Book review - Because You'll Never Meet Me

Title: Because You'll Never Meet Me
Author: Leah Thomas
Genre: mild sci-fi/realistic fiction
Similar books: Noggin by John Corey Whaley
                     Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Rating:

pretty compelling reading

Summary: Ollie and Moritz can never meet. Ollie is something of a hermit, restricted to a rustic cabin in the woods due to a severe electricity allergy. Moritz is kept alive by a pacemaker. A meeting would prove deadly for both of them. Through a series of poignant letters, Ollie and Moritz work through intense loneliness, bullying, and a dark past that connects them. 

My opinion: What stands out most for me about this book is the narrative structure. At first, it just seems like two boys writing letters. Ollie's are exuberant, filled with sidebars, enthusiastic description, and unfettered positivity. Moritz's are sparse, precise, almost dour. As we read, we realize not only do their letter styles reflect their personalities, they change. Ollie's letters lose their enthusiasm and length so gradually that we don't notice it until they nearly match the tone of Moritz's first letter. Meanwhile, Moritz's letters slowly gain enthusiasm, positivity, and detail. This juxtaposition is masterful and a delight to read. Even the names they call each other and their salutations reflect their changing mindsets. The odd nature of the plot will not appeal to all readers but if you're willing to go in with an open mind you'll find this novel well worth the effort.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

It's time for Doctor Who!

This clock remake was inspired by a photo I'd seen online. If you Google "Doctor Who clock" you'll see a dozen different varieties. With 12 doctors now these characters are perfectly suited to replacing the numbers on a clock. I'd considered printing out some pictures and gluing them to the clock face. In the end, though, I settled on painting some cartoon versions of the different doctors.

Book review - The Devil You Know

Title: The Devil You Know
Author: Trish Doller
Genre: suspense
Similar books: The Third Twin by CJ Omololu
                     Escape Theory by Margaux Froley
Rating: 

I had some problems with it

Summary: Since her mother's death, Cadie has taken on a lot of responsibility. She goes to school, works in the family store, and helps raise her little brother. All of this means that she had to give up a lot: thoughts of college, her place on the soccer team, even her boyfriend. Now that she has graduated, with a lifetime of the same in her future, Cadie has had enough. She wants one night, maybe a weekend, of unbridled fun. When she meets a pair of cousins at a campground party, Matt and Noah seem to be exactly the kind of fun she's looking for. Their road trip quickly goes from fun to terrifying when Cadie realizes that one of the cousins isn't what he seems.

My opinion: The thing about thrillers and mysteries is that, by their very nature, they must be subtle. If foreshadowing or the building of a red herring is too heavy the reader will smell it coming. It takes the thrill out of reading and creates a barrier between the reader and the story. This is one large problem with this book. Another is the way Cadie is characterized. Having spent four years working and raising her little brother, Cadie is presented as a very practical, responsible young lady. Yet she not only hangs out with but leaves on a road trip with two men she's just met, at least one of whom she knows to have violent tendencies. She ignores niggling doubts, instincts that tell her something isn't right. Even a desire to cut loose for once, to be "fun", doesn't sufficiently explain such a gross lack in judgement. While the book does have some redeeming points these two problems along with overly simplified plot points made this novel more disappointing than thrilling for me.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: teams

This list is a little hard to define. I started tracking it when I was compiling a list of Percy Jackson read-alikes. There is something about books featuring groups of kids (formally organized or otherwise) working together towards a common goal where each one has skills necessary for that goal to be achieved. It can make for great reading. So here are six books published in the last six months featuring teams.

6 new team-based novels
1. The Zodiac Legacy by Stan Lee, Stuart Moore, and Andie Tong

2. Has anyone seen Jessica Jenkins by Liz Kessler

3. Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

4. A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

5. Young Houdini: The Demon Curse by Simon Nicholson

6. Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs 

Clarification note: I am in no way saying that all six of these books would be suitable read alikes for Percy Jackson. They simply share a thematic element.

WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
For as long as she can remember, Rachel's been preparing to become the perfect wife and mother. She dresses modestly, cares for her younger siblings, and attends church regularly. When a former member of their congregation returns to town, it starts Rachel questioning what she's always believed, especially when things at home take a darker turn.

This is one of those books that I feel like I can't really express an opinion until I've read it in it's entirety. More than a quarter of the way through, but it could still go several different ways.

What did you recently finish reading?
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne
Laurel's on her first ever cruise, courtesy of her best friend Vivica. Of course, this isn't just any cruise - it's the Cruise to Lose, the official launch of the revolutionary new sweetener/diet supplement Solu. At first, Laurel is only concerned with a series of embarrassing encounters with former child star Tom Forelli and her serious seasickness. As the days pass, though, she begins to suspect that something is wrong with Solu.

Reminiscent of an action/mild horror movie, Sweet is pretty action-packed. The plot is solidly structured. While a little predictable, it's still pretty exciting and has some decent messages behind it.

What do you think you'll read next?
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
A story of two unusual boys, good friends who can never meet in person.

Book review - Powerless

Title: Powerless
Author: Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs
Genre: thriller/superhero
Similar books: Hero Worship by Christopher Long
                     V is for Villain by Peter Moore
Rating:

Who doesn't love super-heroes?

Summary: Kenna has always felt inferior, invisible. The only "normal" surrounded by superheroes and villains, she's always struggled to compete and prove herself, especially as those closest to her feel the need to protect her from everything. When villains break into her lab, Kenna is determined not to be a victim. To her surprise, though, one of the villains saves her life. Thrown into a rescue mission with the villains, Kenna's entire world view is about to change.

My Opinion: This is a relatively standard questioning of the classic hero/villain dynamic, the rejection of absolutes in favor of complexity. Its a superhero story, which many will find appealing, with the added dimension of being unpowered in a world built on powers. Personally, I'd have preferred to see a little more depth of character but this is the first in a series. Hopefully the characters will develop more complexity in future volumes. Also I found the big twist a little too well foreshadowed. It just wasn't all that surprising.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

These toys have been assimilated

I seem to have developed an obsession with altering toys. Some of this comes from the lack of good merchandising for some of my favorite fandoms. The rest of it is probably my inability to leave well enough alone. Today I have two toys I remade over the weekend, both into Cybermen.

I found this C-3PO bobble head in a box destined for Goodwill. While I consider myself something of a Star Wars fan, something about this little toy just begged to be remade into a Cyberman.

I cut the rockets off the side of his speeder and sanded off much of his brow ridge (I'd have liked to have done more but his head is hollow and I hit air partway through). Wire and hot glue make up the "handles" on the sides of his head. The rest of the details simply painted on.

I'm not really sure where this action figure came from, given that I've never been a fan of the Power Rangers, but his relatively flat face and semi-robotic appearance seemed perfect for a Cyberman. He had some train elements as well but those were easily removed with a screwdriver.

 As with the bobble head, a little wire and glue make up his "handles". I had considered sanding off some of the molded decorations but I decided they give him character.