but warns, “if I have not love, I am nothing.”

In Perfect, Celestine’s society has become obsessed with living this outwardly perfect life. What Celestine discovers, though, is the price to live such a “perfect” life demands giving up compassion, mercy, and empathy. She rallies others around her to stop living these cold, rule-bound lives and instead forgive each other, show mercy. She wants everyone to realize that no one is without flaw, and therefore the system is based on a lie anyway.

I liked that message a lot. Readers who enjoyed Lauren Oliver’s Delirium or Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies will probably enjoy this book.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. They have sex. The scene describes some lead-in, but not the actual event. Guard corral a group of women into a barn and force them to change into skimpy outfits to shame them.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Celestine remembers a terrible incident in which Judge Crevan brands her without anesthesia. Soldiers believe Celestine hides underneath a pile of kindling and demand that her family light it.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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March 2017 Monthly Wrap-Up

Lists, News and Fun, ,

This month’s big to-do was ApollyCon, which I had the pleasure of attending for the first time as a volunteer. If you’re unfamiliar with the event, ApollyCon is sponsored by Jennifer Armentrout and 1001 Dark Nights and is a huge, two day book-signing extravaganza.

Out of the over 70 authors, there were really only a handful that I’ve read before, since many write new adult, which I don’t get much chance to read. (I’ve got my hands full with young adult and middle grade as it is!) This might sound like I had fewer reasons to attend ApollyCon, but actually, I have to say two things. First, it was about an hour from my house, so not much expense there! And second, y’all, I got to spend a lot of time chatting with YA authors, who are some of my favorite people. You just about can’t beat that! I even won an ARC for a Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill (who unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to the event). Here’s a pic of the book and my nifty ApollyCon Tote:

The final night featured an after-party with optional costumes, so I was able to show off the gorgeous Steampunk Book Fairy costume my mom made me for my birthday last year, with updated author cameos to match the authors I connected with during the weekend. You can see them in the image below.

Top: Beth Revis (who told me a great story about her dad, who is a lumberjack, sitting down at work reading a copy of her debut novel with a girly cover of pink silhouettes about to kiss. She was so fun!)

Upper Middle: Jessica Khoury (whose doodles are fantastic. Also her Twitter is hilarious. If you’re not following her, you’re missing some very funny stuff.)

Lower Left: Kami Garcia (who made it so easy to talk to her and recommended a bunch of other authors. She talked about book bloggers and told some funny stories. I also got to share with her how much it meant to me to be at YallFest, where I’d first seen her on a panel that really encouraged me at a difficult time. So that was great!)

Lower Middle: Mary Lindsey/Marissa Clarke (Even though I hadn’t read any of her books– yet– she was happy to chat and asked me a lot about what I’m writing and how that process was going. She had a lot of really encouraging things to say to me, which meant a lot.)

Lower Right: Trish Doller (I probably spent the most time talking with her. I’m sure I was ridiculously chatty from being nervous and kind of overwhelmed by the size of the event, but she was really great and shared some things about the project she’s working on and her upcoming release, In a Perfect World, which sounds right up my alley. She also listened to and encouraged me with my own writing, which means so much to me. She’s a fellow Floridian, so I hope to catch her at another signing or bookish event or something again.)

In terms of reviews, here’s what you missed.

March 2017 Reviews

The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I’d been especially excited about this book because I LOVE Stephanie Morrill’s writing. And this one is no exception! I loved the story, the characters totally hooked me, and the setting (1920s Chicago) was a blast. A must-read for historical fiction and mystery fans.

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I love seeing kids interested in science portrayed in books, so I was eager to check this book out. The story took a whole different turn than I expected. It’s more about the possibility of alien life rather than engineering or rockets, but the characters, their relationships and the unusual format of the story made this one a great read for me. Definitely one for middle grade lovers.

The Giant Smugglers by Chris Pauls and Matt Solomon

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I don’t read a lot of adventure stories in middle grade, but this book proved it’s not because I don’t enjoy them. This reminded me a little bit of the 90s movie Iron Giant. Great read for middle grade-lovers looking for straight-up adventure.

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Oh. My. Goodness. I know I didn’t forget how much I loved Chokshi’s debut but I MUST have forgotten how much I loved her debut. I’m always nervous to read a second book by an author whose first book I loved, but this one was truly amazing. I loved the characters. The story world was totally engrossing, and the quest kept me biting my nails all the way through! If you love fantasy with a classic fairytale feel, you absolutely need to read this book.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was a lucky find for me. I loved the gentle, sweet girl at the heart of this story. I rooted for her every step of her journey as she tries to figure out her place in her family, her spiritual community, and her school community. Fantastic. Shy kids need this book. (Okay, not *just* shy kids, but I definitely found that element especially resonated with me.)

Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I loved this book. It’s probably one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read. It’s really five stories that connect to form one larger whole. Every time I switched to a new story, I was sure I wasn’t going to like the characters, and every time, the author proved me wrong and made me fall in love all over again. I am a huge fan and I want Parker Peevyhouse on my auto-buy list. If you love books that explore a moral question, get yourself a copy of this one.

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I was worried that this would be a tough read for me. I’ve been in kind of a raw place, and I’d seen so many reviewers talk about how they wept through this whole book. It was definitely an emotional read, but I loved the relationships the characters had with one another. I loved the honor paid to the grief process. So important and so often not acknowledged. Keep the tissues handy when you start this one.

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was a fun read. Sort of Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls? I’m not sure that’s exactly right, but it hit a lot of great notes for me. If you’re in need of a more lighthearted contemporary read with some romance, this is the book for you.

Dawn on the Road by Lea Waterhouse

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

My favorite thing about this book was the way the author described the trip on the motorcycle so you actually felt like you were riding along with the characters. I liked Dawn’s interest in photography and the way the author used that to drive the story forward. It’s also got a strong Christian message, which makes it a bit of a rarity these days. A good pick for readers interested in a story about a road trip with a strong spiritual component.

The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I cheated and reviewed this one because I wanted to. It’s not YA, but it’s a really fun read. I’m a huge sucker for anything to do with World War II. If you’re familiar with the story and you know me, you probably could have predicted that I’d love Roger Greene, a war prisoner who sticks to what he believes is right no matter what. If you’re a fan of Bodie and Brock Thoene’s The Zion Covenant, you definitely want to check this book out.

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Coming next month, I’ll be participating in the ARC Reading Challenge with Bookshelves and Paperbacks! It’s kinda self-explanatory. You make an effort to get through some of the ARCs (Advance Release Copies) you have stacked in low-traffic areas of your house. Not that I do this. Nope.

I’m hoping this challenge will help me get back on track so I’m not scrambling to get reviews done the day or two before I’ve got them in my schedule. I used to be weeks ahead, back in the glorious past, and I want to be there again. So bring it, ARC Reading Challenge!

Here is my list for the challenge…


What about you?

Read anything interesting during the month of March that you want to recommend? Looking forward to anything special from your reading this this month? Leave a comment below and tell me all about it!

Review: The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Historical, Sci-Fi, , , , ,

The Methuselah Project
Rick Barry
Kregel Publications
Published September 27, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After he’s shot down in 1943 Nazi Germany, American pilot Roger Greene endures a medical experiment at the hands of a German doctor. When a bomb destroys the facility, research, and all other participants, Roger finds himself swept away to a secret Nazi compound. There he survives while his captors try to recreate the data from the original experiment, an experiment which leaves Roger able to heal miraculously fast and removes the effects of his body aging.

In 2015, all Katherine Mueller has ever wanted to do is please her guardian and uncle. Lately, though, her uncle’s wishes push Katherine further into the ranks of a mysterious, closed society which begins to feel way too much like a cult for Katherine’s liking. As she wrestles with when and how to break away, the group offers her a deal: an easy assignment that would ensure Katherine’s promotion and her uncle’s pride. All she has to do is track down a young American man who thinks he’s a World War II pilot.

This isn’t my usual genre, since it’s really too old to be considered YA, but it’s a book that a trusted friend has recommended to me several times over the years, so I figured it was about time for me to actually sit down and read it!

Truth is, I really like historical fiction, especially stories that feature World War II. (I blame Bodie Thoene.) So it wasn’t hard to convince me to pick this one up as soon as I knew what it was about.

I liked Roger’s frank but often optimistic nature. He continually tried to see the best in people even when it wasn’t easy. I liked that he was more brain than brawn, but he wasn’t afraid of a fight, either. He doesn’t become a superhero after the experiment, but he does continue to fight for good as a normal human guy. I liked that, too.

Katherine hooked me with her sort of hodge-podge life. She’s trying to make it as a freelance editor, which is her passion, but doesn’t quite pay the bills. She moonlights as a taxi driver to pay her bills, and refuses her wealthy uncle’s aid in everything except membership to a secret society. Her bond with him felt natural and complex. She definitely came across like a girl still in that becoming-an-adult moment.

She also really, really wants a boyfriend, a desire I found both realistic and also sometimes made her seem shallow. I think I wanted her to have bigger aspirations than finding a man, and that being the big Point B she was looking for, if that makes sense. Honestly, though, it’s not unrealistic, and it doesn’t dominate the story. She’s also not looking for just a pretty face– she really wants someone whose strengths compliment her own.

The Methuselah Project definitely puts an interesting spin on a World War II story—it’s part Captain America and part spy novel. I liked the blend and found the characters really interesting. I think anyone who likes historical fiction and light romance, especially fans of The Zion Covenant series by Bodie Thoene and Brock Thoene will find The Methuselah Project to be a great read.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
All major characters are white and either American or German (or both).

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
At one point a woman approaches Roger and seems interested in sleeping with him. He misinterprets her advance and is confused more than anything else. Katherine longs for a boyfriend and spends a great deal of time trying to figure out how to find the right one. At one point a man pressures her to let him come to her apartment to have sex. She refuses, but feels horrible when he says cruel things to her afterward. Later, a man and woman briefly kiss.

Spiritual Content
Roger frequently remembers a woman who cared for him as a child telling him to pray. When trouble finds him, he does just that. While imprisoned, he asks for and receives a Bible and spends a great deal of time reading and studying it.

Violent Content
Roger shoots down enemy planes as a pilot during World War II. He briefly fights his captors. An ally attacks a man and leaves him tied up. An attacker shoots a woman and child who witness something secret. Gunfire is exchanged between Roger, his allies, and opponents a couple other times. No gory details.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Dawn on the Road by Lea Waterhouse

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Dawn on the Road
Lea Waterhouse
CrossLink Publishing
Published February 23, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Dawn learns of an opportunity to visit a college for the arts, she feels desperate to go. She knows, though, her parents would never, ever go along with her dreams of pursuing a career in photography. But when an old friend from her past returns to town and offers Dawn a ride on his motorcycle, Dawn realizes this might be the perfect chance to chase her dream, and reconnect with the gorgeous guy she once left behind.

Dawn’s sense of the world (sometimes lack of it) and her struggle to embrace her dream really resonated with me. I liked the ways in which her journey remained her own. Sometimes I felt like Justin’s wisdom and superior experience sort of overshadowed Dawn, but I liked that Dawn, on her own, crafts this spiritual journey apart from her relationship with Justin. I also liked that this story isn’t wholly a romance. At the heart of the story, Dawn faces some issues of maturity and cosmic questions. She’s a bit shallow and unfocused at the beginning, but definitely shows some growth by the end of the book.

The one thing that kind of left me shaking my head is the ending. I don’t want to give away what happens, but I felt like through the whole story Justin behaves a certain way, and then at the end he makes a choice that felt contrary to his character and the rules he’d established for himself.

On the whole this was a quick read with strong spiritual content that would probably appeal to young readers looking for stories featuring Christian girls. I liked the way the story used Dawn’s interest in photography as well.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Dawn’s parents are atheists and pretty forceful about their beliefs. Justin is a Christian but reluctant to share his beliefs with her.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Dawn’s mom educated her about sex and provided condoms, so Dawn would be prepared. Dawn feels embarrassed about this, but when she leaves for her trip with Justin, she brings one condom along, just in case. She feels very attracted to Justin, and it seems he feels something for her, too.

One kiss at the very end of the story between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
See above. Dawn attends a church service and later begins her own exploration of the Bible and prayer. She becomes a Christian through these experiences.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

A Week of Mondays
Jessica Brody
Farrar Straus Giroux
Published August 2, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After a horrible Monday in which her local rock-star boyfriend dumps her and she makes a fool of herself at a speech in front of the whole student body, Ellison Sparks makes a promise. She vows she’ll make things right if she could only have a chance to do things over. So, when the next morning dawns Monday all over again, she realizes she has exactly that chance. As Ellie scrambles to fix everything that went wrong the first time (and second time and third time…), Ellie begins to wonder if maybe the things she fights for so desperately aren’t the things that really make her happy after all. She finally learns what her heart wants when it suddenly seems the most out of reach, but if she can’t find true happiness, she’ll be stuck in her Monday nightmare forever.

I was a little dubious about picking this book up because it looked like one of those, “she had it all” kinds of stories. You know, the type where the girl has everything she could possibly want and then drama plus tragedy happens. Too often I find the main character in those stories to be shallow and care way too much about her looks and how hot her boyfriend is. Just really not something that speaks to me.

Also, I really liked Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver which has kind of a similar-ish plot in terms of the do-over situation, so I worried that I wouldn’t be able to avoid comparing the two, which wouldn’t really give A Week of Mondays a fair shot.

The truth? While I still really like Before I Fall, I liked that A Week of Mondays is a lighter story. In Before I Fall, Samantha’s friends drove me crazy. I liked the characters in A Week of Mondays better—I don’t mean that they were necessarily written better, but they were more likeable. (And they were supposed to be, so on that count– total success.)

I was a little nervous when Ellie decides that to keep her boyfriend, she needs to go all sexy vixen on him. First, it’s kind of a pet peeve of mine when an inexperienced girl suddenly has all these advanced super-sexy moves. Like, where did that come from? I just find it a little hard to believe and I think it sets the standards really high. But though Ellie seems at first to succeed with her plan, her moves don’t ultimately alter the outcome of her relationship, and her best friend reminds her that being herself, and being loved for who she is, is what’s really important.

I liked the whole banter back and forth between her and her bestie on the legal drama love. It gave their friendship some authenticity and made it unique—it’s a shared interest I’ve never seen in YA literature before.

On the whole, I thought this was a fun, quirky story that had a lot of depth to it, though it took some shallow detours along the way. If you like upbeat contemporary romance, you’ll want to add A Week of Mondays to your reading list.

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white and straight.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with mild frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
Boy/girl kissing (with a couple mentions of tongue being down throats). Ellie wears a provocative outfit and is pleased by the way it affects her boyfriend.

Spiritual Content
Ellie makes a prayer to a nonspecific entity asking for a chance to make things right. Her fortune cookies seem to speak to what’s happening in her life, and she begins to rely on them for information about how successful she’s being in her life.

Violent Content
 Two girls get into a fist fight.

Drug Content
Ellie goes to a party looking for her friend. The house is filled with drunk teens dancing to loud music, so she leaves.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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