Broke-down "Palace"...

TITLE: The Midnight Palace

AUTHOR: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

REVIEWED BY: Cleggy

BRIEF SUMMARY: "In the heart of Calcutta lurks a dark mystery...

Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life...

Years later, on the eve of Ben and Sheere's sixteenth birthday, the mysterious threat reenters their lives. This time, it may be impossible to escape. With the help of their brave friends, the twins will have to take a stand against the terror that watches them in the shadows of the night -- and face the most frightening creature in the history of the City of Palaces."  (Summary from the published book)

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I love Carlos Ruiz Zafón.  Absolutely love him.  This is the second book in the "Mist" series, and his fourth English language title.  I had to read it.

WHY I FINISHED IT: I had to see if it ended how I thought it would.

WHO I’D GIVE IT TO: People who like supernatural thrillers, Young Adult fiction, or Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

OTHER NOTES AND CONTENT WARNINGS: I have to admit, of the four English language books by Zafón, this is my least favorite. 

I don't mean that to sound harsh.  This is his fourth English-language title, but it was originally published in Spain in 1994 as his second book.  As such, it seems to suffer from "sophomore slump".  While the characters are interesting, the mystery was easily solved and all the clues were pretty obvious.

Still, it was well-written and is a decent time-waster.  But compared to his later works, it suffers greatly in comparison.

As for content, there is a bit of violence and peril.  Not for young children.

Give a "Hoot"

Title: Hoot

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Reviewed by: Phineas

Storyline: Roy Eberhardt is new to Florida. He and his family move a lot because of his dad's job. Roy finally gets used to moving. On his first day of school he sees a kid running super fast. Of course he is curious and follows him. After making friends with him he knows why he was running. He is trying to keep owls safe where a new business is threatening their home.

Why did I pick up the book?: I saw some reviews on the movie but hadn't seen it yet. I really wanted to read it.

Why did I finish it?: The book was very fascinating. There is a lot of sneaking around and trying to help the owls.

Who would I recommend this book to?: I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in these types of stories.

Warning: There is a couple of swear words, there is vandalism which is very wrong. Some people might not want their kids to read this book because of that.

"Miss"-adventures

TITLE: My Misadventures as a Teenage Rock Star

AUTHOR: Joyce Raskin

REVIEWED BY: Cleggy

BRIEF SUMMARY: "Rock ’n’ roll isn’t just about sex and drugs. It’s about self-expression, lasting friendships, and self-empowerment. That’s what Alex learns after she starts playing bass for a rock band in this almost true story. Joyce Raskin, author and musician, culls from her memories to create this funny, touching, and honest look at what it’s like to be a teenager, a girl, and a rock star all at the same time.

Also included are a note from the author, instructions on how to play basic guitar chords, advice on songwriting, and more!" (Summary from the publisher)

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I like music. Books about music, movies about music, music in general. I just finished Five Flavors of Dumb (which I really enjoyed) and had watched Lemonade Mouth, so I was up for another music book.

WHY I FINISHED IT: This is going to sound horrible, but -- because I felt I had to. This was an advance reading copy through NetGalley and I can't review what I didn't finish. Had I been reading this for pleasure, I probably would have given up about halfway through.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Maybe reluctant, younger teenage girl readers.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/WARNINGS: I didn't really care for this book. Granted, as a 37-year-old man, I'm hardly the target audience (although I loved Five Flavors of Dumb and Bandslam is one of my favorite movies). But it seems to me that the author had a hard time figuring out who this book was supposed to be for. Alex is 14, but she narrates the story as if she's much younger. The first-person narration irritated me, and it was all written in short sentences, almost like an outline that never got fleshed out.

Events just happen out of nowhere. Alex is sitting with her brother and his best friend, Todd. Suddenly she's in Todd's band and her brother offers to teach her bass guitar. The girl who couldn't figure out a hairstyle a few pages ago has a punk makeover and starts dating a skater boy who has never even noticed her before (he thinks she just transferred in from another state, a misconception she doesn't correct). She's playing in bars. She's writing songs. She's getting threats from juvenile delinquents. It's all too quick and all too unbelievable.

As far as addressing self-image and self-esteem issues, this does has a positive spin. It also deals with saying "no" to temptations that all teen girls face, so I give it a thumbs up for that. But all in all, I was underwhelmed and not really impressed by the writing or the story.

Again, I'm definitely not the target audience for this. It's been a long time since I was fourteen (and I've never been a girl). Maybe one of the girls out there can give it a more objective review.

Content warnings: some language and sex talk. Lots of references to dating, kissing, and body changes as a girl becomes a woman.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

TITLE: City of Bones

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clare

REVIEWED BY: Princess LadyBug

BRIEF SUMMARY: Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray & her best friend, Simon, are hanging out at the Pandemonium Club when Clary discovers strange people that Simon can't see. After her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster, she is suddenly drawn into their bizzare world of demons and the Shadowhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I'm always on the lookout for something new to read. When a friend said he'd heard good things about it, I rushed right down to the library to check it out.

WHY I FINISHED IT: I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Lots of action moves the plot along nicely as Clary learns to deal with the new world she's found herself in. Each character she meets is more interesting than the last one on her quest to find and rescue her mother.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: My niece or anyone who likes books that turn our universe upside down.

OTHER NOTES AND CONTENT WARNINGS: Contains some violence. They are fighting demons after all. :)

This book is anything but "Dumb..."

TITLE: Five Flavors of Dumb

AUTHOR: Antony John

REVIEWED BY: Cleggy

BRIEF SUMMARY: Piper is a high school senior who has spent most of her school years invisible. During an encounter with the school's resident rock band, Dumb, she has a rare moment of outspokenness, which not only gains their respect, but leads to her becoming their manager... which might be even harder than it would seem, since Piper suffers from moderate-severe hearing loss.

One thing leads to another, and suddenly Dumb goes from a three-piece mess to a hard-rocking quintet. Finally on the verge of breaking through, they're also on the verge of breaking up.

While Piper tries to keep it together, she's also dealing with her family: an unemployed father, a workaholic mother, a brother who's constantly in danger of expulsion, and a baby sister who can either bring them all together again, or tear them completely apart.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I love books and movies about music and music groups.

WHY I FINISHED IT: It was very well-written and you come to care about the characters. Piper is an amazing character, and everything about the books rings true. Setting it in Seattle also did a lot to enhance the music aspect of the plot.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Anyone who loves music and/or books about high school. Anyone who loved Bandslam or Lemonade Mouth.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/WARNINGS: Moderate language warning (Two PG-13-level outbursts, occasional other milder language).