The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Curse
By Marie Rutkoski
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2014. 368 pages. Young Adult

As a member of the ruling Valorian class and the daughter of the famous General Trajan, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has a choice: enlist in the army and continue her father's legacy of warfare and bloodshed, or marry before she turns twenty. Kestrel doesn't want to do either, quite frankly, as her heart belongs to her music, not to the battlefield or to any man.

But when she impulsively purchases a nineteen-year-old Herrani slave at auction -- Arin, a young man her father's wars enslaved -- she inadvertently sets a Herrani rebellion in motion. Worse, the more often Kestrel's path crosses with Arin's, the more their relationship evolves into something beyond master and slave. As truths are exposed and Arin's true heritage comes to light, Kestrel begins to wonder where her loyalties should lie, and whether she should choose the morality of helping to free an oppressed people, or the honor of not betraying her own.

With an airtight plot and a cast of beautifully dynamic, yet flawed characters, Rutkoski has created a world full of intrigue, shifting alliances and sympathies, multiple double-crosses, and (don't let the cover fool you) action-packed battle scenes. Kestrel is a fully-fleshed heroine who, while strong and intellectually brilliant, knows her own faults and how to use her strengths to compensate for them. Arin is equally compelling, and the way Rutkoski balances, shifts, and exchanges power between the two throughout the novel's course is nothing short of riveting. Add Rutkoski's gorgeous prose and seamless fantasy world into the mix, and you have the recipe for a novel that will be topping many YA Best of 2014 lists. Nothing short of fantastic.

CA

Boxers and Saints

Boxers and Saints
By Gene Luen Yang
First Second, 2013. 325 and 170 pages. Graphic Novel

In Boxers, bands of Christian missionaries roam China's countryside, bullying peasants, dishonoring Chinese gods and traditions, and robbing. But once a beloved shrine to villager Little Bao's favorite god is destroyed, the young man decides he's had enough. Calling upon the powers of the ancient gods, protectors of China, Little Bao recruits and army of commoners trained in kung fu, men and women who will fight to free China from the "foreign devils" who may destroy everything they love about their country. Though Little Bao's army of "Boxers" is mighty, he soon realizes that the cause of protecting his homeland isn't as clear-cut as it seemed . . . especially once Little Bao and his army encounter a train full of "secondary devils," or Chinese converts to Christianity, and the lines between right and wrong become blurred.

In Saints, Four-Girl isn't even given a proper name until she converts to Catholicism and is baptized by they very priest who terrorized Little Bao's village. Four-Girl, now known as Vibiana (a Christian name she chooses for herself), begins to see visions of Joan of Arc, and is inspired to leave home and find fulfillment through service to the Church.

Little Bao's and Vibiana's paths collide with disastrous results, ones that will change them both -- and all of China -- forever.

Yang's spare, clean artistic style lends grace to a very violent period of China's history, and the juxtaposition of Little Bao's and Vibiana's respective stories and closely-held beliefs allows Yang to explore all the facets and intricacies of China's Boxer Rebellion. Both protagonists are sympathetic, dynamic, and so very human; they make mistakes, they love, and they lose. A compelling look at a difficult and little-known period in China's history.

CA

Thrice Told Tales

Thrice Told Tales
By Catherine Lewis
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. 136 pages. Young Adult Nonfiction

Using the old story of the Three Blind Mice, writing professor Catherine Lewis teaches her readers all about the building blocks of literature, from bildungsromans to foreshadowing to leitmotifs and more. This cheeky little guide will help any writer fine-tune their work, and blends a little of Mother Goose with a bit of Edward Gorey to make all principles inside both easily understood and memorable.

I love this little book! It's perfect for anyone who wants a better understanding of literary elements, and would be a great resource for AP English students looking to master the terms before their exams. Witty, whimsical, and delightful.

CA

The Martian

The Martian
by Andy Weir
Crown, 2014. 369 pgs. Science Fiction

     When Mark Watney's crew leaves him behind on Mars because they think he is dead, he must figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission shows up four years' hence.  Chances of living that long and being rescued?  Slim to none. But he sets about it.  A botanist, he first figures out how to create arable soil in which to grow potatoes, and then has to figure out how to water his crop. Explosions, habitat breaches, and sandstorms, among many other things, keep Mark's life interesting--perhaps hardest to take is the relentless supply of 70s TV episodes stored on his commander's abandoned data stick.  Weir's narrative takes several surprising turns which I will keep to myself, but if you think you will tire of Watney's Robinson Crusoe life, keep going. There is much more to be had in this old-fashioned, deeply satisfying sci-fi thriller.

LW

Fallen Women

Fallen Women
By Sandra Dallas
St Martin's Press. 2013.

Sandra Dallas takes on the city of Denver in 1885 in this book about a sister looking for her sister's Killer. Beret Osmundsen had broken ties with her sister Lily after an incident in New York, and sends her away. Lillie ends up in Denver with her aunt and uncle, and Beret hears nothing, until she is notified of her sister's death. Even more shocking is that Lillie had become a prostitute and was pregnant. Beret takes on the task of bringing the murderer to justice and discovering why Lillie felt the need to work in a brothel. With the help of Detective Sergeant Michael "Mick"  MCCauley, she finds things out that she never wanted to know, as well as the back alley lives of people in Denver.

The setting of the book was wonderful and described 19th century Denver in a very accurate and exciting way. The characters were just as well written and the relationship of Beret and Mick drew my attention. The mystery holds up as there are so many small discoveries and lies that there really was no way of knowing who killed Lillie or why until the end.

Ignite Me

Ignite Me
By Tahereh Mafi
Harper Collins, 2014. 416 pgs. Young Adult.

I couldn't finish this fast enough and then I was so sad it was over. In the conclusion to the popular Shatter me series, the characters are face with difficult decisions, and relationships are strained. Juliette has no idea in the beginning if her friends, the rebels, or if anyone else is alive. She has to work with Warner, her one time enemy, but clearly something else, in order to find the rebels and finish what her friends started. Her ultimate goal is to take down The Restablishment.

Warner and Juliette have an incredible chemistry and their actions towards each other and away from each other hint at their feelings but also the confusion. Juliette wants to use her powers to save the world she wants and with her friends, they come up with plans, train to fight, and their will to survive grows. It has lots of action, romance, and hysterical quips from Kenji and makes it a very fast, enjoyable read. Fans of Hunger Games and Divergent will like the dystopian world and thrills that this series provides.

Jump the Gun

Jump the Gun
By Zoe Burke
Poisoned Pen Press, 2013. 180 pages. Mystery.

When Annabelle Starkey leaves her Chicago book conference for a romantic getaway in Las Vegas with Michael, a stranger she meets in the bar, the weekend goes from romantic to terrifying when she and Michael are kidnapped at gunpoint, her room searched, and her friend (who is cat-sitting for her) is killed in Annabelle's apartment. But are the thugs after her? Michael? Or is Michael the one orchestrating the crime spree?

I picked up this book because, prominently displayed on the cover, is a glowing review from the Kirkus Review Journal. After reading a few pages, I discovered why relying exclusively on other people's opinions can be a dangerous thing. I spent most of this book confused. It was full of campy movie wit and the plot was very convoluted. And, then, I never quite understood why they did most of the things they did. Do women really fly across the country with strange men? was only the beginning. Too far-fetched, poorly written, frustrating. I'm disappointed, Kirkus.

JH

Hope Springs

Hope Springs
By Sarah M. Eden
Shadow Mountain, 2014. 391 pages. Romance.

Part two of the Longing for Home saga, Hope Springs follows the story of Katie Macauley, an Irish immigrant who arrives in a small Wyoming frontier town and finds herself in the middle of a bitter rivalry between the Irish and non-Irish communities. In the second book, Katie's courage will be put to the test as tensions escalate and tempers reach the boiling point. And she will finally have to decide between the two men she loves.

Sarah Eden has made a name for herself with her clean-read, Regency romances, so her Western setting Longing for Home series is a bit of a departure for her. But the departure works marvelously. The books themselves are much longer than her Regency books, which allows for greater character development. And, unlike her Regency novels, the outcomes for the characters are not unfailingly happy, although the plot resolves itself in the best way possible.

JH

Dark Invasion: 1915 : German's Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America

Dark Invasion: 1915: German's Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America
by Howard Blum
HarperCollins, 2014.  473 pgs. Nonfiction

While America was still a neutral with regard to World War I, German diplomats turned secret agents mounted a campaign of sabotage against U. S. shipments of goods and arms to Allied forces. Beginning with planting slow-fused bombs on ships and ending with the destruction of the Black Tom munitions depot, German agents did all they could to cut off supplies to their enemies, while trying to avoid drawing America into the fight. Captain Tom Tunney of the NYPD and his small team managed, with some help from the Brits, to expose the German machinations, including an assassination attempt against J. P. Morgan, Jr., and the introduction of anthrax and glanders' bacteria into populations of mules and horses being sent to the front. Blum's thorough and suspenseful treatment of these little-known episodes in American history is a fascinating addition to the wealth of books that are appearing for the Great War's centenary.

LW

An Officer and a Spy

An Officer and a Spy

by Robert Harris

Knopf, 2014.  429 pgs.  Historical Fiction 

Robert Harris takes on the Dreyfus Affair in his latest historical thriller, “An Officer and a Spy.” If you dust off your high-school history, you may remember this story of a Jewish officer accused of treason, drummed out of the French army in 1895, and sent to solitary confinement on Devil’s Island. In this deft reenactment of that time and event, Harris employs Georges Picquart, the historical challenger of Dreyfus’ sentence, as his narrator. Picquart is not an overly sympathetic character.  He’s stiff, a bit chilly, is having an affair with another man’s wife, and doesn’t even like Dreyfus, whom he tutored in military training.  But as the newly-minted head of the French Army’s Intelligence Division, he wants justice to be done and finds, as he investigates, that it has not been. After a bit of a slow start as Harris builds background, “An Officer and a Spy” generates considerable suspense and tension as Picquart figures out that the team in his own office is working against him because they want the Jewish Dreyfus to be guilty to cover their own ineptitude and anti-Semitism. Those who defend Dreyfus, notably Emile Zola with his famous “J’Accuse” essay, are charged and jailed or exiled. The final working out of the problem is neither sentimental nor any more satisfying than it must have been in real life, but feels true to the time and the characters involved. Robert Harris, master of historical fiction, has done it again in this fine novel of turn-of-the-century France, an excellent book filled with a perfect mix of fact and fiction. 

LW

Courting Greta

Courting Greta
By Ramsey Hootman
Gallery Books, 2013. 376 pages. Fiction.

When former computer programmer Samuel Cooke starts life as a high school computer teacher, he forms an unlikely relationship with tough gym coach, Greta Cassamajor. But between their past hurts and Samuel's over-arching consciousness of his physical limitations as a result of spina bifida, the relationship seems doomed from the start. Will they be able to let down their barriers and really experience the growing love between them?

I picked up this book thinking it would be similar to The Rosie Project, which was a fun book. This didn't have the same lightness of touch that Graeme Simsion was able to create, but Hootman did do a great job of creating a unique story and tension between the characters. You are able to empathize with both sides of the relationship, even though you see it all from Samuel's perspective. The book is pretty heavy on language and does have some sexual content.

JH

Thin Space

Thin Space
By Jodi Casella
Simon Pulse, 2013. 243 pages. Young Adult

Responsible for the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor is consumed with the idea of finding a thin space -- a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side. Marshall only has one chance to make amends, and so he spends his time scraping his bare feet along the ground -- at home, at school -- in order to try to slip through and find his brother again. 

When a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marshall is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key to (or the unraveling of) all his secrets. As they get closer to finding a thin space -- and to each other -- Marshall must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living . . . and the dead.

The grief in these pages is almost palpable; Casella does an excellent job of rendering Marshall's suffering (and obsession), and it's the emotional arc that drives both the protagonist and the reader on to the story's climax and end. While not the most thrilling of reads, this one will certainly linger with a patient reader long after the last page is turned.

CA

A Trick of the Light

A Trick of the Light
By Lois Metzger
Balzer + Bray, 2013. 196 pages. Young Adult

Mike Welles feels like his life is spiraling out of control: his dad's gone, his mom's barely able to get out of bed, and everything at school -- from sports to friends to girls -- seems to only get more confusing and frustrating by the day. Then there's this voice in his head, a friend who claims to want to help Mike regain control again. Even better, the voice tells him that it can help Mike become stronger, faster. Thinner. The voice will help Mike end the tailspin his life's in . . . if only Mike will listen.

Lois Metzger's A Trick of the Light is an absorbing, terrifying look at anorexia in young men. Told from the perspective of the psychological disease itself, readers watch as Mike descends into the horrors of extreme weight loss and over-exercising. Metzger's approach is empathetic yet absolutely stark in its portrayal of Mike's descent, making this an excellent cautionary tale for readers of all ages.

CA

The Tyrant's Daughter

The Tyrant's Daughter
By J.C. Carleson
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2014. 304 pages. Young Adult

When her father is assassinated in a military coup, 15-year-old Laila flees her palatial life in an unnamed middle eastern country with her mother and younger brother. Now exiled to a drab apartment in the U.S., Laila and her younger brother Bastien (whom Laila nicknames "the King of Nowhere") struggle to adapt to American life, while their mother plots with CIA operatives and rebel factions from home to regain the throne their family has lost. As Laila begins to unravel the snarl of uneasy alliances her mother has wrought, she knows she cannot stand idly by and allow her mother to launch another coup -- but should Laila try to stop the coming international crisis when it means a possibility of returning home?

J.C. Carleson has built a powerful, affecting novel on the foundation of her experiences as a CIA agent in the middle east. Laila's voice is deft, lyrical, and laced with the grief of losing her father, her country, her culture, her safety . . . all while finding out that the man she adored is seen as a monster on the international stage. While the end feels a little rushed, and there are a few minor inconsistencies in the latter half of the book, the novel is an engrossing, illuminating read that will certainly help readers understand the middle eastern mindset a little better.

CA

Confessions of a Bad Teacher

Confessions of a Bad Teacher: the Shocking Truth from the Front Lines of American Public Education
by John Owens
Sourcebooks, 2013. 244 pages. Nonfiction.

When John Owens left a lucrative publishing career to teach English in New York City's public schools, he didn't realize how authoritarian public schools had become. Branded a "bad" teacher after one year of teaching at a low-achieving school in the Bronx, Owens was forced to leave students who loved his class and return to the publishing industry for not falling in line with the often contradictory dictates of the school administration. This book gives his first-hand look at American education, the good teachers who are being ousted by a bad system, and some ways that public schools can again achieve educational success.

Owens is a natural storyteller and is able to describe the workings of his high school with extraordinary and often disturbing clarity. His final chapter, where he outlines his recommendations to improve education in America, is very well thought out and shows a lot of passion for his topic. Readers would do well to remember - and Owens is quick to point out - that he is talking only about one school and one specific school system. The things he is describing may not happen in their particulars in every school in the nation. But the overarching concern Owens has is to have society more involved in the American educational process and removing a lot of the bureaucracy that is currently hindering educational success across the board. Over all, a very interesting and informative read.

JH

The Anatomist's Wife

The Anatomist's Wife
By Anna Lee Huber
Berkley Prime Crime, 2012. 347 pages. Mystery.

After her deceased husband's medical colleagues discover that she was forced by her husband to attend and document hundreds of autopsies and human dissections for his treatise on anatomy, Lady Darby finds herself ostracized by society and threatened with prison or an insane asylum by the authorities, who consider her participation in the procedures criminal. But when she takes refuge at her sister's remote Scottish estate after being cleared of all criminal charges, Lady Darby is once again confronted with corpses when a guest is heinously murdered in the garden. Using her new-found knowledge of the human body, Lady Darby is asked to assist the handsome and rakish Sebastian Gage, private investigator, to find the killer.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and ended up reading it in just a few days, I was so eager to see how it ended. The plot moves quickly and the characters are very well written and have interesting depths to explore. It also shows a lot of the societal biases present in English society right after the Napoleanic wars, which adds fascinating historical touches to the mystery plot. Very enjoyable!

JH