Pure Magic: Waifs and Strays (De Lint)

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Graphic novel Double Feature

I seem to be on a graphic novel kick, but grad school puts a serious constraint on my free-reading time. I will consider these last couple of posts as another way to explore literature. This time, I will review two graphic novels, Alan Moore's V for Vendetta and Jonathan Lincoln's Tracker.

Let's start with the classic. For anyone not familiar with the plot or has not at least seen the move, V for Vendetta takes place in a Fascist England where the government follows the whims of a computer program named Fate. The government has extremely strict restrictions and a force of agents to enforce matters. Times are hard, and orphan Evey gets caught trying to prostitute herself. Enter the masked vigilante--known only as V--who saves the girl and takes her in. V has a bit of a score to settle with certain members of the party before he can gear up for his big show-down with the government. He tries to enlist Evey's help, but Evey must settle some issues of her own.

I was glad that I finally read the graphic novel; I really enjoyed the movie when I saw it, but the graphic novel had further character development and revelations that the movie was unable to convey. The water-color style artwork took a bit of getting used to, but I thought it worked well with the story being told. As someone who's increasingly become more attuned to character development, I was pleased that I got such insight into so many characters' changes in such an elegant and subtle fashion. I was also extremely satisfied with the ending and felt that the overall plot did not overshadow some of the finer aspects of the graphic novel. I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Tracker follows FBI tracker Alex O'Rourke, who becomes a werewolf after he gets bitten while trying to capture an elusive serial killer by the name of Herod. As Alex comes to understand the full connotations of what he's become, he must struggle with this new monster inside of him and what it does to those around him. He gets help on that from a mysterious organization called the Handel Foundation, a shady organization that specialize in werewolf research. Oh, personal problems aside, he still has to catch Herod before the guy kills again.

This novel is simply fun--there's a lot of action and gore, plus the whole supernatural element. I would say that the concept overall was not as well-developed as other stories I've read (and I'm not just referring to V for Vendetta). I wasn't quite sure how all the pieces fit together. The characters and plot also seemed fairly hackneyed, with little to distinguish itself from other crime and supernatural thrillers. The exception to that comment is the way they handled the werewolf condition, which was interpreted as a virus that heightened a host's fight or flight instincts. I liked the artwork, but did not enjoy the story as much as I had hoped when I picked this book up off the library shelf. It was a fun quick read, but nothing more.

"Nothing ever ends": Watchmen (Moore)

It's the Cold War, and America's on the verge of nuclear disaster. Not so different from history, except that there are superheroes as well. However, these superheroes have been ostracized from society and are no longer allowed to fight crime. The story begins with the murder of the cynically laughing superhero, the Comedian. Other former heroes are targeted, and vigilante Rorschach and the other surviving heroes rush to solve it. However, the matter is far different than they expected.

This graphic novel is absolutely incredible. The story-telling is gorgeous---each chapter fits nicely together and resonates with previous and future chapters. The characters--particularly the superheroes--and the questions they ask are so very poignant. I've been meaning to read this graphic novel for a long time, and I am so glad that I finally did.

An American Stieg Larsson Novel: Blink and Caution (Wynne-Jones)

Blink is a homeless boy on the streets. Caution is a girl living with a drug dealer and running from her own private guilt. However, when Blink finds a cell phone in a hotel room, he stumbles into a strange puzzle regarding a kidnapping where the facts don't quite add up. Soon, Cuation is pulled into the mix as well, and she and Blink work together to solve this mystery.

I was pretty pleased with Blink & Caution. Wynne-Jones alternates writing the book from Caution and Blink's point of view, and this choice helped pick up. I also greatly enjoyed the plot--it was a well-written thriller that reminded me of Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy in terms of secrets and puzzles. Definetely check it out if you're looking for something quick. I would not recommend it for younger teens, but eighth graders and above could handle it.

A Crew of Drunken Pilots: The Black Lung Captain (Wooding)

No, they're not airship pirates, but that hasn't stopped Darian Frey from daydreaming about it from time to time.* The crew of the Ketty Jay are back in The Black Lung Captain, the second installment in Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay series. When Captain Grist approaches the crew with a job offer, Darian Frey thinks that this money-making scheme sounds pretty straightforward. Getting Crake, the crew's daemonist, to open a magical door in exchange for a split of the profits sounds easy, even though Crake has been quickly driving down the path of alcoholism. Needless to say, things are not as straightforward as they seem, and things go bad for Frey and his rag-tag crew. This time however, in addition to fighting for himself and his crew, Frey is rushing to make sure thousands don't pay for his mistake.

SFFWorld commented that The Black Lung Captain was better than the first, Retribution Falls. I agree--I got to know the characters better, and this fact made the book feel a lot more lively to me. The conflicts between the crew and with themselves also made for an interesting read, especially paired with the well-written action scenes. I also liked the fact that the stakes were higher than the last book and that the characters were forced to confront their own problems--many of which have been present since the first book--in order to deal with the greater problem. It was a thrilling and funny book, and I look forward to the third (out in October, I believe).

*If you have not listened to Abney Park's "Airship Pirate", I highly recomend it as it goes well with the book.

13 Reasons Why (Jay Asher)

Have you ever wanted to know what pulled someone to suicide? What drove them to pull the trigger, tie the noose, take the pills? 13 Reasons Why takes you into the factors into the decision of one Hannah Baker.

Clay Jensen receives a package with several cassette tapes inside. When he plays the first one, he hears the voice of Hannah Baker, a girl from school who had recently killed herself. She explains that the tapes give thirteen reasons for why she killed herself, and that those involved are the ones on the list of the tapes' recipients. Clay starts to listen and soon becomes drawn into her story. In doing so, he sees a very different side to his world.

Trust me when I say you will also be drawn in. I plowed through this book and had some extremely strong reactions to this book. 13 Reasons Why is not unnecessarily graphic ( the book does not go into the details of Hannah's death nor some of the more sexual scenes), so my reactions were not tied to that. This book is simply powerfully constructed. The novel is written as a kind of dialogue between Hannah's voice on the tapes and Clay's reactions and responses. This dialogue both takes the reader to an understanding of how one can get into such a dark minds and, more importantly, demonstrates how everyone affects the decision. That includes those around the one who does the deed and those around that individual. I think that Asher's perspective adds something to the discourse on suicide. It seems like suicides portrayed as either severely ill individuals or simply victims. That is not how life works, and Asher makes that gray area, well, quite clear.

A side note: If you want to hear excerpts from the tapes, go to http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/tapes.php.

Beautiful prose, compelling plot, and excellent gore: The Reapers Are The Angels (Bell)

...Yeah, that pretty much sums up my opinion of The Reapers Are The Angels, a young adult novel by Alden Bell. The novel is set up in a United States--with a focus on the South--where the dead walk, and certain precautions (i.e. head-shots) must be taken to make sure the dead stay dead. The novel follows Temple, a teenage girl with a thoughtful personality and a wicked skill with a gurkha knife (seriously, she does) as she navigates a world that has been badly broken. However, the world may not be the biggest thing Temple has to contend with...

There were so many things I liked about this book--my three part summary in the title pretty much sums it up, but let me explain myself. Alden Bell has written a captivating piece of work--his descriptions, use of the third person present, and lovely diction and imagery really drew me into the work. Additionally, as stated in the third part of the action, the gore--er action--is pretty fantastic and well-described. Don't worry-it's not horribly over-the-top, but is still well-described like the rest of the book. The plot itself--while it could have gotten old because it was fairly episodic--was compelling, particularly because, at the same time, the reader gets a lot of Temple's personal ruminations. Temple's self-exploration is what makes a lot of the book so interesting and to an extent relatable. There's a great twist at the end...I won't tell you what it is. Just know that it's very well-done. All in all, The Reapers are the Angels was a rather enjoyable book--not necessairly the deepest book I've ever read, altough it did have some meaning. Definetely check this one out if you're looking for something quick, but well-written and fun to read.

Between Shades of Gray (Spetys)

Lina Vilkas is fifteen when the Soviet NKVD comes for her family. After being shoved into cattle cars with many other Lithuanian deportees, they make the long journey from Lithuania to Siberia. The rest of the book focuses on the horrifying conditions, slavery, and terror Lina, her family and the other Lithuanian deportees suffer at the hands of the Soviets.

I generally had a positive reaction to Between Shades of Gray. Ruta Sepetys censors very little of the horrors faced and describes everything that happens to Lina and the others in stark detail. Given how little the public knows about what happened on the Eastern Front during WWII, I think that this choice is entirely appropriate. Sepetys, additionally, is also not unnecessarily graphic, so this book could be accessible to very mature eight graders and above (the book is technically classified as young adult). There are also some really tender moments as well in the interactions between the deportees, who struggled to save each other in the face of others who wished to make them suffer. The contrast between the simplistic language and the details is well-done, and pulls the reader into the content. I also liked Lina as a character who is fiery and brave, who documents this story to make others aware of it. I did have some minor problems with the writing--I found it a bit rough at times and found the all-capitalized exclamations unnecessary, but this is understandable as it was her first novel. Despite these faults, my overall of the book was positive.

I also believe that this book should be read because it illuminates an obscure part of the history. What happened in Eastern Europe is only recently being uncovered from the proverbial carpet it was swept under during the war and for many years following (the Soviet archives were only recently opened to the public). I took a history class on the Eastern Front and was blown away by the brutality there. This story has filled in my understanding of what went on during this time period. So, I appreciate that Sepetys has put forth this story.

If you find yourself interested in Sepetys' perspective and history lesson, go here. The video is well-done and offers additional perspective, so I would recommend you do so.

You Win or You Die: The Game of Thrones (Martin)

I'm sure there are a gazillion other reviews for this book already online, but I will still throw in my sword onto the side of praising George R.R. Martin. For those who haven't heard what this book's about, let me give you a very basic run-down. When the solemn and upright Lord Eddard Stark is named the Hand of the King to his best friend Robert Baratheon, he is plunged into court intrigues where it is nearly impossible to tell who is friend and foe.

Yes, I know that summary is extremely vague. Go read the book--there is a ton more to it, as the eight hundred seven pages can attest.

Despite the book's extreme length, I remained consistently interested in the plot. George R.R.Martin chose to tell the story from multiple perspectives--including Stark's children and wife, and a couple of his political opponents--and these switches were what really kept my interest. Martin's characters are extremely life-like. They have one clear aspect that they display with regularity, but then there are other scenes that fleshed them out and made me question them and kept me turning pages. I also liked how Martin did not just let the "good guys" have the right--it added further depth to the already intriguing plot and, again, kept me reading. I was also quite impressed with the world he has created. It is clearly a fantasy setting, but, in this book, magic was not a huge factor. I liked that difference and am curious to see if he will keep the magic to a minimum in the later books.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Knowledge After an Apocalypse: A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller, Jr.)

Okay, I'll admit this is an older book--it was originally published in 1959--but I just can't help myself. Additionally, this blog is not simply for newer books--although you'll see new ones on here as well. Anyways, onto the review!

A Canticle for Lebowitz follows the story of the cycle of human knowledge development. In this world, the apocalypse has just occurred--true to fears born out of WWII, several nations nuke each other, creating a stark, desert world. In the beginning of a new era, the human survivors turned against their so-called advanced culture and knowledge. They execute learned men are executed and burn the books of this now destroyed civilization. In the chaos, a man by the name of Leibowitz, with other like-minded individuals, gathers books that survived and stores them to await the day when people turn to them. As a result, an order of monks, known as the Order of Leibowitz, forms, to collect and protect these old texts until the world wants them back. The book follows this new civilization and its relationship to the order and their cache of books.

My general reaction can be summed up in one word: whoa. Walter M. Miller, Jr. does a fantastic job building the world--and making it believable. Granted most apocalyptic stories these days involve zombies, but still I could definetely see the events playing out once the apocalypse (although it's highly unlikely that I'll actually live through the actual blast to see if my predictions are right). I was immensely impressed with Miller, Jr.'s ability to pull the reader in. Even though he did not stick with just one particular cast of characters, I became engaged with each group that took the reader through a particular point in time. I loved how he took the reader through the development of this new civilization and, really, humanity. The book hit me especially hard at the end; I still haven't decided whether I agree with his worldview. If anyone's read it, please share your thoughts on the ending. All in all, it is a most worthy book, and I demand that you go read it. Right now.

The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)

Nobody Owens lives in a graveyard where he is cared for by all the ghosts of the graveyard. Not only that, he can do things that ghosts can: he can Fade and Haunt and strike Fear into the hearts of living. Despite these abilities, Bod cannot leave the graveyard. If not, he will be killed by the man who killed his family when he was a baby. Over the course of the book, Bod becomes more determined to leave the graveyard and experience life as a living person.


At first, I wasn't sure the book would live up to my expectations for Gaiman's work. However, my concerns were quickly evaporated--The Graveyard Book has Gaiman's charm and cleverness. I really liked the way he set up the graveyard as a contained world and gave it almost its own mythology. Because it's geared for younger audiences, the writing is not as elaborate as Gaiman's usual style, but it is enjoyable even for an older--yes even adult--reader. Definitely check it out, particularly if you're trying to find something to read with a younger family member or student.

The Wise Man's Fear (Patrick Rothfuss)

It's difficult to write about a sequel, especially one as excellent as Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear. The companion to The Name of the Wind continues the story of Kvothe, an extraordinary young man who grew up to become a living legend in his own time. In the present time, Kvothe runs an inn, playing the role of mild-mannered innkeeper. A man called Chronicler comes in and demands Kvothe's true story. So, Kvothe tells of his birth into the Edema Ruh--a group of traveling troupers--and his eventual journey to the University and his adventures. This chronicle began in The Name of the Wind and continues in this book.

Both The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear are fantastic. The world is engaging, with rich details. The culture of the places are incredible and well-thought out. I greatly enjoyed the characters in the beginning, and I loved the development of some of the secondary characters--mostly Kvothe's friends--in this book. Even though both of these books are impressively lengthy epics, they are utterly engaging. I found myself staying up far later than I should have just so I could read a few more pages. Unfortunately, perhaps staying up until 3 a.m. was not prudent. The loss of sleep was totally worth it. I can't wait for the third book.

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me (ed. Kate Bernheimer)

A middle-aged woman tries to get water for a dear old friend. A boy-disguised as a cat-works to avenge his witch-mother's death. Half of Rumpelstiltskin walks in this world. These are just a few of the fairy tales that await the reader in My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, an anthology of fairy tales put together by Kate Bernheimer. Written several well-known authors including Neil Gaiman and Joyce Carol Oates, these stories are inspired by fairy tales from all over the world, including but not limited to the tundras of Russia, Denmark (as manifested by H.C. Andersen), and even Japan. With some stories, it is easy to divulge their origin, but, in many cases, it is difficult to determine what fairy tale inspired it. That is not to say that these unfamiliar stories are not enjoyable--on the contrary.

This anthology, while it does provide a fresh outlook on these old, familiar tales, provides fairy tales that are not really for children. That is not to say that there are not stories in here for children--there are-- but many of the stories' protagonists are adults dealing with situations that might be out of the range of a child's comprehension. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories in the book. They were creative and well-written, and I liked the discussion of certain adult topics. Many of these stories are not necessarily traditional fairy tales--there's one based on a Bluebeard tale that is about an older couple trying to work things out that does not fit the traditional fairy tale mold. That isn't important to me though, and I enjoyed this anthology.

The world goes on...but I do not: Revolution (Jennifer Donnelly)

Andi Alperes is really screwed up---she blames herself for the death of her younger brother Truman. She is failing all of her classes at her special Brooklyn prep school, and her mom has gone crazy. All that's keeping her grounded is her music and guitar, and even those things are not helping like they should. As things start to come down around her, her father drags her to Paris so that she can work on her senior thesis. During her stay, Andi finds a diary written by Alexandrine Paradis during the French Revolution. The journal describes Alex's experiences as a player caring for Louis-Charles, the young boy prince imprisoned and the horrors that befell him and the rest of France during the Revolution. As she gets sucked into Alex's story, she begins to make connections to her own life and looks for answers through Alex's words.

This book floored me--it only took me two days to read this book. Donnelly sucked me into both Andi and Alexandrine's stories. Both characters are extremely relatable and have beautifully expressed voices. Additionally, the book hits some fairly hard subjects--drugs, party culture, and Revolution horrors--and does a wonderful job of addressing them without necessarily beating the reader over the head. Andi's revelation, at the end, is spectacular, and I think something people need to hear. I love it, and I will not spoil it for you. Just go read it.

A Peek at God's Notebook: The Housekeeper and the Professor (Yoko Ogawa)

The Housekeeper and the Professor follows the remarkable story of a relationship that develops despite great odds. The protagonist, a young housekeeper, becomes employed by a highly intelligent professor of mathematics. The Professor, however, has a problem: he only has eighty minutes of working memory, and all of his memories stop in 1975 as a result of a tragic car crash. Despite these difficulties, the Housekeeper and her son Root form a strong relationship with the Professor.

This book is very sweet. The prose is simple, but it is well-crafted, and the story takes a nice meandering pace. Math plays a big role in the story, but it is not beyond the mathematically inclined, and it does not prevent one from getting something out of the book. I occasionally felt like I would have appreciated more of the book if I understood more of the mathematical conversations, but I would not let an unfamiliarity with math deter one from reading it. At the very least, read it because it is so charming.

Double Feature: The Fade and Retribution Falls (Chris Wooding)

That's right, ladies and gentlemen--two book reviews in one entry! Anyways, I'm such a fan of Chris Wooding that I am looking forward to writing two reviews at one for you.

The Fade:
Beneath the surface of a hostile moon, a war rages between the Eskarans and the Gurtans and has been for several years. Orna is an Eskaran Cadre--an elite, borderline supernatural warrior who does the will of the clan she serves. However, the Gurtans capture her, and, out of concern for her son, she breaks out to save him, even if her actions mean turning against her masters.

This book was a shift from Wooding's usual story-telling style. For one thing, he uses first person, and mixes past and present tenses as he switches in and out of Orna's flashbacks and the current action. I also liked the backwards chapters (30 to 0) because it added to the sense of a countdown. The mix of flashbacks and current situation really pulled me in. As I read it, I gradually came to realize just how much this war had destroyed Orna's life. The twist at the end is fantastic--didn't see it coming, and it definitely makes the plot play out in a non-stereotypical way.

Retribution Falls:

All that matters to Darian Frey, captain of the Ketty Jay, is enough riches to keep his craft in the air and his pockets lined. So, when he's offered a job to bring down a craft and take a chest of rubies in exchange for 50,000 ducats, the temptation is too great. However, the job goes horribly wrong, and Frey and his misfit crew are forced to flee the law. As they try not to get arrested or blasted out of the sky, they work to work out the messy intrigue they've gotten themselves into.

This book is fun--I'm not sure it's as well-crafted as some of the other books by Wooding I've read. The world doesn't feel quite as fleshed out as, say, The Fade or The Braided Path trilogy, and most of the characters have a deep, dark secret (I'll let you guess who does and who doesn't). That being said, the deep dark secrets are interesting, and there is intense airship pirate battles, so it's great for light pleasure reading for both the steam punk and non-steam punk inclined.

Gotta run: Life at These Speeds (Jeremy Jackson)

Missouri high schooler Kevin Schuler is fast. In cross-country and his track events, the 1600 and 800, he is untouchable. People hail him; he is showered with praise and rewards. However, Kevin wants none of that--he loves to run, but not compete and wishes to be left in peace. This story, however, also follows Kevin as he tries to work through his personal issues that originate from the accident that killed all his teammates from his first track team.


This book has a lot going for it. Jackson does a really good job of setting up Kevin's situation and also characterizes him well. The writing is extremely engaging, and I found myself reading huge chunks of the book at once, even though oftentimes I had other things I should have been doing (like homework or sleeping). The book reminded me a bit of some of Chris Crutcher's work in that Jackson uses sports to address more personal issues. My one complaint with the book was that I wanted to see more of Kevin's character development. His issues and Jackson's presentation of them are compelling, but, because I did not always like Kevin as a narrator, I wanted to read about more changes in him. That being said, the book is compelling enough and is a good read.

The Emerald Atlas (John Stephens)

Siblings Kate, Emma, and Michael P. have been shepherded from orphanage to orphanage ever since their parents mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. Finally, they are sent to Cambridge Falls to live under the care of a Doctor Pym. During their exploration of their new home, they discover a mysterious atlas that transports them back in time. There, they are forced to face down the Countess, a powerful witch, and her undead army. As Kate comes to realize this power of the atlas, she and her siblings try to save their new home and themselves from the Countess. In doing so, they discover that they are involved in a special prophecy...

I won't go too much more into the plot--it would be no fun if I summarized the whole thing, now would it? You'll just have to read it, and I think you'll at least want to check it out.

The Emerald Atlas is quite fun and, despite being over four hundred pages, is a quick read. I read the whole thing in a day with little trouble. Granted, I was trapped in a car, but it is definitely engaging enough to be enjoyable. Stephens has mixed fantasy and familial elements to create an engaging story and has effectively set up the next couple of books. The book definitely caters to younger audiences--the characters are fairly simplistic, the humor's fairly juvenile, and it's not too scary--but the tangled, fast-paced plot makes it enjoyable even for an older reader. As the simplistic characters were my main complaints, I am hoping that the characters will develop more over the next couple of books. Despite that reservation, I would recommend reading this book and then keeping an eye out for the sequels.