Review: Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson

Thursday, June 17, 2010

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Hi!
I was at the library a few weeks ago, not intending on getting any books, but I saw Alcatraz #3 and had to get it. I hadn’t even realized it had come out yet…
Title: Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Summary (B&N.com): When Alcatraz and Grandpa Smedry make a pilgrimage to the Free Kingdom city of Crystallia, the Smedry home base, Alcatraz is shocked to see that he is, in fact, a legend. When he was a baby he was stolen by the Evil Librarians, and his mother, a Librarian herself, was behind the whole scheme. Now, with his estranged father, who is acting indeed strange, Bastille, who has been stripped of her armor, and Grandpa Smedry, who is, as always, late to everything (that's his Talent), Alcatraz tries to save a city under siege. From who? Why, the Librarians of course!

My Review: This series reminds me a lot of the Series of Unfortunate Events, not so much because of the plot, but the style and my attitude while reading it. If you’re a fan of that series then you know that the author has the tendency to break in to the storyline to explain things. In the Alcatraz series, this happens as well but after the first book I had the urge to strangle him every time he interrupted no matter how funny his inputs were. To me, the series would be better if the author would have stayed within the plot more in the later books. I found myself wandering away from what was happening in the story and that’s sad because it’s a very interesting plot, even if it is a little more for younger kids than for teens.

I recommend you read the first two books in the series first if you are thinking of reading this installment.

Click these links to see my review of the first two books in the series...

(EDIT: I'm classifying this as both YA and Children's Lit because I can't decided which it is)

Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

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Hi!

I LOVE Maureen Johnson! She is absolutely one of my favorite authors. She is SO funny!
I’ve read this one before but its so good I had to re-read it!

Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary (B&N.com):
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

My Review: I am pretty sure I can read this book a million times and never ever get sick of it. However, now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t know how I’m going to review it without giving something away! MJ, if your reading this…I hope you don’t mind that in way of reviewing this I’m going to bullet point my very favoritest parts! Here we go (SPOILERS: STOP IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK…at least I think they are spoilers they aren’t very LARGE spoilers. I don’t think MJ will kill me if I put these but just in case!):

During envelop #4 when Ginny and Keith go to Edinburgh to see Peg’s favorite artist. I loved what Mari drew for Ginny. That for some reason just struck me as inspiring (that may make no sense but that’s how I describe it).

I giggled immensely during #7 “JUST GET ON A TRAIN!” I have been a follower of MJ on twitter for a while now and she never fails to make me fall out of my chair laughing. And this part was just so HER. I finally saw *her* coming out through her books.

MJ has a great way of describing things…this is the kind of imagery I love and that I don’t see too often… “Some jiggling surfboard sticking out of the wall”.

This may not have been my best review, but I just can describe my love for this book. It's so powerful. Ginny is a character full of so much emotion and she's so brave! I don’t know if I would have been able to follow all the directions in the 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but given the chance I’m sure I would at least try (I think I would break the no Music rule though because that’s just WRONG!)



Review: Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Saturday, June 12, 2010

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Hi!

Read this one a couple weeks ago

Title: Another Faust
Author: Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Summary (B&N.com): One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish — only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary "gifts." But as the students claw their way up — reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty — they start to suffer the side effects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

My Review: First off, even if you don’t want to read this book after this review, I highly recommend that you find it the next time your at the book store/library anyway and check out the dedication. It’s the funniest/longest one I’ve ever read....

Usually I don’t like when there are so many main characters (there are six in this one. The governess, Madame Vilroy and her children, Valentin, Victoria, Christian, Belle, and Bice) because there's a lot to follow, but the Nayeris’ seamless writing made it easy. The governess that ‘helps’ these children kind of creeped me out. The beginnings of the chapters are little segments on Madame Vilroy and what she’s done. She’s certainly left her mark on history and it's interesting to contemplate how the Nayeris’ spun her life.

What had originally drawn me to this book however was the cover. I know! I never talk covers but this one just stuck me as amazing. Especially while I was reading the book and learning the physical descriptions’ of the Faust children…they are brilliantly displayed on this cover. I mean, the model who is supposed to be Victoria is even wearing the “V” necklace. The attention to detail just thrilled me!