Customer Comments

Beverly B has commented on (70) products.

Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Beverly B, May 14, 2013

As Julia, the protagonist of The Age Of Miracles says, "Sometimes the saddest stories take the fewest words." The Age of Miracles is a short, but unforgettable, novel that has a dystopian inciting event and conflict, but few dystopian elements. It is mostly a coming of age memoir. A grown up protagonist, Julia, is remembering her sixth grade year - the year that everything changed. The planet's rotation inexplicably slowed down, and as the planet slowly unraveled, so did Julia's life. Author Karen Thompson Walker's writing is sparse, beautiful and compelling. "We didn’t notice right away. We couldn’t feel it. We did not sense at first the extra time, bulging from the smooth edge of each day like a tumor blooming beneath skin." The pace of the novel is appropriately slow. Depression sneaks up on the characters, and their despair grows gradually. In spite of everything that is happening, Julia just wants a normal life -friends, fun and family. All three are disappearing slowly just like the birds and plants.

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Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Beverly B, May 11, 2013

Although freshman year may be a disaster for the protagonist, Kelsey, it is laugh out loud funny for the reader. Kelsey Finkelstein is living every freshman girl's worst fears. Starting high school was supposed to be Kelsey's metamorphosis into the cool, confident and up-for-all-new-experiences teen she yearns to be. Despite her earnest efforts, it seems the fates and school mean girl are out to not only stop her, but humiliate her with every endeavor. If that wasn't misery enough, Kelsey's best friend since primary school is dating the boy Kelsey has been madly in crush with since middle school, and the photographer for the school paper seems to be stalking her just to capture embarrassing photos of her to put in the paper for the entire student body to see. Kelsey's pluck and persistance are inspirational for any nervous soon to be freshman.

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Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston

Beverly B, May 3, 2013

Black Helicopters is a short but insightful and riveting thriller. Valley is a very bright, responsible teen and a completely unreliable narrator. Her point of view is born of 15 years of almost total isolation from the world and being raised by a paranoid, unstable father. She has been brainwashed by her father to believe all aspects of the government and the media are evil, the government is going to kill them, and no one can be trusted. Valley has never been to school, the library, a mall, a park. She has never been allowed to talk to kids her own age, go to the movies, have friends, ride a bike to town, get to know the neighbors, or play. When her father is gone (which he is frequently) Valley and her brother hide in an underground bunker. When her father dies, Valley is convinced it is the government declaring war on her family, and she is ready to retaliate with a horrific act of violence. She is determined to make the government suffer as much pain as she is suffering and do exactly what her father taught her to do. There are no glimmers of hope that her father's death may set her free and lead her to a healthier life. There is nail-biting tension and an exciting ending.

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The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Beverly B, April 30, 2013

The Candy Shop War is a fun imaginative romp with lots of action packed events, a puzzling mystery, and a sinister tone that will appeal to all middle grade readers. It almost seems to be a cross between Grimm's Fairy Tales and Alice In Wonderland. When a new candy store opens in town, Nate and his buddies jump at the chance to help out at the store in exchange for candy. Turns out candymaker, Mrs. White makes candy that gives the kids magical powers, so she can send them out on covert missions. One of the interesting twists in The Candy Shop War is the reader does not know if Mrs. White is a good guy using the kids to fight evil criminals or a bad guy using the kids to help her build her evil criminal empire. The missions become more and more blatantly illegal, but the kids decide to stay involved and solve the mystery of the candy shop lady and the people who want to stop her. Readers will be as befuddled as Nate and his friends as they try to figure out what is really going on and who Mrs. White really is. The Candy Shop War is the first in a series by the author of the wonderfully fascinating classic Fablehaven series. The Candy Shop War is well written and original, but very different from Fablehaven.

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Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt

Beverly B, April 30, 2013

Okay For Now is a dark, sometimes sad and often witty coming of age story with an optimistic ending. Although the writing style is appropriate for middle grade readers, the beautiful symbolism of John James Audubon's drawings will be way over their heads, and the excellent descriptions of Audubon's masterful technique will probably bore them. What will keep even reluctant readers engaged is Doug's humorous relationship with the town's notorious grumpy old lady, Mrs. Windermere, and Doug's determination to create a happy life for himself, even if the universe is out to stop him. The surprise twist in the crisis event will have many laughing out loud. Doug is the youngest son of a violently abusive alcoholic father and an enabling mother. After his father gets fired from yet another job, the family moves to a small factory town and into a run down house on the wrong side of the tracks. The secrets he thinks he must keep, and the lies he thinks he must tell, make it almost impossible for Doug to fit in or make friends. Like many children of alcoholics, Doug uses anger and bitterness to keep people from getting too close and maybe discovering his secrets. Luckily for Doug, there are a couple people in town who persevere through his anger to connect with him - classmate, Lillian and librarian, Mr. Powell. Readers of Gary D. Schmidt's companion novel, The Wednesday Wars, know what will follow. Mr. Powell recognizes Doug's great talent for drawing and takes Doug on as an art student. Lil recognizes that Doug isn't really mean, just lonely, and gets him a job at her Dad's store. Gradually, Doug is changed by the people he gets to know in his new home town. Gary D Schmidt knows how to write for middle grade readers. They will connect to both Doug and Lil, and they will be changed, too.

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