BOOK REVIEW: AUDACITY BY MELANIE CROWDER

Title: Audacity
Author: Melanie Crowder

Genre: Historical Fiction, Novels Written in Verse

Series: Stand Alone

Book Summary:(via Goodreads) A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, Clara refuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000. 
Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring, Audacity is the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world.

Characters: Clara, Mama, Papa, Marcus, Nathan, Benjamin, Pauline, Joe

What I Loved: I loved loved LOVED this book. I'm not, generally, a fan of fiction written in verse, but this was executed perfectly. The writing was eloquent without straining the flow of the story. It truly felt as though you were inside Clara's thoughts. I have been on an historical fiction kick lately, having loved The Salt of the Sea and Orphan Train. This book was also on the book list for our academic reading team, and a lot of my students (both girls and boys) raved about this one.
It is also obvious that Melanie Crowder thoroughly researched her subject matter, the time period, and Clara Lemlich's life. The text is so rich that, when Clara is describing walking the street of New York, I could hear, smell, and see the city around her.
I also picked up this book because, having recently read A Handmaid's Tale and How to be a Woman for a feminist book club that Janine and I both belong to, I have been looking for something about women in American history. I think if a historical fiction novel is well-written, it makes the reader want to read more about it's time period, it's characters, and it's true story. Audacity certainly accomplished that.

What I could have done without: There isn't much I can find to be critical of in this novel. I didn't give it five stars on Goodreads because I only give 5 Goodreads stars to books that I consider "great literature"--books that affect me profoundly and which will resonate with me. Still, as young adult literature, I consider this great writing. The thing that frustrated me, and I think this is a result of the verse writing, is that I didn't feel as though I grew to know the other characters very well. Clara's family, Joe, Pauline--they all seemed rather two-dimensional.

Final Grade: A-

Review by Nicky

BOOK REVIEW: THE WITCH HUNTER BY VIRGINIA BOECKER

Title: The Witch Hunter

Author:  Virginia Boecker

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal

Series: Not that I could find

Source: Digital Copy Courtesy of Edelweiss

Book Summary:  (Via Goodreads) Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. When she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to die at the stake. Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can track down the person who laid a deadly curse on him. As she's thrust into the world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and all-too-handsome healers, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate

Characters: Elizabeth, Caleb, John, Fifer, Blackwell

What I Loved: Where to start, where to start?!  There was so much I loved about this book!  First I LOVE historical fiction so this book to start was right up my alley.  The setting is the 16th century England and from the start you really feel as if that is where you are.  Kings and queens, an internal struggle for power intermixed with the descriptions of an English village and life in it make you feel as though you are right there.  One of my next favorite things is anything dealing with the supernatural and I love the take on it in this book.  You are led to believe that these supernatural beings are the “bad ones” and Elizabeth and the other witch hunters are doing their noble duty and riding the country of them.  However as the story progresses and you learn along with Elizabeth that not everything is as it seems. This change of thought process is complicated for Elizabeth and those around her trying to understand how she became what she was.  I also loved Elizabeth.  Yes, she is a strong character but what I loved more was that as she was discovering the deception and twisted truths behind her training and upbringing she was struggling with loyalty, truth and consequences of choices. Things that all of us struggle with (in our own ways) from time to time and its these struggles that make her a totally believable, and relatable character.  The supporting cast of characters also should not be overlooked,  they are unique and interesting,  each adding so much to the story. This is one of those stories that grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go!

What I could have done without:.  I will be honest in saying that there wasn’t much I didn’t like about the book.  It was a great read that my students will love to read!

Final Grade: A

Review by Janine

Book Review: The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

 
Title: The Walls Around Us
Author: Nova Ren Suma

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Source: Digital ARC Courtesy of Netgalley

Book Summary:(via Goodreads) The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices—one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries.

We hear Amber’s story and Violet’s, and through them Orianna’s, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture—which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.

Characters: Amber, Violet, Ori

What I Loved: There is a lot to love about this book, so I am going to try my best to do it justice without giving too much away (which is going to be difficult)!  First, I really like the multiple points of view.  I love hearing about an event from those involved, but when you hear it from two sides it really gives you a clearer picture of what is going on.  In the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Amber, who is an inmate in the Aurora Hills Juvenile Detention center. She tells us of life inside and how it changed when Ori arrived. Ori is the connection between Amber and Violet.  Her story is one that I still can’t forget.  Ori is just one of those girls/ characters that everyone loves.  She is well written, entirely believable, and kid that I could imagine at my school.  She is nice, thoughtful and someone who brightens the room when she walks in.  Then we meet her best friend Violet, who is the opposite in every way from Ori, and you are left wondering why, why would a sweet, nice girl be friends with someone who is obviously not.  Violet is hard, cold, and conniving-- a difficult character to connect with. But as her story is revealed, you are left to wonder, not why she was the way she was, but were the events that occurred to her what shaped her, and was this the person she was always going to be?  What surprised me was how big of a role bullying played in this book. It begins as teasing and then quickly escalates into much more.  It adds a sense of realism to the book-- a what would you do, how would you react type of situation. Although, personally, knowing Violet’s whole story does not make her in the least bit more likable for me.  I think that it will make a great book for discussion with my students.  What are you born to do, and how much of what happens to you in society changes you.  I also can’t wait for my students to read it because the ending….. OH MY!!!! I just need to talk about it with someone!!  

What I could have done without:.  The only thing I will say about this book is that at the beginning... it was confusing.  I won’t give it away, but I reread the first section of Amber’s story because I wasn’t getting it.  I think that when my students read it, I will just encourage them to keep going because it all does come together at the end!

Final Grade: B+

Review by Janine

Book Review: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

 

 

Title: Vanishing Girls

Author: Lauren Oliver

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Series: This book a stand alone

Source: Digital ARC courtesy of Edelweiss

Book Summary: (Via Goodreads) New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

Characters: Nick, Dara, and Parker

Plot: Nick and Dara are sisters with a close bond.  Nick is the responsible older sister and Dara is the younger sister who is always getting into trouble, trying risky and dangerous things.  One night after a party the sisters are in a horrific car crash and after, nothing is the same.

What I Loved: There is so much to love about this book!!!  I would like to begin with a disclaimer that this book is awesome BUT it has some major twists.  However, I will not give any spoilers so if the review seems to be missing something, it is!!!!! This book is told in alternating points of view and at different time periods to you are getting the story of the sisters and what led up to the crash and the aftermath in bits and pieces.  As Nick tries to regain her life back by working and interacting with people again and at the same time trying to come to grips with the aftermath of the crash on her and her sister and her family you can see just how far she has slipped into despair and guilt over what has happened.  She begins working at the local amusement park at the insistence of her mother and even though she is hesitant she begins to come out of the shell that she has built up around her. She also at the same time is trying to find out what what caused her sister to go down the path that she did and what she could have done to help her.  This is part of the guilt that is very much destroying her.  This book is truly a psychological thriller so not only is it a little difficult to discuss without giving away a major plot point but it also makes you rethink (and in my case reread) everything in this novel.  I found myself going back to different points in the book and seeing things much differently!!!! Since I am a librarian in a school this book will not only be LOVED by my students but will make for a great discussion! I can’t wait for my students to read it.

What I could have done without: It is not that I could have done without it but at the beginning it was a little confusing.  The chapters alternate between different points of view (although each chapter is labeled with the person’s name) but what really got me was the different time periods for example some of them are labeled before and after and some have exact times.  Once you get into the story it is less of an issue but at the beginning I had a difficult time with keeping things straight.

Final Grade: A

Book Review by Janine

Book Review: The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer

Title: The Cemetery Boys

Author: Heather Brewer

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Series: No

Source: Digital Copy Courtesy of Edelweiss (Release Date March 30th)

Book Summary: ( Via Goodreads) When Stephen is forced to move back to the nowhere town where his father grew up, he’s already sure he’s not going to like it. Spencer, Michigan, is like a town straight out of a Hitchcock movie, with old-fashioned people who see things only in black-and-white. But things start looking up when Stephen meets the mysterious twins Cara and Devon. They’re total punks–hardly the kind of people Stephen’s dad wants him hanging out with–but they’re a breath of fresh air in this backward town. The only problem is, Cara and Devon don’t always get along, and as Stephen forms a friendship with the charismatic Devon and something more with the troubled Cara, he starts to feel like he’s getting caught in the middle of a conflict he doesn’t fully understand. And as Devon’s group of friends, who hang out in a cemetery they call The Playground, get up to increasingly reckless activities to pass the summer days, Stephen worries he may be in over his head. Stephen’s fears prove well-founded when he learns of Spencer’s dark past. It seems the poor factory town has a history of “bad times,” and many of the town’s oldest residents attribute the bad times to creatures right out of an urban legend. The legend goes that the only way the town will prosper again is if someone makes a sacrifice to these nightmarish creatures. And while Stephen isn’t one to believe in old stories, it seems Devon and his gang might put a lot of faith in them. Maybe even enough to kill for them. Now, Stephen has to decide what he believes, where his allegiances lie, and who will really be his friend in the end.

Characters: Stephen, Cara, Devon, Markus, Harrold

What I Loved: I loved the super creepiness of the story. It begins about halfway through the book and there was a point where you didn’t have to rely on Stephen to tell you what was weird but you could feel it.  You could feel the secrets that were looming just below the surface which kept me on edge until the end. There are also these “friends” that Stephen makes, which seriously makes you question his decision making skills but they ramp up the creepiness factor to a ten.  Also I found the underlying theme of mental illness to a really unique twist in this story and it isn’t until after I finished the story and thought about it, that some of the things really started clicking.  Then there is the end!!!!! It was such a twist (and so twisted)!   I also loved the idea of a super small town with its unique superstitions and the lengths to which people will go to preserve themselves and their way of life and this town has the kicker of all superstitions.

What I could have done without:.  I was not a fan of the first half of the book.  Honestly I almost put the book down.  I just didn’t like Stephen and the more I read I still didn’t like him or his family and I just couldn’t make myself care. I wanted to care, really, I did but I just kept thinking what the heck is going on?? Things seemed disjointed in the beginning of the story

Book Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

 

 

Title: Seeker

Author: Arwen Elys Dayton

Genre: Sci Fi/ Fantasy

Series: Seekers Book 1

Source: Digital ARC Courtesy of NetGalley

Book Summary: Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.  Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

Characters: Quin Kincaid, Shinobu, John, and Maud

What I Loved: I loved a lot in this book.  First I liked the set up of the book.  The chapters are set up so that each character is giving us their part of the story from their point of view and I like that.  It is clearly labeled at the beginning of each chapter who is speaking and more than that, it really works for this story.  I think the story would be confusing or take a lot more explaining (making it extremely tedious).  In this way the story can unfold naturally and often we see an event from multiple points of view which really helps in clarifying some things in the story that are initially confusing.  I also really liked the story.  It was different from what I have been reading and lately and was a welcome change. In its basic sense it is a story about following your dreams these three (Quin, Shinobu and John) are being trained to become a Seeker, something elite are revered only to find that they have been deceived. Now that they know the truth, what will they do and how will they come to terms with their choices.  Which leads to my next love of the story,the action! There was a ton and not all of it was expected or predictable but it was intense and (for lack of better term), hardcore!   There is also the love story part which I am not normally a fan of but for a few reasons ( that I will not elaborate on as to not give spoilers), it totally works (and I know who I am rooting for) and lets be honest, they are teenagers, if there wasn’t a little romance going on it wouldn’t be believable. There are family issues, trust issues, questions of morality and love, which makes it relatable to a lot of different students and I can think of a ton who are going to love this!  

What I could have done without:.  There isn’t much I didn’t like.   The most difficult thing for me is going to be talking about this book with my students without giving too much away!

Final Grade: A

7th Grade book club December

Book Clubs

I host two book clubs one for 7th graders and one for 8th graders.  I do these separate because we meet over lunch since it is the one time where everyone is together. In our school we have an activity period at the end of the day for clubs and such but the kids are so involved that it is a nightmare to find a day where everyone can attend.  So I provide the lunch and the kids come and eat and discuss.  First I want to say that I LOVE my book club kids.  I truly love all my students but these are the kids who really get excited about what they are reading and since I do as well...... well you can understand our connection!

7th grade book club
This year I didn't start the book clubs until a little later (which gives me time to get to know my 7th graders).  Our first book we read was (drum roll please......) The Selection.  Now I am not a fan of reality TV so the first time someone compared it to the Bachelor, I was less than excited to read it.  I must say though, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I liked the book (see my book review of The Selection).  My students where in love with the book ( most have finished the series by now).  Our first lunch was walking tacos which are super easy and a favorite for kids.  Needless to say we had a great discussion and good food, nothing could be better.  I have also attached some of the discussion questions I used to "break the ice" here.

Stay tuned for our next book club discussion, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater!

Book Review: The Selection By Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Genre: Dystopian, Romance

Series: The Selection Book 1

Book Summary: (via Goodreads)

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Characters: America, Maxon, and Aspen are the main characters. There are a ton of great secondary characters in this book!

Plot:  In this dystopian country of what was once North America is now has a royal family and is ruled by a king. America is living with her family, trying to help support them and figure out to marry the boy she is in love with who is of a lower caste when the Selection is announced. The Selection is a contest where 35 girls compete to win the heart of the prince and become a princess.  All girls of marrying age are encouraged to apply for a part in this contest. From the applications, 35 girls are chosen. The girls live in the castle, and agree to have their lives filmed for TV (think The Bachelor).  Prince Maxon will then narrow the girls down to 10 who will become known as the Elite.  
  

What I Loved: AMERICA!! I loved, loved, loved her!  Once she becomes part of the Selection she is awesome.  She speaks her mind, (which I can relate to) although she never really thinks of the consequences of some of her opinions (which I can also relate too!).  Without giving to much away I also liked how strong of a character she is, when the time comes for action she willing to to what it takes to help everyone, regardless of level.  I have to be honest I really like Prince Maxon as well.  He is naive, but likeable and the interactions between him and America are believeable which to me is one of the biggest wins for me in this book.  I am not a fan of The Bachelor (or any reality TV really) so I was very hesitant to read this but I found myself completely sucked in and I could not put this book down!

What I could have done without: The love triangle.  I understand why it is there and at the beginning of the book I kind of liked Aspen, HOWEVER by the end ugggggggg!  However, this is my only complaint of the book.  So really if you can get past it, this is definite read!

Final Grade: A

    Book Review by Janine