The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart Book Review

The Heart Is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
(HarperTeen, Hardcover, March 2010)
Rating:

Georgia and Riley have been best friends for years.  So when Georgia sees a flyer for a community building trip to Juarez, she has no trouble enlisting Riley to join her.  Both girls convince their parents that this trip is a good idea, a way to build not just a community, but character.  However, in Juarez, Georgia finds that not everything can be carefully managed and secrets can't always be kept.


Georgia lets us slowly into her life, revealing little details about herself and about Riley and they secrets they keep from each other.  I read The Heart Is Not a Size in one sitting; I couldn't put it down until I knew whether Georgia would overcome her panic attacks or whether Riley would admit she had an eating disorder.  I also loved that Georgia and Riley reminded me so much of me and my best friend in high school.  One smart and serious, the other beautiful and bubbly.  For me, this book is a novel about friendship, about the sacrifices we make for our friends, and about how important it is to have that one person you can count on.

The Heart Is Not a Size is also about a border town called Juarez and Georgia's experiences there.  I've never been to Mexico, but it was easy to close my eyes and picture the town.  Kephart effortlessly transports the reader to a gritty town inundated with sun and sand.  The descriptions of Juarez and it's people are so vivid, and Georgia's desire to help them comes across on every page.  The trip is as much an adventure as it is a learning experience for her and for the other teens in her group.

Like all of Beth Kephart's books, The Heart Is Not a Size is a must-read for teens and for anyone working with teens.  Kephart isn't afraid to tackle the big issues like parental pressure, anorexia, and death, and she does it all with compassion, honesty, and beautiful writing. 

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor Book Review

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
(Hardcover, Scholastic, October 2009)
Rating:

"Kissing can ruin lives. Lips touch, sometimes teeth clash. New hunger is born with a throb and caution falls away."

Lips Touch offers a trio of fairy-tale-esque stories, centered around the power of a kiss. In "Goblin Fruit," beautifully different Kizzy is tempted by a boy who is not all he seems and whose kiss could mean her ruin. Anamique's voice can kill humans or sway devils in "Spicy Little Curses Such as These." In "Hatchling," Esme's eyes change colors and, all of sudden, she has memories of kissing a fanged hunter.

Reading Lips Touch is like slipping into a dark fantasy, one where the lines between truth and fiction blur and magic taints every breath. Whereas Laini's first novel Blackbringer was for a middle grade audience, this collection is geared towards a teen audience. Temptation, lust, and love seep into each story, and it's easy to imagine yourself as one of the main characters...ordinary girls who are faced with extraordinary circumstances. Each of the three stories are short enough to read in one sitting; although, I would recommend rereading each one because of all the rich details. It's very hard to pick a favorite story of the three. Currently, I'm leaning towards "Spicy Little Curses Such As These" because the mythology of India fascinates me. All three stories could easily be spun into their own novels but I enjoyed the short story form used. It leaves the endings (and even some beginnings) open to the imagination which makes the stories all the more interesting.

p.s. The book that I read is an ARC and doesn't have the final artwork on the inside pages. However, Jim Di Bartolo's sketch art looks amazing and I can't wait to see it in its final color form!

p.s.s. Laini is expecting a baby girl any day now! Go visit her blog to see all her cute baby clothes and toys, and make sure to say hi while you're there!

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart Book Review

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
(Harper Teen, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Katie used to have a perfect life. Then her mother died and ever since then Katie can't seem to fix the whole in her life and in her heart. Her father restores paintings but he can't restore her mother and so the two drift alone in a giant house, unable to talk about the past and unable to look forward. Katie's summer job, however, proves to be just the push that she needs to begin her life again. She spends her summer days working the gardens for an eccentric old lady, a lady that she has never seen and who is so completely shrouded in mystery that Katie can't help but dig into the past for some answers.

I immediately liked Katie. She's got a sassy voice, tinged with a bit of vulnerability. The combination was impossible to resist. As with all of Beth Kephart's books, the writing is lyrical and each sentence is a present in itself. Katie's house and the gardens where she works come alive and I could easily slip into her shoes, even though so much of her life is different from my own. Katie learns that we are all haunted by ghosts but that it doesn't have to define us. Nothing But Ghosts isn't necessarily a book with a lesson, yet it does leave us with the satisfaction of having learned from Katie.

The mystery and the unexpected friendships in this book were what I enjoyed the most. Katie's quest to discover more about Miss Martine is exciting and full of twists and surprises, and includes some help from the oh-so-chic librarian, Ms. McDermott, and Danny, the cute boy who works with her at the gardens. I loved the ending as well. It does what all books should do, provide hope for the character's future while not telling us every single thing that will happen in that future. Katie is a living character in my mind, someone that I might meet on the street or in a library one day. And there are so many other details, so many wonderful layers to this book—the glass bottles, the bird at the window, the paintings—I couldn't possibly write all of them down in this review. Just trust me and get your hands on a copy as soon as you can.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder Book Review

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
(Mira, Paperback, 2005)
Rating:

Yelena is in prison about to be executed for the crime of murder when she is offered the position of food taster for the commander of Ixia. Despite the risks of the job, Yelena is willing to take the chance if it means that she will live another day. Being food taster puts her in the path of Valek, the commander's chief of security. Valek is a hard man who will do anything to ensure that the commander stays in power. Yelena must prove that she is a survivor as she battles her growing affection for Valek and her growing ability to do magic which is forbidden in the country of Ixia.

About two years ago, I discovered Maria V. Snyder. I was reading a ton of fantasy books at the time and Poison Study just blew me away. This book is by far the most unique, exciting, well-written story that I've read in a long time. Yelena is an underdog--a scrawny, malnourished girl whose reputation is stained by her murder of a truly evil man. The circumstances surrounding the murder are slowly revealed throughout the novel but, right from the beginning, you understand that Yelena is a tough, likable heroine. And Valek, wow, he's probably one of my favorite literary crushes. He's tough, strong, has high morals, and can sneak into any room unnoticed. The most wonderful part of Poison Study is the well developed minor characters. Ari and Janco, two guardsmen that teach Yelena how to fight, are priceless. Their banter certainly lightens up Valek's seriousness. I was also thoroughly intrigued by Yelena's duty as food taster and her training in poisons. There's no doubt about it, Maria V. Snyder knows how to tell a good tale, one that will keep you furiously flipping through the pages and yet hoping that it never ends. Poison Study is the first book in Yelena's story. Magic Study and Fire Study follow it. For those of you who don't like major cliffhangers, it is important to note that each of these books have a plot line that is resolved in the book and can be read as stand-alones; however, the story is enhanced if you read them in order.

Visit Maria's website for more information about her books.

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor Book Review

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
(Putnam, Hardcover, 2008)
Rating:

Magpie Windwitch is an unusual faery. She flies around the world, catching devils. Something that hasn't been done since the Djinn's champion, Bellatrix, disappeared thousands of years ago. When her latest adventure leads her back to Dreamdark, the place of her birth, Magpie is reunited with her old friends Poppy Merryweather and Snoshti. As Magpie tries to catch Blackbringer, the devil that is wreaking havoc on Dreamdark, she is confronted by a forgotten past and a task that will determine the future of the faeries.

I have to say that this is one of the best fantasy stories that I've ever read (and I'm not just saying that because Laini was on the Cybils panel with me!). This is the type of book that I would have carried around with me everywhere at the age of 10. I would have dog eared the pages and written spin-off stories of Dreamdark. Magpie's story is drenched in magic - the characters, the setting, the spells, it's all so carefully crafted and fantastically wrought. Magpie herself is just the type of spunky character that I love. She's brave, modest, and full of heart. In addition to the wonderful Magpie, this story is brimming with many fascinating side characters. From Talon, the warrior prince who can't fly, to the band of crows that Magpie flies with to the scavenger imp that sticks his toes in his nose for safekeeping, each character was fully realized and added much to Magpie's tale.

Another wonderful aspect of the book was the drawings. Blackbringer is illustrated by Laini's husband, Jim Di Bartolo . (How do you have enough creative control to pick your illustrator? I want to know!) The illustrations are so detailed and perfect for the book, I just wished there were more. Every time I came to an illustration in the book, I would think, Wow, wouldn't it be awesome to have a framed print of this? Jim is also doing the illustrations for the sequel, Silksinger, which will be out this fall. The picture at the top is of the hardcover version of Blackbringer and the picture down below is of the paperback version. Both are really cool and I especially love the title drawing on the paperback version.

In short, add this book to your collection now! And put Silksinger on your wishlist. While you wait for Silksinger, take a look at Laini's blog . It's full of fun posts about writing and life.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Book Review

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
(Paperback, Knopf)
Rating:

Liesel Meminger's life is turned upside down when her younger brother dies. Not only is her family torn apart forever but she also steals her first book. Set in Nazi Germany during World War II, Liesel's penchant for stealing books will affect her life and the lives of everyone she knows. Liesel's foster father teaches her to read, little by little each night. When the family hides a Jew in the basement, Liesel realizes that the world is not so black and white, and that words have power beyond anything she could have imagined.

Wow. That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. It's a bit hard to get into at first, but it's impossible to put down once you get into it. After I finished the book, I asked myself why it was so hard to get into the story. I think that it is because the book is narrated by Death. Death gives us little snippets of things to come as the book progresses. Nothing is ever rushed and nothing is ever a complete surprise. Which makes sense because we all know that our lives will end with death. Death is the antithesis of suspense and Zusak does a good job of creating a story with that in mind. Despite the fact that you know how some characters' lives will end, the book is still a page turner because it doesn't completely reveal everything. Liesel's story is powerful. Not only does it portray average German citizens in a sympathetic light, but it touches on the power of words and books in our lives. I'm not doing the book justice in my description here, but, believe me, if you love books, and I'm sure you do if found your way to my blog, then this book will resonate with you. There are only a handful of books that have made me cry and I was practically sobbing during the last 50 pages of this one. Plus, Death is hands down the best narrator that I've ever read.

In Zusak's words,

"It's just a small story really, about, among other things:
*A girl
*Some words
*An accordionist
*Some fanatical Germans
*A Jewish fist fighter
*And quite a lot of thievery" (p. 5)

In my words,

It's a must-read story about, and so much more than:
*A book lover
*Some small town Germans
*A boy with lemon colored hair
*Some words written in a basement
*A book burning
*And quite a lot of souls

My words about this book are horribly inadequate, so I'll leave you with this vlog from Beth Kephart about The Book Thief.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Book Review

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
(HarperCollins, Hardcover)
Rating:

Bod is not your usual boy. For one, he lives in a graveyard. That's not all though. Bod was raised by the ghosts of the graveyard and he's learned a few, shall we say, tricks of the trade. Bod can walk through walls and he can fade into the background so that no one notices him. This trick comes in particularly handy because Bod is being hunted by the man who killed his parents.

The Graveyard Book is pure delight from start to finish. This is the first book that I've read by Gaiman and, after the first couple of pages, I knew that I was in the hands of a master storyteller. The graveyard where Bod lives came alive for me. I felt as if I was walking between the gravestones, seeing the ghosts for myself - motherly Mrs. Owens, mysterious Silas, and clever Liza. To me, the thing that was most indicative of Gaiman's mastery was the fact that this story is unabashedly scary. It's written for ages 10 and up. The world isn't always sunshine and playgrounds and Gaiman isn't afraid to give kids a darker reality. But if you're like me and can't sleep after watching a horror movie, fear not. This book if full of humor, loveable characters, and a top-notch ending for our brave, orphaned hero.

This book reminded me a lot of a favorite series of mine, Joseph Delaney's The Last Apprentice books. The Last Apprentice books are also dark and exciting, with the added bonus of having fabulous woodcut drawings at each chapter.

The Graveyard Book has been nominated for the 2008 Cybils Awards in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.

Looking for Alaska by John Green Book Review

Looking for Alaska by John Green
(Speak, Paperback)
Rating:

Miles has always led a fairly boring life. Then he decides to seek out The Great Perhaps by attending an elite private school. There skinny Miles gets the nickname "Pudge", befriends the Colonel, impresses everyone with his knowledge of famous last words, and falls for the clever, elusive prankster, Alaska Young. Alaska, with all her mysteriousness and unpredictability, offers her friendship to Miles and spices up his otherwise drab existence.

Alaska is the type of person that you want to befriend even though you know she's dangerous. Miles is desperately in love with Alaska almost from their first interaction and his obsession sets the tone for the novel. Maybe obsession is a harsh word, but really I mean to say that Miles is so completely focused on Alaska that he doesn’t quite see that she is suffering. Alaska is an elusive creature and Miles only sees her beauty. One of my favorite lines from the book is a scene where Alaska has fallen asleep on Miles’ lap and he wants to lay down beside her.

“But I lacked the courage and she had a boyfriend and I was gawky and she was gorgeous and I was hopelessly boring and she was endlessly fascinating. So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.” (page88)

Alaska completely changes the way Miles sees the world, she challenges him to be different and to stretch his limits. When tragedy strikes, Miles is no longer sure he wants to be different. The first half of the novel is innocence and looking-before-leaping. The second half is growing up and making sense of a seemingly senseless world.

Looking for Alaska is why I like teen novels. Miles’ voice is real and he has a way of thinking about the world that is accessible. John Green doesn’t dumb down this novel and I enjoyed that it can be read on several different levels. When reading it, I folded over no less than 10 pages and marked up countless passages because I loved the words so much. In trying to write this review, I could only come up with superlatives. This book has it all: drama, humor, and great discussion topics.

Fans of Looking for Alaska may also like Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

House of Dance by Beth Kephart Book Review

House of Dance by Beth Kephart
(HarperCollins, Hardcover)
Rating:

Rosie's Granddad has lived just across town all her life but she has never really known him. All that changes during her 15th summer. Granddad is dying and it is Rosie who has to help care for him. Rosie spends the summer organizing his possessions and slowly learns the important of music in her grandfather's life. Lost and feeling alone, Rosie starts to take dance lessons and begins to discover herself.

You know the kind of book that makes you laugh, makes you cry, and makes you want to start at page 1 as soon as you finish the last page? House of Dance is one of those books for me. Rosie's life has been lonely and yet she understands the importance of love and friendship. She is a courageous soul - bravely taking care of her dying grandfather and determined to learn to dance in a few short months. Growing up is never easy and Rosie struggles to understand herself as well as the people around her.

"That was my thought of the hour: that maybe all of us are [a mystery]. That Granddad had been young before he'd been old. That Mom had been a daughter once, like me. That there were things on the verge of vanishing that I barely understood."

Beth Kephart's writing style perfectly captures what we all experience as teens, that tumultuous journey of emotional and philosophical growth. It is heartbreaking to know that Rosie's Granddad will die soon, but House of Dance is ultimately a novel of hope. Rosie shows us that life is a dance and you have to take that first step in order to start living.