The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Summary: The story of Edgar Sawtelle, a boy born without the ability to speak, as he comes of age while learning to breed and train dogs on the family farm and uncover the mystery behind his father's death.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: I just finished reading this book and still can't decide whether or not I liked it. At some points during my reading, I was thinking it was a 4 star, bordering on a 5 star, novel and loved it. At other times, I felt bored, and found myself counting pages until the chapter ended, certain I would give the book a solid 2.
Let's start with what I liked: 1. Edgar. I connected with him and grew to love him very much.
2. Almondine. Without doubt my favorite character. She was the perfect dog--loyal, perceptive and loving. Her death was the most emotional part of the book for me, as I was really looking forward to her reunion with Edgar. Why did she have to die (and how did she die)?
3. The description of Trudy grieving over her lost baby (and later, her husband) and how she was able to force the darkness back to a tiny seed, never gone, but no longer consuming. It made me understand a little more how she could let Claude into her life.
4. I think it would make an amazing discussion, and I wish I had read this with a book club. I know there are things I missed, and I am sure I could appreciate it much more if I had a group to help me make sense of it all.
5. I was emotionally involved, and have thought about the book often as I have read. That is always a good thing.
6. The dogs were wonderful. I am wishing I could have a Sawtelle dog myself.
Things I didn't like: 1. The length. This was my biggest gripe with the book. It was too LONG. It started slow, picked up momentum, then stalled time and again before finally reaching the climax. I thought the middle section, with Edgar on the run, was very long and I wanted him to turn around much sooner.
2. So many details were unnecessary, yet I often wished for more. It was quite confusing. I never really got a sense for what was important to know
3. The ending. I never picked up on the fact that this was a retelling of Hamlet (I guess I need to brush up on my Shakespeare), and I was not prepared for the tragedy that was the conclusion. I felt cheated, as if the ending wasn't worthy of all the build-up.
4. It was plain weird. A crazy woman at the grocery store is some sort of seer/fortune teller, yet we know nothing about her. Edgar communicated frequently with ghosts (what was the deal with the old farmer anyway? I didn't understand that).
I am still unsettled. A good book. I am glad that I read it. Definitely not my favorite and I think it could have been a whole lot better.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Savvy
Savvy by Ingrid Law (juvenile fiction, Newberry Honor book for 2009)
Summary: Just before Mibs turns 13, the long awaited birthday when her "savvy," or special ability will be revealed, her father is in a terrible car accident and is lying in a hospital bed in a coma, causing Mibs to wish with all her might that her savvy will somehow be able to wake her father up.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: I really, really enjoyed this book. It is a tall tale, and is so different from other books I have read. Mibs (short for Mississippi) belongs to an unusual family, who each have to learn to "scumble their savvy" after they turn 13. Her older brother, Rocket, can manipulate electricity, while another brother, Fish, can create storms from water. Highly inventive, and I loved the language in the book, full of made up words that roll easily off the tongue. I loved the idea that we all have a savvy, even if we are unaware what it may be. I loved the ending, it brought tears to my eyes. I would recommend this book to any young girl, as well as their mothers. Great story.
Summary: Just before Mibs turns 13, the long awaited birthday when her "savvy," or special ability will be revealed, her father is in a terrible car accident and is lying in a hospital bed in a coma, causing Mibs to wish with all her might that her savvy will somehow be able to wake her father up.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: I really, really enjoyed this book. It is a tall tale, and is so different from other books I have read. Mibs (short for Mississippi) belongs to an unusual family, who each have to learn to "scumble their savvy" after they turn 13. Her older brother, Rocket, can manipulate electricity, while another brother, Fish, can create storms from water. Highly inventive, and I loved the language in the book, full of made up words that roll easily off the tongue. I loved the idea that we all have a savvy, even if we are unaware what it may be. I loved the ending, it brought tears to my eyes. I would recommend this book to any young girl, as well as their mothers. Great story.
The Graveyard Book
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (juvenile fiction, Newberry Award winner for 2009).
Summary: A toddler escapes the home where his family has been murdered and finds protection in a nearby graveyard, where the spirits who live there vow to raise him and protect him from the murderer who still wants him dead.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: I am not disappointed that this was the Newberry winner this year. I found the book very original and entertaining, just not something I fell in love with. I would hand this to any boy who loves ghosts and ghouls and doesn't mind a little darkness. I had a few minor issues with the book, and wanted a bit more explanation for a few things (the Jack of all Trades association for one), but a good book.
Summary: A toddler escapes the home where his family has been murdered and finds protection in a nearby graveyard, where the spirits who live there vow to raise him and protect him from the murderer who still wants him dead.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: I am not disappointed that this was the Newberry winner this year. I found the book very original and entertaining, just not something I fell in love with. I would hand this to any boy who loves ghosts and ghouls and doesn't mind a little darkness. I had a few minor issues with the book, and wanted a bit more explanation for a few things (the Jack of all Trades association for one), but a good book.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
It's a Mall World
It's a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison
Summary: Fun, witty story of Charlotte, a girl who works at Bloomingdale's in the mall, where she is constantly adding to her "internal memoir" of all she learns from observing other shoppers.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: I absolutely loved the author's writing style, which was full of humor in a very understated way. The story was fast paced, with just enough romance, to keep my full attention. Good, clean fun that I would recommend to anyone. I am anxious to read other books Rallison has written as well. The cutesy title really doesn't do the book justice at all. My only complaint!
Summary: Fun, witty story of Charlotte, a girl who works at Bloomingdale's in the mall, where she is constantly adding to her "internal memoir" of all she learns from observing other shoppers.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: I absolutely loved the author's writing style, which was full of humor in a very understated way. The story was fast paced, with just enough romance, to keep my full attention. Good, clean fun that I would recommend to anyone. I am anxious to read other books Rallison has written as well. The cutesy title really doesn't do the book justice at all. My only complaint!
Peaches
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Young adult fiction)
Summary: An unlikely trio of girls become friends as they spend time working on a peach farm in Georgia, teaching one another about loyalty, friendship and love.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: Similar to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series in a lot of ways, which I also loved. I can't think of many books that show the evolution of friendship as well as this book portrays it. The girls are not instantly friends, but instead it takes a series of events over an extended period of time for them to realize how much they need one another. It made me long to reconnect with old friends, tapping memories of my own childhood/young adulthood that I hadn't thought about in a long time. A little bit of sexual content that I didn't love, but understood why it was included.
Summary: An unlikely trio of girls become friends as they spend time working on a peach farm in Georgia, teaching one another about loyalty, friendship and love.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: Similar to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series in a lot of ways, which I also loved. I can't think of many books that show the evolution of friendship as well as this book portrays it. The girls are not instantly friends, but instead it takes a series of events over an extended period of time for them to realize how much they need one another. It made me long to reconnect with old friends, tapping memories of my own childhood/young adulthood that I hadn't thought about in a long time. A little bit of sexual content that I didn't love, but understood why it was included.
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