The Kingdom of Little Wounds

I was sorely disappointed in this book.

The writing was beautiful. The idea was very interesting and new--a fairy tale about syphilis in Scandinavia, how fresh. The cover is gorgeous. And the copy of the book I got my hands on had red all along the sides making the book stand out beautifully against the other books on the library shelf.

HOWEVER! it was extremely graphic. Both in the sickness and sores that constitute syphilis and in intimate encounters. Describing bodily functions and whatever else have you. It was "gross," as one reader on the Goodreads mentioned, and grotesque.

I only read about sixty or so pages before I became hesitant and went to encounter the comments on Goodreads to know if I should continue reading. Many people gave it five stars for it's beautiful use of language but the rest of the people who gave it lower remarks called it that because of the skanky and perverse scenes.

Originally I found it in the young adult section of my library and, because I work there, was quickly able to suggest to the cataloger to change it to adult. I think this is part of the "New Young Adult" section that is popping up in libraries/book stores, but I don't think that this should be in the YA section of libraries. I would not recommend this to anyone, adult or YA, because although the language is beautiful it is still so very skanky.

If Susann Cokal but I don't think I'll read anything else by you.

Ceremony

The novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko is actually an assigned reading that I had to do for my Native American Literature class in college. It is defiantly a different type of book and one that raised a lot of questions for me about the type American Indian.

The novel is a third person presentation of the mind of Tayo, a World War II vet who was able to finally return home from the Pacific Theater after the war was over. However, do to the loss of his cousin and uncle in the war suffers from "battle fatigue" or more commonly known today as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has a hard time dealing with his PTSD and the family matters that accrued from before and after the war.

In trying to cope with what is happening, Tayo is instructed by his grandmother to go see a medicine man to see if he could be healed that way--the white Army doctors were able to help him stop feeling like "white smoke" and invisible, but they haven't been able to help out much more than that. He goes to two medicine men and they end up helping him through the ceremonies and stories they provide.

Tayo's presentation of the world is extremely skewed. This novel is the definition of a non-reliable narrator. The narration of the novel constantly jumps back and forth in time, so much so that it is disorienting and rather confusing.  His flashbacks can last anywhere from a small paragraph of five sentences to pages. There are also no chapters, just paragraph and page breaks to separate what is happening to our narrator. 

This book, in my opinion, is good for anyone who is looking for insight into the life of any vet who suffered from PTSD as well as a look into the traditions of the American Indian. Some people may think that Silko is simply portraying a stereotype of drunk Indians who have nothing better to do with their time, but she says in her preface that she saw many of the vets that returned from the war act the way that many of Tayo's friends do. They go to bars to get drunk and to "remember the good old days" when the white women would throw themselves at them because of the uniform they wore. 

Over all, it was an interesting read. One that opened my eyes to the culture that I had never known before. One of my classmates, who is Navajo, said that it was a fairly accurate depiction. He had been to a few of the places mentioned in the book (Gallup in particular) and said that the world portrayed in the novel was very accurate--which is really scary sometimes. I particularly found the story of how whites came to be as eye opening. 

I would recommend this book to someone who was looking for more information about the Indian people, or who were looking for information about PTSD and how it effects the people who have it. 

Alcatraz Verses the Evil Librarians

The book Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians was a very fun read. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite writers and I'm close to reading everything that he has written. This edition of Alcatraz will soon be re-published by Tor (I believe) and will soon be giving out the last book in the series which readers have been waiting years for because of complications with Scholastic Publishing.

Like I said, it is a very funny read that gives us the definition of breaking the fourth wall. This book is the autobiography of Alcatraz Smebry. He is trying to correct some of the wrong information that has been presented about himself in the Hushlands (the US, Europe, and Australia) and the Free Kingdoms (the places of the world that the Evil Librarians haven't taken over). The Evil Librarians have taken control of a vast amount of the Earth and has changed the history of the world. What we of the Hushlands believe to be history is actually a fabrication that the Librarians have employed in order to keep order. Their belief is "Ignorance is Bliss." Most of the ruling governments don't even know they are being manipulated.

Alcatraz is introduced to this world after he sets fire to the kitchen of his 27th foster families house--he has a Talent for breaking things you see. He gets a package in the mail full of sand with a note saying that it is his inheritance. It ends up getting stolen and his quirky and rather ridiculous Grandfather who has a Talent of being late for everything comes to save the day. They end up having to infiltrate a library to keep both worlds--Hushlands and Free Kingdoms--safe. Here we learn many new things about how the world really is, like the dinosaurs are actually not extinct, there are continents we don't know about, etc.

The autobiography of Alcatraz has many of different quirky things that happens that were entertaining, yet sometimes annoying. He breaks into the middle of the action, often, to explain things or to simply be obnoxious--he is a thirteen year old kid so what can you expect. At the end of chapters there is always a cliffhanger that makes you want to read more, but then he goes on dialogues with you, the reader. He also calls you out on little things that readers often do such as reading the very last page first, or skipping a head when you should (at which point in Chapter 15 he calls you a Moron--but not really).

These can be fun if you read it in as few settings as possible, if it takes you too long to read the book it can start to get daunting and somewhat annoying.

I found this very enjoyable probably mostly because I am a Librarian. I hope I'm not evil, but there are moments that are were extremely funny because of my current employment. At one point he mentions, while breaking the fourth wall, that you are probably reading the book in a variety of locations, one of which was the library. At which point I almost burst out laughing because I was at work in a library reading the book. The irony was sweet.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a light hearted read. Brandon Sanderson is an excellent writer who knows what he's doing. Sanderson comes up with the most amazing and different ideas that really haven't been done before--which is extremely refreshing. I can't wait for the next few to come in at my local library so I can continue the series.

Howl's Moving Castle

"Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones

For those of you who didn't even know that "Howl's Moving Castle" was a book but loved the movie, I think you'll like the book. For those who have never heard of either one, you should read and watch the movie. It doesn't matter which one you find first because they are vastly different, and not different in a bad way. They both have their pros and cons but they both make for an entertaining story.

Sophie is the oldest of three sisters and therefore can't do anything with her life except take over the hat shop that her family owns. She blames all of her mistakes on the fact that she is the oldest by saying "It all comes from being the eldest" and what's funny is that she ends up trying to help but messes up all the time--sad but funny.

She has a curse put on her by the evil Witch of the Waste which makes her turn her from her young, teenage self to a 90 year old woman. Quickly she escapes the city in order to seek her fortune--which goes very awry because "it all comes from being the eldest." Sophie runs into the heartless Wizard Howl and his moving castle and ends up joining the little family when she makes a contract with the Fire Demon Calsifer--if she can break his spell, he will break hers. This leads to much mayhem and lots of laughs as they try to find the King's brother and Royal Wizard who have gone missing.

I greatly enjoyed the book and love the movie. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that this is the first book in a series of three that Diana Wynne Jones has written with Sophie, Howl, and the other characters in the book. Sophie is an amazing character that quickly grows on you and even though Howl is "heartless" he is very kind. It was also a joy to find out that Sophie is a witch herself and does her own witchcraft--this doesn't really happen in the movie.

Super fun book and I will probably read it to my kids when they get old enough. ;)

Belle

Eh, I have read other Retellings of Beauty and the Beast that I've enjoyed much more. This one had many things lacking for my taste.

This story is similar to the "Belle et la Bete" (the original French story) in that it gives more background to the characters that are there, but Cameron Dokey spends more than half of the book in background and setting up for the venture to the castle of the "monster" than Belle does in the castle with the "monster."

There is a lot more discussion as to what is Beauty vs. beauty in the beginning (that's what takes so much of the space in this small book). Belle, or Annabelle Evangeline, is the most un-beautiful of the three daughters--or so she thinks. Her sisters, Celeste and April, have opposite features are are still considered two of the most beautiful girls in the book. But aside from one being bossy and the other in love with one of her father's sailors there isn't much of a difference in the girls.

Dokey tried to make Belle different from the two sisters in giving her brown hair and she likes to carve wood (very unlike any of the other retellings I've read). For the character of Belle, yes she is headstrong and caring, but she acted like a lady of her age. This Annabelle doesn't seem much like the character I've come to love and that has made me dislike this book more than I would otherwise.

Also, I don't necessarily care for the way that it was written. The tone seemed very childish to me at many parts of the beginning, then when her father was retelling his story of the first encounter with the "monster at the heart of the Woods" the tone shifted to "this is an old story and I'm going to speak to you in an old language" kind of way. For example at the beginning she is describing her oldest sister Celeste by saying "As I'm sure I don't need to point out, Celestial Heavens  is quite a mouthful. "This doesn't fit the era of the novel at all and like I said seems very childish. Not to mention, very telling instead of showing--which is what most writers are trying to do. Then during the shift of tone: "'That settles that,' I thought. Forward I went, and I did not look back again." Who says "forward I went"? First we were going for modern, hip/youthful language, then we are back in old England speaking with Shakespeare or something. These are the types of shifts that I didn't care for throughout the story.

There were some scenes that I thought were good and that I was drawn into, but others that seemed very childish. It was almost like she didn't trust her reader to get it and make connections. Dialogue was choppy at parts that really drew me out of the story. Specifically dialogue between the sisters, which was a lot of the book actually.

So, yeah, this won't be a reread but I may try another of Dokey's books just to make sure it's the narrator's voice that is what I don't care for instead of the author.

UPDATE:
I tried to read Wild Orchid by Dokey and I only got 60 pages in. It seemed to have many of the same qualities that Belle did. A big similarity between the retelling of the Epic of Mulan and the retelling of Beauty and the Beast was that these girls were extremely unlady like especially for their time and place. I will give this to Mulan to a point. She was in a war and mascarading as a boy. But that doesn't mean being a girl is bad.

 There is this feeling I get from this Mulan retelling that being a girl is all hard work, boring work at that, and that boys get all the fun. The only way to have fun is by being a boy. I think this is very false. Dokey give very little to no reason why being feminine is okay. Both Belle and Mulan prefer the masculan arts over anything feminine and that really bugs me.

Like I said, I only got 60 pages in because it took forever to get anywhere in these stories. Most of the book is all preface to everything that is actually in the original story.

In my opinion, Dokey has much to be wanting in these retellings. I don't plan on reading anymore of her books.

Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is another fantastic read.

In the first of a four part Lunar Chronicles series (the fourth, Winter coming out on November 15, 2015), Cinder is the story of a cyborg Cinderella. Now before you get turned off to the book thinking: "Cyborg? Why would I want to read that? And Cinderella? How could she pull that off?" Give the awesomeness that is Cinder a chance.

This book is very different from the original Grimm story and even the Disney movie from the 1950's. Cinder starts out her journey in a futuristic New Beijing, China not rural France. She is a mechanic instead of maid, an android friend instead of mice, and not all of her stepsisters are nasty. There is a plague that has killed many on this futuristic Earth and people live on the moon. The Moon Queen is a piece of work with almost fairy like powers--pixie too the max. Our Prince Charming is none other than Prince Kai who is caring and sweet and is trying to figure out how to save his country.

Cinder is far more of a real person in my opinion than in almost all of the renditions of Cinderella, besides the 2015 version that Disney came out with. Her character development isn't necessarily the biggest in this novel but in later books she grows tremendously and it's fun to see how she grows.

I tell everyone to read this book because it's fun, although predictable in some places. She is Cinderella-but-better after all.

If you are also a fan of audio books, the reader--I believe it is Rebecca Soler--has a great voice and brings the characters to life and has fun with it.

Speak

"Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson is by far my favorite Young Adult novel I've read. I enjoy rereading this book and remember why I like it.

There are many reasons why I enjoy this book is due to many things. The writing style, the characters, the plot. Laurie Halse Anderson creates a setting that, I believe, realistic to the circumstances. This is also a book that I think every teenager, or even pre-teen, needs to read and it would make them better--better at dealing with friends who have gone through a traumatic event, hopefully better prepared at parties, better at speaking up for themselves or coming to terms with hardships.

Without giving too much away and using spoilers, Melinda Sordino calls the cops at a party before her Freshman year of high school. None of the party goers know why, but many of them got arrested and harsh feeling abound.

Melinda ends up walking home friendless and silent.

The story starts with her first day of school and her dealing with the her reasons for beings silent and the ridicule of the other students. Her old friends, as in most transitions from middle to high schools, find their own groups and cliches. Her "ex-best friend" doesn't speak to her at all, though her other two good friends aren't nearly as hostile. She finds solace in her art class where she can express herself via the assignments she's been given by her art teacher, Mr. Freeman. Melinda also finds a single friend, Heather-from-Ohio, who is a busy body and tries to get Melinda to get into the many clubs and groups that are around the school. There are very few others, in Melinda's eyes, that are even remotely kind to her. Her relationship with her parents is dysfunctional, like most YA literature out there.

Over the course of the school year she finds a way to speak up for herself as she starts to deal with what has happened to her.

The novel is written in first person giving us the impression of Melinda's thoughts. Melinda, in any other circumstance, would have been a talkative, sarcastic teenager and that comes through the narrative. There are conversations written on the bathroom stall wall between the girls, some of the teachers aren't given names, such as "Hairwoman"--her English teacher--for obvious reasons. Much of Melinda's character development happens through the unspoken narrative of the novel which is comical at times and rather thought provoking at others.

I find the characters to be very realistic. The conversations and feels of high school are very real and are portrayed well. Melinda, though practically mute throughout the story, has a lot to say.

There is also a lot of symbolism that can be drawn out of the art that she draws and the trees around her house. The metamorphosis that Melinda feels comes through her art in strange yet awesome ways. I particularly love the way Mr. Freeman is portrayed throughout the story and how he helps her find her voice and come to terms with what happened to her.

They have made a film adaptation that is worth the watch as well. I highly recommend it! It stays fairly close to the book. The actors and actresses that star in it work incredibly well together and in the characters they portray.

Again, I'll say it: I loved this book. It was published in 1999, and for the last decade and a half it has been taught and read by probably close to millions of readers. This is a beautiful piece.  I hope you enjoy it and much as I have.