Book review - Vicarious

 

Title: Vicarious

Author: Rhett C Bruno

Genre: sci-fi

Similar books: Landscape With an Invisible Hand by MT Anderson

                      The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M O'Brien

Rating:

 

great premise, but ran a bit long

Summary (provided by publisher): The real world is only where you breathe…
In High Earth, digital entertainment is everything. Shows. Virtual Worlds. Simulations—there’s something for everybody in a city where working for a living has been rendered obsolete by technological advancements. Even a short walk outside to visit with others is no longer necessary. Just load into the network and you can be with anyone, anywhere.
For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares to Ignis: Live, a reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes. As a volunteer director, Asher closely monitors the lives of those living on an interstellar ark, believing they're the last of humanity.
But when it's determined that the life of the show’s brightest star, Mission, must be put in danger to boost declining ratings, Asher is forced to choose: the show he loves, or the woman whose existence has been the focus of his attention since the day he was born.

My opinion: I was intrigued by the premise here - combining the predatory nature of reality television with a dystopian reality. My feelings for the book on the whole are a bit mixed. At turns it was utterly charming; other times it was obvious and tiresome. Bruno explains just enough of the world's structure for us to accept most of the plot developments without going into excessive detail. Over-explaining can destroy a novel. So too, though, can indulging in too many side plots. And that's the failing here. There are too many complications, too many side obsessions. As the book wore on I became more interested in speculating on what drove odd character behavior than in where the plot was actually headed.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - The Way of the Hive

 

The Way of the Hive by Jay Hosler

Ever since the emergence of colony collapse disorder, we've seen a big push to educate people about the importance of bees. We can be inclined to think of them as simple creatures that serve a single function or as an annoyance. Books like Hosler's show us the complexity of bee society. We follow a bee from it's metamorphosis through a series of jobs within the colony. The book's structure is something of a mix between "A Bug's Life" and an entry in the Science Comics series. There is a narrative structure, following Nyuki as she grows and learns more about her colony. It's these lessons about the jobs she will hold that teach the reader. We get a fair amount of detail without being overwhelmed by technical language and there's enough plot to keep the reader engaged.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Blog Tour book review - Hurricane Summer

Title: Hurricane Summer

Author: Asha Bromfield

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

                      The World on Either Side by Dianne Terrana

Rating:

 

a challenging, complex read

Summary (provided by publisher): Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica.
When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him.
In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise—all in the midst of an impending hurricane.

My opinion:It doesn't take more than a few chapters to realize that this is more than just a simple culture clash story. It could easily have been a story of Tilla realizing that she is sheltered, coming to understand the culture that her parents came from. Instead it's a complex exploration of both Jamaican culture and of Tilla's own relationship with her parents. It takes a hard look at racism, classism, and sexism, the opportunities that are denied to people based on the circumstances of their birth, and the stigma and double-standards around abuse. It is by no means a comfortable read. Some chapters will tear at your heart or make you squirm but they're absolutely worth reading as they'll raise important topics of discussion and consideration for teen readers.

More information: Hurricane Summer releases May 4. As a part of the blog tour, I'm pleased to also be able to provide for you an excerpt from this compelling novel.

 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Garden gnome

 I have a fondness for off-kilter decor. The weirder the better, as far as I'm concerned. And that tends to mean that I am gifted with weird decor kits. Like this garden gnome I got for Christmas.

With warmer weather on the way, it felt like the perfect weekend to paint my gnome. This is the color scheme I came up with.

 
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Book review - Magic at Midnight

 

Title: Cinders and Sparks - Magic at Midnight

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Genre: fantasy/retelling

Similar books: Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z Jones

                     The Spell Thief by Tom Percival

Rating:

 

a fairly inventive version of a familiar tale

Summary (provided by publisher): Cinders isn’t supposed to know how to do magic. Her dog, Sparks, isn’t supposed to talk. And they’re definitely not supposed to go to the fancy palace ball....
But with a fairy godmother named Brian, do we really think that’s going to stop them?

My opinion: I'll read most any re-imagining of a fairy tale, so I've read countless versions of Cinderella. Most of them don't stray as far from the original story as this one does. Kelk has made a few seemingly simple changes, but they have significant effects on the plot. Cinders is not the perfect picture of femininity we typically see. She's fond of playing outside, often messy and dissheveled. It is this tendency that has cause her stepmother to mistreat her. The bigger change, though, is the magic. Because Cinder doesn't just wish. She makes magic happen. As a result, the plot extends well beyond the ball and being reunited with the prince. Her ability to do magic opens up the plot to discussing societal and inter-generational prejudice. It's not too serious, rooted far more in humor than in serious exploration of messaging. Still, a fun read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - We Are Still Here

 

We Are Still Here by Traci Soreil

 We tend to be taught about Native Americans not as a part of living culture but as history. We learn about treaties, "sales" of land, and a few key battles, but little else. This book takes the form of a few key terms, what they mean in history, and how they are still affecting people now. This is by no means a comprehensive exploration of Native American cultures. It could easily serve as a starting point for a more in depth conversation or study of history and modern culture.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - It Doesn't Take a Genius

 

Title: It Doesn't Take a Genius

Author: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Just Like Me by Nancy J Cavanaugh

                     The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

Rating:

 

a good one to start a discussion

Summary (provided by publisher): Emmett and his older brother Luke have always been "Batman and Robin," though they're quick to bicker about who's who. Spending the summer at a historic Black summer camp seems like a wonderful adventure for the two to share, but since Luke is there as a junior counselor, he seems to spend all of his time being everyone else's big brother, and ignoring Emmett.
As Luke seems to be moving on to new adventures, Emmett struggles in unexpected ways, especially in swim class and the "It Takes A Village" entrepreneurship class. Without his brother to turn to for support, Emmett works to build a new crew of "superfriends," who'll help him plan something spectacular for the end-of-camp awards night and celebration. Along the way, Emmett learns that no matter what, there can be many ways to define family.

My opinion: At the start, I was not much of a fan of this book. I found Emmett's self-centered and self-aggrandizing behavior hard to swallow, even if it is typical of middle grade kids. We can see how his choices are making his situation much worse than it needs to be. As the plot went on, though, I began to see how Emmett was going to grow, the realizations that were ahead for him. He learns to define himself outside of Luke, outside of being a debater and a "genius". He has to risk ruining everything to move forward. That's all pretty standard middle grade messaging. It doesn't stop there, though. Through the camp setting, Emmett and his peers have real conversations about race, the expectations of Black exceptionalism, the views of their own families and of society. Their conversations aren't oversimplified and don't give easy answers. These conversations aren't about coming up with answers but rather about being willing to have the discussion at all, to think critically about society.That alone makes this an excellent choice for book clubs, environments where readers are open to sincere discussion and deep critical thinking.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley