Critique

Very much in the tone of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, this exposé of the climate of the South in 1963 reveals the social and racial tension 100 years after slavery had been banned. The mentality of the African American community is still too often that of passive-aggressive servitude, and taking that final step to bridging the gap proves to be more of a mountain than it should be. The White community is often both cruel and two-faced when it comes to their African American townspeople, and it’s sad to see that people were treating each other this way even this long after slavery had been abolished.

Burg also relates the happenings of the townsfolk with that of the important historical moments during the summer of that year, which ushered in the Civil Rights movement in full force. This text is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a great tool in order to help us all remember how far things have come in America, and how far they still need to go for full racial equality and dissolving enmity between cultures. I recommend this to all readers 12+.

Critique

Even though I was certain Montmaray was not a real place, I continually second guessed myself throughout reading the text. Cooper does such a fantastic job of creating a believable history, topography, and culture for this imaginary island that it makes it difficult to believe it’s not an actual place.

Also, typically I don’t like the whimsical girl 1st person narrative, but I believe it worked for this story very well. However, there were sometimes where the journal concept Cooper uses to tell the story breaks down a bit. By that I mean specifically that the events and the way Sophie is relaying those events seem less like a girl writing in her journal and more like a standard 3rd person omniscient narrator.

The most accomplished element of the book is certainly the intertextual weaving of historical fiction with historical fact over the course of the history of Montmaray with the rest of Europe, as well as the discussions that arise between the characters about their roles in the world as European royalty given the tumultuous nature of Europe at the time. The war feels real told through the eyes of Sophie as does everything else about her little island kingdom. I recommend this novel to readers 13-17.

Critique

Kelly’s debut novel is a wonderful exposé on Southern society life at the turn of the 20th century, rife with subtexts and references to post-slavery issues and mindsets, the rise of modern machinery like the car and telephone, and the clear and unbalanced gender lines that existed and the struggle of one girl to overcome those.

In particular, this is an important novel for those looking into pursuing sciences, especially because of the constant references and education around naturalism, its rise into society, the opposition it received from schools and a predominantly Christian culture, and the important role it played in the emergence of a new humanity in over the 20th century.

Calpurnia is a delight to follow as she begins to notice the world around her. In her own evolution, she begins in the larval stage and moves through pupae, cocoon, and eventually becomes a bright and beautiful butterfly (or moth as is a symbolic reference in the book). Kelly is witty and clever in her treatment of Calpurnia’s growth as a person, a scientist, and a courageous and curious mind. She exhibits a vast range of human emotion, showing empathy, sadness, self-sacrifice and exuberant joy, clearly a believable and lovable character.

Kelly also has deftly woven passages from Darwin’s Origin of Species, cunningly breaking the 4th wall for the reader in an effort to compare the evolution of Calpurnia and her world to that of Darwin’s scientific expositions.

For those looking for an excellent read that contains layers of depth that can be turned to several times before fully comprehending everything, then this is the perfect novel. I recommend it to all readers 10+.

Critique

Lawrence has composed a beautifully written book that aptly creates two different worlds. The first, the ‘real’ world is a heart-wrenching account of children who are suffering from Polio, but are able to be brightened because one girl decides to be brave enough to show up every Saturday and narrate an ongoing story. The second world is the frame story, the fantasy tale that Laurie creates for the kids in the Polio ward, which feels equally as tangible as the first.

It soon becomes clear that the two worlds are merging, and each child represents a character in the story. Laurie doesn’t always necessarily intend for it to play out that way, but through the merging of the worlds, it becomes clear to the kids that the story must be finished. Lawrence has created a treasure where both stories keep the reader interested and informed at the same time, rooting for the heroes to overcome the giant, and for the kids to overcome Polio. I wouldn’t be surprised if this novel is in the clear running for the Newbery. I recommend it to all readers 8+.

Critique

To be honest, this book was so much better than I was initially expecting it to be. I guess that I shouldn’t be surprised considering that it won so many awards, including the esteemed Carnegie Medal. Not to be redundant, but I have to reiterate how amazing this book was. Unfortunately for readers everywhere Dowd has passed away and the book has been published posthumously.

As for the details, Dowd’s description of Northern Ireland during this tumultuous time is astounding. I truly felt the tension that Fergus felt and was able to get a clearer glimpse into the complicated world of Northern Ireland at the time. Fergus is an honest and compelling character who you can’t help but root for as he directs his life through the myriad of issues that arise with his family, his country, his blossoming love life, and the girl he’s found in the bog.

Having been to Ireland a few times myself, I believe that Dowd’s account of the area is accurate in its culture and people. Also, it’s refreshing to see a story told about this time period and area. I believe that readers need more historical fiction, especially regarding events throughout our history that have largely gone untold. The IRA and the fight for freedom from the British government, which is still an issue to this day, is something we rarely get a glimpse into.

I recommend this to all readers 15+.

Critique

Anyone who knows Virgil’s The Aeneid will either love or hate Le Guin’s retelling of the life of Lavinia as it intersects Aeneas’s story. Le Guin, as always presents a tale replete with layers of conflict and underlying social commentary. Some of the most obvious is the masculine and feminine roles, the duties of a ruler to her/his people, the view of women as property and powerless, the tragedies of war, and, oddly, the inner conflict of homosexuals in a heterosexually dominated culture. Whether these elements will be endearing to lovers of Virgil’s story, or if this will be seen as a good edition to the overall telling of Aeneas’s tale is left to be seen. 

However, for those not caught up in this as an extension of Virgil, the story actually has legs of its own. Many reviewers have said that it’s not one of Le Guin’s best, but I beg to differ. The same was said about C.S. Lewis’s retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche in Til We Have Faces, although Lewis is quoted as having considered it his greatest work, and I feel much the same way about this novel. It takes a lot of work and effort to get the history correct, and not only that, but Le Guin spends great lengths describing everything about the culture and time period—clothes, food, rituals, architecture, gender interplay, landscape, and much more—so that the reader can imagine every last detail of each scene. The early Latin culture becomes illuminated so that the story itself can live in an accurately detailed world. 

My guess is that since there is no magic in this story, outside of some prophesies and allusions to the intervention of the gods, people who love Le Guin’s usual writing couldn’t quite get into this one. However, I believe that it will stand the test of time as one of her greatest works, and hopefully it will be seen as an addition to Virgil’s great epic. Le Guin herself reveals her love for The Aeneid in the afterword, pining after the days when people were still taught Latin as part of their education, so that they could be enriched by the words of Virgil. She insists that people will not be able to understand the full beauty and magnitude of the work unless they read it in the original Latin.

Critique

Skillfully interlacing Indian mythology with its history and culture, this ornately woven tale shows the beauty and power of India during the twentieth century. Michaelis’s captivating words, blossoming somewhere between poetry and prose reveals the influence of storytelling. Strong themes of redemption, rebirth, forgiveness and personal conviction toward the greater good are delineated powerfully throughout the text, and even though some of the content is for more mature audiences, its handled in a way that makes things like sexuality, evil, and death appear symbolic in the overall journey toward life and growth. I recommend this text to all readers 14+.

Critique

This was surprisingly well done. I’m not sure what I was initially expecting, but the story far exceeded my expectations. The characters are interesting, and the graphic-novel style way of presenting the story is perfect for how it unfolds and the subject matter being used to move along the plot. Typically, I steer clear of saying things like, “this is the first of its kind” because that gets thrown around a lot as a marketing term. However, this is something of a first, especially as an award winner, and Selznick does a wonderful job of interlacing the pictures with the words in order to tell a complete story. 

Even beyond that though, the story itself is wonderful, despite the method through which it’s told. The characters are all fascinating and mysterious in their own way, and everyone has secrets. Not to mention that each character’s personality and foibles adds to the depth of the narrative. I recommend this to all readers, but it will come alive especially well for readers 8-12.

Critique

In the truest definition of the word, Chains is poignant. So many history classes skirt over the fact that in the midst of fighting patriots, giving their lives to win the war and gain liberty and justice for all, there was a strong hypocrisy to the concept of freedom. America was a land of slaves, even as far north as Massachusetts and beyond. Yes, it is dark and difficult and a part of American history that Americans should all be ashamed of, but it’s important to bring the full context of American history in order that people don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. 

Anderson has bravely bridged that gap by creating a heart-breaking book that gives a true account to what the lives of a freedom-seeking slave would have been during that time period. Isabel accurately remarks on the double-sided thinking that involves fighting for freedom for only a certain portion of your citizens, and she endures a great many personal hardships, even being branded, which is exactly what gives the statement such weight to its readers. 

It’s certainly not the feel-good book of the year, and although it is entertaining, that’s not its primary function. Don’t be surprised if you need tissues. I recommend this to all readers 10+.

This is the first installment of what may be a blossoming series with the next installment being Forge (book 2).

Critique

Given the style and time period in which the novel is set, the writing captures a similar tone and plot flow as a Willa Cather or Mark Twain, and Elijah is easily as entertaining a character as Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. Also, rather than relying on the classic plot styles of comedy or tragedy, with the typical beginning, middle, and end—the conflict heightening throughout the text and resolving near the conclusion—Curtis creates a series of loosely conjoined smaller stories with lesser, individual conflicts and resolutions. Similar to My Antonia, the plot seems more like a river than a mountain, winding slowly back and forth throughout the narrative. This is perfect for the style and subject matter given that it’s supposed to be a series of average stories in the life of a boy living in the historical township of Buxton during a time period rife with turmoil, especially for recently freed slaves.

Not only is this a great historical piece, with Curtis obviously doing his homework to represent the language, setting, characters and subplots accurately, but it’s a potent social commentary regarding racism in America. The stories are entertaining as well as well written and the language is beautiful. Curtis’s ability to pull the reader into the text, creating empathies for the characters, and through their eyes, all of the slaves throughout America is astounding. This piece has the capability to be life changing for kids and adults alike, and I recommend it to anyone 9+.