By Golly, Ollie!

  • Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    3 comments on Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    After reading the synopsis for Lure by Deborah Kerbel, I was eager to read this book.   I used to read ghost stories often when I was younger, but I haven’t read too many in recent years.  Instead, I’ve been hooked on shows like Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventurers.  So, it seemed this book would be right up my alley.

    It wasn’t.

    The story is written from two points of view; Max, from the modern-day, and John, a boy from the past, take turns telling their story.  It was interesting to see how much their stories relied on each other for the storyline to advance.  But, I didn’t think the quality of Max’s story was as fine as John’s story.  John’s chapters were so eloquently written and much more interesting; I was sucked right in.  After finishing each of John’s chapters, I had a better sense of who he was.  He’s a sickly and weak boy who loves books even though his father wishes he were strong so he could work in the family blacksmith business.  Each chapter showed his struggle with coming to terms that he’d never be good enough in his father’s eyes, and it was kind of heartbreaking.

    After reading Max’s story, I only had a vague impression of who he was.  And from that vague impression, I decided that I couldn’t stand Max.  He sits there and simmers about how he is invisible to all of his peers, yet he skips school all the time.  It’s like, maybe if he made an effort to go to school with these people, he wouldn’t be invisible to them.  Plus, the only time the reader gets to know Max is when he is at the library or when he is around Caroline, a girl he was kind of infatuated with. 

    Also, and I don’t mean to get nit-picky, but Max kept talking about how he loved breathing in Caroline’s “awesome” scent.  But, every time I read that or a variation of that, I just really wanted to know what “awesome” smells like.  This lack of concrete descriptions also lent itself to the vagueness I felt after finishing each of Max’s chapters.

    As for the ending…I’m kind of baffled.  It all came as a surprise to me, which was cool, but things didn’t seem to add up.  I’d spoil the ending if I voiced my concerns though.

    Overall, this book wasn’t for me.  It left me wanting more, but not in a good way.  While I very much enjoyed reading about John, I wanted to understand Max better.  It almost seemed like Max was a pawn in this story.  It almost seemed like his only purpose was to figure out the mystery, so character development wasn’t really necessary.

    I also went into the story thinking it was going to be spooky.  It wasn’t, and I didn’t so much mind that.  But, I was kind of bummed out that it was lacking in paranormal activity.  Most of it was hearsay, and Max and the reader only experienced two or three things firsthand.  The things that did happen were kind of clever; I just wanted more.

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Released: January 2010
    Genre: Mystery
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Absolutely nothing is going right for Max Green. His parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver to the bleak suburbs of Toronto, he has no friends, and everybody at his new high school is ignoring him. To make matters worse, he’s in love with an older girl who’s completely out of his league. When Max discovers a local library rumored to be haunted by ghosts, he’s immediately drawn to it. With the help of some cryptic messages, he begins to piece together the identity of the teenage ghost and the mysterious chain of events that have connected its spirit to the building for over a century. But just who was John, anyway? Why has he chosen to contact Max? And what does an old fishing lure have to do with solving the mystery?

  • Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

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    Paranormal romance books are still flooding the market thanks to the Twilight series.  It’s not my genre of choice mostly because of clichĂ©s and overdone love triangles with the main character always falling for the total creep.  But, these are not the things that describe Yvonne Woon’s Dead Beautiful.  Of all the paranormal romance books I’ve read, I have declared Dead Beautiful to be my favorite (thus far, at least).

    Initially, I thought this book was yet another vampire love story, but I was wrong.  So very wrong.  Dead wrong (har har!).  The Latin-rooted philosophy and “mythology” that were woven into the story made Dead Beautiful unique amongst other paranormal romance books.  I say “mythology” because I believe Woon created it for her story, but she did so in a way that made it all seem like the myth had been around for centuries.  And, as you can guess from the title, death is a major subject throughout this book.  This might be an unappealing subject for some, but I loved the spooky and foreboding atmosphere this created.

    I did appreciate the romance in Dead Beautiful.  I think the relationship between the main character, Renee, and her love interest, Dante, progressed pretty quickly.  And it’s clear Renee is smitten with Dante, but it’s not overkilling.  It’s also apparent to the reader that Renee thinks about her friends and the world around her as much as she does about Dante.  I would say it’s a breath of fresh air from many of the newly published young adult books regardless of genre.  I would also have to say that for once I found the love interest to be swoon-worthy!

    Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Dead Beautiful is equal parts romance and mystery, so the story had me guessing all the way through.  Several twists and turns that had me formulating ideas of what could be next, but more often than not I was wrong!  I found the mystery to be compelling, and I think this is what made the book such a page-turner for me.

    I did think the pacing of the story was a little off.  There were times in the story that moved slowly, but that didn’t bother me.  I did think the ending was rushed though, which left me feeling like something was missing.  The first 470 pages were written so beautifully.  I truly loved Woon’s writing style, and I have to admit, I am quite envious of it.  Everything was written so vividly, and getting lost in the world Woon created was easy.  However, the last 10 pages went by too quickly.  I would say I was even left quite confused to the point where I had to re-read the ending to make sure I understood what had happened.  Now, that being said, after I fully understood what happened, I thought the ending was perfect– not the way I thought it would end (thank goodness!)

    Overall, I loved this book. (Notice how I bold-faced and italicized “love”?  Yea, that’s how much I loved it).  I think it would be a great addition to the bookshelves of lovers of the paranormal romance genre.  It would be perfect for the shelves of those who aren’t so keen on the genre, like me, too!

    Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Released: September 2010
    Genre: Romance, Fantasy
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [add to goodreads ]

    On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, RenĂ©e Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she’d ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

    After the funeral, Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.” It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.

  • Spring has sprung!

    Spring has sprung!

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    The mornings are crisp, the afternoons are warm and smell like freshly cut grass, and the evenings feel soggy like a rain shower is on its way.  Pink and white flowers bud on the branches of bushes and trees, and when the wind picks up, small petals blow off the trees and dance in the streets.  From the side of the road, Sandhill Cranes watch me as I pull into the driveway after I’ve worked all day.  At night they call each other in the marshes in the backyard along with the bullfrogs and the green frogs.  There is something so prehistoric about the sound they make.

    With each change of the season, I am reminded of why I love Michigan so much.  This is one of the most beautiful and splendid states I’ve ever had the fortune to live in.

    As I made my way to the car yesterday morning, I was thinking it would be a nice day to sit on the back porch reading books when a red-winged blackbird interrupted by thoughts.  “O-ka-leeeeeeee” is what the bird said to me.

  • The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    2 comments on The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson is easily one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read.  Ever.  It’s decades in the future in America; doctors have fallen into the habit of playing God, but their medicine has been rendered useless ever since they began pumping people full of antibiotics endorsed by major pharmaceutical corporations.  Jenna Fox, who has just woken up from a coma with “amnesia”, has been affected by this, but to what extent I can’t say because it will spoil the story for you.  Throughout the book, Jenna must rediscover her past to learn who or what she truly is.  At the same time, she must keep it a secret because she is afraid people will think she is a monster, and she doesn’t want to jeopardize her and her family’s freedom.  The Adoration of Jenna Fox seemed so eerie to me; as medicine and technology keep advancing I do think what happened in the book could be possible in reality.

    Awesome storyline aside, I appreciate how many of the characters in this book grew and changed throughout.  In most books, it seems only the main character grows, and the rest of the characters only encourage the growth.  But, in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, opinions of supporting characters change over time regardless of the magnitude, and these impact their perceptions of themselves, the world, and their relationship with Jenna Fox.

    While I very much enjoyed the story, I did have trouble appreciating the way it was written.  Everything was stated so matter-of-fact from Jenna’s point of view– cold and calculated.  However, I think if it were written any other way, the story wouldn’t have the same impact on the reader.  I’m also left feeling a little confused about one of the characters.  Everyone made such a big deal about him, warning Jenna to stay away from him, but he rarely made an appearance in the story.  You see, I can’t even remember his name, and I’m not entirely sure why he’s such a bad person.  At one point, he and Jenna have a confrontation of sorts, but I don’t understand his motivation.

    Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I liked the development of the storyline and the development of the characters.  But, above all, I loved how the story questions both bio-medical ethics and humanity.  It does so in a way that is not overly philosophical or pretentious, and it will appeal to both teens and adults.

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    Released: April 2008
    Genre: Science Fiction
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn’t remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

  • Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    2 comments on Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    If I cannot live in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world pre- or post- Vol-Vol…he-who-must-not-be-named, can I live in the world Annastaysia Savage created in Any Witch Way?  I thought Annastaysia’s world-building was superb.  The story starts in our reality, but as Sadie learns of her true identity, our reality blends and eventually fades into the realm of magik and fantasy.  Annastaysia incorporates all of the magical creatures and myths we grew up reading about in fairy tale books from imps and nymphs and centaurs to creatures that may be a little obscure.  She also creates her own vivid and terrifying, evil creatures for Sadie to battle.  She introduces these creatures without bombarding the reader with too much backstory.

    The world Annastaysia created was so vividly described too.  Beautiful images of the magikal realm were painted in my mind as I read.  But, I was confused when the different realms and planes were brought up.  While I have a vague concept of what the planes are, I’m not entirely sure how they work.  This doesn’t conflict with the reader’s ability to understand the storyline or appreciate the world, but it might make a reader curious.

    Any Witch Way was an action-packed novel from start to finish.  Around every corner, enemies, strange creatures, and paralyzing potions confront Sadie as she tries to put the Syndicate at bay.  Even though there is a lot of history to introduce to Sadie and the reader, it doesn’t slow down the plot any.  Oh, and I should mention this story is filled with plot twists.  I did not predict what the ending had in store!

    I loved the characters in this story.  Sadie grew from a girl who is unsure of herself into a brave and confident witchling.  She achieves it all without a romantic interest helping her along the way which is even more awesome!  All of the races of creatures in the story, and there are a lot, have defining personality traits so they don’t just blend into each other, and it was fun getting to know each one.

    Overall, I loved this story!  It was funny and scary and heartwarming and full of adventure– all under one book cover.  Typically I have a difficult time getting into fantasy novels since the world-building often outshines the characters, but Any Witch Way had a nice balance of both.  Oh, and I still can’t get over how much I loved the magikal world.

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    Released: April 2011
    Genre: Fantasy
    Age Group: Middle Grade

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Enduring the teasing and ridicule of her schoolmates, Sadie struggles through life as a pre-teen on the eve of her 13th birthday. Three years ago, a car crash took her mother, but Sadie never saw her body. She refuses to believe her mother is gone. Holding fast to that feeling earns her the nickname “Crazy Sadie.”
    Despite her one wish to be normal, Sadie only finds solace with a small group of unusual characters. These unlikely friends give her a semi-normal life outside of school in a bookstore where strange and mystical things seem to happen. If Sadie entertains her deepest suspicions, her friends are a little mystical.

    When her birthday arrives, however, Sadie finds herself whisked into a magical world that swirls just under the surface of normal life. Not only does she learn she’ll soon become a witch, but she also discovers she must battle The Syndicate to save her new world.

About the Blogger

My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.