Review: THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas

4.06 Stars from 597 GoodReaders

**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

Sherry Thomas is known for her romance novels, and with THE BURNING SKY she is trying her hand at writing for a younger audience.

Background

• The world is divided. In some areas, like Atlantis, magic is allowed; and in others areas, like England, magic is forbidden.

• Prince Titus of Elberon is a figurehead ruler of a small magical kingdom, although he attends Eton as an anonymous student. He want's nothing nothing more than to free his country from the domination of the fearful Empire of Atlantis, which is ruled by the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant....

• Iolanthe Seabourne is a power to contend with, although her drug-addled mentor has kept them in obscurity and refused her information about why they live so poorly. She doesn't understand why her mentor has done this until she does such brilliant magic that the dangerous and evil Inquisitor arrives at her door. Her mentor saves her, but she finds herself far away from home, alone, and dependent upon the Prince.

• Knowing what The Bane wants Iolanthe in his power is reason enough for Titus to hide Iolanthe in plain view, and thus she takes up her disguise as a boy at Eton.

THE BURNING SKY is listed as a Young Adult book, but unless there is something 'adultish' coming up in the next volumes, I would say this book is more appropriate for a middle-graders.

There's very little in the way of violence --some fisticuffs, cut fingers and skinned knees-- and there's only mild tension, and only a scant bit of anything approaching profanity. 

There's also not much in the way of anything novel in the plotting or tropes so I wouldn't particularly recommend this book for Adults.  (Although we all realize that different people have different tastes.)

THE BURNING SKY is a girlie book with a romance at the center of it.  The world building is excellent, but it takes a while before things get rolling, so readers should to be prepared to be patient.

Pam~

--Very mild language.
--Not overwrought with tension
--Mild and non-graphic violence
--Well done world building


THE BURNING SKY
(The Elemental Trilogy #1)
by Sherry Thomas

Reading Information:
Word Count: 101,300
Page Count: 480
Accelerated Reader: 6.1 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 165277
--sample pages and reviews available
--available as an audio book

Review: MALICE by Chris Wooding

4.06 Stars from 1,504 GoodReaders

MALICE is part novel, part graphic-novel... and so much fun. 

If your children liked the GOOSEBUMPS series and are ready for a longer tale that's a bit scarier, then they might want to take a look at Chris Wooding's MALICE series.

The premise of the story is that there is a mysterious comic book series titled "Malice", and that if you have it in your possession, and then say the right words and burn the right set of ingredients, that you can be 'transported' into the comic book-world ruled by the villainous guy that you see here on the cover, Tall Jake. The catch is that the world is just awful -- filled with monstrous creatures and machines that will hunt you down and kill you.

Now you might be wondering who on earth would want to take part in such an experiment, but the truth is that it's mostly done because the children don't really believe that it can happen. They are just fooling around and challenging each other. Too bad it works.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Review:  THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST (YA)
Review: THE WITCH'S KITCHEN (MG/YA)
Reading List: RL STINE'S HORRORLAND series (MG)
------------------------------------------------------------------

The writing in MALICE was very good and the story was well plotted; and it wouldn't surprise me at all if kids stay up late trying to finish it.

As far as appearance, I have to say that the cover is really eye-catching. It features Tall Jake, and he and the MALICE lettering are raised and touchable and just the sort of thing that ought to have this book whizzing off the shelves.

Inside the print is well sized and easy to read. AND there are plenty of grayscale drawings by Dan Chernett. These illustrations are divided into panels just like you would find in a graphic novel.

There is violence in this series, although so far most of it is portrayed in the drawing and not the text.

Overall, this book isn't going to be for everyone. It's scary and fast paced though, and since there's both male and female characters I think MALICE is going to appeal equally to Middle-graders of both genders. At least those who like a scary adventure story.

Beginning of a series.

Pam~


MALICE
(Malice #1)
Scholastic
by Chris Wooding
illustrated by Dan Chernett

Reading Information:
Word Count: 67,634
Page Count:  384
Accelerated Reading level: 4.5 / points: 10.0
AR quiz: 133618
Lexile: 650L
--get sample pages, reviews, and prices
--get the series information here

Review: BUBBLE WORLD

3.55 Stars from 74 GoodReaders

BUBBLE WORLD!  If you are sick to the teeth of zombies and vamps.  And have had your fill of insta-love triangles and over-the-top kick-butt action, consider BUBBLE WORLD, a thoughtful and yet light-hearted book.

Really.  I mean if BUBBLE WORLD were a movie it would be playing at one of those cozy art-house theaters.  It's subject is life and relationships, and the universe in general.  And if you are in the mood for something more thoughtful, you should check it out.

Background:  
[[This contains spoilers. I don't normally do spoilers but I thought that more info might be necessary for this good book that has slipped beneath the radar.]]
Freesia was born a less than ideal child.  She appears to have had sensory issues as a baby-toddler-preschooler, and she cried so incessantly that her parents were soon at their wits end.

That's when they discovered a 'revolutionary education package' that would make Freesia someone else's problem.  And given that they are bit self-absorbed and clueless in the parenting arena, they signed her up.

This education package takes Freesia and other misfit-kids out of this world completely and immerses them in another computer generated world.  One where they are portrayed as beautiful and rich, and where the snacks, wardrobe goodies, and bubbly flow freely.

The advertising for this education program tells hopeful parents that their children will be getting a best possible education.  That they will come out of the immersion light-years ahead of their age cohort, and that this super-duper education is not only intense, but fun-fun-fun.

The catch being that it's all a lie.  Freesia and her friends are in fact majoring in make-up and wardrobe accessories. 

Needless to say, trouble breaks out when the computer system starts sputtering and Freesia and others are accidentally returned to the real world.


My Thoughts

I loved the end of this book.  I loved that Freesia had grown since she entered the fake world; and I love that she was able to take the skills that her parents and other adults thought were utterly useless to heal her family. It made a very satisfying ending for me; and made me examine how narrowly our society can define education. Yes, turns out makeup and accessories can be life changing

Notes

• BUBBLE WORLD is not an action dystopia, but one of those stories that slowly unfolds into something quite nice.  It's a charming little book that hands the reader little 'aha' moments.

• BUBBLE WORLD reads like it's written for middle-graders, but it's got more to offer as it examines people's places in life, and how families get destroyed... and put back together. 

I'd recommend BUBBLE WORLD to someone who is in the mood to sit back and wait for the story to slowly unfold. 

Pam~



BUBBLE WORLD
by Carol Snow

no reading information available
Page Count:  352
--get sample pages and prices

Streamlined...

Principal character:: Freesia.
Time Frame:: not too distant future
Language:: some invented phrases
Cursing:  No
Humor:: definitely
Disbelief O'meter:: just the basics for me
Sexual content:  kissing
Pacing:: a bit slow
Satisfying ending:  Yes!

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, Andrea Offermann (Illustrator)

We've all heard about what can happen at the crossroads. It's where a person's path can change, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. And that's where the Devil stands, waiting to tempt. But it's not the devil that comes to the small turn-of-the-century town of Arcane (1913), but Doctor Jake Limberleg's "Nostrum Fair and Technological Medicine Show".

After Limberleg's wagon looses a wheel at the crossroads, he decides to set up shop. He and his "4 Paragons of the Sciences" offer restorative cures via the sciences of phrenology, hydrotherapy, magnetism, and amber therapy. At first, the town is skeptical, but gradually they succumb to the group's soft sell, and it's then that it becomes apparent that there's a hidden cost for every asking.

Our witness to events is young 13 year-old Natalie; a girl who takes her own tom-boy path, showing more interest in machines than dresses. The 'smoke and mirrors' of Limberleg's Medicine Show offends her and she finds herself compelled to dig down and find out what's really going on.

In a way this is very much a coming-of-age story. Natalie finds that the reality of her childhood isn't the reality she is going to spend the rest of her life in. Her family isn't as strong as she thought, and her even her father isn't the invincible, all-knowing person she thought. A wonderful, layered Young Adult tale.

THE SKINNY:::

This is Kate Milford's first book and it's a doozy. Well written, it's beautifully paced. and has a nice dark edge to it. There's none of that mid-book sluggishness; and though there's a promise of further books to come, the ending is completely satisfying.

Other strengths include well drawn characters and a gentle unfolding of one mystery after another. And while the review copy I read doesn't have finalized art, it promises to be exactly right. (Yay! for the inclusion of art. I'm an adult and I love art.)

As far as age range, I'd say that this is a book for 13+. There's no bad language, sex, nor adult situations.

4 to 4.5 STARS. Younger readers will likely to find this to be entirely new and innovative. Old reading geezers like myself will find one or two familiar elements. I think of it as a homage. But all in all, very good writing, good characterization, lots that's original.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs



The Boneshaker

• Accelerated Reading level : 6.0
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (May 24, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0547241879
• Take-a-Peek
• amazon

Technical Stuff
ATOS reading level 6.0
Word Count: 86,347
AR Quiz No. 137437


Praise:::
*starred review* Booklist

MG and YA

On this website we use two picture icons meant to guide adults and children about content. The first is "YA" and the second is "MG".

YA books are those meant for Young Adults. This doesn't mean that they cannot be read by adults nor younger children, only that there may be subject matter that adults might want to consider before offering a book to others. For example, there may be cursing, violence, sex, and adult situations. And if these books were movies they might have a PG-13 or R rating.

MG is a new rating being used by many librarians. These books are very much like YA books except that there will be little or no cursing, only extremely mild violence, no sex, nor adult situations. If they were movies they would be PG or G-rated.

Review: MALICE by Chris Wooding

4.06 Stars from 1,504 GoodReaders

MALICE is so much fun.  If your children liked the "GooseBumps" series and are ready for a longer tale in the same vein, then they might want to take a look at Chris Wooding's "Malice".

The premise of the story is that there is a mysterious comic book series called "Malice" that if you have it in your possession, and then say the right words and burn the right set of ingredients, that you can be 'transported' into the comic book-world by the villainous guy that you see here on the cover, Tall Jake. The catch is that the world is just awful -- filled with monstrous creatures and machines that will hunt you down and kill you.

Now you might be wondering who on earth would want to take part in such an experiment, but the truth is that it's mostly done because the children don't really believe that it can happen. They are just fooling around and challenging each other. Too bad it works.

Talking Points:::The writing in "Malice" was much better than I expected. (I don't know why my expectations were low.) Not only is the book well written, it's well plotted; and it wouldn't surprise me at all if kids stay up late trying to finish it.

As far as appearance, I have to say that the cover is really eye-catching. It features Tall Jake and he and the "Malice" lettering are raised and touchable and just the sort of thing that ought to have this book whizzing off the shelves.

Inside the print is good sized and easily readable. AND... in addition, there are plenty of grayscale drawings by Dan Chernett. These illustrations are divided into panels just like you would find in a comic book, which obviously supports the storyboard concept of being drawn into the mysterious comic book series. As far as I can remember, all of the violence in the world (and there's quite a bit) is portrayed in these drawings.

Overall, this book isn't going to be for everyone. It's scary and fast paced though, and since there's both male and female characters I think "Malice" is going to appeal equally to Middle Schoolers of both genders. At least those who like a scary adventure story.

Beginning of a series.

Pam~


MALICE
(Malice #1)
Scholastic
by Chris Wooding


Reading Information:
Word Count: 67,634
Page Count:  384
Accelerated Reading level: 4.5 / points: 10.0
AR quiz: 133618
Lexile: 650L
--get sample pages, reviews, and prices

2009 Top YA/mg Book Picks

This year it was SciFi and Fantasy that caught my attention and praise. The sole exception was Clay Carmichael's "Wild Things", which is just a good story, well told.

Here are my picks for The Best YA Fiction Books for 2009.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins — This sequel to the Hunger Game steps up the action as Katniss finds herself the figurehead for the movement against the Capitol's control.

It's received high praise from reviewers and at Amazon it has garnered an amazing 4.5 Star ranking with 312 reviews (as we go to print).

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0439023491
• Look Inside
  

Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel — After the Blind Wars people discovered 'talents' that allowed them to survive. With the return of vision in subsequent generations, these abilities remained and formed the center of existence in isolated villages across the world.

In their own little modest village, Ariel imagines that she will become a healer, while her best friend is determined to become a tree-singer. Their expectations are destroyed though when two strangers turn up looking for the mysterious pre-Blind War dart that the two youngsters discovered one day. Ariel tries to hide the discovery, but the truth that some unknown entity sent them a missive in the old technology cannot be kept quiet, and the children are catapulted on a life changing adventure.

I'm hoping this is the beginning of a series as I've just finished them book and I have nothing but praise for it. Tight plotting, wonderful characters, and good writing makes this a fine choice for tweeners on up.

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (February 17, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 1599902729
  

Fire by Kristin Cashore — The prequel to the highly acclaimed "Graceling", this story is about Fire, a human monster. Rather than being hideous, in this world monsters, at least human ones, are so beautiful that they can drive regular humans insane with either lust or a hunger to kill them. Very imaginative. Filled with romance and adventure.

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Dial; First Edition edition (October 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803734611
• Look Inside
  

Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan — This imaginative book takes a different approach to zombies. In Ryan's world a genetic weapon from the last war got out of hand. It turns bitten individuals into unthinking creatures whose only desire is to infect others. (Very creepy)

While it may seem that this is heavy scifi/fantasy, to call it that would be to short change this work. Forest of Hands and Teeth has it's share of mysteries and a very internal and personal dialog. The heroine is wracked with quilt and conflict as her affections are divided. This is another book that is the beginning of a series.

• Hardcover: 320 pages
  
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (March 10, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0385736819
• Look Inside
  

Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy — This is a scary one that's not going to be for everyone. But if you are up for an exciting and gruesome romp, don't wait to pick it up. (Hopefully, Rick Yancy will follow this one up with another book.)

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1St Edition edition (September 22, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 1416984488
• Look Inside
• My Review
  

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5) by Rick Riordan — This series is just awesome. It's funny as well as action packed. Soon to be a movie.

• Hardcover: 400 pages
  
• Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books for Children (May 5, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 1423101472
• Look Inside
  

Ring of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario — This book unfortunately suffered from a mis-description by Amazon which lead adults to believe it was not kidlit. In fact, it's a book most suited to middle-school aged kids. I thought it was well plotted and exciting. Sort of like John le Carré for middle-schoolers-- if le Carré was into magic.

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 8, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0375858954
• Look Inside
• My Review
  

Squiggle by B.B. Wurge — Nobody writes like BB Wurge. His books are funny and definitely off-the-wall. And while I loved his previous book, "Billy and the Birdfrogs", I do believe that Squiggle is even better. My husband I read this aloud to our children (boy and girl; 7 and 9) and they loved it. Good for any age if you love an imaginative romp. Middle-schoolers and younger otherwise.

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Leapfrog Press (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981514898
• Look Inside
• Don's Review
  

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson — Not marketed as YA, Warbreaker is a must read for Sanderson fans. Wonderfully plotted fantasy. Good world-building.

Starred Review from PublishersWeekly.

• Hardcover: 592 pages
  
• Publisher: Tor Books (June 9, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0765320304
• Look Inside
• My Review
  

Wild Things by Clay Carmichael — My only non-fantasy/scifi choice. Tight plotting, great characters and chapters from a cat's point of view, make this book a wonderful read. (Adults, YA and more mature MG's)

• Hardcover: 241 pages
• Publisher: Front Street Press (May 1, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 1590786270

Note about MG: YA is now being divided into YA and MG. MG books are those suitable for younger teens. They tend to have fewer 'adult situations' and no extreme violence and cursing. I've noted books below that I think fall into this category.


Here's an Addition to my list of great 2009 Reads. Maze Runner definitely deserves a place on this list.


The Maze Runner by James Dashner — Heart pounding adventure in words. Dashner starts off on a run and never slows. Innovative with a great mystery. (Adults, YA and more mature MG's)

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (October 6, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0385737947
• Peek Inside
  

updated 12/21/09