Book review - Landscape With Invisible Hand

Title: Landscape With Invisible Hand
Author: M.T. Anderson
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn
                      And All the Stars by Andrea K Host
Rating:

a thinking person's book

Summary (provided by publisher): When the vuvv first landed, it came as a surprise to aspiring artist Adam and the rest of planet Earth—but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Can it really be called an invasion when the vuvv generously offered free advanced technology and cures for every illness imaginable? As it turns out, yes. With his parents' jobs replaced by alien tech and no money for food, clean water, or the vuvv's miraculous medicine, Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe, have to get creative to survive. And since the vuvv crave anything they deem classic Earth culture (doo-wop music, still life paintings of fruit, true love), recording 1950s-style dates for the vuvv to watch in a pay-per-minute format seems like a brilliant idea. But it's hard for Adam and Chloe to sell true love when they ate each other more with every passing episode. Soon enough, Adam must decide how far he's willing to go—and what he's willing to sacrifice—to give the vuvv what they want.

My opinion: If a more bleak view of the future is you bag, Anderson is the author for you. There is no need to wrap up the book neatly with the promise of a better future. The humans in this book live in a generally desperate situation. Yet their desperation doesn't cause them to band together and start a rebellion. If anything they become more isolated and self-serving. And all of the issues that plague societies - uneven distribution of wealth, the collapse of the nuclear family, etc - are magnified. The plot is not entirely linear, framed instead around paintings, so it's a little strange and isn't likely to have a broad mainstream following. But if you're cool with something a little different this may be the book for you.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Picture books for everyone

ABCs of Physics by Chris Ferrie

Normally I wouldn't consider an alphabet book to be multi-age. Older kids, who read on their own, find "a is for apple, b is for bear" tiresome. And if this book were simply "a is for atom, b is for black hole" it would remain the domain of the very young. But it's so much more, my friends. It can be understood on three levels: identifying a word that starts with the letter in question, a brief description of the concept, and a more complex exploration. Everyone (apart from physics students and teachers, I suppose) will learn from this book. If you and your kids have even a passing interest in science, give this book a try.

Non-fiction book review - The Life and Times of Martin Luther

The Life and Times of Martin Luther by Meike Roth-Beck

How many of us can say we really know anything about the Reformation, beyond its simple existence, much less about the life of Martin Luther? Visually, this is an intriguing book. The illustrations and text blocks are styled on medieval manuscripts, using an old English typeface and woodblock style illustrations. The exploration of Luther's life isn't particularly deep. The focus is on the ways his life events influenced his eventual decision to challenge the Catholic church. Most importantly, the final pages summarized some of the major theses. It's a niche biography but a good introduction to a less known figure.

Book review - Odd & True

Title: Odd & True
Author: Cat Winters
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Jackaby by William Ritter
                      The Diviners by Libba Bray
Rating:

it will keep you guessing

Summary (provided by publisher): Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.
In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.

My opinion: Initially, I was on the fence about this book. As I read, though, my appreciation increased. I started out certain that their link to the supernatural was pure fiction, the product of covering up their pain. As the plot progressed, though that certainty was weakened. And that's the brilliance of this novel. Winters is quite skilled at making us question everything that the characters experience. While the closing chapters were a touch tidier than I generally prefer, the bulk of the novel was thrilling and well paced, exploring the influence of both the supernatural and the mundane on the lives of two sisters.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - The Exact Location of Home

Title: The Exact Location of Home
Author: Kate Messner
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen
                      Hold Fast by Blue Balliett
Rating:

an emotional journey

Summary (provided by publisher): Kirby "Zig" Zigonski lives for the world of simple circuits, light bulbs, buzzers, and motors. Electronics are, after all, much more predictable than most people—especially his father, who he hasn't seen in over a year. When his dad's latest visit is canceled with no explanation and his mom seems to be hiding something, Zig turns to his best friend Gianna and a new gizmo—a garage sale GPS unit—for help. Convinced that his dad is leaving clues around town to explain his absence, Zig sets out to find him. Following one clue after another, logging mile after mile, Zig soon discovers that people aren't always what they seem . . . and sometimes, there's more than one set of coordinates for home.
An important story of love and hope that will capture readers' hearts, The Exact Location of Home is another must read from beloved author Kate Messner.

My opinion: While geocaching is an unusual focus for a middle grade novel, homelessness is the more interesting element. Messner really puts us Zig's place. We feel what he feels, his shame and desperation. I loved how being forced into all of these situations opened his eyes to the complexity of his peers and of the world in general. There are subtle messages about judgement and the value of hard work. A few of the plot twist were rather obvious, but overall its a pretty complex and enjoyable book.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Non-fiction book review - The Book of Massively Epic Engineering Disasters

The Book of Massively Epic Engineering Disasters by Sean Connolly

Each section of this book follows a pretty simple formula: introduce the events of the disaster, give history of the structure/area, explore what caused the failure and how it could have been prevented, one or two experiments that illustrate the principles at work. In this case, repetition is a strength. Its pleasantly predictable. And while many of the disasters in this book were of passing familiarity, a few were brand new to me.

Book review - Under the Bottle Bridge

Title: Under the Bottle Bridge
Author: Jessica Lawson
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh
                      Finding Fortune by Delia Ray

Rating:

likeable

Summary (provided by publisher): In the tradition of Rooftoppers and Three Times Lucky, critically acclaimed author Jessica Lawson returns with her fourth whimsical, lyrical, and heartfelt middle grade novel about a girl who’s desperately trying to keep her life together, when everything seems to be falling apart.
In the weeks leading up to Gilbreth, New York’s annual AutumnFest, twelve-year-old woodcraft legacy Minna Treat is struggling with looming deadlines, an uncle trying to hide Very Bad News, and a secret personal quest. When she discovers mysterious bottle messages under one of the village’s 300-year-old bridges, she can’t help but wonder who’s leaving them, what they mean, and, most importantly…could the messages be for her?
Along with best friend Crash and a mystery-loving newcomer full of suspicious theories, Minna is determined to discover whether the bottles are miraculously leading her toward long-lost answers she’s been looking for, or drawing her into a disaster of historic proportions.

My opinion: At first, artisans seem an odd topic for a middle grade novel, even with artisanal products being trendy. That craftsman lifestyle lends a strangeness to the plot at first. But, these crafts and their roles in the town and in families are well explained so we quickly accept them as the normal of this world.And once we can accept that normal, its a surprisingly universal story of searching for the way you will define yourself, your understanding of family and parental and societal expectations. While the particulars are a little unusual, in the end we have the story of three kids facing parallel issues.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.