Deathly Deception

I got about a quarter of a way through this book, then skimmed another quarter then said "it would take a very special person to enjoy this book". Although the 6 reviews on Amazon.com give it a 4 star, it is a very difficult book to read. It had such potential, too.

It's nonfiction about the real story of Operation Mincemeat, in which the allies intelligence agencies try to mislead Hitler by throwing false intelligence documents overboard in hopes they will reach land and fall into the wrong hands. Intriguing, right?

Here's where it went wrong: too much detail. This book is written for really smart people who already know a lot about WW2 and all the ins and outs of military stuff. If this book was written for laymen (and women), it could have been great. As it is, I couldn't get through it and wouldn't recommend it unless you were really into WW2.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

This is one of those books where you finish it and you wish there were 1000 more pages. Everything was perfect about this historical fiction novel. The setting is England and France during the Reign of Terror after the start of the French Revolution. And that makes it sounds dreary. It's not. It's a mystery and adventure book. It's a love story. It's beautiful language.

Caveat: in an effort to be authentic in language and accent it is a little difficult to read at first until you get to know the characters and what's going on. The beginning is setting up a lot of characters and is a little odious but after finishing the book I realize all the tedious set up is very important. It made me understand and care about the characters. Then you get lost in the story, the clothes, the manners, and the gorgeous language of the late 1700s.

I can't say much about this book...if you choose to read it, DO NOT FIND OUT WHAT IT'S ABOUT!!!!!! Was I loud enough?!

Here's a basic plot summary: French people are sending hundreds of French Aristocrats to the guillotine just for being apart of the aristocracy. There is an Englishman who goes by the name of The Scarlet Pimpernel (an English flower) who goes into France and rescues some of them. The French don't like it and try to find out who the man is. That's all you need (and should) know before reading this.

If you are an English major or just love literature...this is a must read. You have to think a little bit in the beginning, but once you place all the characters, it sucks you in and is a page turner.

Champion

I have read a TON of Dystopian genre these past 2-3 years. And I am tired of it. So, when I say that I loved this series (especially this last book of the trilogy) it has some weight. Legend was the first. Prodigy was the second.

The book got off to a slow start for me. I felt that Lu tried too hard in the relationship between Day and June and it felt inauthentic. Although now that I finished the book, her build up of relational tension makes sense since you need to feel a certain way for the end to count emotionally.

Champion is a clever book politically. And I felt the balance between the political angst and the relational angst of Day and June was good. There are interested characters throughout the novel and interesting plot developments.

If you enjoy other books in the genre, you will love this one. The ending was well done as well. Not tragic like Allegiant. Not happy like The Hunger Games. A good balance of beautiful sacrifice that will make you cry, but not leave you heavy hearted.

East

This is not the kind of book I gravitate toward. It's basically a fairy tale. There are trolls, a Troll Queen, enchantment, ice palaces, and more. While it was a good story and it was a quick read, I wouldn't say it's a must read unless you really like reading fairy tales.

However, I did give it to my 9-year-old girl to read. Boys would also enjoy it though. The reading level is high enough for my daughter (it will challenge her a bit because of the names of places and people!), but the material is appropriate for her. There are still some heavy topics in this book (slavery, kidnapping, murder, people tossed overboard in a storm and dying, witchcraft), but no more than a traditional fairy tale. And told in a non-detailed kind of way.

Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to not regret reading it and may recommend it to certain people or if you are looking for a very light read. If you have kids, I would recommend them to read it. I have a feeling that it would be a childhood favorite.

Otherwise, skip it and move on to a more adult book.

A Wrinkle in Time

I never read this as a child. Boy, did I miss out. And while I loved it as an adult, I think it would have been truly magical to read as a child.

The world that L'Engle creates is wonderful, full of good and evil, tessering, and the Trinity in disguise. Not only is the story a good one with good writing, but the underlying spiritual message is wonderful. I highly recommend this book for not only adults, but for children.

Rules

Once again, I read this to make sure my 9 year old could read it. Or at least so I could talk to her about any issues that might come up. I was only a chapter in before I realized it'd be great for my girls to read. But because I wanted to read it as well, I got the audio from the library and we listened together in the car. EVERY MOM SHOULD DO THIS! What a fun way to taxi around.

Back to the book. It was great. The overall message was great, the writing was good, the characters were precious and endearing, and the story was captivating...even for me.

Rules is meant for younger kids. However, the message and themes are ageless. Catherine is a 12-year-old girl who has an 8-year-old brother with Autism. She makes rules for him to follow so he can better navigate his world. Catherine is trying to navigate her own world of being and doing all things for her brother when she meets a boy, Jason, who is wheelchair bound and can not speak. Jason can communicate through his communication book and he and Catherine become friends. Now Catherine has to navigate being friends with Jason and still trying to impress her new neighbor that she desperately wants to be good friends with.

I highly recommend this book - not only for young kids, but for adults as well. It's a sweet story that will remind you of what true friendship is and the value of life, regardless of how different that life is from your own.

The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son - The Giver Quartet

I've been on a Lois Lowry kick these days, so of course I had to read The Giver Quartet. The Giver introduces a world that on the outside looks utopian, but we find out it's actually dystopian. It ends with a boy leaving his government controlled community to find what's outside its borders. He sees a lighted house down a long hill, but readers are left not knowing if it's his imagination as he is dying in the snow or if it's real and he makes it.

Gathering Blue introduces another world and more characters. There is a society where the lame, blind, or just birth marked people are taken to a field to die. Within the society, there is a council who controls the people through manipulation and fear. The protagonist is a young girl who is recently orphaned who ends up living with the council due to her artistic abilities. The book ends with her understanding that her society doesn't have to be like it is and wanting to change it.

The two above worlds meet in Messenger. The boy from The Giver meets up with some characters from Gathering Blue and some the readers finally get some answers to their questions. Human nature becomes more evident in this book. People start trading at a Trade Mart and it turns the community upside down.

Son is the conclusion to the loosely related series. Up until now, I had thought I'd let my 3rd grader read them. However, Son is much darker than the others and so the series really is more appropriate for 5th-6th graders. We see more of the trading that devastated the Village in Messenger. And we see the conclusion where all ends well...a good thing for this series. It's written very well. There are Before, Between, and Beyond sections. And the plot is riveting, even though it's juvenile fiction.



Overall, the themes in the Giver Series are love, sacrifice, strength regardless and maybe because of disabilities, and loss. Perfect series.