| Don Tilman is not your average professor, well maybe he is your average genetics professor, I don't know many of them. He has decided that it's time to find a wife. Of course, that means he orginates the Wife Project which includes a 16 page survey for women to take. This will save him time, and eliminate awkward dating situations. Then Rosie walks in his office door and changes everything. Totally unsuitable, Rosie and her Father Project have Don doing things he would NEVER do. I couldn't put The Rosie Project down. A fast and fun read, I was surprised by Professor Tilman's narrative, the fact that he was at once weird and appealing was fascinating to me. I really spent most of the book rooting for him to figure it all out. A second book was hinted at, and I would definately pick it up. Because it is an adult novel, The Rosie Project has some blunt presentation of adult themes and situations; usually presented in Don's frank and scientific thinking, but some may find the subject matters too liberal for young adult readers. |
Monday, November 3, 2014
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Send by Patty Blount
At thirteen Kenny clicked "send" and changed lives. Liam, the target of his bullying, committed suicide. Kenny went to juvenile detention. Kenny's family and Liam's were damaged almost beyond repair. The boy Kenny becomes after jail and after moving and hiding with his family for five years is named Dan. Dan is different than Kenny, but Kenny lives on in Dan's mind, plaguing him, pouting, threatening, and childlike. Dan just wants to finish high school at what he hopes will be his last school. Then he sees Brandon being bullied by Jeff. Julie sees it too, but it's Dan who acts. Now he is visible, now he is the hero, but Dan just wants to forget it and figure out what Julie knows.
I had a seriously tough time believing that two damaged kids, Dan and Julie, could fall so deeply in love. Blount did not provide enough substance for the depth of their feelings, largely because Dan was dealing with so much "crap" (in his words). The best support came from the unconditional love of his parents, and in the end that is what made me suspend my disbelief and embrace this story. The ending was AMAZING, and sustained the truth of the story. I am so glad that I read this novel. It shows the damage that we are perpetrating on each other through the anonymity of social media, and the warning is powerful. I will definately be suggesting it to all of my students.
I had a seriously tough time believing that two damaged kids, Dan and Julie, could fall so deeply in love. Blount did not provide enough substance for the depth of their feelings, largely because Dan was dealing with so much "crap" (in his words). The best support came from the unconditional love of his parents, and in the end that is what made me suspend my disbelief and embrace this story. The ending was AMAZING, and sustained the truth of the story. I am so glad that I read this novel. It shows the damage that we are perpetrating on each other through the anonymity of social media, and the warning is powerful. I will definately be suggesting it to all of my students.
Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
Jen's life hasn't been all fun and games. In fact, the tough exterior she shows the world is all she has left to protect herself. But, being a rebel is getting a little old, and she has gotten bored. Hence, the bet. Jen bets her girlfriends that she can turn geek, Trevor Hoffman, into a bad boy. She captures his attention immediately, but somehow she ends up doing charity work at an old folks home and watching sci-fi movies on Saturday nights instead of Trevor partying with her friends. Hanging out with Trevor isn't so bad, but when he finds out about the bet, nothing is fun anymore.
I liked Jen. She was tough, even mean, but her evolution was believable because she didn't really fit the protective shell she had created. Trevor was a little too good, but his own background, family and values rang true, and his kindness or as Jen would say "Trevor the Polite" was genuine. Overall, I simply enjoyed the ride.
I liked Jen. She was tough, even mean, but her evolution was believable because she didn't really fit the protective shell she had created. Trevor was a little too good, but his own background, family and values rang true, and his kindness or as Jen would say "Trevor the Polite" was genuine. Overall, I simply enjoyed the ride.
Confessions of a Murder Suspect
Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson is his splash into the whirlpool of teen literature, and for the most part it's a success.
Tandy Angel and her siblings have always been special. Each are gifted or brilliant in their own given universe: music, football, academics. Their parents made their wealth through pharmaceuticals; as a result the kids have all the advantages of wealth, including a private school education and the elite address of the Dakota building in New York City. But, life for the Angel children unravels when their parents are discovered murdered in their bed and the kids become prime murder suspects. It's up 16 year old Tandy to solve the case, even if it means that she did it.
Patterson's characters are difficult to relate to. Tandy is the extreme of "outsider" in a family of odd characters. Her life is extreme, including weirdly controlling parents, but I liked her. I had to be willing to struggled with her convoluted memories, sudden emotions, and desire to go back to her "old self," the one who was perfect and perfectly controlled. Perhaps be creating a character caught in the extremes, Patterson created a relatable character for teens.
Of course, it was the plot, and it's twisted, suspenseful revelations that kept me reading and sent me on to read the second in the series, Confessions: The Private School Murders. I would give both novels a 3.5 or 4 star review.
Tandy Angel and her siblings have always been special. Each are gifted or brilliant in their own given universe: music, football, academics. Their parents made their wealth through pharmaceuticals; as a result the kids have all the advantages of wealth, including a private school education and the elite address of the Dakota building in New York City. But, life for the Angel children unravels when their parents are discovered murdered in their bed and the kids become prime murder suspects. It's up 16 year old Tandy to solve the case, even if it means that she did it.
Patterson's characters are difficult to relate to. Tandy is the extreme of "outsider" in a family of odd characters. Her life is extreme, including weirdly controlling parents, but I liked her. I had to be willing to struggled with her convoluted memories, sudden emotions, and desire to go back to her "old self," the one who was perfect and perfectly controlled. Perhaps be creating a character caught in the extremes, Patterson created a relatable character for teens.
Of course, it was the plot, and it's twisted, suspenseful revelations that kept me reading and sent me on to read the second in the series, Confessions: The Private School Murders. I would give both novels a 3.5 or 4 star review.
Smoke
Pattyn and Jackie are obviously survivors. What I appreciate most about Smoke, by Ellen Hopkins was the fact that the girls didn't just magically heal overnight, in fact, they are still healing at the end of the book.
As usual, it is the character development that secured my interest, and my admiration of the book which is why I give it four stars, but I have some serious issues with many aspects of the book.
First, smack in the middle of the story, Jackie is suddenly dealing with symptoms of depression and addictive behaviors, a totally plausible situation considering what she has been through. However, Hopkins never really addresses these problems again. In fact, the story implies that Gavin's love and the fact that Jackie finally discovers and deals with the truth were the solutions to these complicated and difficult issues.
Next, she implies that Diedre is psychotic, but the resolution in the end is that she confesses to her crimes. Really?
Finally, I do appreciate the fact that Hopkins is trying to address and reveal the fact that religious people can be hypocrites that hide behind religion, but I have serious issue with her portrayal of the LDS church as cult like, suppressing women into the role of baby spouting, subservient second class citizens. One bothersome passage states, "The idea that a woman --even a chosen by God vessel --might have such power [like that of the Virgin Mary in Catholicism] would never be entertained. A woman's worth is contained within her uterus."
Obviously, this is the case with Pattyn and Jackie's mother's beliefs, but the implication here is that this is not only a commonly accepted view of members of the LDS faith, but that it is the official doctrine of said religion.
Truly, I understand that Hopkins is painting a picture of one family and the views of two young girls whose experiences are limited, but too frequently, I felt like Hopkins was on a personal soapbox spewing misconceptions and misrepresentations of what anti-LDS critics foster as truth. Such is the case when Jackie goes off about birth control being "frowned upon by LDS doctrine." Seriously, for the forty years that I have been affiliated with the LDS church, this topic has never been anything but a private matter between spouses.
Admittedly, the characters in this book were not likely to have balanced perspectives. In fact, as an adult, I know to question the validity of the things they say and believe, such is not the case with Hopkins' targeted audience of young adults who tend to believe what they read. I truly think that in some instances Hopkins could have accomplished her objective without "targeting" the a religion so specifically.
I did read and loved the story of Pattyn in Burned, but I felt similarly about it. In the end, I see these novels as stories that need to be discussed in mixed groups of adults and teens where questions about objectivity, perspective, character, voice and societal issues can be addressed.
As usual, it is the character development that secured my interest, and my admiration of the book which is why I give it four stars, but I have some serious issues with many aspects of the book.
First, smack in the middle of the story, Jackie is suddenly dealing with symptoms of depression and addictive behaviors, a totally plausible situation considering what she has been through. However, Hopkins never really addresses these problems again. In fact, the story implies that Gavin's love and the fact that Jackie finally discovers and deals with the truth were the solutions to these complicated and difficult issues.
Next, she implies that Diedre is psychotic, but the resolution in the end is that she confesses to her crimes. Really?
Finally, I do appreciate the fact that Hopkins is trying to address and reveal the fact that religious people can be hypocrites that hide behind religion, but I have serious issue with her portrayal of the LDS church as cult like, suppressing women into the role of baby spouting, subservient second class citizens. One bothersome passage states, "The idea that a woman --even a chosen by God vessel --might have such power [like that of the Virgin Mary in Catholicism] would never be entertained. A woman's worth is contained within her uterus."
Obviously, this is the case with Pattyn and Jackie's mother's beliefs, but the implication here is that this is not only a commonly accepted view of members of the LDS faith, but that it is the official doctrine of said religion.
Truly, I understand that Hopkins is painting a picture of one family and the views of two young girls whose experiences are limited, but too frequently, I felt like Hopkins was on a personal soapbox spewing misconceptions and misrepresentations of what anti-LDS critics foster as truth. Such is the case when Jackie goes off about birth control being "frowned upon by LDS doctrine." Seriously, for the forty years that I have been affiliated with the LDS church, this topic has never been anything but a private matter between spouses.
Admittedly, the characters in this book were not likely to have balanced perspectives. In fact, as an adult, I know to question the validity of the things they say and believe, such is not the case with Hopkins' targeted audience of young adults who tend to believe what they read. I truly think that in some instances Hopkins could have accomplished her objective without "targeting" the a religion so specifically.
I did read and loved the story of Pattyn in Burned, but I felt similarly about it. In the end, I see these novels as stories that need to be discussed in mixed groups of adults and teens where questions about objectivity, perspective, character, voice and societal issues can be addressed.
Blackmoore
Kate decided long ago that she would never marry. Her mother has other ideas. After ruining several proposals, Kate convinces her mother to let her go to India, but only after Kate secures and then rejects three proposals. Kate agrees and travels to Blackmoore in northern England, where she ends up confused about who she is and what she really wants.
A classic regency romance plot from the author of Edenbrooke, Julianne Donaldson, Blackmoore succeeded in meeting all of my expectations of a romance and then went a little beyond and secured for Kate a future that is uniquely her own. A must read for any romantic.
A classic regency romance plot from the author of Edenbrooke, Julianne Donaldson, Blackmoore succeeded in meeting all of my expectations of a romance and then went a little beyond and secured for Kate a future that is uniquely her own. A must read for any romantic.
Lone Survivor
Marcus Luttrell tells the true and amazing story of his lone survival after an ambush in Afghanistan in Lone Survivor: The Eyewitnees Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. The story begins with Luttrell's detailed account of SEAL training. For me, it got a little tedious at times, but the story required that this part of his life, his training, be presented; so the reader could believe all that would happen in Afghanistan.
I absolutely loved this book. Written so you feel and see what is happening, the pace of Lone Survivor is breathtaking, and Luttrell is the voice of so many soldiers struggling not only to survive physically, but to also survive the bureaucracy of government and trial by the media. His story had to be told.
I absolutely loved this book. Written so you feel and see what is happening, the pace of Lone Survivor is breathtaking, and Luttrell is the voice of so many soldiers struggling not only to survive physically, but to also survive the bureaucracy of government and trial by the media. His story had to be told.
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