Jaemi's Reading
Reviews on this Page: The Foretelling | Freeglader | Marly's Ghost | Forever Odd | Sir Thursday | Magyk | Last of the Sky Pirates
Inexcusable | Vox | Valiant | The Face

Reviews on Page 5: Sandpiper | Alice on Her Way | The Liberation of Gabriel King | Drowned Wednesday | Enna Burning | Grim Tuesday
Across the Wall | The Sledding Hill | Mister Monday

The Foretelling, Alice Hoffman
ForetellingRain is born to her mother out of sorrow. Rather than a joyous event, her birth marks the permanence of the attack her mother suffered caught alone out on the fields. The Priestesses tell Rain she has the strength of all 50 men, but the consolation means little to her, as her mother the Queen will not speak to her.

As queen-to-be of a fierce Amazon tribe, Rain seeks to know all, and excel. She rides her horse until they become one. She rescues a bear cub, and learns to ride it as well. But in seeking to be something she is not, and letting the bear believe it is something it is not, she brings only sorrow upon herself.

As Rain enters her teens her mother takes up with a woman rescued from a battle. She is surprised to find that her mother can love. The captured woman's daughter, Io, takes to following Rain about. No matter how cruel Rain is to her, Io is only kind in return, loving her as a sister. Soon Rain comes to know that she is a sister, and regrets all the harsh words she spoke.

As Rain continues to grow, she becomes more and more defiant. Breaking rules, searching for herself, trying to find her way, fearing what is to come. Before she has found her answers, her mother is lost in battle. As her most recent child was a boy, not a girl, the Queenship falls to Rain. Some of the tribe do not believe her capable. Seeking to kill her in her sleep, the traitors murder Io instead, as Rain had left already on her journey to bring her brother to his own people.

An interesting look at what life might have been amongst this people. No fathers, no boys, feirce spirits and traditions, but also an understand that eventually change must come.

The Edge Chronicles Book 7: Freeglader, Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
FreegladerPicking up where we left off in Vox, the Undertowners are now fleeing a great malestrom which has destroyed their homes. As the storm is traveling faster than the great expedition can on foot, emissaries have been sent to the Sky Pirates living in the Mire to ask for their help in getting across the treacherous expanse, which is the only alternate route to the Great Mire Road.

With the help of the Sky Pirates and the Ghosts of Screetown, everyone is safely evacuated from the elevated road before the storm hits. Once it passes, and they've dug themselves out of the mud, the long journey to the Free Glades begins. A long and tiring journey already, the troubles increase when scouts report back that an army of Shrykes is marching their way. As an army composed of the newly born, it's even more dangerous, as young Shrykes don't have the discipline to stop fighting once the frenzy gets them. It seems hopeless. But the group stands and makes a valiant effort--and with some last minute aid from the Freeglade Lancers, and a death-blow to the Shrykes' leader by a young Undertowner, the battle is a success.

Meanwhile, on the trip across the Edgelands, Rook cut himself free of the group to chase after a friend, only to witness a Great Storm unleash a bolt of Stormphrax lighting into the woods....and then to be hit by a Sepia Storm as it spun its way out to the edge. If not for a clearing of the mist, he would never have been spotted, nor would he have been rescued from going over the edge with the storm. But luck was on his side, and the very friend he had gone after caught him and carried him back to the Deepwoods to the people who could take care of him. The storm's effects left Rook with little memory of who he was or what had happened before he was caught up in it. Only with the help of his Banderbear friends is he able to make it to the Free Glades at all. And there he is found by the Oak Elves of Lullabee Island, who take him away to see if they can help heal him.

Trapped underground awaiting his Reckoning, Xanth worries after Rook. With Rook's memory gone and Magda shot down over the Eastern Roost, there will be no one to speak for him, and he will surely be condemned. Memories of his time as a Librarian Knight haunt him, as they were the happiest of his life, and yet a lie.

In the outer Glades, plans are stirring to attack and enslave the Free Glades, in order to keep the foundries running and stop the disease which is growing among the Goblins, whose nations are sorely taxed by supplying slaves to the Foundry Glade in ever-increasing numbers.

This is probably the most action-packed book of the series yet, with all its battles and the simultaneous storylines of Rook and Xanth and their qwests to discover who they truly are. The older books and the newer also get more firmly tied together in this installment, giving closure and opening new horizons at the same time.
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Marly's Ghost, David Levithan
Marly's GhostWelcome to A Christmas Carol: the Valentine's Day Version, a truly inspired retelling.

Marly has died, after a slow withering away, leaving her boyfriend Ben alone. And as most of us would probably be quick to do, Ben needs to lay blame. So he blames the world, and love, and life. Love tricked him, left him. He decides it can't be trusted. And that no one else should trust it, believe in it, or experience it either. If possible, this is even more heartbreaking thatn all that the original Scrooge looses out on due to Greed.

Ben's friends don't want to give up on him though. At least, not faithful Fred. Only Ben can't let him in. He can't stand to see him with his girlfriend Sarah, a continuation of the life Ben once had. With Valentine's day approaching, Ben begins to loose his hold on himself, and starts lashing out. That night, he gets lashed back.

Marly arrives in much the same fashion as in any other variant of the tale, only this time she's a teenage girl, and her chain is a chain made up of pieces of her past with Ben. Once a perfect length, it has been made ponderous because he can't let her go. It's too much for her to carry.

Unwilling to watch Ben suffer, and give up on life, she has arranged with three spirits to meet with him. He understands that she must have gone through much to get him this chance, that she wants to save him, so he tries to keep an open mind. Yet when the first spirit is due, no longer so sure, he resorts to hiding beneath his sheet.

The Spirit of Love Past brings Ben back to earlier days. Days before Marly came into his life, the day she did--and he failed to really notice. He travels through better times, beautiful times, and begins to remember what he's shut off. The Spirit of Love Present arrives on a thrown of Valentines and love letters, and travels with him throughout his town, celebrating love, showing him it still exists, that it is in fact not far removed from life itself. Indeed, without love, life can't survive.

He sees a special night with Marly, at the apartment of a friend. He sees the same apartment, with a new couple inside, sharing a special night. The very couple he errupted in front of that very day. Already his harsh words have planted tiny poisonous seeds between them.

The final Spirit shows him a loveless world. People ill-speaking the dead, Tiny and Tim broken up, not speaking. A distraught Fred and a furious Sarah. A furious Marly, if she were still alive. His appreciation for life renewed, Ben hopes to avoid facing the truth, but isn't given the option.

Ben wakes on Valentine's Day full of joy and loving everything. A young boy runs to the Florist to buy him their largest bouquet. He goes shopping and buys presents for all of his friends, to be delivered at the Anti-Valentine's Day party. Hehas set off with a passion on his new path: one where love and life are ell-encompassing, to be treasured.

I truly hope this book will be read in schools. It's a wonderful re-visioning of a Classic, with plenty of merit of its own, and at the very least would make for a great comparative essay. I had no idea what the story was about when I bought the book--the decision was made based solely on the author. But Marly's Ghost turned out to be more than I had expected, and will sit on the shelf reserved for my Favorite Books, to be read repeatedly.
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Forever Odd, Dean Koontz
Forever OddOdd Thomas was the first book I read by Dean Koontz, and when I saw Forever Odd at a local Borders and got excited because I knew it had to be another Odd Thomas book, I wasn't surprised to find out tht he'd written since people had been clamoring for more. Odd Thomas is a pretty cool guy.

Still recovering from the disastrous events that led him to write his first manuscript, Odd wakes one night to find Dr. Wilbur Jessup in his bedroom staring at him. He has a sinking feeling.

He heads out the door and sets off on foot towards the Doctor's house, hoping to find an accident rather than a death, but upon arrival, the Doctor shows him a glimpse of what he will find inside, and he knows his hope is lost. What he doesn't know is what's become of Danny--the Doctor's son, and a good friend.

After some exploration he decides Danny has been taken, and calls in the Police Chief--one of the few people in town to know of his abilities. Once the scene is under control, the Chief and Odd set off together in hopes that Psychic Magnetism will draw Odd to Danny. It doesn't work.

Sitting in the dark, where the Chief left him off, Odd is paid a brief visit by Elvis, which is cut off when he realizes that his gift didn't fail him after all--up the road is coming a van driven by the man who attacked him as he was trying to leave the Jessup house. He takes off on foot after it. And is led to another dead end.

Eventually the magnetism kicks in full force, and Odd finds himself below the city, in a network of Flood tunnels, pondering their immensity and the breadth of their existence. He is lead to an old abandoned and damaged Casino. Here he must spend the rest of the day trying to free Danny of his captors without further injury (Danny suffers from Brittle Bone Disease), trying not to get himself killed, and trying not to be too haunted by the ghosts still hanging on after their tragic demise at the Casino.

There is definitely, or so it seemed to me, a lot more tension in this story than the other. Maybe in part because the other exists, and this seems too much on top of it. But Odd finds his way through, bringing peace to some along the way, rescuing Danny, and making some decisions for himself that may well change his life.
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The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 4: Sir Thursday, Garth Nix
Sir ThirsdayThis might be the best in the series yet. Action packed, quick-paced, shifting viewpoints and parallel stories--I hardly put it down!

We begin with Arthur desperately trying to get home, after Wednesday's adventures, only to find that he can't get through the Front Door. As it turns out, this happens to be the least of his problems. Reluctantly he sets off back into the house with his ever-growing staff to hold a meeting.

Not long into said meeting, his earthly friend Leaf is sent back home to try to deal with the troubles at hand there, and Arthur, upon finishing his orange juice, comes to find himself drafted into Sir Thursday's army. As all Denizens of the house must do a century of service sometimes in their lives, there's nothing to be done in terms of stopping him going. Which turns out to be a blessing and a curse.

As a mortal still, Arthur can be easily wounded or killed. But as Sir Thursday is the next Trustee he must take on, being that much closer could prove helpful. He can seek the next key and part four of the will from the inside while his friends search from the outside.

Things get more complicated still, when upon arriving for training Arthur finds himself subjected to the same washing between the ears that all Piper's children get, as it is assumed he is one himself. Therefore he forgets who he is and what he's meant to be doing. Luckily, he fights well and makes it through battle, and eventually recovers his memory. Although as he is now headed straight for the center of the Army's world, he's not entirely thrilled with the revelation.

The army attacking the house is like none ever witnessed before, and the battles are being won mostly due to the fact that Tectonic Strategy moves portions of the enemy far away every sundown, splitting its forces. When the plates of the maze stop moving, the real trouble begins.

Arthur finds himself not only face-to-face with Sir Thursday, but promoted to his Second Lieutenant for the special mission he's taking on to destroy the spike which has defeated his maze. On this mission they learn the truth of the war, who is leading the enemy, and the perils of his presence. Sir Thursday attempts to escape, only to be caught by Arthur, who confronts him on arrival back at Headquarters. He has been told by part four of the will that anger is the only way to distract Sir Thursday, and only when he is sufficiently distracted can the will break itself free of him. So it is that Arthur comes to claim the fourth key, and frees the will.

Back at home Leaf has had her hands full on her own adventure; in the end both sides end well, if slightly worse for the wear. And Arthur is beginning to realize that his hope of remaining human will not last--the Morrow Days will not rest, and without using the Keys' powers he cannot defeat them. As this battle has wound its way into Friday, on his world, there is likely to be no rest between missions yet again.
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Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk, Angie Sage
MagykI actually picked up this book because I read something about the next installment, and it looked really interesting to me, but I like to begin at the beginning. So I did.

"Who is Septimus Heap?" asks the back cover--the whole subplot is this ongoing mystery. As far as his family knows, he died close after birth. Given that the series is named for him, we as readers know differently.

The Heap family is a family of wizards, mostly. Silas, the father, was a seventh son. Septimus was his seventh son---a fact which makes him innately extraordinarily magical. Or so it should. But Septimus, apprenticed to the evil Necromacer DomDaniel, finds himself sadly lacking in talent, much to his dismay and his master's ire. Meanwhile, at home, his family has filled his place with Jenna, whom Silas found abandoned the very same night Septimus was lost to them. He didn't know who she was or why she was left outside the castle, but he knew he couldn't leave her. And so he brought her home, and offered her up to his wife.

On Jenna's 10th birthday things begin to change. A spy has been living next door, and her true identity has been found out. No longer safe, the family must disperse. And this is where the real adventure begins. Between assassin attempts, DomDaniel's return, learning the truth of the Heap family, some mishaps along the road to freedom, and the rescuing of Expendable Boy 412 of the Young Army, there's never a dull moment.

Will Septimus Heap be reunited with his family? Will DomDaniel succeed in killing the Princess and returning to power? What of the myster of Boy 412? It's well worth the read to find out.

The Edge Chronicles Book 5: The Last of the Sky Pirates, Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell -Jaemi
Last of the Sky PiratesIt was definitely nice to go back and catch up on the background for Vox. In Last of the Sky Pirates we first get introduced to Rook Barkwater, who much like Twig, was orphaned and raised by a surrogate family, and felt destined for a life he was sure he would never reach. But that didn't stop him from sneaking off to read as many bark scrolls as he could, to learn as much as possible about the world that had been.

Captain Twig is now a legend--sailed off one day never to return. The sky rocks are sick, Sanctaphrax is less than a Shadow if its old self, and those scholars that hold themselves True are living in hiding in the sewers.

Every so often they send out a new group of Librarian Knight Academics, to travel to the Deepwoods, and learn the tricks of sky flight. Once achieved, treatise missions are undertaken, in order to keep the knowledge flowing. And a Librarian Kinight Academic is what Rook has always longed to be. But being a nobody like he is, he's sure he's destined only to an apprenticeship. It's much to his surprise that he ends up chosed, over his best friend Felix, to be one of the three to go.

Unfortunately for the trio, the Guardians of Night are sending a spy to follow their mission, and therefore the next groups sent after them will have no hope of making it, as the enemies along the way will be waiting for them. Still, Rook and his crew do make it though, despite the mishaps.

From meeting an old Sky Pirate, to almost being inhaled by a bark worm, carving his own sky craft, and learning more than he could ever hope to about the great Banderbears, Rook's journey takes him far and wide. And ends in such a way as not even he could have hoped for or guessed.

This might be one of the most enjoyable tales in the Chronicles to date.
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Inexcusable, Chris Lynch
InexcusableThis is a small, rather unassuming looking little book that packs a punch. The day I started it, a friend asked "So what's inexcusable?" and I said, "As far as I can tell, the main character is."

Entering in the midst of a fight, you get off on wobbly feet. One half of the fight thinks he's right, and the other half thinks he's insane. So Keir Sarafian sets about telling us what a good guy he is, documenting it, and rationalizing the instances where it seems he might be anything else. Meanwhile, on every flash back to the present, Gigi Boudakian is still crying.

It certainly does seem, at least when you start, that Keir Sarafian is what he claims. And even when he cripples a guy, it seems plausible that it was an accident. Football injuries happen. But then there's the incident with the statue. And the tape of himself abusing his own soccer teammates...but it's blurry so he's sure it's not really him--he would never do that. Still, as the school year winds down, life becomes more and more questionable. And more and more inexcusable.

Then Graduation Day turns sour, as Keir's sisters won't be making it home for the ceremy. It turns out Gigi's boyfriend doesn't make it either. So they end up together in a limo, riding aimlessly, until they decide to take off to Norfolk. Arriving there, Keir is greeted with more shocks. On top of his already unstable state, helped along by ample doses of alcohol and drugs, it's just too much.

When all the events have added up, the question becomes who is Keir Sarafian? Does he even really know?

The Edge Chronicles Book 6: Vox, Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
VoxIf you recall back when I started reading this series, Book 4 suddenly left the timeline, and went back in time to the history of the previous main character's father, leaving me feeling lost, though eventually I caught on to what had happened. Picking up Vox gave me much the same feeling, only I was even more sure I had missed something, and was wondering why they had suddenly begun to write such a disjointed series. Then I checked my own backlog and realized this time it was me--I never remembered to read Book 5 and therefore I -did- miss something. However. I still followed along with Vox easily enough, even though I missed the backstory because I could tell it had been good.

As with all tales from the Edge, this one lacks nothing in terms of imagination, suspense, and an abundance of unique characters, though by now some of the creature of this world are becoming familiar. And despite knowing I had missed something along the way, I blazed through this installment quickly, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I do however look forward to going back to Book 5 to fill in the gaps, and am hoping some of the libraries will soon pick up books 7 and 8.
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Valiant: a Modern Tale of Faerie, by Holly Black
ValiantIt occurred to me the other night after I'd finished this book, that Holly Black reminds me of Francesca Lia Block, in that they both spin worlds where the every day, and the magical day, coexist in harmony.

I read through this book in the span of one afternoon, give or take, which impressed me, since I had just spent a couple of weeks reading a book not all that much longer. The world of Val and Ravus and the underground of New York City raced along like one of the trains often barreling down the tracks near their homes.

The story begins when Val arrives back at her house one night to find her boyfriend entangled with her mother, and quickly turns right back out the door to disappear. She has tickets for a Rangers game, so she goes, and not wanting to face home again, spends the night in a train station. But when she's awoken by two police officers, her plan to hop the morning train changes into another disappearance. Ending at a coffee shop, where she meets Lolli and Dave, this disappearance becomes permanent, as she goes to live with them beneath the streets.

Following Dave one night on a delivery, after spending the day scrounging the trash for things to sell, she encounters things she thinks can't be real. And to prove it to herself, and her friend, she takes off toward a supposed Troll tunnel, only to come face to face with said Troll. As this means trouble, she vows to serve him in order to free her friend, and from there it only gets more interesting.

While the idea of exiled faeries and magical beings living in NYC ought to seem implausible, the story rings true, and any fantasy lover is sure to enjoy it. Even the more realistic readers would probably appreciate it, as the only real difference between Ravus and any other guy is age and eyes and skin.

And since I enjoyed it so much, I'm now going back to read her first, and much acclaimed book, Tithe.

The Face, by Dean Koontz
The FaceI actually wound up reading this book because I got snowed in one day and needed something to do, and it was one of the only books on the premises I hadn't read. Since the story sounded intriguing, I gave it a go, and spent the next couple of weeks on the edge of my seat.

If there's one thing Dean Koontz is good at, in my mind, it's psychological writing. Odd Thomas being his only other book I can recall reading, I guess I'd also have to add supernatural to that, as both books have elements of it. This time, our tale revolves around an actor, the Face, his son, often left to his own devices, and the head of security of the estate, whose childhood best friend has recently died.

As Fric, the Face's son, begins getting calls from a man he dubs "Mystery Caller," to a number where *69 only results in animal breathing, and Ethan, the head of security, stumbles through mind-blowing experiences (I don't want to ruin it for you), you can't help but be dragged in.

I don't recommend this for reading before bedtime, as it can lead to some very strange dreams, but if you like fast-paced psychological thrillers, this is definitely one to look into. With twists at every turn, you'll be left hoping and wishing but not knowing how the heroes will survive the day.



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