The Furies - review by Arianna

The Furies Natalie Haynes 3 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The first thing they'll ask me is how I met her."
Publisher's Description: When you open up, who will you let in? When Alex Morris loses her fiancé in dreadful circumstances, she moves from London to Edinburgh to make a break with the past. Alex takes a job at a Pupil Referral Unit, which accepts the students excluded from other schools in the city. These are troubled, difficult kids and Alex is terrified of what she's taken on. There is one class - a group of five teenagers - who intimidate Alex and every other teacher on The Unit. But with the help of the Greek tragedies she teaches, Alex gradually develops a rapport with them. Finding them enthralled by tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge, she even begins to worry that they are taking her lessons to heart, and that a whole new tragedy is being performed, right in front of her...
Dear Reader, First off: apologies for the long hiatus! We've had a lot going on in our own lives lately: I've had a beautiful baby girl, and AmberBug has started an awesome new job! Both of which are keeping us quite busy. Not, of course, too busy to read! But unfortunately it's meant giving a bit less attention to our blog. We hope to resume more regular postings soon! In the meantime, on to my review... Unlike AmberBug, I went into this book with absolutely no expectations. I think that actually helped quite a bit, because I would also have been disappointed if I were expecting a really suspenseful, can't-put-it-down novel. This was definitely NOT that. It was, I suppose, more of a character study, although I found it odd that I didn't connect at all on any level with any of the characters - even though I think the author intended for me to. While I felt detached sympathy for Alex, the main character, I didn't really care about her outcome. And that was true several times over for all of her (what felt like peripheral) students. It was so odd, because I felt like you'd just barely met everyone and, boom, there was the crux of the plot! I think the author spent more time with those characters in her head, and expected we'd done the same? In any case, I found I just didn't care about anyone in the story. And I didn't believe in the main characters' motivations, which meant the denoument felt incrdibly flimsy to me.  I also didn't like how the reader was made to feel as if the entire group of students were involved in the crime being outlined, from the title and from how much attention was equally paid to everyone in the class. I wasn't quite sure how the rest of the students played into the actions of the one. Why did the reader have to spend so much time with all of them? Just to learn about the tragic lives of troubled youths? And to me, the connections between the story and the discussed Greek plays were VERY tenuous. While I enjoyed learning a bit more about a few classic Greek tragedies, I felt as if I didn't get a very thorough understanding of them, and yet at the same time - like Amber - I felt as if I were stuck back in a high school English classroom. Boring! And, I'm sorry - naming the other boy in a fight Donny Brooks: REALLY? That got to me, even though I laughed out loud upon first encountering it.  Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone, although I certainly didn't hate reading it. Some of the writing was really great. I just felt like the novel dragged quite a bit, and my time could have been spent better elsewhere. But I do agree with Amber that the inclusion of the Greek plays helped make the book quite a bit more interesting, and I did come away with a bit more knowledge, which I always appreciate.  Yours, Arianna

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When the World Was Young

When the World Was Young Elizabeth Gaffney 3.5 / 5	Published 2006 First Sentence "The children rejoiced."
Publisher's Description: Wally Baker is no ordinary girl. Living in her grandparents’ Brooklyn Heights brownstone, she doesn’t like dresses, needlepoint, or manners. Her love of Wonder Woman comics and ants makes her feel like a misfit—especially in the shadow of her dazzling but unstable mother, Stella. Acclaimed author Elizabeth Gaffney’s irresistible novel captures postwar Brooklyn through Wally’s eyes, opening on V-J day, as she grows up with the rest of America. Reeling from her own unexpected wartime tragedy and navigating an increasingly fraught landscape, Wally is forced to confront painful truths about the world—its sorrows, its prejudices, its conflicts, its limitations. But Wally also finds hope and strength in the unlikeliest places. With an unforgettable cast of characters, including the increasingly distant and distracted Stella; Loretta, the family’s black maid and Wally’s second mother; Ham, Loretta’s son, who shares Wally’s enthusiasm for ants and exploration; Rudy, Wally’s father, a naval officer, away serving in the Pacific; and Mr. Niederman, the family’s boarder, who never seems to answer Wally’s questions—and who she suspects may have something to hide—Elizabeth Gaffney crafts an immersive, beautifully realized novel about the truths that divide and the love that keeps us together.
Dear Reader, I enjoyed this little diversion of a book. It was a nice, lighter read compared to a bunch of denser classics I've been working on lately. I selected this because it is one of many books I am behind on reading for Netgalley, so I am making an intentional push to get through more of my backlog! This book was published way back in August of 2014 (actually, it was first published in 2006!). So I clearly missed my window of opportunity. But I am glad I finally got around to it. It told a quaint story of a young girl growing up in just-postwar Brooklyn. She struggles to find her own path in life, haunted by the decisions made by her parents. Wally was an enjoyable and unique character who loves bugs - something certainly unexpected for a girl in the 1940s. She was lucky enough to be able to pursue this passion, however. It was nice to see a strong female character succeeding in a STEM field, especially in that time period. I felt that some of the characters and relationships fell a bit flat in this book; I had a hard time buying the passion that supposedly drove several of them. Everyone seemed a bit too detached, unemotional, about the love that propelled the direction of their lives. I note that other reviewers felt that the book just lacked a certain something, and I have to agree with them there. While it had such a fantastic premise, it just didn't truly deliver anything of substance. It left me feeling unemotional, one way or another. I think this could be a great light read to take along while traveling, or to audiobook while on a long drive. There's a good story there. Yours, Arianna

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And Again

And Again Jessica Chiarella 3/5	Published January 2016 First Sentence "Maybe it's like being born."
Publisher's Description: In the spirit of Station Eleven and The Age of Miracles, this exciting literary debut novel imagines the consequences when four ordinary individuals are granted a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? Hannah, David, Connie, and Linda—four terminally ill patients—have been selected for the SUBlife pilot program, which will grant them brand-new, genetically perfect bodies that are exact copies of their former selves—without a single imperfection. Blemishes, scars, freckles, and wrinkles have all disappeared, their fingerprints are different, their vision is impeccable, and most importantly, their illnesses have been cured. But the fresh start they’ve been given is anything but perfect. Without their old bodies, their new physical identities have been lost. Hannah, an artistic prodigy, has to relearn how to hold a brush; David, a Congressman, grapples with his old habits; Connie, an actress whose stunning looks are restored after a protracted illness, tries to navigate an industry obsessed with physical beauty; and Linda, who spent eight years paralyzed after a car accident, now struggles to reconnect with a family that seems to have built a new life without her. As each tries to re-enter their previous lives and relationships they are faced with the question: how much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your heart, your body?
Dear Reader, This was a unique read. I'm a science fiction fan and I love books that can delve into that genre without being TOO much sci-fi (if you know what I mean). This was kind of like that except it didn't go far enough, I'd categorize it as "Literary Fiction with a dash of Science Fiction". What was nice about the whole thing is that this book is one I can definitely see myself recommending to those readers trying science fiction out (pretty perfect for that). The story is all about this exclusive group of people who have been selected for a trial (think clinical trial) to test out being uploaded into a clone body. Each of the characters had a reason to be selected (some terrible illness) and each got a new purpose to live. How they decided to run with it was their own. I enjoyed getting to see all the perspectives of what would/could happen if you had a second chance to live your life. Each one of them was on the brink of such a terrible illness that this chance should have been entirely positive. That was not the case. What would happen if you got downloaded into a new body? Would you enjoy the youthful new skin or would it freak you out? The Author does an excellent job going over all the little nuances that might come up if/when this type of procedure comes about. We have the Artist who can't paint the same way... is it her or the new body? What about the woman who was stuck inside her body for years with no way to communicate except for blinking... how can she cope in the world after all that time shut up? Or the actress who wants to make a comeback after being hidden from the world from her illness... will she be able to pick up where she left off? The most complex of them all being the Congressman, the one who gets picked or did he buy his way in? So many questions and the Author addresses them each. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read "what if" tales... this fits into that category perfectly. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - Thank you Netgalley and Touchstone for giving me the opportunity to read and review this title.

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The Guest Room

The Guest Room Chris Bohjalian 4/5	Published January 2016 First Sentence "Richard Chapman presumed there would be a stripper at his brother Phillip's bachelor party."
Publisher's Description: When Richard Chapman offers to host his younger brother's bachelor party, he expects a certain amount of debauchery. He sends his wife, Kristin, and young daughter off to his mother-in-law's for the weekend, and he opens his Westchester home to his brother's friends and their hired entertainment. What he does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkenness, a dangerously intimate moment in his guest bedroom, and two naked women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night. In the aftermath, Richard's life rapidly spirals into a nightmare. The police throw him out of his home, now a crime scene; his investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave; and his wife finds herself unable to forgive him for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat. A captivating, chilling story about shame and scandal, The Guest Room is a riveting novel from one of our greatest storytellers.
Dear Reader, The premise behind this book is a little disturbing. A private bachelor party gone bad. I’m guessing all men try and tell themselves that the “entertainment” for a bachelor party will be “some girl from Sarah Lawrence or Fordham or NYU with a silly, mellifluous made-up name making a little money for tuition”. It makes them feel better. I wonder how many of these parties actually hire unknown sex slaves, something might seem a little off to them but nobody will stand up and say anything to protest it. I have some personal experience with it. I was hired to be a bartender for a bachelor party a few years ago (no names given) and I really shouldn’t be telling this story… but I think it’s important. The girls hired for the party looked like they were definitely “ON” something, which didn’t seem so “sexy”. On top of that, this was hosted at a “hall” and was more private than a normal strip club visit… so the girls did a show… a little more than stripping. After interacting with one another, I believe there was a little action on the side going on but I can’t be certain (it seemed like it to me but more hush, hush). I don’t know if these girls were slaves? Maybe? I didn’t think about it at the time but after reading this book, It would definitely cross my mind today. The party felt wrong in my gut and after speaking to a few of my guy friends from the party, I wasn’t alone in that feeling. Everyone has that friend who will pressure the others to the “dark” side… so why does society put the pressure to step over the line like this? I love that Bohjalian wrote a book that brings such a common practice into light. This is a story of a typical bachelor party and the guys could be anyone you know… imagine, your friendly middle class neighbor might be attending a sex slave party this weekend! Put it that way and people might do a double take. Another great part of this book was seeing things from the perspective of the girl. It was terribly heartbreaking to follow her life, watching her fall into the wrong hands. I’m still disgusted that this is a practice that completely gets ignored in the media, we don’t hear enough about these terrible circumstances. I’d much rather have my man going to the strip club for a bachelor's party than a private party, especially now knowing what I know. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - NetGalley & Doubleday graciously gave me an advanced copy to read and review, thank you!

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Unnatural Selection

Unnatural Selection: How We Are Changing Life, Gene by Gene Emily Monosson 4/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "'I see resistant staph all the time,' says nurse practitioner Maggie G."
Publisher's Description: Gonorrhea. Bed bugs. Weeds. Salamanders. People. All are evolving, some surprisingly rapidly, in response to our chemical age. In Unnatural Selection, Emily Monosson shows how our drugs, pesticides, and pollution are exerting intense selection pressure on all manner of species. And we humans might not like the result. Monosson reveals that the very code of life is more fluid than once imagined. When our powerful chemicals put the pressure on to evolve or die, beneficial traits can sweep rapidly through a population. Species with explosive population growth—the bugs, bacteria, and weeds—tend to thrive, while bigger, slower-to-reproduce creatures, like ourselves, are more likely to succumb. Monosson explores contemporary evolution in all its guises. She examines the species that we are actively trying to beat back, from agricultural pests to life-threatening bacteria, and those that are collateral damage—creatures struggling to adapt to a polluted world. Monosson also presents cutting-edge science on gene expression, showing how environmental stressors are leaving their mark on plants, animals, and possibly humans for generations to come. Unnatural Selection is eye-opening and more than a little disquieting. But it also suggests how we might lessen our impact: manage pests without creating super bugs; protect individuals from disease without inviting epidemics; and benefit from technology without threatening the health of our children.
Dear Reader, Have you ever thought about evolution and what the human race will evolve to next? I do all the time. I even have this theory that “the spectrum” is the next step in our evolution. What we might think is a hindrance for autistic and Asperger syndrome might actually be an advancement in thinking. Think about it, evolution goes slowly right? Plus it’ll learn from its mistakes. What if we are in the beginning stages and down the line our brain capacity will increase without the social disabilities attached to the syndromes? However, I am digressing and this book mentions nothing about that, it’s just a theory I’ve hashed around. Even though the book doesn’t discuss much of where humans are evolving to, you will learn the evolution of things around us (and scare you to death). The book does a good job setting us up with a little history of antibiotics, mainly because the points lead to the future of bacteria and the human resistance to potential super-bugs. If the mention of super-bugs doesn’t make you shake, this book will be a cake walk to read. However, if you are ready to hunker down in a fallout shelter, you might want to tread carefully with this information. A great quote from the book that sums up the fear I felt, “We beat life back with our drugs, pesticides, and pollutants, but life responds. It evolves.” Doesn’t that almost seem like a tag line for a horror movie? See, Scary! Why does the author focus on bacteria to discuss evolution? “The first step is understanding how our choices impact life’s evolutionary course. And so we begin close to home, with an impending public health disaster: antibiotic resistance.” It’s easier to see and understand, we can draw a timeline of how things are evolving because germs, bugs and bacteria evolve faster due to the size and population growth. Humans and animals reproduce more slowly, therefore they will evolve slow, for example, “we won’t see the evolution of tusk-free African elephants in heavily hunted populations or containment-resistant polar bears”. Let’s just say, the Author is really smart to use infections and antibiotics as the source of discussion, the statistics speak and they don’t paint a very pretty picture. Every antibiotic we swallow brings us closer to a resistant superbug that will be sure to attempt a wipe of humanity. What was once easily treatable is now potentially fatal. We are told that every year “nearly 37 million pounds of antibiotics are used in the United States”. Of that number, only a percentage is willingly swallowed, some of them are being introduced in our livestock. Think again about swallowing those eggs at breakfast, you could be slowly dosing yourself with antibiotics. Actually, not “could be”… I’m pretty sure you are. One of my favorite quotes from this book, “Antibiotics weren’t just for the sick and dying anymore – they had become an integral part of ‘what’s for dinner.’” *Shivers* I could probably go on and on about this because I have another two pages of notes and highlights but I need to save some of this for you. I’m pretty sure you should read this. The Author has a purpose for this book, “Rather than risk heading off into a near future filled with “superbugs”, we can change how we interact with pests and pathogens, reduce the pressure, and still maintain some degree of control.” I’m hoping the awareness spreads and the Author accomplishes this because this terrifies me. I’m not saying you “have” to read this but I “want” you to read this. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - I was graciously given this digital book from Netgalley and the Publishers to read and give my thoughts. Thank you!

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The Walled City

The Walled City Ryan Graudin 4/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. "
Publisher's Description: 730. That's how many days I've been trapped. 18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out. DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible.... JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister.... MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window..... In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.
Dear Reader, Wow - this book was nothing like I was expecting! I think I was anticipating a dystopian future novel, which this often had the feel of - but it was steeped in so much reality (and modernization combined with lack of progress - it's so difficult to explain!) that it was even better because of its strange connections to real life. At first I couldn't place the story in any time period, which actually worked well - but despite much of a traditional Chinese feel, the reader could occasionally see glimpses of cars and electronics which indicated that the time period was more contemporary than the setting usually let on. The story is told from the point of view of three young adults trapped inside the Walled City - which Graudin fictionalized, but which was actually a very real part of Hong Kong for years. Dai, Jin Ling, and Mei Yee are all trapped in different places and in different ways, and the reader gets to watch as their lives all come together at towards suspenseful tipping point. The book is full of the seedy underside of a city - a side which the bigger city largely tries to ignore and keep repressed within its confining walls. The reader travels through brothels and opium dens, noodle houses and trash-filled alleys, following the adventures of the three protagonists - adventures which twist and turn as much as the narrow streets of Hak Nam. I picked this book up when I knew I'd be alone most of Halloween weekend, needing a good diversion, and I found I couldn't put it down! NB: I was lucky to receive this book both as an ebook ARC from Netgalley and win a physical copy (signed by the author, even!) from the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you to the publisher and suppliers all! Yours, Arianna

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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot David Shafer 4 / 5	Published 2014 First Sentence "The little room was so hot that Leila tried not to move insider her clothing."
Publisher's Description: One of Time Magazine's Ten Best Books of 2014 Selected by NPR, Slate, and Kirkus as one of the Best Books of 2014 Shortlisted for the Pacific Northwest Book Award Three young adults grapple with the usual thirty-something problems--boredom, authenticity, an omnipotent online oligarchy--in David Shafer's darkly comic debut novel. The Committee, an international cabal of industrialists and media barons, is on the verge of privatizing all information. Dear Diary, an idealistic online Underground, stands in the way of that takeover, using radical politics, classic spycraft, and technology that makes Big Data look like dial-up. Into this secret battle stumbles an unlikely trio: Leila Majnoun, a disillusioned non-profit worker; Leo Crane, an unhinged trustafarian; and Mark Deveraux, a phony self-betterment guru who works for the Committee. Leo and Mark were best friends in college, but early adulthood has set them on diverging paths. Growing increasingly disdainful of Mark's platitudes, Leo publishes a withering takedown of his ideas online. But the Committee is reading--and erasing--Leo's words. On the other side of the world, Leila's discoveries about the Committee's far-reaching ambitions threaten to ruin those who are closest to her. In the spirit of William Gibson and Chuck Palahniuk,Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is both a suspenseful global thriller and an emotionally truthful novel about the struggle to change the world in- and outside your head.
Dear Reader, Well, I started and restarted this book a bunch of times, for various reasons. Not because it wasn't good or engaging, just because other things got in the way and I kept having to put it down. (I have a note that I started reading this 10/21/14 - just over a year ago!) But, I am glad I finally stuck through to the end - it was definitely a smart and entertaining romp. The characters were all quite memorable, and I do like how the author starts off with them in entirely disparate settings, only to pull them together through circumstances as the story unfolds. I also enjoyed seeing the characters ultimately redeem themselves, even though most of them started off seeming hopeless. The reader first meets Leila, an idealistic but frustrated NGO worker trying to deliver a Western public health program to Myanmar. Then we get Leo, inheritor of a board game fortune who seems to be squandering his life because his ideals are too big for the world he lives in. Lastly, there is Mark, a Harvard graduate who is certainly squandering his life by coasting on the success of a self help book he sort of wrote. The three seem rather at sea, each in their own ways. That is, until Leila stumbles across something suspicious in the middle of nowhere, and sets everything in motion. The book's global conspiracy was deliciously close-to-home, with the SineCo conglomerate being what I figure was a thinly-veiled version of Google. While they explicitly said they didn't identify as anarchists, the underground group fighting back against worldwide corporate takeover was right up my alley.  And while the specifics of everything were left a bit fuzzy, it did seem that the takeover was a real future possibility - terrifying to contemplate. This techno-thriller feel - along with the characters I actually wanted to see succeed - is what kept me picking up the book. (And on a side note, I did particularly enjoy that I had just been to Portland, OR, so I recognized some of the landmarks mentioned there. That was pretty neat - and wouldn't have happened if I hadn't stretched my reading out quite so long!) Initially, I did not like the open-ended ending (oxymoron?), but I do appreciate why Shafer left things the way he did - it would be almost impossible to write the subsequent story, and it felt kind of like Children of Men, where the reader/watcher is left open to whatever possibility. It could be good, it could be bad - but that's not really the heart of the story. The story is the story, and it's worth the read. Yours, Arianna P.S. I was lucky to receive this as an ARC way back when, from Netgalley. Glad I finally did get around to it!

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A Blind Guide to Stinkville

A Blind Guide to Stinkville Beth Vrabel 4 / 5	Published October 13, 2015 First Sentence "Even I could see that Tooter was no Seeing Eye dog."
Publisher's Description: Before Stinkville, Alice didn’t think albinism—or the blindness that goes with it—was a big deal. Sure, she uses a magnifier to read books. And a cane keeps her from bruising her hips on tables. Putting on sunscreen and always wearing a hat are just part of life. But life has always been like this for Alice. Until Stinkville. For the first time in her life, Alice feels different—like she’s at a disadvantage. Back in her old neighborhood in Seattle, everyone knew Alice, and Alice knew her way around. In Stinkville, Alice finds herself floundering—she can’t even get to the library on her own. But when her parents start looking into schools for the blind, Alice takes a stand. She’s going to show them—and herself—that blindness is just a part of who she is, not all that she can be. To prove it, Alice enters the Stinkville Success Stories essay contest. No one, not even her new friend Kerica, believes she can scout out her new town’s stories and write the essay by herself. The funny thing is, as Alice confronts her own blindness, everyone else seems to see her for the first time. This is a stirring small-town story that explores many different issues—albinism, blindness, depression, dyslexia, growing old, and more—with a light touch and lots of heart. Beth Vrabel’s characters are complicated and messy, but they come together in a story about the strength of community and friendship.
Dear Reader, This was a sweet little middle grade book. It was charming and adorable, while surprisingly also tackling a lot of pretty serious issues, such as bullying, disability, racism, and depression. The story centers around Alice, an albino girl who grew up in one place and has never seen her differences as being all that noticeable. When her father moves the entire family across the country, though, things change quickly. Alice's limited vision means she is reliant on her family to get her around; she cannot explore her new world on her own. This forces her into new situations and she begins to learn to become more self-reliant. As she does so, she also begins to forge new relationships with townspeople of all ages. She befriends a girls whose mother works as the children's librarian, an old man who spends his lonely days whittling, and a sweet diner waitress who immediately treats Alice like family. But Alice also encounters some of the less savory locals, and her family is dragged into controversy over their beloved dog. This, surprisingly, helps to bring her strained family closer as they band together to stand up for Tooter.  One of the topics I thought the book dealt with surprisingly well (outside of the obvious albinism) was that of  Alice's mother's depression. I have not seen many books deal so honestly with the sickness, and especially not YA books. I appreciated that the mother would have her good and bad days as she struggled realistically to overcome those times when she just wanted to stay in bed, using the covers to block out the world she couldn't deal with. I could identify with this mother, despite wanting to shake her into being there for her unhappy children. It was difficult to read but so true to life that I could easily sympathize. I also liked the character of Alice, a strong young girl who struggled to decide her own character and values as she learned her way around Sinkville. She began to discover herself, something she might not have ever been forced to do in her former life. The book also deals well in balancing Alice's need for independence with the necessity of certain special treatments. I think any kid would do well to read fun this book to understand more about the realities - both the struggles and triumphs - of life. Yours, Arianna

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The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss Max Wirestone 3/5	Published October 2015 First Sentence "The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pin-striped captain's outfit, and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. "
Publisher's Description: The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1. But never tell her the odds. Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change. Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?). Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.
Dear Reader, There was SO much good here, geekdom galore! I wish I could say I loved this, but I didn't completely. I loved parts of it, the references, and the nerdy plot. So why didn't it connect? I believe it all started with Dahlia Moss. I'm ALL about a kick-ass heroine (super plus for her geek chic cred) but the more we spent time with her, the more unbelievable she became. Not to mention the hipster sliding the way into the geek culture (NO! Bad Hipsters! You are not geeks or vice versa, thank you very much). Let me rewind a little and give a little backstory... the story revolves around Dahlia when she is hired to investigate a theft (in-game). Everything about this plot was exciting to me since I'm a recovering WOW (World of Warcraft) addict. I could completely relate to how grossly attached people can become to digital objects in a virtual game, I mean c'mon... I sweated it out in that dungeon for over three hours, every night for two weeks to get that thing! Yes, games like this are addicting but can be ridiculously satisfying (especially in the "collection" department). Let's just say that the Author CLEARLY knew who could relate to such a silly concept... but we exist. Without going much further into the plot, Dahlia becomes overly involved in a murder to boot and she is thrust headlong into a giant investigation of which she is completely unqualified for. She talks straight at the reader sometimes (reminiscent of Veronica Mars) which worked out pretty well in a bunch of situations. While I enjoyed the fact that she is quirky and funny in many ways, it was her believability that held me back. She loosely flirts with all these guys but isn't strong enough to overcome her first love. Ohhh, brother. It's things like this that seem juvenile and after realizing the Author is a male, started to make a little sense. Yes, he tricked me enough to THINK that the main character was written by the reflected gender, but I smelled the fish along the way. However, take away that feminist twitch and the book is going to be very well received by many people out there. I can't even deny the fact that I had quite a few 'snort out loud' moments (SNOL?) which proves that this Max Wirestone knows his way around geeky stuff and comedy (I think that spells out w.i.n. in my book). I would love to see more Authors combine these two genres, and I can congratulate Max for succeeding in making me laugh and commiserate in my online wealth of nothingness. Thank you for that. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - Each chapter has awesome headings chock full of unicorns, d&d dice and more! P.P.S. - The lovely publisher made this available on NetGalley for me to read and review, thank you!

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Illuminae

Illuminae Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 4 / 5	Published October 20, 2015 First Sentence "So here's the file that almost killed me, Director."
Publisher's Description: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
Dear Reader, This book's structure was unlike anything I'd ever read before. Plus, can you beat combining the delicious horror of zombies* with the vast terror of space? Because that is exactly what these authors have done. And it is done extremely well. Throw in AI with a real personality, an evil megacorporation, and loved ones torn apart, and you've got a recipe for a riveting book. It was done in such a unique way, too: the reader is told the story by reading through a stack of classified documents intended to recreate the story, collected in pieces from various places (email and chat transcripts, video feed analyses, official documents, voice recordings, debriefing interviews). And when I say "stack", I mean it - this book is 599 pages long! But it truly flies, especially when you hit the halfway mark. (Don't worry, getting to page 300 sounds daunting, but it took me no time at all. Plus - I kind of liked how every page was marked as, for example, 289/599 so you always knew exactly where your endpoint was!) I love that the true hero of this book is a 17-year-old girl who is a badass hacker. Things started off a bit iffy for me as the first thing you read is an interview transcript where the girl and her recently ex-boyfriend are mostly talking about their anger towards each other, with a bit of background "my planet was getting attacked simultaneously" thrown in. But it works itself into a great story, so stick with it for a few pages. Plus, I started imagining Ezra as a young Captain Mal, which helped when reading his parts - you can tell from the clever banter that the authors are probably big fans of Firefly. That kind of helped cement my love for the book. (Maybe it was just that they used "'verse" a lot, but I do think it was more than that.) And there were a couple twists that I didn't even see coming! Which was pretty great. You'll also be impressed by some of the art this book employs to tell its story - it's as much a visual as a textual piece of work. And a surprisingly emotional and deep one, considering some of its subject matter. You'll find yourself aligning with people you didn't think you would. Every character is memorable and multidimensional, and you often feel as if you are traveling alongside them on this adventure. So if you are in the mood for some space travel, I say pick this one up! Yours, Arianna *If we're going to be technical, they are pseudo-zombies, but close enough. P.S. This book was one we grabbed as an ARC from BEA this past year.

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The Beautiful Bureaucrat

The Beautiful Bureaucrat Helen Phillips 4/5	Published Aug 2015 First Sentence "The person who interviewed her had no face."
Publisher's Description: In a windowless building in a remote part of town, the newly employed Josephine inputs an endless string of numbers into something known only as "The Database." After a long period of joblessness, she's not inclined to question her fortune, but as the days inch by and the files stack up, Josephine feels increasingly anxious in her surroundings. The office's scarred pinkish walls take on a living quality. The drone of keyboards echoes eerily down the long halls. When one evening her husband Joseph disappears and then returns, offering no explanation as to his whereabouts, her creeping unease shifts decidedly to dread. As other strange events build to a crescendo, the haunting truth about Josephine's work begins to take shape in her mind, even as something powerful is gathering its own form within her. She realizes that in order to save those she holds most dear, she must penetrate an institution whose tentacles seem to extend to every corner of the city and beyond. Both chilling and poignant, The Beautiful Bureaucrat is a novel of rare restraint and imagination. With it, Helen Phillips enters the company of Murakami, Bender, and Atwood as she twists the world we know and shows it back to us full of meaning and wonder-luminous and new.
Dear Reader, What the heck just happened? Should I care? I loved the ride. This story was like a waking dream, an insomniac walking the streets so tired they start to see things that shift, liquify, change into strange. I would have classified this book as magical realism but Goodreads doesn't... what's up with that? Not that Goodreads is the say all for genre classification. Sentences and thoughts such as; "what's it like to eat three hours? She was feeling impish. How do they taste? Like cotton candy or grass or concrete?". If that speaks to you... you'll probably very much enjoy this book. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't hard to get through - some magical realism is SO far out there it's hard to keep interest or balance. This isn't that. Phillips gives us a little lighthearted approach to a dark plot, with characters named, "Trishiffany" and "The Person with Bad Breath". Josephine and Joseph need to find new jobs in this hard hitting economy (the feel is almost apocalyptic or maybe on that verge with no natural disaster). The two both find "bureaucratic" jobs and find places to sleep by renting from temporary furnished apartments (in other words, smelly and filled with someone else's crap). Josephine has the strangest mundane job of inputting numbers into a document on the computer. She is told not to speak of the job with anyone, especially at home ("Fight Club" anyone?!). The Author has a unique way to capture things, which reminded me a little of Miranda July's book "The First Bad Man". Not in plot, but in tone? uniqueness?, she definitely goes a little outside of the box. For example, the main character walks into the girls bathroom and sits on the toilet to pee, another woman walks in and takes the stall next to her. Phillips describes this moment, "an uneasy music, the music of two women peeing side by side..." I mean yes, how perfect is that? You can't deny being in that position and hearing that loud echo of pee hitting the water in the toilet and not be a little self conscious. This is why she reminded me so much of Miranda July, who handled situations similarly in her book. Taking those moments in life you don't want to share with anyone (inner thoughts) and writing them on the written page without discretion. I love that. I'll take more of that please. I can't end this review without mentioning the word play. Josephine has a very strange quirk that grows more prevalent as time passes in the story... she plays with words quite a bit. Sometimes it's anagrams, other times it's something else... but I found it very amusing to read. Speaking of amusing, this is pretty much how I viewed ALL the quirks to the book... amusing. However, there is a very dark theme and purpose to the story that shouldn't be overlooked. I would recommend anyone who flirts with magical realism, likes characters who speak anything that comes to mind and has a very open mind... this one would definitely be for you. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - I received this e-book free from Netgalley/Publisher.

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Fuzzy Mud

Fuzzy Mud Louis Sachar 3 / 5	Published August 4, 2015 First Sentence "Woodridge Academy, a private school in Heath Cliff, Pennsylvania, had once been the home of William Heath, after whom the town had been named."
Publisher's Description: "Be careful. Your next step may be your last." Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Wilson challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya reluctantly follows. They soon get lost, and they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.
Dear Reader, Let me start off by saying how much I LOVE Louis Sachar. I have ever since Sideways Stories from Wayside School, which I recall reading obsessively over & over again when I was little. (I also remember being so excited when I discovered there was a sequel!) Sachar’s humor is perfectly timed and so well done. And while I don’t recall the entire plot of There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, I do remember that book being passed around as the current coolest thing in fifth grade. Many years later I also picked up Holes, which was likewise a true gem. So I was thrilled to be able to snag an ARC of his upcoming Fuzzy Mud at BEA this year! I looked forward to cracking the cover.  And yet...once I did? Well, at first all seemed well & good. The usual Sachar wit and comedic pacing appeared to be at play. But...it didn’t last. And I was severely disappointed in what I noticed some other blogger call the pointlessness of the entire story. It seemed to have such great promise: it was a novel about some kids who enter the forbidden woods near their school and encounter the eponymous fuzzy mud, interspersed with federal testimony related to a new form of biofuel that is concurrently being developed. So, I totally geared myself up for a great little read. But? I felt as if there was nothing to take away from the book. Not even an environmental lesson, unless it was that of “if you can, try to get attacked by bad organisms sooner rather than later, so that things don’t spread out of control.” Or, was it “we shouldn’t be trying to develop new fuel technologies because they could be dangerous”? Neither really seems to be Sachar’s intent, but I just can’t figure out why he wrote this book. There was a good portion of it related to bullying and how a bully sometimes isn’t even sure why he acts the way he does. I thought that was a great takeaway for a young reader. But the rest...just left me kind of ambivalent. Perhaps part of that is that I have such high expectations for this author. I am hoping that this is just a minor blip in his otherwise super record, and I still look forward eagerly for his next release. I’ll just probably quietly pass this one on to my local library’s book sale, in hopes that it WILL speak to someone else.  Yours, Arianna

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Goodbye Stranger

Goodbye Stranger Rebecca Stead 3.5 / 5	Published August 4, 2015 First Sentence "When she was eight years old, Bridget Barsamian woke up in a hospital, where a doctor told her she shouldn't be alive."
Publisher's Description: Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games--or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade?  This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl--as a friend?  On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?
Dear Reader, This is another one of those books I wish had been around when I was young. I really enjoyed it, and it was pretty unique. The story was the linear tale of a trio of girls growing into adolescence, but interspersed occasionally with an odd storyline told from the second person perspective: there is a little bit of a mystery thrown in. The reader begins to understand how the two stories are related as the book continues on, but I have to admit I was surprised by the reveal at the end! The book is a great introduction for young girls into the scary world of the teenage years. The group of three girls couldn’t be more different, and these contrasts are emphasized as they grow up. One loves to wear cat ears 24/7 and is becoming interested in theater tech. Another has a Hindu background and is learning to embrace feminism. And the third is blossoming into a beautiful young woman and hanging out with older girls (and boys). The three have made a pact from the beginning that they would never fight, but those promises become strained as they try to find their way forwards, while everyone grows up. The book explores how people and friendships change, and how it is okay to realize that sometimes you grow apart from people, and it’s not the end of the world. The way the author handles it, making it sound like a normal part of life, might help young adults as they struggle through similar situations.  This is the first time I’d also encountered any book address sexting, and I thought it was so well done. Nothing scandalous, but enough of a scare that it might teach young readers about the potential dangers of the activity and the idea that nothing you send digitally is private. A great lesson to impress upon people at a young age! Overall, I thought the characters were all great & unique, and I even learned something about a Hindu holiday that I had never even heard of before (I love when I get to learn something completely new from a book, any book!). I will most likely be passing my copy on to my sisters for when my nieces are old enough to appreciate it; maybe I’m just an out of touch old person, but I think it has potentially strong staying power for a middle-grade audience.  Yours, Arianna P.S. I picked this up at BEA this year and was through it inside of a day - a very quick read!

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