Review: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye J. Walton

Book Review and Content, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Leslye J. Walton
Candlewick Press
Published January 1, 2014

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Ava Lavender comes from a long line of peculiarly gifted women who’ve been unlucky in love. She relates her family history beginning with her great-grandparents and their journey from France to the United States in the early 1900s. Ava’s grandmother is the surviving member of her small family by the time she marries. Desperate to escape the bitter memories of her lost loved ones, Emiliene and her husband head west, finally settling in a small Washington town. Emiliene bears one child, Ava’s mother, before her husband dies. Each member of Emiliene’s family bears some peculiarity, and it seems Viviane, Emiliene’s child is no exception, when she is born with an incredibly keen sense of smell. But it is Ava, Viviane’s daughter who possesses the most notable peculiarity: she is born with wings.

Ava spends her young life sheltered in her grandmother’s home with her mother and twin brother and their live-in handyman. Gabe is determined to teach Ava to fly, and spends a great deal of time building flying contraptions so he can do just that. The only problem is that none of them seem to work. As Ava reaches her middle teen years, she begins to grow curious about the world outside her family’s home. As she begins to venture out, she must face the various ways people respond to her wings. She finds herself labeled both angel and demon, worshipped and hunted. As danger closes in around her, Ava’s brother (who appears to have some form of Autism) tries repeatedly to warn the family, but the message doesn’t at first make sense to them. Emiliene and Viviane must piece together the clues and find Ava before it’s too late.

The most striking thing about this novel is the style in which it is written. It’s very whimsical and a little bit dark, both quirky and hopeful. Each of the focal characters is expertly created and their stories deeply interesting. There are definitely some intense moments which make this a story better suited to older teens. Readers who enjoy stories in the vein of the movie Big Fish will enjoy this novel.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent but extreme.

Sexual Content
Brief references to sex, including references to a brother and sister who were rumored to be lovers and two men who are lovers. In one scene a man violently assaults a woman. Details of the attack are brief but brutal, and the progression of events is really choppy, making it difficult to tell what’s happening. The girl is raped. Details of the rape are very limited.

Spiritual Content
Emiliene is haunted by the ghosts of her deceased siblings and a former resident of her home. Rumor has it that a young girl living in sin attempted to receive communion and the host caught fire as it touched her mouth. This event occurs again featuring one of the main characters in the story.
Violence
See above for assault. Emiliene’s brother is shot in the face by his lover. His ghost bears the scars from his gruesome demise. Details are limited. One of Emiliene’s sisters commits suicide by removing her heart. Again, gruesome, but with limited details.

Drug Content
A young man drugs a relative in his care.

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

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Review: Matched by Ally Condie

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

Matched
Ally Condie
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published November 30, 2010

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Cassia has looked forward to her Match Banquet for as long as she can remember, and nothing could be more wonderful than sharing that day with her best friend, Xander. She is elated when the Society choses Xander to be her very own match. He is right for her in every way, a confirmation to Cassia of the Society’s perfection.

So she believes until a rare malfunction occurs and another face flashes across Cassia’s screen. Ky Markham’s face. Confused, Cassia allows the Society leaders to reassure her that everything is fine. Her doubts resurface in the form of a gift from her grandfather: words from a forbidden poem. Cassia knows she must destroy them, but can’t help reading and savoring them again and again. She begins to fall in love with the mysterious poetry and the boy who shares them with her. Ky. And now she must choose between Xander, who knows her through and through and Ky, who knows things she can’t yet understand.

Matched is a romance set against a dystopian backdrop: a world carefully balanced and controlled by the elite members of the Society. Only select forms of artwork have been preserved and allowed. All others are outlawed. All actions and even sleep are monitored. For Cassia, it is a safe and perfect world until Ky enters it and awakens dreams she shouldn’t have, desires she can’t understand and a growing distrust of the world she thought protected her. It is difficult indeed even for the reader to choose between Cassia’s loves. Condie elegantly weaves a story of disillusionment and hope and propels her readers through the twists and turns of Cassia’s story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild.

Sexual Content
Very mild. Kissing. Some reference to adults having the option to stay single rather than being matched and choosing to have casual physical relationships, but no details given and no bearing on the story itself.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Very limited violence.

Drug Content
Society members keep three tablets with them at all times, to be taken for specific purposes, with usage carefully monitored. One is a sleep aid.

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Review: Darkwater by Catherine Fisher

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

Darkwater
Catherine Fisher
Dial Books for Young Readers
Published September 27, 2012

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With her famed family estate lost to a mysterious stranger, Sarah and her father have been forced on the kindness of a former servant and her family. When Sarah loses her job, she swallows her pride and accepts a new position assisting Azrael, the owner of her former home. A job isn’t all the strange man seems interested in. Disturbing rumors about how he acquired the estate buzz around Sarah’s head, and his question lingers in her mind: for what price would she offer him her soul? She resists, but tragedy forces her hand. All Sarah can do now is try to save the next desperate person from sharing her fate.

While the concept of the story is very intriguing, the most interesting part is left out of the story. She makes an agreement in trade for her soul and then the story cuts ahead to the future, to the next fly caught in Azrael’s trap.  As Sarah tries to help this next victim, the intensity builds to a mighty climax that is resolved too simply and easily. The author does, however, make excellent use of unexpected twists in the plot which repaint all the reader thinks he knows about the story. Darkwater is packed with elements of intrigue and mystery.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild.

Sexual Content
Very mild.

Spiritual Content
There is some allusion to the idea that the character Azrael has supernatural abilities that seem to have no direct connection to God or any particular religion.

Violence
A few suspenseful moments, but no real graphic violence.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Kill Order by James Dashner

Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , ,

The Kill Order
James Dashner
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published August 14, 2012

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With memories of the sun flares that destroyed major cities and much of the world’s technology still fresh in their minds, Mark, Trina and their friends find themselves face to face with another catastrophe, and this one may not leave any alive.

The plague’s first victims survive mere hours. But as the disease mutates and spreads, its victims survive longer, becoming mad long before the end takes them. Mark and Trina band together, determined to stay well, track down the source of the vicious illness, and do whatever it takes to stop it.

In this prequel to the Maze Runner series, James Dashner reveals the story of civilization’s fall and the mysterious disease that ravaged mankind in its wake. While providing answers to many of the questions Maze Runner fans have been asking, The Kill Order lacked the density of thrill and suspense that have rocketed readers through the bestselling series. I wish this had been a novella or short story instead of a full-length novel. I think I would have liked it better in that format.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild to moderate.

Sexual Content
Moderate to heavy. While much of the physical romance takes place off-scene, it is still known that the hero and his girlfriend are having sex.

Spiritual Content
Not much mentioned.

Violence
Lots of scenes depicting terrible illness and some insanity.

Drug Content
The characters are on a quest for a cure to the mysterious disease that is spreading like wildfire. No recreational drug use.

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

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Review: Scorch by Gina Damico

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

Scorch
Gina Damico
HMH Books for Young Readers
Published September 25, 2012

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Going home after her sister’s death is the hardest thing Lex has ever had to do. But life in Croak isn’t getting any easier for the teenage Grim Reaper. Though her friends stick with her, the rest of the town blames Lex for Zara’s murderous rampage. After all, Zara wouldn’t be able to Damn souls if Lex hadn’t somehow transferred that ability to her. That Zara killed Lex’s sister doesn’t seem to matter either. Irrational fear and poor leadership whip the town into a frenzy of paranoia until Lex and her friends have no choice but to flee to the Grim capital, DeMyse.

Distracted by the glitz and glam of the Vegas-like town, Lex and her friends teeter between concern for the innocents Zara continues to murder and enjoying the city’s night life. Zara will only stop killing when Lex gives her the secret book that will grant terrible power to anyone who reads it. Lex is sure she is the only one who can find it, but will she find it before another innocent soul is Damned?

Readers who missed the first book in this series will find Scorch a little hard to follow. The rules of the story world are confusing and not well-explained. The plot meanders forward with frequent pit stops for parties and make-out sessions despite Zara’s promise that an innocent person will die every day until Lex gives her what she wants. While she is a bit shallow, Lex’s struggles with guilt and insecurity are very real and relatable. The appearance of Poe and other famous people of the past were a clever addition to the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate. Some swearing and lots of uses of various forms of “douche” insults.

Sexual Content
Heavy. Characters frequently sneak off to make out and hope to progress further.

Spiritual Content
The central characters of the story are Grim Reapers. Human characters experience an afterlife which is more or less wonderful, unless their soul has been Damned by a Grim Reaper. One rogue Grim Damns souls who are undeserving of such punishment. No real connection to Christian world-view.

Violence
Some battle violence and an explosion.

Drug Content
Grims enjoy a special drink that seems to have the same effect as beer. Young characters are depicted drinking it at bar and nightclub type settings.

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

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Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Coming of Age, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published March 14, 2006 (Orig. published 2005)

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A mysterious narrator gives an account of a young girl who has an unusual vice: she steals books. Death comes for the girl’s brother as she and her mother wait for a train to take them to a foster home where the children will be safe. It is he, the collector of souls, who is the only witness to the girl’s first thievery, and he begins to follow her story.

Life in Liesel’s new home is a difficult adjustment, plagued with nightmares, but through them, she and her foster father form a bond through reading the book Liesel has stolen: a grave-digger’s manual. As Liesel grows, over and over written words touch her life: a book stolen from the embers of a Nazi bonfire, from the mayor’s library, written to her by a man in hiding.

Death follows her story as a foreigner in her world, relaying the sequences of events with raw imagery and striking language, often creating the feel of a black-and-white picture with one color highlighted through it. Liesel’s journey is both joyful and heart-rending, harsh and beautiful. This is the most unusual World War II story I’ve ever read.

Okay. Honestly, the above is kind of an understatement. The Book Thief claims the top spot as my favorite book. I loved it so much that I called friends and family members, like listen. Then I made them listen to me read a passage of the book. The language, the use of metaphors totally blew me away. The characters and the emotions between them absolutely leapt straight off the page. I loved them all. Rudy. Oh, gosh, Rudy.

Seriously. Trust me. Read this. And call me when you find those passages that demand to be read out loud. I’ll be right there with you.

Update 2017: Check out this costume with book pages from The Book Thief as the skirt! You know you’re jealous….

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity. Leisel’s foster mother calls her a saumensch, which basically means pig. It becomes a term of endearment between characters.

Sexual Content
Very mild. A boy kisses a girl.

Spiritual Content
The story is told from the viewpoint of a spirit-being who collects the souls of the dead.

Violence
Some war violence – not hugely graphic or explicit.

Drug Content
None.

Watch the trailer that won the 2006 Teen Book Video Award below…


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