Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley Book Review

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
(Hardcover, Little Brown)
Rating:

Syrah's life is supposed to be easy. She is ridiculously rich, her father is famous, and she is snowboarding's new IT girl. Or at least, she was until she busted her knee in an avalanche. Now she's recovering from a broken heart and is afraid that she'll never regain her courage on the slopes. Her half-siblings don't have a single nice thing to say about her, and her best friend is MIA due to his new girlfriend's jealousy.

I have to admit that this book was only so/so for the first half. Syrah's predicament wasn't ringing true for me. The story of her "boyfriend" who broke her heart and caused her to ski in avalanche territory wasn't being explained. This made it difficult for me to get into her story, into her depression. But then, suddenly, it all came together when Syrah volunteers at a hospital with her friend. From this point on, Syrah becomes a strong character who wants to help change the world. She learns valuable lessons about family, friends, and how unimportant and how very important money can be. I'm giving it three stars because despite the slow start, I feel that this book is an essential read. It became a very personal book for me because Syrah organizes a bone marrow drive. I'm entered in the National Bone Marrow Registry and I strongly believe that everyone should consider doing so. In fact, there are several national drives that cover the cost of registering so that you don't have to pay anything.

Ok, I'm now getting off my platform. Here's another totally fun reason to read Girl Overboard - Syrah's name has an amazing explanation near the end. :-)

And if you can, check out Justina's tour with Olympic Gold Medalist Hannah Teter.

Think you have an idea that could make a big difference? Apply for a Go Overboard Challenge Grant from Burton Snowboards and Youth Venture, and you could win the chance to put your idea into action.

The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher Book Review

The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
(Hardcover, Random House)
Rating:

Alice thinks of herself as invisible. She's never been part of the in-crowd and she merely blends in with the artsy crowd, never the brilliant artist, only mediocre. Her best friend Jewel is a photographer and he calls himself invisible too. To Alice, however, Jewel is the opposite of invisible. They've been best friends since middle school, but lately Alice feels that her only defining characteristic is that she is friends with Jewel. So she starts dating a popular football player, Simon. But does this help her find herself? Or is she now being defined as the girlfriend of Simon?

I loved this because it wasn't the typical shy girl becomes popular book. Alice is never really accepted by the popular crowd and she doesn't have an overnight makeover either. You have to give props to a girl who wears her Pumas to a dance rather than be uncomfortable in high heels. Alice is trying to define herself and she makes the mistake of thinking that she needs a boyfriend to do so. Reading this novel is a bit like immersing yourself in a painting. Alice's voice is so unique - she describes the world around her as if each moment is a canvas that she is painting. And she talks to a poster instead of writing in a diary. What a cool idea, Liz! Alice calls her painting the Dove Girl and it is Picasso's Le Visage de la Paix. (I think the picture at right is what Liz is talking about but Picasso actually has several versions of the drawing by the same name.)

I wondered what poster I would talk to if I had one on my wall and I tried to come up with something cool and artsy, but here's what I have. Maybe I'll come up with something artsy later, but in the meantime Reese knows all...


Liz is a member of the Class of 2k8. And she has a sweet website which was designed by Little Willow. Little Willow, I think you're my new hero....you interviewed Meg Cabot and you design websites for published authors! Need an assistant? :-)

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray Book Review

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
(Hardcover, Delacorte)
Rating:

Definitely my favorite of the trilogy. Rebel Angels left off with Gemma binding all of the magic to herself and in the beginning of The Sweet Far Thing, Gemma is afraid that she has lost the magic. She is unable to enter the realms until she, Felicity and Ann find a secret entrance in the burned East Wing. Unfortunately, the magic is too much for Gemma to control and she is in desperate need of guidance. She doesn't know who to trust and finds herself turning to unlikely allies.

The Sweet Far Thing takes us further into the minds of Gemma, Felicity, and Ann. These three girls are desperate to be free of the reigns of society. I loved the historical elements that Libba Bray wove into this novel, in particular the parts that hinted of social revolution - the women's movement and the worker's rights movement. I also must admit that until this book, I didn't have much faith in Felicity and Ann. They seemed weak in comparison to Gemma but I was pleasantly surprised at their roles in this novel. Kartik's character was also highly developed in The Sweet Far Thing. We learn more of his history, and his devotion to Gemma can no longer be doubted. Perhaps the most affecting part of this novel was the message of peace. Libba Bray makes it known, through both quotes from famous people and through Gemma's experience, that peace is attainable and that once attained we must all work as hard as possible to keep it that way. The Sweet Far Thing is set up in five acts, alluding to the fact that this is a tragedy. There is war and sadness in this book. But as Libba Bray quotes George Bernard Shaw in the beginning of the novel: "Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous."

Overall, a fantastic read. If you haven't already read it, prepare yourself to devote several days and several tissues to it. Oh, and The Sweet Far Thing refers to a line in the poem "The Rose of Battle" from W.B. Yeats. I'll leave you to make of it what you will.

And if you've already read The Sweet Far Thing, Libba Bray offers some answers to our questions. Answers Part I and Answers Part II. Warning: her site does contain spoilers.

My review of A Great & Terrible Beauty
My review of Rebel Angels

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray Book Review

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
(Paperback, Delacorte)
Rating:

Rebel Angels picks up where A Great and Terrible Beauty left off. Gemma continues to learn about the magic that courses through her and she and Ann and Felicity visit Pip in the realms as often as possible. Gemma and her friends also spend a lot of time in London attending various society dinners and teas.

Rebel Angels starts to bring in more of the restrictions of Victorian society. Gemma is swept off her feet by a well-to-due London boy, Simon Middleton. Even though she likes Simon, she is hesitant to tie herself to him and give up her freedom. My favorite part of this book was learning more about Felicity. I didn't like her very much in A Great and Terribly Beauty, but after reading this book I begin to understand why she is snobby and spiteful.

The title, Rebel Angels, is a reference to John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost". Gemma, Felicity, Ann, and even Pippa are all rebels in that they don't want to conform to Victorian society.

My review of A Great & Terrible Beauty
My review of The Sweet Far Thing

A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray Book Review

A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
(Paperback, Delacorte)
Rating:

Gemma Doyle has lived an unusual life in India until she has a vision of her mother being murdered. After the vision comes true, Gemma is sent to Spence Academy for Girls near London. In between learning how to curtsy and speak in French, Gemma has strange visions that speak of otherworldly magic. Add in shy Ann, fierce Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and the mysterious boy Kartik who followed her from India, and adventures abound.

I absolutely loved this book about Gemma. I loved the proper boarding school setting. I loved the magic of the realms. And I especially loved Gemma. Even though she is not always likable, it's fun to hear her voice her sarcastic thoughts and to see the reactions of the other school girls.

Interestingly, the other two titles in this series, Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing, derive their titles from famous poems. Although A Great and Terrible Beauty begins with the poem "Lady of Shallot", there is no line that mentions "a great and terrible beauty". I did a little research but can't come up with any historical significance for the title. Does anyone know of where it came from? If it's the author's original idea, it's definitely one of the best titles I've ever heard of.

My review of Rebel Angels
My review of The Sweet Far Thing

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer Book Review

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
(Hardcover, Hachette)
Rating:

In Eclipse, Bella is torn between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. A group of vampires is hunting for Bella, and Edward and Jacob are determined to protect her, even if it means forging an unlikely alliance. The other conflict that has been ongoing in the series and continues in Eclipse is Bella's desire to become a vampire and Edward's wish to keep her human. This was probably my least favorite of the three books because I'm not too keen on the love triangle aspect. I mean, Jacob is a great guy but I can't really picture him as anything other than a friend to Bella. I also kept wishing that Bella would become a vampire. I understand Edward's desire to have her not miss out on any human experiences, but geez, if he doesn't change her then she is eventually going to die and he will supposedly commit suicide then. Come on, wouldn't an eternity of being vampires together be way better than getting old and dying or committing suicide? Plus, I've got this idea that Bella's aversion to blood will mean that once she is a vampire she won't want to feast on humans.

Aren't the covers amazing?

My review of Twilight
My review of New Moon
My review of Breaking Dawn

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer Book Review

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
(Hardcover, Hachette)
Rating:

New Moon starts off with immediate suspense and Bella is put in danger. Wanting to protect her, Edward decides that his presence is what puts Bella at risk and so he leaves town. Bella slides into a deep depression and the only thing that saves her is her friendship with Jacob, a boy from the local reservation. Jacob is also a werewolf, the archnemesis of vampires.

I think New Moon is my favorite book of the series. I've heard people say that they don't like it because Edward isn't it in as much, but that didn't really bother me. Probably because of that amazing character development of Stephenie Meyer's. Bella's depression was crucial to my understanding of how much she loved Edward and how imperative he is in her life (otherwise, the events and declarations in Book 3 would have seemed a little false). What really struck me was the use of white space on the page to show not only the passing of time but also Bella's bleak outlook. Pages 85-92 simply contain one word on every other page: October, November, December, and January. And then the next chapter is titled "Waking Up" and consists of 5 sentences starting with "Time passes". It's such a bleak and desperate few pages. I have only one word for this - GENIUS.

My review of Twilight
My review of Eclipse

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer Book Review

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
(Hardcover, Hachette)
Rating:

I'd read review after review of Stephenie Meyer's book Twilight and I was even aware that some stores hosted Harry-Potteresque-midnight-parties for the release of the third book in the Twilight series, Eclipse. But I had never read them until this December. I always said, nah vampires aren't my thing. Boy, was I wrong. I started reading Twilight because someone had given me a copy of New Moon and I hate to start series in the middle. After the first 15 pages, I was completely sucked in. Bella is immediately lovable with her clumsiness and new-girl-in-school worries. And Edward, let's just say he's probably most girls' dream guy. Handsome, brooding, intelligent,and willing to stand between a careening vehicle and Bella. The main conflict in this first book is that Edward simultaneously wants to be with Bella and drain Bella's blood from her. Oh, and while he's trying to control himself, he also has to protect her from other blood-sucking vampires. Interestingly, Edward and his vampire family are "vegetarians" and forgo human blood.

The reason I found this book so compelling is, quite simply, Stephenie Meyer's writing. She moves the plot along at a speed that both allows you to enjoy the text and also keeps you furiously flipping pages to find out what happens next. I also enjoyed the literary references to Romeo & Juliet. Perhaps the most engaging feature of this series is her character development. Stephenie Meyer shows the very worst sides of her characters, yet still manages to make them likable. Their problems become our problems and their wishes become our wishes. Definitely worth reading even if you're not into vampires.

My review of New Moon
My review of Eclipse