Most of these novels are things I purchased for myself for my birthday. They are overstock items from a bargain store, so they are a little random. I like to choose books this way once in a while to try some new things I may not have seen or heard of before, or just find some things I might not expect.
The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi
This is volume one of a series called The Beast Player. It apparently contains volumes one and two. My copy has a sticker for a Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in young adult literature as an honor book, so it must be good, right? The description sounded interesting.
What is it?
A fantasy about a girl who can communicate with magical beats. That was enough to sell me on it.
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Mimh by Robert C. O’Brien
This sounds familiar and was not expensive, so I figured why not grab it. Apparently there is a movie based on it. I swear I’ve seen it, but I must have been rather young at the time, because I don’t remember anything about it. It’s also volume one of a trilogy.
What is it?
An animal story for children, possibly kind of dark.
Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa De La Cruz
This is volume one of a series called The Chronicles of Never After. I’m not going to lie, I don’t know anything about this series. I added it to my pile when I saw the description mention a girl interacting with a character from her favorite book series.
What is it?
A fantasy adventure of some kind that has something to do with fairies and fairytales.
The Outcast by Taran Matharu
This is a volume zero prequel to the series Summoner. I have not read anything in this series, nor do I have volume one. I guess I will be starting with volume zero and working my way from there. Hopefully the series is will be equally enjoyable starting with this volume as opposed to others.
What is it?
Something involving fantasy and magic. I don’t know, it’s been a long time since I added the series to my list.
The Princess Diaries: Princess In Love by Meg Cabot
This is volume three of The Princess Diaries series. I have no idea if it’s anything like the Disney movies, but considering this series appears to be fairly lengthy, probably not.
What is it?
Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?
The Princess Diaries: Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot
This is volume two of The Princess Diaries series. The series is approximately twelve-ish books long, plus maybe some middle and side stories. I likely won’t be delving too deeply into things until I start actively reading the series. They didn’t have volume one at the store, so I will likely have to order that later in order to start reading these.
What is it?
Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?
The Rise of Kyoshi by by F.C. Yee
This is the first volume of the Chronicles of the Avatar series, as in The Last Airbender, not the blue people. The first two are the Kyoshi novels, and the third is about Yangchen. They can be divided into sub-series by which Avatar they feature. I don’t know if there will be more than just the three novels, yet. If you’re familiar with the show, you’ve already heard of Kyoshi and Yangchen. This was given to me as a birthday gift, and I’m excited to read it. I grew up watching Avatar.
The Wolf of Cape Fen by Juliana Brandt
This one is a stand alone novel. I don’t really know anything about it. It’s one I grabbed a bit randomly.
What is it?
Sounds like a Rumpelstiltskin-like mystery adventure thing.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Genres: Historical, Magic, Romance Intended Age Group: Young Adult Publisher: Anchor Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-0-307-74443-2 Rating: 4/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleThriftBooks
Description from the Book
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque de RĂŞves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Amidst the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.
Personal & Info
I’m reading this as a recommendation from a friend. Upon receiving this recommendation, I was told the ending is probably the weakest part of the story. I disagree. I think the ending is pretty good. The book feels like a Romeo and Juliet type story, so the ending seems fitting in my opinion.
If anything, I think the first half of the book is the weakest. Everything takes forever to actually feel like things begin. It took me several months to get through the book because of that. It’s interesting enough because of the concept and writing, but it just feels so slow. About halfway through, everything seems to pick up drastically. That’s also when the romance starts to get emphasis.
This is a rather complicated book. Events can be hard to keep track of because chapters tend to jump forward and backward in time. The events involving Bailey occur in the future for most of the book until the main story catches up to that point. I recommend paying extra attention to which year the story is on, and maybe flipping back to double check the dates.
Characters
Hector Bowen, Prospero the Enchanter, is Celia’s father. He doesn’t come across as the greatest dad.
Alexander, Hector’s rival, has different ideals than Hector. He chooses to teach a child from an orphanage to compete against Celia.
Celia Bowen is the female lead. She is the daughter of Hector Bowen, and appears to be naturally gifted with the same talent as her father.
Marco Alisdair, the male lead, is the boy from an orphanage Alexander chooses to teach.
Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre is a theatrical producer. Bowen describes him as wealthy, eccentric, forward thinking, a bit obsessive, and somewhat unpredictable. He assembles the committee to create the circus without knowing it is the venue for the competition.
Ana Padva is a retired Romanian prima ballerina. She’s known for her impeccable sense of style, and she helps plan the circus.
Tara and Lainie Burgess are sisters who look very much alike. They do a little bit of everything, and help plan the circus.
Ethan Barris is an engineer. He commissions the famous clock for the circus, helps plan the circus, and collaborates with elaborate projects for both sides of the competition.
Friedrick Thiessen is the artisan who makes the clock for the circus. He also becomes a huge fan of the circus itself.
Bailey Clarke is an average farm boy. His family has an orchard and sheep. He loves the circus.
Poppet and Widget are fraternal twins born on opening night of the circus. They have unique talents.
Tsukiko is the contortionist Chandresh hires for the circus, but there is more to her than anybody knows.
Isobel is a girl Marco meets early in the book. She seems like a love interest right off the bat, and her role in the story is more important then one might think.
Story & Thoughts
As the description says, there is a competition occurring in the circus. However, I don’t think the competition itself is the main aspect of the story. To me, I get the feeling the story focuses more on what surrounds the competition and the effect it has on everything around it.
The competition itself is extremely inhumane. The contenders have no choice in the matter and are arranged to compete at young ages. Hector and Alexander both use rather inhumane and cruel methods of teaching. Marco is left alone constantly to study things he doesn’t understand. Celia is taught more psychologically in ways that could be as traumatizing as they are productive. The rules of the game are not even made clear until near the end.
There are first person perspectives throughout the book to portray the perspective of a circus goer. I’m not fond of these. They seem unnecessary, but I guess they are probably trying to emphasize the amazement of the circus experience.
The writing is very vivid. Morgenstern knows how to paint a picture with her words without doing too much or too little. All of the descriptions make for an enjoyable read.
I like all of the characters. They seem well defined and detailed despite there being so many. The interactions and reactions are as enjoyable as the detailed descriptions. I especially like the scene where Marco first lays eyes on Celia for her audition. His reaction there is priceless, probably one of my favorite parts in the whole book. I just love how her performance rattles him.
All of the books in this haul are from either Amazon or ThriftBooks.
Eleventh Grade Burns by Heather Brewer
This is volume four of the five volume Vladimir Tod series. I ordered it through ThriftBooks.
What is it?
A teen half-vampire series.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
I received this book as a gift through Amazon. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. This is volume one of the Graceling Realm series. I’m not sure when I’ll get to reading it, but it’s been on my list for a while.
What is it?
A fantasy romance, from the sounds of it.
Kender, Gully Dwarves, and Gnomes by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman
This is volume two if the Dragonlance Tales trilogy, and completes my set. I got it from ThriftBooks, and it’s in better condition than I was expecting. I have a long way to go before my entire Dragonlance collection is complete. There are A LOT of Dragonlance novels.
What is it?
A Dungeons and Dragons-esque fantasy.
Return of the Dragon Slayers by Brandon Mull
This is the fifth and final volume of the Dragonwatch series. Dragonwatch is the sequel series to Fablehaven, and supposedly stars several of the same characters. I haven’t started reading it, yet, so I can’t personally say for sure. This completes my Fablehaven/Dragonwatch collection, unless something else is released later. I ordered this from Amazon to help ensure a manga did not get lost in the mail as a small package a second time.
What is it?
A fantasy adventure sequel to Fablehaven, probably revolving around the previously mentioned dragon lore.
Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer
This is the fifth and final volume of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, and it completes my set. I still need to get The Slayer Chronicles that goes with it. This book was a ThriftBooks order.
I haven’t bought enough books each month to bother doing hauls for regular novels, and I haven’t been keeping track of them as well as manga and light novels. So, for roughly the past six months, I’m just going to do one massive haul to show what I’ve gotten. Think of it as one big end of the year haul.
Aurian by Maggie Furey
I’m always on the lookout for new books (new to me, not necessarily newly published) to try, so I often grab some seemingly random things if they look interesting enough. This is one of those things. I bought it from my local used book store. Or at least, I think I did. There are no stickers on it to verify.
This is volume one of a four volume series called Artefacts of Power.
What is it?
A magical fantasy adventure.
Blood Vow by J. R. Ward
This is volume two of the Black Dagger Legacy series, which is intended to be read in tandem by publication date with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I don’t have volume one of this series, yet, because I’m not quite ready to start it. There are a few more volumes of Fallen Angels and BDB for me to finish first.
I was at my local used book store the other day and I caught this volume out of the corner of my eye. I knew what it was, just not which volume, so I grabbed it for two dollars instead of ordering online for six or more later.
What is it?
A sexy and edgy urban vampire novel that is part of a larger series/universe of books.
The Crossroads of Illys’thoph by Jean William Quantrell III
This is book two of a series called The Chronicles of Tyrfus Hillock. The series is rather new, and my family knows the author, so you should definitely check it out. It can be found on Amazon. I’ll also include a link to volume one. I don’t have reviews for these yet, but it’s on my to do list.
What is it?
A fantasy.
The Dark Glory War by Michael A. Stackpole
I’m not entirely sure, but I think I got this from my local used book store. It doesn’t have a sticker, so I can’t verify that.
This is apparently part of a series called The DragonCrown War Cycle. It’s four volumes including this one as the prequel.
What is it?
A fantasy of some kind.
Dragon’s Blood by Jane Yolen
I bought this from my local used book store. It’s volume one in a four volume series called Pit Dragon Chronicles.
What is it?
A Dragon themed fantasy.
Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
This is volume one of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. I initially read this from the library, and enjoyed it, so I’m collecting the series to read all of it. There are only five volumes, but there is also a spin-off series. I think it’s about a vampire hunter, and it’s called The Slayer Chronicles. There are a couple graphic novels for volumes one and two of Vladimir Tod, too, but I have no interest in those.
I think I got this one from a library sale, because it is used and doesn’t have any stickers on it. As far as I know, this is a stand alone novel.
What is it?
A mystery romance.
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
I bought this one from my local used book store. It’s volume one of a series called Firelight. It appears to be a trilogy.
What is it?
A fantasy romance with dragon shifters who secretly live among humans.
Ghost of a Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
This book was purchased at my local used book store. As far as I know, this is a stand alone novel.
What is it?
A mystery romance.
Guild Boss by Jayne Castle
I ordered this on Amazon. It’s book fourteen in the Ghost Hunters or Harmony series, which is an extension of the Arcane Society series. I did read this already, but I did not review it because I don’t want to review a series super far in. When I go back and reread the entirety of the series, I’ll do the reviews at that time.
What is it?
A paranormal romance with psychics.
Halls of Law by V.M Escalada
I honestly can’t remember where I got this one. The stickers or lack of, does not give me any clue.
This is volume one of a duology called Faraman Prophecy. I don’t know any more than that.
What is it?
An epic fantasy with military and psychic themes.
Love and War by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
This is volume three of the Dragonlance Tales trilogy. I bought it from my local used book store.
What is it?
A Dungeons and Dragons-esque fantasy.
The Magic of Krynn by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
This is volume one of the Dragonlance Tales trilogy. I bought it from my local used book store.
What is it?
A Dungeons and Dragons-esque fantasy.
Mister Monday by Garth Nix
This is volume one of the series The Keys to the Kingdom. It’s a seven volume series.
I picked this up at my local used book store, because I read the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix and loved it, so I want to see if I like other things he’s written. I will reread Abhorsen at a later date and post reviews for it.
What is it?
A fantasy adventure.
Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
This is volume two of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. I ordered this one from ThriftBooks after I bought volume three in store.
What is it?
A teen half-vampire series.
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
I bought this from my local used book store. I think it was on the same day as the two Garth Nix books.
This is volume one of a series called Ranger’s Apprentice. The series appears to be pretty long with sixteen volumes.
What is it?
A fantasy of some kind.
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
This is volume one of a series called Sea of Trolls. It appears to be a trilogy. I don’t know any more than that since I haven’t read it, yet. I can’t remember where I bought it, but wherever it come from it was used.
What is it?
A middle grade fantasy. It might have a touch of mythology in it. I’m not sure.
Serpent in Paradise by Jayne Ann Krentz
This book was purchased at my local used book store. This is a stand alone novel. I have already read and reviewed it.
What is it?
A harlequin romance.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
This book was purchased at my local used book store. It’s one I grabbed from browsing, because it sounded interesting. It has a sticker on it that says it’s an autographed copy, but sometimes I wonder when I see stuff like that, because most of the time you can’t read the signature anyway.
This is the first book in a series called The School for Good and Evil. The series is six volumes, plus two prequels, and one companion book. Volumes 4-6 appear to be a sequel series called The School for Good and Evil: The Camelot Years.
The series appears to be ongoing.
What is it?
A middle grade fantasy with fairy tale themes.
Soft Focus by Jayne Ann Krentz
I think I got this one from a library sale, because it’s used and doesn’t have any stickers on it. As far as I know, this is a stand alone novel.
What is it?
A mystery romance
Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer
This is volume three in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series. I got this from my local used book store. It was the only volume of the series they had.
What is it?
A teen half-vampire series.
Troubletwisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
This is volume one of a four volume series called Troubletwisters. It has Garth Nix’s name on it, so I want to read it to see if I like more things he’s written.
What is it?
A fantasy adventure.
Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick
This book was purchased at my local used book store. As far as I know, this is a stand alone novel.
What is it?
A victorian mystery romance.
Way of the Wolf by E. E. Knight
I bought this one from my local used book store while browsing for new things to try. It’s volume one of a series called The Vampire Earth. There are eleven books in the series.
What is it?
A post apocaliptic fantasy.
The Witches of Eileanan by Kate Forsyth
I bought this book from my local used book store. It’s volume one in a six book series called The witches of Eileanan.
What is it?
A fantasy, probably with magic.
Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale
I ordered this from Amazon. It’s volume five in the series The Legend of All Wolves. It’s a great series. I will reread the entirety of it and post reviews later.
What is it?
A wolf shifter romance.
Wolf’s Bane by Kelly Armstrong
I ordered this from Amazon. It’s the first volume of a series called Kate and Logan, which is a sequel series to Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series. It stars Kate and Logan, the twin children of Elena Micheals and Clay Danvers.
What is it?
A fantasy where werewolves, vampires, witches, necromancers, etc. live among us in secret.
Wolf’s Curse by Kelley Armstrong
I ordered this from Amazon. It’s volume two of the series Kate and Logan. I’m not sure if there will be more volumes after this one.
What is it?
A fantasy where werewolves, vampires, witches, necromancers, etc. live among us in secret.
Serpent in Paradise by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Stephanie James Genres: Romance Intended Age Group: Adult Publisher: Harlequin Books S.A Edition: Paperback ISBN: 0-373-77016-2 Rating: 2.5/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Amy Shannon met Jase Lassiter at a seedy bar called The Serpent, and she should have heeded the warning in the name. At first he offered her paradise – nights of love and days of sheer delight – but the taste of honey turned to ashes on her tongue when she thought she’d been abandoned. Now only Jase’s return can satisfy Amy’s hunger for promises of love. Will his words take her to paradise, or exile her forever?
Personal & Info
Jayne Ann Krentz (and all her other pseudonyms) is one of my favorite authors. Her books always feel comfortable to read, so I am amassing a collection. This one is a 250 page stand alone.
My copy appears to be an old one with stickers so aged it would damage the book if I attempt to remove them. This book seems to be an uncommon find these days. The digital version is the easiest to locate, but I found paperbacks on Amazon and ThriftBooks for people who want physical versions. The links don’t necessarily lead to the same copy as mine. I found mine at a used book store for a dollar.
The description is misleading. It implies a love affair in which the man ghosts the woman, leaving her pining for him. That is not entirely correct. I can’t say how without spoiling parts of the story, so I’ll just say there is a lot more going on than that. It’s not that simple, nor exactly what it implies.
Characters
Amy Shannon is the female lead in this romance story. She owns a chain of lingerie boutiques in San Fransisco. She’s also exceedingly klutzy when she gets anxious or nervous.
Jase Lassiter is the male lead. His character description can easily be associated with the term sociopath, which is confusing because that description doesn’t seem apt as the story goes along. He owns a bar by the name of The Serpent.
Ray is seemingly Jase’s only employee at The Serpent. He’s a painter, and he seems like a nice guy.
Maggie runs the convenience store.
Fred Cowper is the local unofficial law enforcement. I think they said he is an ex-cop.
Ty Murdock is Melissa’s ex-husband. Nobody knows where he is or if he is even alive.
Dirk Haley is a mystery man who wants to meet up with Amy.
Melissa Shannon is Amy’s sister. I don’t know if she still has the last name of Shannon, but I’m putting it here to make their relation obvious.
I like the story, but I also have problems with it. There are themes and opinions involved that definitely show the perspective of the times. The date in my book says this was written in 1983. If you don’t like to see consent disrespected, or how men would think in the 80s, you might not like this book.
Jase constantly disrespects consent and his behavior resembles stalking. Even when he’s in a relationship where he’s trying to be a good person, he is overbearing and controlling. Oh, and let’s not forget that lovely trait of men in the 80s where they call every woman, “honey.”
Amy isn’t a great character herself, either. She doesn’t seem to know standard safety protocols. Like, this guy is basically harassing her, and she tells him exactly where she is staying and allows herself to be left alone with him.
As for the romance, I think it’s lacking. These people have nothing in common aside from both running businesses of their own. There is no reason for them to be drawn to each other. They both think the other is all wrong for them, yet they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Where is the connection? The only likely one I can find is primal male ownership of a woman and adrenaline. That’s not good enough for me. It could work in a paranormal setting with werewolves or something, but here? No.
I’m not happy with the ending. It’s generally fine, but I don’t agree with the choice Amy makes. The whole book she talks about how women are independent and modern. I feel like her decision is a step backwards on her own opinion. She doesn’t have to do that. They can figure out another way to make things work. In a way I saw it coming, though.
Notable Issues
Amy makes a sarcastic comment about how Jase must have missed his calling and should have studied psychology instead. Immediately after, Jase says this exact thing to the next two people he talks to. To me, this means one of three things. Either Jase isn’t very creative, the phrase gets stuck in his head, or the writing just isn’t that great. I want to assume one of the first two options, but I can’t be sure. Regardless of what it was, this part bugged me.
I had to look up what, “sending a cable,” means. That tripped me up a bit when I found it. I’m assuming it means a messenger delivered a telegram. I had no idea those were still being used in the 80s.
Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn Genres: Ghosts, Mystery Intended Age Group: Middle Grade Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-0-547-07645-4 Rating: 2/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Just before summer begins, thirteen-year-old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. One’s her mother, the other her aunt Dulcie…but who is the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali will have two months to figure it out, since she’s spending the summer with her aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and aunt used to visit when they were kids. Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean, spiteful, and determined to ruin Ali’s summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out. Though, if she’s not careful, that’s exactly what might happen to her – die, that is.
Personal & Info
I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky books. This is the last of those for me to review. My edition appears to be older than the ones currently available in stores, so the links lead to the current available edition.
Characters
Ali is the main character.
Dulcie is Ali’s aunt. She’s an artist, specifically a painter.
Claire is Ali’s mother. She seems to have a lot of problems. She’s sensitive emotionally, and for some reason overly protective of her daughter to the point Dulcie says Claire owns Ali.
Emma is Dulcie’s daughter, and Ali’s cousin. She’s about four.
Pete is Ali’s dad. He seems to be the reasonable parent. When Claire is overprotective, Pete advocates on Ali’s behalf.
Sissy, the girl they meet at the lake, is mean and temperamental. I think they said she appears to be nine or ten, but small for her age.
Story & Thoughts
I generally don’t like stories with blatantly mean people in them. This book, and Wait Till Helen Comes, which is by the same author, are both like that, though this one isn’t as bad. This one is tolerable in comparison, but there are other issues.
The story is too bland for me. There is no blatant haunting danger. It’s more manipulation and bullying than anything. Granted, it’s not a bad story. It’s just not for me.
I hate how Dulcie and Emma act throughout. Emma’s behavior makes sense due to her age and lonely upbringing, but Dulcie has no excuse. Dulcie seems straight up unreasonable in some parts. Like, yeah, it’s Ali’s fault that Emma sneaks out the window during nap time because she wasn’t watching her, because that makes sense (This is sarcasm). What’s she supposed to do, sit in Emma’s room with her for every nap and bed time? At some point the child is to blame.
If you don’t like your ghost stories to be scary, and want something a little more mysterious, maybe check this out. Nobody dies. The ghost doesn’t blatantly try to murder anyone. It’s about finding the truth so the ghost can rest.
The Secret Grave by Lois Ruby Genres: Contemporary, Ghosts Intended Age Group: Middle Grade Publisher: Scholastic Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-0-545-93250-9 Rating: 3/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Nightshade can be deadly.
Hannah and Scooter’s sprawling, ramshackle house is named for the lethal plant that grows in the dark woods behind it. Hannah knows she’s not supposed to explore the forest or nearby Moonlight Lake. But she’s feeling lonely and desperate for an adventure. It’s there in the woods that Hannah meets Cady, a mysterious girl who promises everything Hannah’s been missing. Only Cady has a secret:
Cady Wants Hannah all to herself.
Soon Cady is copying Hannah’s style so they can be more alike. She lies to Hannah’s friends, insults Scooter, and begs Hannah to break her parents’ rules and sneak out for a midnight swim. Hannah wants to believe Cady’s just a little insecure. But when she discovers a cemetery beyond the lake with an eerily familiar headstone, she must decide whether to trust her new friend or dig for answers that may lead her to a watery grave.
Personal & Info
I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky middle grade books. It looks like a stand alone, but some places list it as number three in a series called, “Hauntings.” I will be reading it as a stand alone. If it seems like I get lost or confused by something for not reading the other books, I will say so.
Characters
Hannah Flynn is the main character. She’s the twelve year old middle child in a large family, as follows below.
Gracie is the youngest sister at two years old.
Franny, or Frences, is the older sister, and apparently grumbles a lot. She’s seventeen.
Scooter, actual name Scott Thomas, is one year younger than Hannah, and her favorite member of the family. He has chronic asthma.
Trick, also known as Patrick, is fourteen. He is obsessed with baseball.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Sally Flynn, I suspect they are crazy for having five kids, but they seem happy.
Luisa and Sara are Hannah’s best friends. They seem like they are friends with each other first, and Hanna second.
Cady is the girl Hannah meets in the woods. She’s rather mean and demanding.
Story & Thoughts
This book has a similar premise as Wait Till Helen Comes. Both books center on a large property where there’s an unknown area containing a tragic mystery. Both also contain ghosts only intent on communicating with the family member of the same age as the ghost.
I wouldn’t consider this one horror, though. It’s more of a chill almost normal story. Aside from one near drowning, it’s more of a story about friendship than about ghosts. Cady doesn’t seem like a nice person, but at least nobody in this book is as insufferable as Heather is in WTHC.
The plot, aside from the ghost related part, is actually relatable. Hannah’s friends will be gone for a large chunk of the summer, so she’ll be bored and lonely until they get back. This particular type of vulnerability makes her want a new friend, and rather easy to influence.
I think this story is well written. Plot devices and story telling methods are easy to pick out for young readers. Like how Nana Fiona explains banshees to Hanna, for example. There is a good call back to that later on. I think this example is called foreshadowing.
I do have one gripe with the story. Why didn’t Hanna grab her music box and take it home? That didn’t make any sense to me. She was right there, and she had the opportunity.
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn Genres: Ghosts, Horror Intended Age Group: Middle Grade Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-0-547-02864-4 Rating: 3.5/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she’s made Molly and Michael’s life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that’s not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can’t get any worse. But they do – when Helen comes.
Personal & Info
I found this, and a few other short spooky stories cheap. It’s October, so I figure it’s a good time to read them. I actually bought this twice by mistake, because I forgot I grabbed it already, and the store had a second copy. Not a big deal, they were about a dollar a piece.
Characters
Molly is the main character. Everyone seems to invalidate her all the time.
Michael, Molly’s brother, seems to only care about science and logic.
Heather is the step-sister. She’s seven, and her mother died in a fire when she was three.
Dave is the step-dad, and apparently believes everything Heather says.
Jean is the mom. She seems more reasonable than Dave.
Story & Thoughts
This is a good book, but I will not be keeping it for my collection. Heather ruins the whole thing for me. She is so insufferable, no amount of warm hearted happy endings in the world can make up for it.
Throughout the entire book, Heather is a bratty nuisance. She lies ALL the time. Her dad is wrapped around her finger and believes anything she says. Jean gives her way too much leeway, but at least she believes Molly and Michael sometimes. Overall, the parenting in this book is horrendous. I think most of the problems could be avoided if the parents put in more time and effort.
It does have some good going for it. It has some traditional ghost story aspects. There’s a detective segment where the kids go to the library to learn about the ghost, and they talk to a few people about strange occurrences. The story itself is enjoyable if you can tolerate Heather as an insufferable character.
There’s a map at the front of the book that shows the property. I wasn’t expecting that, but it’s kind of nice to have. However, I noticed the map shows four bedrooms. If the parents share a room, that leaves three for the kids, so why do the girls need to share? That doesn’t make sense to me.
The Haunting by Lindsey Duga Genres: Ghosts, Horror Intended Age Group: Middle Grade Publisher: Scholastic Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-338-50651-8 Rating: 3.5/5 AmazonBarnes & NobleThriftBooks
Description from the Book
Emily’s dreams are finally coming true: The kind and wealthy Thorntons want to adopt her and whisk her away to a new life at Blackthorn Manor
At first, life is wonderful. But as Emily explores the grand estate, strange things start happening all around her. It’s almost as if someone-or something-wants her gone.
Now it’s up to Emily to untangle a dark family secret hiding in her new home-before the life of her dreams becomes a real nightmare!
Personal & Info
I’m looking to expand my collection of children’s books. I found this and a few other short spooky stories super cheap. It’s October, so I figure it’s a good time to read them.
Characters
Emily, the main character is a twelve year old orphan. Her prospects for the future are grim as she looks forward to going to a work house when she’s old enough.
Archie is Emily’s dog. She raised him since he was a small puppy.
Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are the nice couple who adopt Emily.
Miss Greer is the cook and housekeeper of the Thornton home, which is called Blackthorn.
Kat is a not so nice friend of Emily’s. She reminds her much of a mean girl at the orphanage.
Story & Thoughts
The story starts off grim. Emily is an orphan at an orphanage. She has no hopes of being adopted because she’s older and nobody considers her pretty. Supposedly everyone wants the little blond blue-eyed girls.
As the synopsis says, she finally gets adopted. She hit the jackpot. It’s possibly her last chance at being adopted, and the family is nice, and well off. They even let her keep her dog friend.
Things are strange right off the bat upon arriving at her new home. Emily sees creepy things she’s not sure are actually there. The house, while massive and beautiful, is unkempt.
The story progresses day to day with strange occurrences giving the reader time to speculate. It’s easy to figure it out before Emily. The title and book description practically spell it out for you, as well as some things that people let slip early on. I was only off on one detail, but all my other guesses were spot on.
I never know what to expect when I read horror, because I don’t read the genre often. This one has common haunting tropes. It’s relatively mellow with slice of life and creepy bits thrown in for the first three quarters. it doesn’t want to reveal anything too quickly. There’s a punch in the “feels” in the conclusion that I was not expecting. I anticipated the plot, but not the emotional value of the portrayal.
Honestly, I’m surprised I like it as much as I do. It’s a simple, but effective, short, ghost story. This author apparently writes a small variety of spooky stories. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get more, but if I see them around I’ll probably grab them.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Series Name: Extraordinary Voyages/Captain Nemo Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi Intended Age Group: 8-12 Publisher: Rand McNally & Company Edition: Hardcover (Windermere Readers) ISBN: NA Rating: 1.5/5 AmazonBarnes&Noble
Description
In one of the earliest sci-fi novels, Professor Aronnax and two friends are swept away on a deep sea adventure on board the Nautilus. They receive a tour of the ocean’s depths filled with fish and rare sights.
Personal & Info
I generally have no interest in classic novels. I’m only reading this because it is recommended before Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep. Although, based on his writing style, I assume you can probably read Daughter of the Deep without reading this.
I got this from the library since I likely have no interest in buying a copy. This particular copy appears to be very old. There is no dust jacket or cover art. No synopsis anywhere on or in the book, either, and I can’t locate an ISBN of any kind. I’m not sure they even used those at the time this particular edition was printed. I filled out my usual information to the best of my ability, threw together my own synopsis, and the store links will lead to more modern copies.
This book is technically part of a series, but from what I hear, you can read it as a stand alone novel and be perfectly fine. The Captain Nemo series is a trilogy, which is part of a larger series called Extraordinary Voyages. I have no plans at this time to delve into the trilogy nor the extended series.
Characters
M. Pierre Aronnax, professor from the museum of Paris. Based on the writing style, the book appears to be his journal.
Counseil, the assistant to Aronnax. He is approximately ten years younger than his mentor, which the book states puts him at about thirty. Counseil is a calm individual and rarely ever leaves his master’s side.
Ned Land is a meat obsessed Canadian harpooner. The book never lets you forget he is Canadian. He is constantly referred to as the Canadian.
Captain Nemo, commander of the Nautilus submarine, and a recluse from the land world.
Story & Thoughts
Right off the bat, I do not recommend this book. I can see how it would be appealing around the original publish date, but it does not appeal to modern day. It’s probable that maybe people interested in geography, ocean travel, or marine biology, MIGHT enjoy it. As just a book to pick up and read, though, I doubt most people would find it interesting.
A majority of the book is fish descriptions. These descriptions often use the latin and/or scientific names. Most of the time, I find these hard to follow, because I’m not familiar with the terms for marine life, and I’m certainly not going to look them up every time I don’t know something when a book has so many. The same goes for the locations.
The locations in which they travel, and the routes they take, all use nautical terms. They are constantly using compass directions as well as longitude and latitude. I don’t have the effort to bother using a map to follow the story. I can see how it might be cool to follow along by pinpointing locations on a map, though. It could give a visual representation of where and how far they travel.
Speaking of story, there is little to none. If you cut out all the technical things regarding the functions of things, the geographical travel, and descriptions of the fish, you would be left with a rather short novella instead of this five hundred page novel. Granted, the tiny bit of story is at least a little interesting. That’s the only reason I rate this a one and a half, instead of just a solid one.
Again, I do not recommend this book. I got several headaches from reading it. I only read the whole thing because I was determined to. Normally I would have abandoned it at fifty or one hundred pages at most. It took me a long time to read compared to normal because of how boring and technical it is. Unless you specifically enjoy the types of technical this book is, don’t bother.
