The Luster Of Lost Things, by Sophie Chen Keller ~ 5++++++++++ Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Bullying, Disabilities, Family Bonds, Friendships, Magical Realism, Societal Roles

Thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing an ARC in exchange for and honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

304 Pages

Synopsis: Walter Lavender Jr. is a master of finding. A wear of high-tops. A maker of croissants. A son keeping vigil, twelve years counting.

But he wouldn’t be able to tell you. Silenced by his motor speech disorder, Walter’s life gets lonely. Forth he has The Lavenders—mother’s enchanted dessert shop, where marzipan dragons breathe actual fire. He also has a knack for tracking down any missing thing—except his lost father.

So, when the Book at the root of the bakery’s magic vanishes, Walter, accompanied by his overweight golden retriever, journeys through New York City to find it—along the way encountering an unforgettable cast of lost souls. 

Steeped in nostalgic wonder, The Luster of Lost Things explores the depths of our capacity for kindness and our ability to heal. A lyrical meditation on why we become lost and how we are found, from the bright, broken heart of a boy who knows where to look for everyone but himself.

You guys! This book! I’m not sure how to even begin except to say that while I’ve read some fantastic books so far this year, The Luster of Lost Things surpasses them all!

Walter Lavender Jr. is a thirteen-year-old boy who is not only dealing with a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for him to communicate, but he longs for his father who went missing before he was born. Because he’s “different” from his classmates, he doesn’t have any friends, and is the victim of bullying. But he has his loving and devoted mother, Lucy, and their magical bakery, The Lavenders. There, it’s completely normal to see chocolate mice jump rope with licorice, and other desserts come to life. The source of the magic is the Book, a gift given to Lucy, one cold winter’s night by a woman to whom Lucy gave shelter. I’m trying really hard not to include any spoilers, so I’m just going to say that ever since the Book was left, the, desserts came to life and the shop prospered. 

When the Book mysteriously disappears, the magic also departs and the future of the shop is in peril thanks to a new greedy landlord. So, young Walter, who has an uncanny knack for finding lost things, accompanied by his best friend and Golden Retriever, Milton, embarks upon a quest to find the missing book. Along the way he meets some incredible people who turn his journey into much more than a quest to find a magical book. This turns into a voyage of self-discovery, where Walter gains confidence in himself which in turn leads him to successfully form lasting connections to the people he meets. 

Walter is one of the most likable, charming and relatable characters I’ve come across in a very long time. By the end of the first chapter he stole my heart and I felt as though I was inside the story accompanying him and Milton as they traveled through the gritty streets of New York City on their mission. All of the characters in this book, including Milton are vividly brought to life, and each of them have a hand in young Walter’s transformation. 

There are really three parts to this book. The beginning which is set in the bakery and is full of magical realism. Then there’s the middle, where Walter is away from the warmth and safety of his mother and their shop. And finally, the ending which has Walter back where he began, albeit a much different boy then when he left. There have been many reviewers who have commented that they loved the beginning, but found Walter’s journey too slow. I have to respectfully disagree. While Walter’s quest does depart from the magical realism the book opens with, that doesn’t take away from the connections he makes with the quirky people he meets. And while, they all help him in some fashion, the positive impact he has on them is truly remarkable. 

Writing an adult book from a child’s perspective can’t be easy, and when that child suffers from a speech disorder, well, that’s almost unheard of. The only other book I’ve read that’s successfully done this is The Curious Incident of the Dog In Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. Sophie Chen Keller brilliantly brings to life this young boy who is highly intelligent and knows what he wants to say, yet frustratingly struggles to say the words out loud. We see the story unfold through his eyes and thoughts, and it’s a wondrous thing because Walter’s world is amazing and beautiful. 

The Luster of Lost Things is one of those rare books that if you read it, you’ll remember for it a very long time. I wish I had tons of money, because I’d buy hundreds of copies and leave them in train stations, subways, park benches, restaurants, mail them to all of you and, well, you get the picture. As I’m not rich, I’m just going to encourage everyone who reads this review to buy themselves a copy, or borrow it from their library. This is an uplifting and beautifully told tale with a boy who will touch your heart in ways you can’t imagine. It’s a confectionery delight that is a lovely respite from the real world. Please, give yourself a gift that will not only give you the warm fuzzies, but will also remind you what’s truly important in life.

 

The Inevitable Collision Of Birdie & Bash by Candace Granger ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Family Relationships, Friendships, Humor, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

Synopsis: Birdie never meant to be at the party. Bash should have been long gone. But when they meet, a collision course is set off they may never recover from.

Sebastian Alvarez is just trying to hold the pieces together: to not flunk our, to keep his sort-of-best friend Wild Kyle from going something really bad, and to see his beloved Ma through chemo. But then he meets Birdie Paxton, a near-Valedictorian who doesn’t realize she’s smoking hot in her science pun T-shirt, at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks. But before they are able to exchange numbers, they are pulled apart. A horrifying tragedy soon links Birdie and Bash together–but neither knows it. When they finally reconnect, and are starting to fall–hard–the events of the tragedy unfold, changing both their lives in ways they can never undo. Told in alternating perspectives, The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Granger is a beautiful, complex, and ultimately hopeful teen novel that will move you to the very last page.

I have to admit that The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash was a 100% impulse request. But honestly! Between the cover and the quirky title, can you blame me? I don’t read a lot of contemporary YA Fiction, but this caught my eye and I’m so glad it did!

As always, I’m not going to include any spoilers. Suffice it to say a tragedy occurs near the beginning of the book that links Birdie and Bash, although Birdie isn’t aware of the connection. Things get even more complicated as they both start working at a rollerskating rink, with Bash struggling with the secret he’s hiding.

Birdie is such an awesome character. She’s intelligent and cracks math jokes. She’s also pretty sassy and her ability to recite random facts provides some much needed comic relief. After the tragedy, she struggles with guilt which lends her a certain vulnerability. She’s extremely likable and believable.

And Bash just broke my heart on so many occasions. He’s a good kid who is struggling with the impending death of his mother. He tries to forget what is happening, but it overshadows his every move. He’s the type of teen who takes responsibility for everything, even something that’s not his fault. He tries so desperately to keep his life together, that I kept wanting to reach into the book and give him a hug.

The plot is very fast-paced, and filled with beautiful imagery. The ending is perfect and is one of those that will leave you sighing with complete satisfaction as you close the book. 

The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash is an amazing and unforgettable debut by Candace Granger. It’s a breathtaking story of love, family, and friendship that will make you laugh and also tear up at times, and is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell, and Nicole Yoon. It’s a delightful rollercoaster of a book that will put readers through through the ringer and invites debate over destiny and fate. I usually delete eARCS from my Kindle once I’ve read them but this one I’m going to keep because I have a feeling I’m going to want to read it again. 

 

 

Lost Girls ~ By Merrie Destefano – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Amnesia, Contemporary Fiction, Drug Abuse, Friendships, PTSD, Slavery, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 3rd, 2017

360 Pages

Synopsis: Yesterday, Rachel went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, curled up in her grammy’s quilt, worrying about geometry. Today, she woke up in a ditch, bloodied, bruised, and missing a year of her life. 

She doesn’t recognize the person she’s become: she’s popular. She wears nothing but black.

Black to cover the blood.

And she can fight.

Tell no one.

She’s not the only girl to go missing within the last year…but she’s the only girl to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her, to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls.

But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And as much as her new life scares her, it calls to her. Seductively. The good girl gone bad, sex, drugs, and raves, and something darker…something she still craves–the rush of the fight, the thrill of the win–something she can’t resist, that might still get her killed…

The only rule is: There are no rules.

Lost Girls is being hyped as a cross between Black Swan and Fight Club, and while such comparisons often irk me, in this case it’s entirely on the mark. Even more, the story is actually better than what the intriguing premise suggests. I started reading this around 7:00 last night and couldn’t put it down until I had reached the end in the wee hours of the morning! The story begins with a dirty, bloody, and battered Rachel pulling herself out of a roadside ditch and basically throwing herself in front of passing motorists to get them to stop. It’s the type of opening that immediately grabs you, and from there the pace never slows down. Rachel is one of the most intriguing characters I’ve read this year. She has a powerhouse of a personality and I became completely invested in finding out what happened to her. The romance between her and Dylan is not your typical one which made me like it even more. I also loved her interactions with her close knit family, especially her younger brother and her Navy Seal father. Which brings me to my only slight criticism. Rachel’s mom is a nurse, and her father a war hero who’s seen plenty of combat, yet once the mystery of what Rachel’s been doing the past year is fully revealed, I found it a little hard to accept that her loving parents didn’t know or at least suspect what was happening. But this is a very small complaint in what is otherwise an outstanding novel. The imagery is incredibly detailed from that first scene to the very last. More than once I felt as though I was in the story experiencing everything the characters were. There’s a lot of themes at play here: amnesia, PTSD, slavery, drug abuse, etc. but it’s all combined into the mesmerizing storyline in a completely believable way. Technically Lost Girls is a YA book, but honestly, it could easily pass as one for adults and it’s one I highly recommend!

My Best Friend’s Exorcism ~ By Grady Hendrix – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Coming of Age Stories, Demons, Friendship, Friendships, Horror, Possession, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Synopsis: Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school things change. Gretchen begins to act…different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With some help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you may have guessed that I absolutely LOVE Horror. Books, tv shows, movies… As long as it’s good, count me in! One of my biggest disappointments is that you don’t see a lot of authors writing horror for YAs. There are writers like Laurie Stolartz and Danielle Vega who regularly turn out some truly stellar novels, but YA Horror hasn’t yet taken off like other genres such as fantasy and dystopian fiction. After finishing My Best Friend’s Exorcism, I’m adding Grady Hendrix to my list of favorite authors in this genre. I’m going to be honest and say that some readers may be a little disappointed because most of the action takes place in the second part of the book, but for me it’s all about the anticipation. You know–that mounting sense of dread where you know bad things are gonna happen, it’s just a matter of when? The first half of the book primarily focuses on the close friendship between Abby and Gretchen. After a sleepover with two other friends turns into a terrifying night, Gretchen disappears for several hours. It’s not long after she’s found by her desperate friends that Gretchen starts exhibiting extremely odd behavior, the most heartbreaking of which is her turning on Abby. And from there things slowly get worse. While the suspense is building, Hendrix takes you back to high school life in the 1980s complete with all sorts of cultural references. I’ve had the Go-Go’s We Got the Beat stuck in my head since I finished the book a few days ago. Thankfully they were my favorite band when I was in high school so I’m okay with that. Reading this was like a trip down memory lane. Grady Hendrix not only captures the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of high school life, he is scarily good at getting into the minds of teen girls. So good that I found myself forgetting that this story is written by a guy. One weakness I found concerns the adult characters in the book. With only one exception they’re overwhelmingly portrayed as either weak and ineffectual, or bullying and abusive. After awhile this really got on my nerves but not enough to to spoil my overall enjoyment of the story. I mentioned that most of the horror-based action takes place in the second half of the book. Well, a word of warning. There are some extremely graphic passages which even had me squirming, and I read my first Stephen King book when I was 13. I don’t want to include any spoilers but for those of you who are animal lovers like me, well… Thankfully this scene is brief and I skimmed over it. There was also a scene with involving tapeworms which actually gave me a nightmare. That’s what I get for staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish this. And finally, there’s the ending which in my opinion is one of the best conclusions to a story that I’ve read in a very long time. It’s a beautiful and poignant finale that had me reaching for a tissue. At it’s heart My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a coming-of-age story about the power of friendship. Think Mean Girls with a dash of the Exorcism thrown in. It’s one of the best YA horror novels I’ve read and I’ll definitely be checking out Mr. Hendrix’s future works.

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever ~ By Jeff Strand – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Friendships, Humor, Movie Making, YA Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: After producing three horror movies that went mostly ignored on YouTube, Justin and his filmmaking buddies decide it’s time to make something epic. In fact, they’re going to make The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever. They may not have the money or a script, but they have passion. And, after a rash text message, they also have the beautiful Alicia Hosts as the lead. 

Hemmed in by a one-month timeline and a cast of uncooperative extras, but aching to fulfill Alicia’s dreams, Justin must face the sad, sad, truth: he may, in actuality, be producing The Worst Zombie Movie Ever.

Jeff Strand has earned his stellar reputation for writing comedic horror for teens and adults, even being called “the clown prince of horror”  but while The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever has plenty of his trademark humor, instead of horror it turns into a nostalgic ode to movie making which will appeal to anyone who’s ever aspired to be the next Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.

Justin, Gage, and Bobby are three of the most lovable goofballs I’ve read about in a very long time. What they have on their side is their camaraderie and their passion for zombie movies. Armed with their camera and $5,000 courtesy from Justin’s grandmother–who in addition to baking cookies turns out to be quite the loan shark–they’re determined that this movie is going to put them on the map. Unfortunately everything that can go wrong, does go wrong usually in hysterically funny ways, which will have you laughing out loud. You also can’t help rooting for these hapless misfits. Yes, some of the plot is a bit predictable, especially in regards to the boys friendship being put in peril as they careen from crisis to crisis, but in the end it doesn’t really matter because you’ll become so emotionally invested in the characters that you won’t care.

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever is a book about friendship, pursuing your dreams, and overcoming adversity, which makes it a perfect addition to any middle school or high school library. If you’re an adult like me who loves not only movies but everything that goes into making them, I highly recommend this. I know it’s only March, but this is already one of my favorite books of 2016!

Fuzzy Mud ~ Louis Sachar – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bio-Engineering, Friendships, Juvenile Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, The Environment

  I received this ebook from NetGalley and Delacorte Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Fifth grader Yamaha Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hillgas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined.

I’ve been a huge fan of Louis Sachar’s since I read Holes in 1999. He’s just one of those authors that perfectly captures the voices of his middle-school audience and with Fuzzy Mud, he’s mostly done it again.

Like Holes The strength of this book lies in it’s characters. While I didn’t find myself quite as invested in them as I was with the ones in Holes, kids will definitely relate to Tamaya, Marshall, and even Chad who winds up being surprisingly sympathetic. 

The story is told in a clever combination of third person narrative and “exerpts” from a governmental inquiry into the events that unfold after the children stumble into the “fuzzy mud”, which is the result of a failed bio-engineering experiment. This could have been made into something truly terrifying, but instead, perhaps in keeping with the book’s intended audience, it’s mildly scary. There’s plenty of tension though, which slowly builds throughout the book, and culminates in a satisfying conclusion.

There are many themes in this story including the dangers of bio-engineering, bullying, and friendship. What really captured my attention was the author’s exploration of fear and courage. We’re all afraid of something and even as adults we still grapple with our fears. It just remains to be seen whether we choose to confront what scares us the most, or not. In Fuzzy Mud, Tamaya fears the woods, Marshall fears Chad, and Chad is frightened of not being accepted. How they each deal with their fears is just as important to the story as the actual mystery. 

This is a perfect selection for reading with a class or in a book group. Because of the themes and subject matter it will definitely appeal to upper elementary school students as well as those in middle school and should provide for many hours of conversation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elijah Dart: Angel of Death ~ By Jonathan Ferrara, Illustrated By Aaron Ferrara – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Family Relationships, Friendships, Middle School Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Spirituality, YA Fiction

 I received this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

~ The next Angel of Death has been chosen…

Before his fourteenth birthday, ordinary Elijah Dart would have never gone snooping around in a graveyard, joined an old ghost for tea, or battled Hellhounds with a scythe. If only he hadn’t followed the Reapers through the graveyard on All Hallows Eve, he would have never been in training to take his father’s place as the next Angel of Death.

Before I share my thoughts on this book, if you haven’t checked out Jonathan’s and Aaron’s blog at http://husbandandhusband.net you really should. It’s one of my new favorite blogs thanks to their marvelous insights and their great sense of humor.

Elijah Dart is a curious mix of humor and darkness which Jonathan Ferrara blends together quite deftly. Using death as a central theme has been done by many authors with varying levels of success. Jonathan has taken this theme and added a uniqueness of its own, which I found refreshing. Elijah is such an appealing character, that what he goes through in the book really tugged at my heartstrings. Even before finding out his legacy, Elijah is a misfit. He’s just turned that awkward age of fourteen, his family lives next to a graveyard, and he doesn’t really have any friends. Even his two older brothers bully him. When you add to that mix, the discovery of his destiny, well you can definitely understand him freaking out a bit. But, he pulls himself together pretty quickly, and accepts the mantle which has been forced upon him. Helping him is a rather special dog named Grim. Their relationship provides some of the most humorous moments in the book. While they share a mutual disdain for one another in the beginning, the way their relationship develops is truly touching. The mythology behind the story is compelling and original and will appeal to teens and adults. Like the author’s previous book; The Blackwell Family Secret, it finds its basis in Christianity, but once again, the combination of religion and the supernatural makes the story even more interesting. Jonathan adds some intriguing twists which really had me thinking. What brings everything together are the family dynamics. Gregory and Helena Dart are phenomenal  parents, even if Helena is a terrible cook, and they won’t let their kids participate in Halloween festivities. They adore all their children and are extremely supportive. Cory and Steven are Elijah’s older brothers and reminded me of slightly scarier versions of Fred and George Weasley. I kept referring to them as the “Gruesome Twosome” in my head! The youngest of the siblings is little Myra who shows herself to be wise beyond her six years at times. There’s also Grandma Dart, (who interjects her own brand of humor), and finally the mysterious Cousin Patricia, and her daughter Hayden. All these characters form a solid foundation behind Elijah in one way or another. Putting the finishing touches on this appealing story are Aaron Ferrara’s whimsical illustrations which begin each chapter. He also created the beautiful cover art. Jonathan packs an amazing amount of detail into a 128 page book, but it did leave me with some unanswered questions, so I can’t wait for the second book to come out. There were some grammatical errors and awkward turns of phrases, but they weren’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book. Young teens will identify with Elijah and be enchanted with his adventures. I also think adults who read YA fiction will enjoy this promising new book. I’m looking forward to reading more about Elijah in the second book; Elijah Dart: Carnival of Bones, due Fall 2015.