The To Read Shelf Challenge: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Title:  Why We Broke Up 
#150 of 158 on the Too Read Shelf
By Daniel Handler and Maria Kalman

I feel really bad about this, but I couldn't finish this book.  It's a Printz Honor!  It's illustrated!  It's an award winner teens would actually want to read!  I should be supporting it.

This is a total, "It's not you, it's me" situation.   I am not a Daniel Handler fan.  I found the Series of Unfortunate Events too precious and repetitive.  And, I found this book to be more of the same.

The book is one long letter, written by Min, a drama girl, to Ed a brainy jock, after their big split.  It tells the story of their relationship and of course, why it ended.   Problem was, I didn't like either of these people very much, so spending time with them was a chore.

When a book becomes a chore, I put it down.

This book has many passionate fans.  I can see the appeal.  Handler gives this temporary relationship all the drama and gravitas a real-live teen would.  Kalman's illustrations are charming.   But, Min is a manic pixie dream girl of the highest degree, and I didn't care about her enough to see her story to the end.

Chime by Franny Billingsley

What You Need to Know:  This beautifully written steampunkish fairy tale is an antidote to cookie cutter supernatural romances, and one of my best books of 2011. 


Summary:  Briony Larkin is 17 years old and a witch.  She knows that she is evil;  responsible for her sister Rose's mental difficulties.  However, she must care for Rose and that means keeping her ability to hear the Old Ones a secret.  The Old Ones call to Briony, and beg her to tell their stories. 


But the world is changing, and engineers plan to drain the swamp.  This angers the Old Ones, and in retaliation, the children of Swampsea are stricken with a deadly cough.  When Rose takes ill, Briony knows she must do whatever it takes to save her.  Adding to Briony's troubles is Larkin, the charming son of the an engineer, who is determined to puzzle out Briony's secrets.  


What Worked:  Billingsley is one of the most engaging and skillful writers I have ever read.  This book is all about journey -- there are no real surprises here.  However, Billingsley takes familiar tropes and skews them, twisting her story so that plot is secondary to the rich world building and vibrant characterizations.  Swampsea, like Lyra's Jordan, is a world just left of our own, where magic is real and modernity bumps up uncomfortably against the old ways.  The Old Ones of the Swamp, with few exceptions, are dangerous, but not sinister, and Briony's connection to them seems organic and real.  Briony herself is one of the most fully realized characters I've come across.  Unlike many heroines, she is not inhumanly perfect, not a blank Mary Sue, but a real girl, in extraordinary circumstances, trying to do the right thing.  The supporting cast is equally well drawn, from the perplexing Rose to the engaging boy-man Larkin.  Briony and Larkin's romance is sweet and believable, not fairy tale perfect.  


The first word that pops to mind when discussing Chime is beautiful.  Beautiful language, beautiful setting, beautiful story.  


What Didn't:  It's hard for me to find a flaw here.  I do think that the cover of the book fails to do it justice, as the blandly pretty goth-child pictured here comes nowhere close to embodying Briony's spirit and passion.


P.S. -- I read this book in ARC, and then listened to the audiobook with my daughter.   In someways, the audiobook is superior to the novel, as Susan Duerden does a masterful reading, and brings Billingsley's language to life. 

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

What You Need to Know:  This is a romance-y spin on the current Greek Gods trend, featuring a strong heroine and an interesting premise.

Summary: Kate Winters has spent the last several years waiting for her mom to die, living to care for her, and shutting out everyone else.  Now, as her mom reaches end stage, Kate has come to Eden, Michigan, her mom’s hometown, to wait for the inevitable.   Eden is the smallest of small towns, and Kate attracts the attention of mean girl Ava.   When Ava dies playing a prank on Kate, a mysterious stranger named Henry appears from nowhere and offers Kate a deal – Henry will reanimate Ava, if Kate will agree to live in his home from Fall to Spring.   Eventually, Kate takes Henry up on his offer, but discovers there is more to the request.  See, Henry is Hades, and since Persephone’s death millennia ago, he has ruled Hades alone.  Now, he has little time left to find a queen, or else loose his purpose, and his existence. 

What works:  This is an interesting take on the Greek pantheon, that they existed before the Greeks gave them names, and have continued to exist after.  Kate is a likeable heroine, and her reasons for accepting Henry’s offer are clear and understandable.  Kate’s mom, Diana, is also an interesting character, who gives her daughter excellent, if not exactly selfless, advice.

As for Henry, he is a very engaging guy.  A little broody and aloof, but the reader can understand why Kate wants to save him. 

All through the book, the reader knows something HUGE that Kate doesn’t.  For me, this made the book an interesting experiment   -- my knowledge makes me see the characters differently than Kate does. It created a tension that I liked.    

What didn’t:  Is it written on a scroll somewhere that ALL YA paranormals must include a love triangle?  In this one, its between Henry, Kate and another god named James.  James is a twitchy bag of ticks, and more than a little underhanded, and why Kate might feel something for him is never clear.

The “Goddess Test” in the title is actually a series of 7 tests, but Kate doesn’t know when they are happening or what the tests even are.  So while the book is engaging, there is no epic quest, no training, and no huge denouement.  Kate lives in Henry’s home and… hangs out.   It’s a little bit of a bait and switch.

Verging into spoiler territory,   the “twist” at the end of the book left me feeling flat.  No, I didn’t see it coming (although Carter does drop hints, if you know what to look for) but it also felt a little contrived, and opened up some huge questions about the universe Kate and Henry live in. 

However:  The above makes it sound like I didn’t like the book.  But I did.  I liked it more than a lot of YA paranormal romances.

Who Would I Give This Book To?  Teen girls looking for more paranormal reads, who have had it with vampires,.  teen fans of Percy Jackson who liked the romance angle.    

Review copy downloaded from NetGalley. 

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

What You Need to Know:  This fast paced, complex romance combines top-notch world building and genre elements for a compelling read. 

Summary:  England is free of Horde rule.  The Eastern invaders were defeated when Rhys Trahaearn destroyed the technology used to communicate with the nanotech present in every Brit.  Now a national hero, the Iron Duke has used his fame and position to create a merchant empire.   Years after the Horde have left Britain,  the Buggers (those with the nanotechnology) and the Bounders (those Englishmen who fled to the new world before the Horde) live in an uneasy mix of cultures.   Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth sees this from her position as an officer of the law and an outsider with Horde blood.  When a dead body shows up on Trahaearn's front lawn, the former pirate becomes obsessed with the Detective.  But Mina knows that she cannot allow the Duke to claim her, no matter how much she might wish to.   


What Worked:  This book has one of the most original premises I have ever seen.  Steampunk nanotech -- simply awesome.  The way that Brook creates her universe, explaining in some places, letting the reader wonder in others,  is masterful.  Brook also has a deft hand with her characters.  Mina is intelligent, beautiful and brave -- but not perfect.  She is believable, and it is easy to see why Rhys wants her so badly.  Rhys is equally well drawn, and shows a great deal of growth throughout the book.   


What is most impressive to me is the way that Brook juggles her genre elements.  This is a romance book, and a sexy one at that, with all of the thrusting and heaving that is common in the genre.  It's also an adventure, and a mystery and a science fiction novel.   Grafting these varied components together is a feat in itself, doing it as seamlessly as this is nearly miraculous.  


What Didn't:  The final quarter of this book felt a tad expected, with some Deux ex machina (literally!) moments.  Also, some characters' roles could have been reduced or eliminated altogether.  


However:  I suspect that the ending is required by the strictures of the romance genre.  And since a sequel is already planned, I imagine those extra characters are there for a reason. 


Who would I give this book to?  My mom.  Seriously, she loves her some paranormal romance.  This is most definitely an adult book, so teens are out, but I can see many an adult PNR fan embracing this book. 

Anna and the French Kiss

What You Need to Know:  This charming teen romance combines a fun Parisian setting and realistic characters in a sweet but believable story.  


Summary:  Anna was all set for her senior year in Atlanta, good job at the multiplex, cute boy to crush on, BFF to hang with.  It got shattered when her dad, a sappy novelist, decided that Anna will spend her senior year in Paris.  Stuck in a country where she doesn't know anybody or speak the language, Anna is miserable, until she meets Etienne St. Clair.  Short, cosmopolitan, and completely adorable, St. Clair would be major boyfriend material -- if not for his long term girlfriend.  So, Anna contents herself with being St. Clair's best friend.  As Anna and Etienne get closer, things get more and more confusing.  


What Worked:  Almost everything!  This book is wonderful -- fun and sweet and romantic without being sappy.  Anna is not happy about being uprooted from her life, but admits that being forced to spend a year in Paris is not the worst thing in the world.  What really sells this book is the realistic characters.  Anna sounds like most teens I know -- not sheltered, but not ready to be on her own just yet.  And even though she doesn't realize it, Anna is a charmer -- smart and fun and a little goofy.  One thing I liked is that Perkins lets you know Anna is attractive, but doesn't go on and on about how beautiful she is.  Etienne could be too perfect, but his exasperating unwillingness to take a risk with Anna makes him more believable.  The supporting cast of Anna's classmates are equally well drawn.  Anna and the reader get to explore Paris together, but this doesn't feel like a travelogue.  The descriptions are really nicely woven into the story.  


What Didn't:  Anna's "back home" subplot really didn't gel for me.  It was realistic, but it dragged the narrative down a little bit.    Anna and Etienne's "will they/won't they" dance gets a tad exasperating, as the reader can clearly see that they are crazy for each other. 


However:  Exasperating is a lot of what romance is about. 


Who Would I Give This Book To?   I plan on giving it to everybody I can!  But seriously, I would give it to girls who read Sarah Dessen or Deb Calletti, kids who want to travel abroad, teens looking for a good realistic fiction read. 


Also note:  This book would make an interesting paring with Revolution by Donnelly.  Anna and Andi are very different, but both of them find something they need in Paris!  

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

What You Need to Know:  This is a fast, beachy love story,  for girls who like their romance with a little bit of depth.  


Summary:  Belly, her older brother and her mom have spent every summer at the beach with her Mom's best friend, Susannah and her two boys, Jeremiah and Conrad.  Jeremiah, Conrad and Steven formed a trio of boys that Belly (short for Isabel) desperately wants to join.  She is also desperate for Conrad, the boy she will love forever.  While her Mom and Susannah spend time together, and the boys off on their own, Belly has always lived in the spaces between them.   However, this past summer, the summer Belly turned 16, something was different.  Belly isn't a little girl anymore, and everything  changed. 


What worked:  Han perfectly captures the tone of a summer vacation, that magical time that you look forward to all year, when there's nothing to do and you like it that way.  Also perfectly portrayed is Belly's voice, a girl who has grown up (happily) in the shadow of boys, who is just beginning to transition into young womanhood.  It's a testament to the power of Han's writing that I enjoyed this book so much without particularly liking Belly, who is a little whiny and pouty, like all little sisters.  I also adored Cam, the first boy Belly notices who isn't Jeremiah or Conrad.  He's the perfect first boyfriend. 


What Didn't:  Belly spends a lot of time telling the reader how wonderful Conrad is, but doesn't show much of that.  From what we see of him, he's a jerk.  There are reasons for this, but, he's a jerk nevertheless.  Also, I found the tense a little confusing.  Belly is telling the story of her 16th summer from a point in the near future, but also describes times in the more distant past.  Because the voice doesn't really change, it was tricky to figure out what happens when. 


However:  I tore through this book, and if I was taking more time, the tense thing probably wouldn't have bothered me. 


Who Would I Give this Book To?  Girls who are fans of Sarah Dessen or Deb Calletti.  Romance readers.  I might give this one to my mom, if she would ever take a book recommendation from me.  

Mercury by Hope Larson

What You Need to Know: This is a beautifully drawn, historical romance with a modern twist, that might be a hard sell for some teens.

Summary:  Tara is returning to school, following a fire that destroyed her home, a family farm, forcing her (odd) mother to move away for work.  A strange necklace found in a box unwittingly connects her to Josie, a distant relative of Tara's from 1859.  Josie lives on the same farm, and like Tara, watches over her high-strung mother.  A stranger finds gold on the family farm, but can he be trusted with the gold, much less Josie's heart?  And, hundreds of years later, how can Tara keep her mother from uprooting her and loosing their heritage? 

What Worked: Larson is an amazing artist, and this black and white novel is beautifully illustrated, with expressive characters and a quiet charisma.  Josie's love story is charmingly told, bittersweet and poignant.  Larson also does a great job of involving you in Josie's story -- you desperately want everything to work out for her.  This book also has one of the most arresting and unique covers that I have ever seen.  It becomes more and more interesting the longer that you look at it.  

What Didn't:  Larson counts on the parallel structure to do a lot of heavy lifting for her.  We don't ever see Tara's mom, she's just a voice on the phone, and an offhand comment from others.  We see a lot of Josie's mother though, and can extrapolate from there about Tara's mom.  I admire an author who trusts her audience enough to let them connect the dots; however, I'm not sure that it worked as well as it could have.  Tara's romance is a little more obtuse, and didn't add much to the story.  Also, the more overt supernatural elements in this book -- such as the animal spirits --  felt slightly out of place, and a little tacked on.  

However: My tolerance for supernatural flourishes is very low.  Your mileage may vary.  

Who Would I Give This Book To?  Teens looking for a different sort of paranormal romance, and those who like their historical fiction with a twist. 

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

* Note:  I'm trying a new format for the reviews, so this may look a little different.

What You Need to Know:  Revolution is a historical fiction book with a twist.  This is the story of a very modern, very screwed up girl who finds inspiration and hope in the diary of a girl who lived and died during the French Revolution.  Beautifully written and engrossing, I consider this one of the best books of 2010. 

Summary: Following the death of her little brother, Andi's life has fallen apart.  Her dad has split, her mom's gone crazy and Andi only survives due to medication and her music.  When Andi's mom is hospitalized, Andi is forced to go to Paris with her dad.  There she finds the diary of Alexandrine, a girl who lived during the French Revolution.  Alexandrine was a performer, who was a special companion of the Dauphin, the heir to the throne of France.  When the Revolution comes, and Louis-Charles is imprisoned, Alexandrine risks everything to give him what comfort she can.  As Andi becomes more engrossed in Alexandrine's story, the two girls' lives begin to converge in surprising ways.

What Worked:  Donnelly has a special gift, for instructing her reader with out lecturing them.  Although I had a pretty good background in the French Revolution, I learned without realizing it, as the information is seamlessly integrated into the story, not dumped in big chunks of exposition.   Donnelly also humanizes her historical characters, so that they are just as flawed and sympathetic as the characters she creates, not dusty cardboard cutouts.  Those two things -- history lessons disguised as narrative and stock characters  -- are two of my biggest beefs with historical fiction, and both are avoided here.

The amount of craft in this book is truly amazing, so many different threads -- the fate of Alexandrine, the implosion of Andi's family, the causes of the Revolution, musical DNA, the Paris catacombs, depression, survivor's guilt, art, The Divine Comedy -- all come together to weave a compelling and engrossing story.  Yes, at 500 pages, there is a lot of book here, but it doesn't feel overlong or padded.  The length is necessary for the complex tale.

What Didn't:  Personally, I could have lived without the love story angle.  I know from interviews that Donnelly took a lot of inspiration from The Divine Comedy and wanted to show an artist traveling through their version of hell with a guide.  Andi's Virgil is so smoking hot and wonderful, how could she not fall in love with him?  However, I'm not sure it worked.  I also felt like Donnelly was trying to make some paralells between the climate during the Revolution and the treatment of refugees in modern Paris that never really came off.  

However: These are quibbles, overall there wasn't much wrong here.

Who I Would Give this Book to:  Kids who share Andi's love of music.  Girls who like historical fiction.  Boys who would be intersted in the bloody Revolution.

The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller.

The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller.
Razorbill,  978-1595143082
Release Date: August 10, 2010


Haven Moore has lived her entire life in rural Tennessee.  Ever since she was young, Haven has had visions of a life that was not hers.  As Haven grew, she suppressed the memories of Constance and Ethan, a pair of doomed lovers from turn of the century New York.  When the visions return, Haven is compelled to leave Snopes City and seek out Ethan, who she believes has been reincarnated as a notorious playboy, Iain.  She also seeks the help of the Ouroboros Society, a group dedicated to helping those with memories of past lives.  However, neither Iain or the Society is what it seems, and Haven finds herself on her own, not knowing who to trust.


I am not the target reader for this book.  Star-crossed lovers, meeting across time, fated to relive old patterns -- the whole concept puts me off.  It’s to Miller’s credit that I found this book both engaging and suspenseful.