When Suzy’s best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy’s mother says sometimes things just happen. The loss and senselessness of it leave Suzy unmoored. Then she learns about a rare, deadly jellyfish that may have been spotted in waters near where her friend swam. If Suzy can prove why her friend died, maybe the awful ache inside her will go away. Maybe she’ll be able to explain it to everyone. Her effort to prove her case will lead her halfway around the world. But her tenacity and wit will bring her friendship much closer to home.
This is one of those books I couldn’t help loving. Suzy seems like she may be on the autistic spectrum, but that never really enters into the narrative. It’s clear that among her peers she’s a bit of an odd duck, and she longs to fit in, despite her frequent inability to say the “right thing.” Her family members added a great deal to the story without intruding on Suzy’s space. Each character felt real, complex, as if they were the type of family one might encounter anywhere in America.
The one moment that rang false to me was when Suzy plans to use her father’s credit card and times her transaction to be a few days before he receives his credit card statement. I wasn’t sure that I really believed a kid her age would think of that. It was a small moment, though.
Benjamin brings to the story this keen sense of the grief process, and the sense of helplessness that bystanders often feel when someone they love is deeply grieved. With its message of hope and the amazing facts about the humble jellyfish, The Thing About Jellyfish would make an excellent classroom aid or recommended reading assignment for sixth or seventh grade.
Recommended especially for readers who enjoyed Rain Reign by Ann Martin or Nest by Esther Ehrlich.
Language Content
No profanity.
Sexual Content Suzy watches her brother Aaron and his boyfriend exchange a kiss.
Spiritual Content None.
Violence Girls pick on each other. It’s not violence, but it is hurtful bullying. One girl spits on another’s face. A girl soaks another girl’s locker items with pee.
September is my favorite month. It’s the peak of the season for afternoon thunderstorms in Central Florida, and reading is the perfect thing to do during a thunderstorm. It’s also the month when two important things happen – my wedding anniversary and my birthday. This September also happens to be a busy month for book reviews! Here are a few you can expect to see in the coming weeks at The Story Sanctuary.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Madeline is allergic to the outside world. Then she meets Olly, a neighbor boy, and the romantic tension ensues. I’m excited but nervous about reading this book. After being blown away by Because You’ll Never Meet Me earlier this year, I’m afraid I’ll compare the two, and I don’t know how that will go. I am definitely open to love it.
The Firebug of Balrog County by David Oppegaard
A small town hits hard times, and Mack only knows one way to relieve the tension building inside him: find something to burn. How can a pyromaniac be a hero? I’m curious about this, too. So far everything I’ve read about this book has been positive. I love angsty YA, and I’m a huge fan of Flux books, so I’m definitely eager to crack the cover of this novel.
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Grief is such an important issue, and it’s one that our culture doesn’t really handle so well. (But that’s another topic.) This novel focuses on a girl who lost her best friend, she believes, because of a rare jellyfish sting. She sets out on a journey to prove her theory.
The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
This looks like a dystopian novel in which the children of world leaders are raised in seclusion, trained for the day in which they may be used in a hostage exchange to keep peace between nations. It looks dark but like it has real potential to explore some human rights issues. I’m excited to check it out.
I Crawl Through It by A. S. King
I’ve been on a bit of a streak reading YA novels that deal with some heavy mental health issues. This one follows four teens as they battle their way through dealing with trauma. The copy on Goodreads and NetGalley reference possibly some multiple personality or delusions.
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Naturals #2)
A team of teens possess special abilities (not like X-men, more like, super-geniuses at certain things like lie-spotting or profiling) which make them indispensable to the FBI. It’ll take all their gifts to stop a serial killer before he snatches his next victim. Suspense isn’t my usual go-to, but this novel definitely appealed to me. I like that it focuses on the relationships between characters as well as this pressing mystery.
Lullaby by Amanda Hocking (Watersong #2)
I’ve actually read this before and for some reason never managed to write up a review. I’m listening to the audiobook version and will write my review from that. It’s about a girl who was tricked into becoming a Siren. Only after she’s transformed does she realize a few of the downsides: she can’t leave her Siren sisters; she must eat the heart of a boy to survive; and she must spend time in the ocean water or she’ll die. (The heart-eating sounds super gross, but it’s not described in the story.)
Battle of Beings by Nita Tarr (War Child #1)
This sounds a little bit like a cross between This Present Darkness and Eragon? The description intrigues me, so I’m giving it a go this month.
I had this idea that blogging book reviews would actually reduce my spending on literature. You know, publishers send me books. I read great, current books for free and then recruit people to listen to my opinion on the internet. Heavenly.
And it is, but mostly what it does is educate me better on what’s coming soon. So now I have a list of must-have books that haven’t even hit the shelves yet. I’m not one to order a lot of books ahead of time, but I’m absolutely on pins and needles over these hot new titles. Here are nine books I want to pre-order:
1. Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights? (All the Wrong Questions #4) by Lemony Snicket (9/22/15)
My daughter and I have been giggling our way through this whole series, and I expect this last book to be every bit as good as the first three have been. Apprentice Detective Lemony Snicket and his team of associates are closing in on the villain Hangfire’s evil plot. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
2. Spinning Starlight by R. C. Lewis (10/6/15)
Gah! Another Disney/Hyperion title that looks super cool. Honestly, it kind of seems like Disney is doing what they do and modeling a product line after a big industry success. Here we have a sci-fi fairytale retelling that bears some strong resemblance to The Little Mermaid. Okay, so that was my favorite Disney movie growing up and the idea of setting it in space totally has me intrigued.
3. A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston (10/6/15)
This one just looks too good. It looks like a sort of retelling of the story of Shahrazad, whose nightly stories saved her life.
I keep requesting Disney/Hyperion titles, but so far I’m a no-go on NetGalley. Disney may be looking for more frequent posts or higher blog stats or something. So, alas… I’ll have to buy it off bookstore shelves like everyone else.
4. Dark Tide (Waterfire Saga #3) by Jennifer Donnelly (10/13/15)
I’m a huge fan of Ms. Donnelly. I loved A Northern Light and Deep Blue, the first book in the Waterfire Saga. I love that it’s a whole different spin on a mermaid story. There’s no prince to rescue, no mermaid wishing to be human, just a mermaid princess trying to save her people from a terrible evil. The Waterfire Saga is on my list of books to read with my daughter this year.
5. Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sarah Raasch (10/13/15)
I stumbled onto the first book in this series and immediately loved Raasch’s storytelling style. The plot unfolded in directions I didn’t anticipate. The characters earned my respect. I am definitely interested in what happens next to the sole survivors of the kingdom of Winter.
6. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly (10/27/15)
These Shallow Graves caught my eye because it bears Donnelly’s name. It looks a bit darker and more suspenseful, and it’s got some mystery to it as the heroine explores the truth behind her father’s death. It’s a little different than my usual picks, but all the more reason to bring it on.
7. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer (11/10/15)
It’s the LAST book in the Lunar Chronicles. I confess I didn’t start reading the series until after the second book, Scarlet, came out, so I read the first three in pretty close succession. Each time I’m like, how is Meyer going to top that? And then she goes and does it. Winter features themes familiar from the fairytale Snow White. I can’t wait to see how Meyer explores the sci-fi retelling of the classic story and weaves it into the dramatic climax of what has been an incredible series.
8. Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood (12/8/15)
I read another book by this same publisher (Running Press) and was so blown away by the craftsmanship of the story that I immediately put them on my list of publishers to watch. While the book I read before (When You Leave by Monica Ropal) was a contemporary novel, Inherit the Stars is a sci-fi tale that looks to be loaded with political intrigue and maybe a bit of star-crossed love. Count. Me. In.
9. The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater (2/23/16)
This series has been one of those guilty pleasures. It definitely contains some spiritual content that’s pretty far off the path in terms of themes I’m usually comfortable with in literature. I got the first book for free and have been hooked since. Plus, I have to say that Will Patton’s narration of the audiobooks makes it one of my top favorites, ever. The Raven King is the final book in the series, so I’m especially eager to find out what happens to Blue, Gansey, Ronan and all their friends.
Do you pre-order books or prefer to wait until they hit shelves before you buy?
Each year the schoolmaster collects two children from Sophie’s village. She longs to be chosen to attend the School for Good and grow up to be a fairy tale princess. Her best friend Agatha, hopes only to be left alone. When the schoolmaster comes to collect the children, Sophie is chosen, and all her dreams are about to come true.
Except the schoomaster’s servants deposit her in the School of Evil and send Agatha to the School of Good. Clearly there’s been a mistake, one Sophie will do anything to correct. Agatha agrees that something has gone horribly wrong. She is determined to find a way to escape the school with Sophie and return home to her village. But what if there is no escape? What if the schoolmaster hasn’t made a mistake, and in fact, Sophie and Agatha belong exactly where he’s sent them?
My Review
When I saw THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL sitting on the shelf in our local bookstore, my daughter and I were in the middle of the Ever After High series by Shannon Hale. While we both loved the upbeat story and its modern fairy tale feel, I liked that this series looked similar but perhaps more complex.
The story is a bit meatier than the Ever After High series, but it’s also a bit cruder. Agatha, surrounded by curious princes and princesses in the School for Good, passes gas at them to buy her time to escape. Later, she disguises herself as a roach. One of the students in the School for Evil turns rat poop into chocolate.
Over all, the message is a familiar important one. Sophie’s outward beauty isn’t what makes her good. Her shallowness and disdain for others much more heavily define her. Agatha doesn’t see herself as lovely, but her compassion and kindness mark her as a true princess.
I’m not sure that readers of Ever After High would necessarily gravitate toward THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL because the tone is so different, but definitely readers who enjoyed THE THICKETY: A PATH BEGINS by J. A. White should definitely give this one a go.
Content Notes
Profanity or Crude Language No profanity. Brief crude references to bodily functions.
Sexual Content In the tradition of modern fairy tales, it’s not the prince and true love’s kiss that break an evil spell. Instead, a kiss between Agatha and Sophie seals the pivotal moment. It’s less romantic and more symbolic.
Spiritual Content Children who attend the School for Evil will grow up to be villains (including witches) in fairy tale stories. Students learn to use magic spells to bring help or harm to others.
In real-world London, Madeleine and her mother are runaways. Together they escaped from a previous life in which they were rich and lived all over the world. At first Madeleine thought their leaving was a lark. The truth is something she may never be ready to accept.
Elliot, resident of the land of Cello, prepares for his next trip away. He’s been searching for his father, who went missing the night his uncle died. Rumors say a purple murdered his uncle and dragged his father and a local woman to its cave as prisoners. If Elliot can catch the right spell, he can find them and bring them home.
When a letter from Cello asking for help turns up in a parking meter in London, Madeleine answers it, believing it’s probably a prank of some kind. As she corresponds with Elliot, who receives her letters in Cello, she begins to wonder if what he says could be real. Could there really be another world, one connected only by a crack the size of a folded note?
As problems swell around both Madeleine and Elliot, they look to each other for confidence as they struggle to sort things out. Madeleine takes refuge in knowledge. Elliot must guard the “Butterfly Child,” a tiny girl who may be able to save his town from ruin.
My Review
Madeleine and Elliot’s journeys are wildly imaginative and fun. From the color attacks that plague the people of cello to the vivid characters of Madeleine’s friends and teachers, the story stays interesting as the conflict grows.
As Elliot explains where he lives and what it’s like, Madeleine responds with criticism for the lack of creativity in the names of the locations and the strangeness of his world. It’s kind of funny because it’s the sort of criticism a reader might give a writer, but within the story, Cello is a real place. I enjoyed that bit of paradox.
I thought I knew where the story was headed, and in part I was right. There were some elements that emerged, though, that I really didn’t see coming. They made for a great set-up leading into the sequel to the story, THE CRACKS IN THE KINGDOM, which came out in March of 2014.
Content Notes
Profanity/Crude Language Moderate profanity used very infrequently.
Sexual Content Brief kissing. Vague references to Elliot’s romantic history as a heartbreaker.
Spiritual Content One of Madeleine’s friends believes in astrological signs and the other believes in reading auras. Both have some minor significance in the plot. In Cello, spells can be captured from a magical lake.
Violence In Elliot’s world, waves of color attack people with varied levels of intensity. His uncle died from an attack by a purple the night his father disappeared. Elliot was the one who found his body (described briefly.)
This week’s topic is about which authors I’ve read most. I’m breaking my top authors into two categories: books I read as a child and books I read as an adult/reviewer. Obviously authors with big series that I followed have a huge advantage here, but there were a few that surprised me.
Top Authors I Read as a Child
1. Ann M Martin.
Okay, you guessed it. I was a total baby-sitter’s-clubber. I must have read over thirty of those books in my tween years. Mary Anne was my favorite, but Stacey and Claudia were close seconds. I did some babysitting myself and I think I always wished I’d had friends to share the stories and experiences with.
That beloved series isn’t all I’ve read by Martin. More recently I enjoyed Rain Reign by Martin. You can check out my review here.
2. C. S . Lewis
Well, you knew that was coming. This one really belongs on both lists. I’ve read the Narnia series more than once. The first time as a child, then again while my family was in North Carolina avoiding a fierce hurricane in Florida, and again aloud to my daughter.
I think each time I read the series a different book is my favorite. My current fav is The Horse and His Boy. Beyond the Narnia series, I’ve loved Lewis’s Mere Christianity, A Grief Observed,The Screwtape Letters, and Till We Have Faces. I have not read his sci-fi series, though I’ve heard it’s great.
3. Laura Ingalls Wilder
My sister gets the credit for introducing me to this series. She had a box set that was maybe a Christmas gift? After she’d read the books and talked about how much she liked them, I had to read them, too.
Today, my daughter has her own box set of these books. Though she’s only read the first one, it’s really sweet seeing the series peeking out from her bookshelf. I hope she reads the whole series someday.
Fans of this series might enjoy the Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich. I haven’t read them yet, but friends have recommended them. It’s the story of an Ojibwa girl, which makes a neat comparison to Wilder’s familiar frontier settler stories.
4. Robin McKinley
I discovered my first book by Robin McKinley in a used books stall at a flea market. Beauty, an amazing retelling of Beauty and the Beast captured me right away. It became one of the books my mom gave for Christmas gifts one year.
Since that first taste, I went on to read other great re-imagined fairy tales as well as her fantasy novels The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword. You can read my review of The Hero and the Crownhere.
5. James Herriot
I had forgotten all about these charming books until my mom recently gave me one I hadn’t seen before. After losing both our cats this year to old age and health problems, my mom (who is incredible and so very thoughtful) put together a little package that included James Herriot’s Cat Stories. I’m excited to read it.
My journey with Herriot’s books began with the audiobooks, which we listened to as a family on long car trips. The books are basically short stories about his adventures as a vet in the English countryside. Some are laugh-out-loud funny while others are really tender and sweet. Definitely good stuff for any animal lover.
Top YA Authors I’ve Read as an Adult (ahem) Reviewer
1. Anne Elisabeth Stengl
This is another name that probably comes as no surprise to my faithful blog followers! (Because I’ve reviewed much of the series here.) I stumbled onto the first book in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series and have been eagerly awaiting each subsequent book since.
One of my favorite things about this series is that the books aren’t all following the same characters, and the story doesn’t continue chronologically through all the books. It’s more like a collection of stories from within the same awesome story world. I. Love. It. Which is my favorite? Probably this one.
2. Rick Riordan
This one I blame on my cousin. She devoured the Percy Jackson series, which I hadn’t gotten around to reading. She offered to lend me the books and then it was my turn to plow through them. Since then I’ve read the first three books in the Heroes of Olympus series (I liked what he did with bringing Roman mythology into things.)
I think my favorite thing about the series as a whole is that as you read, you learn who’s who in Greek mythology (and Roman mythology, if you read Heroes of Olympus) kind of without even meaning to. Is it something you have to know about in order to graduate or become a functioning adult? No, but I love that the story is so entertaining that you don’t even realize you’re learning stuff. I want more books like this.
I haven’t reviewed any of the books in the series (not sure how this happened) but they’re fairly clean. I don’t think there’s any profanity. There’s some mild violence from battle scenes involving monsters. There is one boy/boy unrequieted crush that’s briefly discussed, but I don’t think it really goes anywhere or is very consequential to the story.
3. J K Rowling
I feel like this is almost a cop-out answer. There are seven books in the Harry Potter series, and I’ve read them all. I didn’t read them until I was an adult. My ten year-old daughter hasn’t read them at this point. We agreed that she could start reading them and do one book per year (I can’t take credit for that idea. Laura L. Smith suggests this in a post on her web site) but she hasn’t started reading them yet.
I LOVE the audiobook versions read by Jim Dale. Like, I could listen to them over and over. So. Good.
Which is my favorite? Maybe the fourth one? I’m not sure.
4. Jill Williamson
I’ve read two series by Williamson – a fantasy series and a dystopian series – and enjoyed both for different reasons. The fantasy series (Blood of Kings series) was a great sort of classic fantasy story – kings and magic and dark powers and stuff like that. It’s a Christian series, so there’s a parallel religion through the story and some great spiritual themes. Great for tween or early teen readers.
The dystopian series (Safe Lands series) is a lot darker and more mature. Williamson stays true to Christian values and principles and incorporates them into her story, but characters wrestle with issues like drug addiction and the emotional consequences of an unexpected pregnancy.
5. Maggie Stiefvater
Okay, so I cheated because I’ve read five books by Stiefvater and five books by several other amazing authors (including Stephanie Morrill and Laura L. Smith.) I chose Stiefvater because I’m anxiously pining for the next book in her Raven Boys series. Though the spiritual content is totally not Christian-themed (there’s a lot of new age-y, psychic stuff happening, so it’s definitely not for everyone) the characters are so captivating. I really need to know what happens next.
Outside this series, I read the first book in the Mercy Falls series and did not care for it at all. There was a lot of repetitive phrasing, and I just really didn’t buy into the story.
However. The Scorpio Races. Wow. Amazing. Seriously, go read it now. It’s SO good. Here’s my review.
So those are my top ten. How about yours? Have you read books by these guys? Did it make you want to check out something new? Who are your top favorite authors?
