"The Princess of Las Pulgas"

by C. Lee McKenzie, YA, 2010, 348p, rating=4

"After her father's slow death from cancer, Carlie's mother is forced to sell their cherished oceanfront home and move the family to the other side of the tracks--to dreaded Las Pulgas.  At her tough new urban high school, Carlie is nicknamed "Princess" because of her aloof attitude.  But what her classmates don't know is that Carlie isn't aloof; she's in mourning for her father and almost everything else that mattered to her.  Meanwhile, her younger brother Keith becomes angrier and more sullen by the day, and even their cat Quicken goes missing, sending Carlie and Keith on a search for her in the hidden orchard beside their seedy garden apartment complex.  They're met by a rifle-toting cowboy who ejects them at gunpoint from his property.  But when Carlie finds him in the kitchen having coffee with their mom the next day, having found and returned the cat, she begins to realize that in Las Pulgas, nothing is what it seems."  (book's blurb)

The grabbing opening line, Last night I pleaded with Death, but he turned a bony back to me, pushed Hope into the corridor and shut the door.  Now here's a YA that has meaning!  Right from the beginning you knew you were in for a conflict of the heart.  A story of bereavement but more about the gain in the long run.  A careful, soft portrayal of a grieving family's process of loss.  Incorporate a story with culture shock, Othello, and stereotypes and you've got yourself a book that didn't dwell on the grief but rather emphasized on growth and moving forward ...but never forgetting the pain of loss.  A moving read.  Beautifully crafted. 

The cast of characters was awesome.  Each brought substance to the plate.  Their predictability worked for me here.  I liked the classic lesson of not judging by appearance.  I especially enjoyed the lessons of sacrifice, perseverance, and friendship.  Hooray for characters with tenor!  Well done, Ms. McKenzie.

I'm glad I won this book.  Thank you Brandi @Blkosiner's Book Blog for holding the contest.  I had really wanted to win this one.  The title tickled my curiosity (Las Pulgas means fleas in Spanish) and the blurb along with your review gave added interest.

"Across the Universe"

by Beth Revis, YA, 2011, 398p, rating=3

"Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future.  But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.  Someone tried to murder her.  Now, Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense.  Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader.  And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.  Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls?  All Amy know is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again." (book's blurb)

This had the potential to be a very frexing, brilly book but I was a chuntz and fell for the hype!  Okay, I had to do it.  In trying to be clean and teenage-hip in language these words in the book just got childish and annoying.  Oddly enough, in general this book was a page turner.  I got sucked into the plot and wanted to see it through.  Yet, as fascinating as it was it left me empty.  I was floored because the suspense, the dystopian angle, and the budding romance were enticing so I was expecting a wow ending. But by book's end, Nada!  I can't find the words to describe it.  Something was missing.  What comes to mind is lack of depth and meaning.  It didn't even give me the feeling of being left hanging and anxiety for the sequel.  I was sorely disappointed.  I hope the next book makes up for it.

I was generous with the rating because for an almost 400 page book, it was quick and entertaining for the moment's read.

P.S.  I actually won a copy of this book from Kristin @Beneath Shining Stars last December but I can't seem to find it, so this is a library borrowed book.

Brief reviews: The Whipping Boy, The 6th Target, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman, YR, 1986, 90p, rating=3.5
Newbery Award Winner

Interesting tidbit that there was such a thing as a "whipping boy", someone taking the whipping for someone else.  In this book, Jemmy is the whipping boy for the royal heir, Prince Horace (aka Prince Brat).  So if the Prince acts up, which he often does, Jemmy gets the punishment ...boy, that'll teach the prince! (being sarcastic here).  Anyway, during the runaway adventure the boys learn about friendship and other things.  Like, although Prince Brat can be a dunce, he ends up having a tough skin afterall and Jemmy probably didn't have it that badly since he did end up learning to read and write ...not too shabby for a once orphaned rat catcher.  An overall good young reader book.

The 6th Target by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, AF, 2007, Playaway audio, 8.25hrs, rating=2.5
(The Women's Murder Club, Book #6)

I should actually start this series in order then maybe I'll like it better!  Oh well, I'm looking at it as a stand alone and it's alright.  The separate cases again tie up and that's pretty cool.  The love story part just didn't satisfy me.  Either Mr. Patterson needs to get with a die hard romance writer and really spice it up or eliminate the love angle all together.  ~Sorry Mr. Patterson, this one didn't wow me, but I did enjoy the 9th book.  :)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, YR, 1820, 105p, rating=3

I'm not sure what I was expecting but I was a bit disappointed.  Although I don't remember much of the TV versions of this book (probably because the thought of a headless man scares the heck out of me!), I thought it'd be more exciting.  Still, excellent writing of its time and the book wasn't scary ... which is a plus for me!  ~Hmmm, so what did happen to Ichabod Crane?  I think he was like Zorro in training... hiding out until he gets the knack for becoming the next headless horseman.  ~BTW, I haven't seen the Johnny Depp movie version ...hmmm, that man's quite an eye candy ...I'll have to check it out sometime. :)))

Pondering the Scriptures Sunday #17

Today's scripture is found in Proverbs 22:6:

"Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Notice the writer used the word train.  According to Webster Dictionary it means:  to form by instruction, discipline, or drill; to teach so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient.  One has described the difference between teaching and training ... "Teaching is causing the child to understand, training is causing the child to do."  Hence, what we train our children will be the future.  ~Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said it best: "It is so obvious that the great good and the terrible evil in the world today are the sweet and the bitter fruits of the rearing of yesterday's children.  As we train a new generation, so will the world be in a few years.  If you are worried about the future, then look to the upbringing of your children." (1978)

"The Pearl"

by John Steinbeck, AF, 1945, 90, rating=3
**SPOILER ALERT**

"Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the Gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the Kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence.  Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon."  With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security ..." (book's blurb)

This is the saddest book ever!! ...ever I've read so far.  So bleak and tragic!!  Reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's The Road but this one I couldn't stomach.  Literary wise it was poetic and well written, but I just couldn't get pass the tragedy.  It began in a sad tone and it didn't let up.  I saw a moral lesson coming but the end just threw me for a loop.  I was expecting a happy ending and needless to say it was not. 

Based on a Mexican folk tale, this book provides a good source for dissecting man's nature.  I was able to feel sadness, anger, disgust, love, and pain.  Unfortunately, it was too much of a downer for my taste.  In essence, greed equals trouble!  BIG trouble!!  There, you've read the book so spare yourself a heartache.

**On a happier note:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY!!  I LOVE YOU MOM!  YOU'RE THE BEST!!

"Battle Ready Moms Raising Battle Ready Kids"

by Reba Bowman, non-fiction, 2009, 212p, rating=3.5

"Mom, you are in a war for the lives of your children. The enemy is real and deceptive, and his weapons are varied. If your children are going to become the men and women that you want them to be, you must take this battle seriously and prepare to fight. Battle-Ready Moms Raising Battle-Ready Kids equips mothers with the weapons they need to fight for the spiritual survival of their children. You'll learn • Why your role as mom is critically important to the well-being of your children • How to encourage good choices through connection, not rules alone • How to build character and nurture individuality • How to guide both girls and boys from infancy to young adulthood. Using Bible-based wisdom and experience-based advice, Reba Bowman challenges you to become the best mom you can be -- because the destiny of your children depends on it." (book's blurb)

I was attracted to the title but after seeing the title description A Biblical Strategy for Confident Parenting and reading the blurb, I sat on it for awhile.  I just wasn't up for something heavy.  Well, I finally got to it and it is definitely a Christian book.  God and scriptures were heavily mentioned.  Rightly so since Ms. Bowman was outlining how to raise children in God's influence.

I didn't get into this book until Chapter 5, which happened to be where the analogy of the military began to set in for me.  It was an excellent way to shape the book's substance.  The military has guidelines in training its soldiers to come out of a battle successfully, so as this book's point that God has also provided the guidelines to come out of Satan's grasp well, particularly as it relates to raising children.

This was a fine line on being preachy.  But even with the abundance of Christian language, it didn't give the hell fire tone.  Ms. Bowman was sincere in her words to reach out and offer her knowledge.  And she did so in an orderly and specific manner. 

Being under the umbrella of a Christian faith, I followed this book well.  So much so that it was not like I was generally learning anything new but was getting a refresher course.  Definitely nothing wrong with that!  Hearing something more than once is an excellent way of really sinking in a concept.  And this book has many potential Ah ha! moments for parents.  So if you're a parent who wants to raise your child(ren) in God's influence, then read this book and you might find the Ah ha! moment you've been looking for.

Books I Reviewed

A picture collage of books I reviewed in January and February of 2011.  This does not include toddler/picture books:

• Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Boutique
• My Mommy Hung the Moon
• Too Many Toys
• Twinkle: Star of the Week

Top favorites:

• After the Last PR
• Anne of Green Gables
• Thr3e