Review: The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

 

Author, John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) teamed up with illustrator, Oliver Jeffers (The Hueys, Stuck) to bring juvenile readers this absurd, quirky adventurous story. Born with the ability to float, Barnaby embarrasses his ‘normal’ parents that are obsessed with being perceived as ‘normal’ by their friends and neighbours. In turn, his parent’s treat him terrible. Like, ignore him and hang him on a clothes line, terrible.  There is a conversation between Barnaby and his mother that will totally break your heart.  After instructing him to stop floating, she tells him, ‘Then, I’m sorry… But I have to say that I don’t like who you are very much” (p. 37).  At their wit’s end, his parent’s cut his weights and he floats around the world to meet other individuals that were sent away or abandoned by their families for also being ‘different’.

Although the characters in Barnaby’s travels all help in delivering the message that it’s OK to be different and true to oneself to be happy, the message got really repetitive.  When Barnaby was intercepted by the International Space Mission, I got bored and started to skim the text. And yes, it is a bizarre fantasy story to begin with, but I felt the space portion was so over the top and unrealistic.

Looking at my blog, I noticed that I’ve been reading lots of books with boy characters deemed different by society. I think the availability of books about embracing differences is fabulous, especially for growing readers looking for someone to relate to. I found the ending of The Terrible Thing… was perfect in sticking with the overall message of the book.  I wonder where in the world Barnaby’s next adventure awaits!

Review: Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch

Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn’s only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn’t for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn’s mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father’s work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run—with only one place to go.

Expected Publication- October 1st 2012

With a little bit of action, adventure, fantasy, and dystopian elements, this book has a little bit of something for everyone—except me.  It was an OK read but most of the time, I was utterly confused.   Many bloggers have pointed out the similarities of the book to Lord of the Rings (however, I have no idea if this is true as I’ve never had any interest in LOTR whatsoever!)

At first, I was intrigued by the two differed worlds of the Colloquium and Magisterium (land of magic) and how the main character Glenn was connected to both.  However, the lack of explanations really started to bother me and the questions began to rise.  I also didn’t enjoy the amount of unimportant secondary characters.   They didn’t really play a big role and it was like one minute they were there and the next gone.  In the end, the storyline pacing was just a bunch of really strange things happening really quickly one after another.  It felt like I was reading about Hirsch’s crazy dream or bad drug trip!

The ending was also not in any way satisfying.   I detest that kind of cliff hanger! I would LOVE to hear if you liked this book and why.  I’ve never read anything by Jeff Hirsch before, so maybe I just don’t get him or the story he was trying to tell.

Review: Infinity Ring- Book 1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner

Goodreads: Scholastic’s next multi-platform mega-event begins here! History is broken, and three kids must travel back in time to set it right!

When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel — a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring — they’re swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course.Now it’s up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak’s missing parents while they’re at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

Historical fiction for the middle school crowd usually isn’t my thing, but there has been so much buzz about this new series that I was excited to receive it as an advanced reading copy from Scholastic.  As the first book in the multi-author collaboration, it served to lay the background story, introducing the characters and explaining the alternate universe and the importance of the infinity ring.  Some explanations and theories were hard to wrap my head around, but I found Sera’s explanation of the breaks the useful.  She explains, ‘Breaks are great big boulders that have been plopped into the time stream. The stream keeps flowing but it has to veer a little bit from it’s natural course’.  As Sera, Dak and Riq attempt to fix these breaks, readers are treated to tons of humour, adventure and action (including multiple explosions!)

Overall, I think middle graders, reluctant readers, boys and girls, and fans of The 39 Clues would LOVE this book.  Don’t forget to extend the reading experience with the online component- http://www.infinityring.com  I tried it out- tons of fun!  ‘A Mutiny in Time’ is available TOMORROW-August 28^th 2012. To hold the reader’s interest, the remaining six will be spaced out and released shortly after one another.  Big thumbs up!

Review: Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery, & a Very Strange Adventure by Lissa Evans

 As if being small for his age and also having S. Horten as his name isn’t bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends. But on his very first day in his new home, Stuart’s swept up in an extraordinary adventure: the quest to find his great-uncle Tony–a famous magician who literally disappeared off the face of the earth–and Tony’s marvelous, long-lost workshop.  Along the way, Stuart reluctantly accepts help from the annoying triplets next door… and encounters trouble from another magician who’s also desperate to get hold of Tony’s treasures. 

Expected publication: April 3^rd, 2012

The strange and wonderful cover art of Horton’s Miraculous Mechanisms immediately caught my eye at OLA 2012.  What a fun, adventurous story for middle graders. The readers follow Stuart on his quest to solve a series of puzzles from his uncle (a magician that has mysteriously disappeared). This story was very fast paced and will keep the attention of the most reluctant of readers. It even sneakily teaches new vocab words through Stuart’s father love of words (he is a crossword puzzle designer).  For those that love Willy Wonka and Lemony Snickett—this book is for you!

Look for the second installment of this series to be released this Fall.

Book Review- This dark endeavour : the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel

Most people know of Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein, but in This Dark Endeavor: the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Kenneth Oppel adds a prologue detailing the rise of young Victor Frankenstein.  I absolutely devoured this fresh angle to this familiar story, and have no doubt that Oppel’s novel has renewed interest in the classic Frankenstein.

To summarize: Victor and Konrad Frankenstein have led a privileged life growing up in the Frankenstein castle. However, their lives abruptly change when Konrad mysteriously falls ill. By surprise, they stumble upon The Dark Library containing secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies. Although forbidden to access, Victor is determined to aid his brother with an ancient formula called the Elixir of Life.  However, Victor, Elizabeth (cousin and love interest of both twins), and Henry (friend) require help to create the formula and enlist the assistance in a man known for his alchemical works.  The book follows the group as they set upon on a fearless quest for the three ingredients.

Why I loved this book:

- There is a little bit of everything: magic, adventure, drama, romance to appeal to wide range of readers (including reluctant boy readers). It is a fast paced, edge of your seat story!

-Even if readers haven’t read the classic Frankenstein, they can still follow the story. It’s a great introduction to the classic, and as mentioned, it will likely persuade individuals to pick up Frankenstein for the first time.

-Oppel’s writing. This book is fantastically written.  I applause authors that can create an arrogant, egotistical, reckless character, yet still have the readers root for him.

- I enjoyed the hints at Victor’s future. For example, on page 204, he awakes from a dream in which Konrad is revived from the dead.  I don’t want to give too much away, but on the last page of the book, Victor (despite warnings) vows that he is not done with alchemy.

Interesting fact: This Dark Endeavor is soon to be a major motion picture!

Other Reviews:

“Oppel’s novel is a gripping tale of undying devotion, mixing hope with foreboding.”—The Horn Book

“Oppel’s tale is melodramatic, exciting, disquieting…a delicious mix.”—Publisher’s Weekly

“Brash, jealous, and arrogant, Victor is sweet relief from today’s introspective YA protagonists, and one can easily visualize how this teen becomes the mad genius of Shelley’s Frankenstein.”—Booklist

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Love it or hate it. For most reviewers of The Maze Runner, their choice is clear. However, I stand somewhere in the middle, a nice solid LIKE.

When I picked up Maze Runner, I was looking for the next Hunger Games.  However, Maze Runner is nowhere near as well written as The Hunger Games trilogy. Actually, I’m not sure if any dystopian book could ever be better than The Hunger Games.

The summary is provided from Amazon:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Bet you want to read it now, right?

What I enjoyed:

- figuring out the secrets of the Glade right along with the main characters.

-usually I’m not one for tons of description, but I think in this book it was really needed in order for the reader to visualize the Maze, Glade and Homestead

-After the reader gets through the detail, the plot gets more interesting and surprising as the story evolves.

- The Maze Runner has a little something for everyone. Action, adventure, sci-fi, mystery and even a little bit of romance.

Improvements:

-I didn’t enjoy the amount of made-up curse words throughout the book. For example, the boys call each other “Shuck-face” in most of their conversations. They also use the term ‘klunk’ because it describes the sound of poop when it hits the water.  It was a definite overkill.

-I didn’t like that when I had finished The Maze Runner, I had more questions than answers.  I’m still confused. Readers are left hanging, and the epilogue clearly indicates that the Maze Runner is meant to be a series. In order to find out what really happens to Thomas and the rest of the Gladers, one must continue on reading the series.
Have a minute? Check out this neat book trailer made by University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

FYI- The Maze Runner is in development to become a major motion picture.