Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

age: children's, YA
genre: paranormal
rating: 7/8 tentacles


Is this going to be series? I thought it was stand alone before I opened it, but now I could see there being a second book... I kind of hope there is a second book. I enjoyed spending time with these characters and I want to know more!

Jacob Portman, a lonely teenage boy, suffers a mental breakdown when his grandfather dies under what Jacob (and only Jacob) sees as mysterious circumstances. He convinces his father to travel with him to a tiny island off the coast of Wales, the setting of tales that Grandpa Portman shared with Jacob in his childhood. Jacob feels these tales were more than just stories, and is determined, unbeknownst to his parents, to discover the truth behind them and his grandfather's enigmatic past. He hopes this truth will make sense of his grandfather's death.

The premise of the story is weird and original. I mean, time loop? Ymbrynes? How did Riggs come up with this stuff? I love it. The vivid world of the novel lures the reader deeper and deeper into the story, as Jacob's thirst for answers lure him through forests and bogs and abandoned old houses. Jacob, as well as the characters he meets on his adventure, are human, idiosyncratic, and vulnerable. It is easy to become invested in their lives. The photographs included add a haunting, historical vibe, that contributes to the novel's mysterious. I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to the sequel, which I've just researched and am now sure exists.

Review: Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden

genre: adventure, spy, sci-fi
age: children's
rating: 1/8 tentacles

I have read one hundred and ninety pages of H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden, and am now setting this book aside, forever.  The concept of H.I.V.E.--or, the Higher Institute of Villainous Education--promises a shift in common perspective and is what interested me in the novel. It's not often we get to see the story from the "villain's" point of view. I imagined a school full of Slytherins, where they weren't the grimly regarded slime of the student body, but the celebrated norm. I had hoped for a rollicking adventure with a silly, humorous twist.  I wanted a Percy Jackson experience, but instead found a poorly structured story populated by flat characters, whose plot dawdled and then wandered off to who knows where.

Even the class schedule at H.I.V.E. sounds fun: Villainy Studies, Tactical Education, Practical Technology, and Stealth and Evasion. I wanted to see a bunch of children learn to be hackers, spies, thieves, and strategists. I'm not sure about the class "Villainy Studies," which serves as an example of one of the reasons I didn't like the book. Walden doesn't effectively embody the mindset of a "villain," who is only dubbed as such by the "good guys." I'm sure the best "villains" don't see themselves as evil. They think they're right, that they're superior, that those people trying to thwart their plans are like little buzzing mosquitoes getting in the way. They don't think "I am a villain and that guy over there is a hero." Walden's representation of "villains" is a caricature someone on the outside of this world might conjure up. I wanted to be inside the world, looking at it from an insider's perspective.

The evil genius of our young protagonist, Otto Malpense, is witnessed by H.I.V.E., resulting in his abduction and transportation to the school. Upon his arrival, we are immediately informed of Otto's superiority to all of the other students. While they gawp stupidly at the strange new sites the institution has to offer, Otto remains unimpressed, blankly memorizing his surroundings for no apparent reason. Dr. Nero, head of the institution, notices this and marks Otto as a student to watch. Otto goes on, along with his new friend Fanchu Wing, to continuously demonstrate his perfection. I find it difficult to relate to a character who has so little vulnerability. Otto is so implausibly capable that I don't even care what happens to him because there's no risk, nothing at stake. He always comes out on top. Boooring.

Otto very quickly decides that he must escape H.I.V.E. From the moment he arrives, he observes and calculates, saving up all of the information he gathers in case it will be useful in plotting his getaway. There is a lot of obvious noticing, like the author is trying to shine a spotlight on Otto's superior intelligence. Why Otto feels he must escape H.I.V.E. is a mystery to me. The school's existence and location are highly secret and so students are allowed no contact with the outer world during their studies. Perhaps the principle of being "imprisoned" is enough to make someone want to leave, but Otto is given a room, he quickly makes friends, his laundry is done for him, he is fed, and he is going to be taught a number of skills that no doubt he will quickly master but that will likely be useful to him. Why he feels a pressing need to get out immediately is beyond me, and why a number of students quickly express the same desire is even more perplexing.

Much of the novel seems derivative. Otto is a pale, cartoonish, emotionless copy of Ender Wiggin. Franz--the fat German boy who thinks only of food isn't a copy. He IS Augustus Gloop. His father even owns a chocolate factory.

In one scene, students file into a classroom and wait for their teacher. They notice a cat seated on the teachers desk, and vaguely question its presence. Then a teacher's voice comes from the front of the room, addressing the class, and they look around bemusedly for its owner. With some incredulity, they find the voice belongs to the cat on the desk. Hmm, why does this seem so familiar?

Two hundred pages into the story, nothing has happened. Otto arrived at the school, went on a tour, got a roommate, and we saw a flashback of his life before H.I.V.E. and how he came to be at the school. I assume the plot will detail Otto & Co.'s unnecessary escape effort but because I don't understand why they're bothering to break out (they're in no danger at the school and won't suffer by staying) I don't care if their plan is successful and even sort of hope that they fail. I'm not interested in the answer to the question the plot poses and so it is time to take my leave of this story. Goodbye little book. I had hoped we might be friends but it is not to be--back to the library you go.

Review: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

age: children's
genre: adventure, fantasy
rating: 5/8 tentacles

When Peter's orphanage dumps him and several other parent-less boys onto an old ship called The Never Land, he becomes involved with a secret, ancient battle between Starcatchers and Others to be the first to capture the powerful shooting stars that fall to earth. The story offers a magical, star-powered explanation for the existence of Barrie's Neverland in all of its delightful enchantment.

The writing is simple and repetitious, with lots of "he said, she said, he said," which, in my opinion, somewhat limits target readers to those who have not yet acquired a taste for more sophisticated prose: either the very young or the non-reader. I say this as someone who still loves reading children's literature, not someone who just picked up up a kid's book and said, "Aw this writing isn't mature enough for me." When I look at the intelligence and humor and dexterous descriptions in some of my favorite children's books--books I enjoyed as child--I can't help but hold other work up to that same standard. Just compare this with Barrie's original.

In many ways, Peter and the Starcatchers is similar to Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Both stories feature a young boy adventuring with friends. Percy learns about Greek Gods and goes on a Quest with Annabeth and Grover. Peter learns about Starcatchers and, in a questlike manner, attempts to protect a magical item from falling into pirate hands with Molly, Alf, and the other orphans. Both tales are told with a degree of silliness. However, as I read on, it became clear that Peter simply does not possess the same depth as Percy Jackson. The characters felt like characters instead of people and Peter lacked much of his Peter Pan-ness. One might attempt to justify this with: "but he's not Peter Pan yet... Of course he started out as a normal boy!" But I won't buy it. I want the cocky impish child from Barrie's novel and Disney's films. This Peter was too ordinary to be Peter Pan.

Here is another similarity between Peter and the Starcatchers and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: both are based on pre-existing stories. Percy Jackson is based on mythology, which includes countless tales of all the gods that have been twisted and changed through generations of repetition. It's difficult to remain loyal to such varying myths that have already been interpreted and reinterpreted so many times and in so many different ways. The story of Peter Pan is much younger and has a specific source. I love the novel by J.M.Barrie and find it hard to completely accept the way that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have claimed Peter Pan and his world as their own and almost audaciously invented a story of origin that conflicts with Barrie's own novel. I feel much the same as I do when I book I like gets made into a movie that doesn't fit my interpretation.

Peter and the Starcatchers is a fun, youthful adventure and its simplistic narration often gave way to moments of lovely description. Peter did not offer the same cleverness or whimsy as Barrie's Peter Pan or the same pull as Percy Jackson & the Olympians but it was a quick, entertaining read and I will very shortly begin the next in the series, Peter and the Shadow Thieves.

Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

genre: fantasy
age: children's/YA
rating: 4/8 tentacles

After their mother’s death, twelve princesses are forced into a strict mourning period by their distant father, the King. Dancing is their only solace in this dark time, but their father catches them and berates them for insulting the memory of their mother with what appears to be celebration. When the girls discover a magical secret passage that leads them to a hidden room of enchantment deep inside their old castle, they thrill at this solution to their boredom and grief: here they can dance to their heart’s content without the knowledge of the king. Keeper, the mysterious guardian of the princesses’ new found ballroom, sparks the girls’ suspicion as he grows colder and more controlling with every visit and the princesses wonder if they might have been better off never discovering the room at all.
Entwined is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and still contains many fairy tale like elements: repetition, a Good protagonist versus a force of evil, poverty, royalty, magic and enchantments, etc. Heather Dixon’s writing is light and whimsical and I found the novel mildly enjoyable, though I did feel it was a bit young. Entwined seems mis-categorized as a young adult novel. It would be much more accurately represented as a book for children. In fact, as I read, I kept trying to picture it as a Disney movie.

The portrayal of dance in Entwined—or rather, the portrayal of the sisters’ relationship to dance—struck me as off-putting. Every time protagonist Azalea felt the slightest bit stressed she said to herself, “I know! I’ll just do a complicated curtsy or a fancy dance move and then I’ll feel all better!” And then Dixon would proceed to explain Azalea’s precise motions in great detail using dance terminology. This level of detail seems self-indulgent. Knowing the specifics of all of Azalea’s movements did nothing to further the story and I still couldn’t tell exactly what she was doing. I must conclude that the author put the information in only to display her own great knowledge of curtsies and dance. Dancing was mentioned by the sisters with almost religious reverence and this exaggeration made their interest seem overwrought to the point of ridiculousness. This is why I kept trying to imagine the story as a Disney movie: to see if things would seem so ridiculous if they were in a musical cartoon format. They did. I wish Dixon had used more of a fairy ring type representation of dance: the feverish frenzied spell of it. I wanted the wild ecstasy of Yeats’s fae.

I liked some of the characters, mostly Bramble (for her spunk) and Clover (for her shyness). Azalea was all right, a bit wishy-washy. Bradford was bland and I got sick of hearing about his rumpled hair. I liked Fairweller. Less so when I found out he had a mustache and I couldn’t get the image of those creepy pre-pubescent lip caterpillars out of my head. I enjoyed the magic segments, though I wish Dixon could have delved a little deeper into the cold, twisting, darkness of enchantment (a la Lev Grossman). The Keeper was sufficiently smooth and eerie and I couldn’t shake the impression that he would make a wonderful Sailor Moon villain.

I recommend this to anyone looking for some light, youthful whimsy with a splash of Disney-esque fairy magic.

Review: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

genre: sci-fi
age: all!
rating: 8/8 tentacles

At six years old, Ender Wiggin leaves his family behind to attend Battle School in outer space where the government attempts to mold him into someone they hope will rise up and defeat a terrifying alien race called Buggers.

Years of writing workshops have trained me to read critically and now I can’t help mentally editing everything I read. The weak points of a story seem to light up before my eyes and I am constantly asking myself: How would I make this better? Every once in a while, I come across a book or an author that transcends my editing abilities. Puts me in awe. Makes me despair of ever being a great author because how could I create something as astoundingly brilliant as this? Ender’s Game is one of these books.

I like novels that push me to think, to solve puzzles, to strategize. Looking at the world through young Ender Wiggin’s eyes was an enlightening experience. He is always coolly observing, calculating consequences, manipulating his environment and the people around him like pieces in a game of chess. He consistently surprises everyone with his ingenuity and unconventional solutions to every challenge the government and the Battle School throws at him. As I read, I found myself wishing I could absorb some of his genius. And he is a genius, but beneath his lofty intellect he is also a tired, lonely, little boy who wants only to be left alone, to avoid hurting people, and to go home to the sister he loves. Readers can admire him as a hero for his skill and dogged persistence under pressure but we can also love him as a person for his sadness and compassion. And I do love Ender.

The Battle Room and Ender’s computer game are fascinating and imaginative additions to a plot containing suspense, heart, and great insight as well as an excellent twist. I was also impressed by Card’s use of dialogue. If you follow my blog, you probably noticed that I couldn’t resist copying down quotation after quotation (and sharing them all). I didn’t want to forget Card’s words.

I am currently reading Children of the Mind and though I’ve immensely enjoyed each installment of Ender’s Saga, my favorite remains Ender’s Game.