Jaemi's Reading
Reviews on this Page: Flipped | Paradise | Goose Girl | A Mango-shaped Space | Necklace of Kisses | Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince | Goose Chase

Reviews on Page 8: Where I want to Be | Magic or Madness | New Found Land | Smashed | The She | The People of Sparks | Tending to Grace
Wasted Beauty | The Spiderwick Chronicles 2-5


Flipped, by Wendelin van Draanen
FlippedThis book had me cracking up by the time I was done with the jacket.

Bryce moves across the street from Juli at the beginning of Second grade. All the way through school, she makes him nuts. Until she doesn't. Sounds kind of painful doesn't it? But watching these two alternate their versions of the same happenings, and seeing how they actually differed on occasion, was actually rather enjoyable. Bryce's chapters will leave you giggling, Juli's chapters go from laughs to sighs to deep thought and back again.

For awhile it seemed like there was no way this sotry was going to resolve itself before I got to the last page, but it does get there. And in a way that although it ought to have been preidctable, wasn't. At least to me.

Some of us may have had that kid next door. Or the one who wouldn't go away. Or the one who got away. For all that this is supposed to be a story of growth in coming-of-age, it covers a broad spectrum. Judgemental tendencies and the damage they can cause, the end results of throwing one's life away, what happens when you don't look deep enough--much like one of the key lessons within states, this book is more than the sum of its parts. And highly worth the time.

Paradise, by A.L. Kennedy
ParadiseI didn't actually finish this book, but not because I didn't like it. In fact, what I read, I liked quite a bit.

Told in a stream of consciousness that sometimes doubts itself, this is the story of an alcoholic. In fact, I believe it is the story of two alcoholics, and how they intertwine, disease and all. But I mainly only saw the leading lady.

The style is quite different than other things I've read, even other British things, and that was part of the appeal. The language is largely big and deep. And proper.

Seeing as I only got about a third of the way through, it's hard to say much, other than the book is definitely worth the read, and if I hadn't had my copy so long, I probably would finish it. But perhaps not. It may well be one of those books you need the right mood for, and at this point in time, for me that mood has passed.
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Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
Goose GirlThis book rocked. I was definitely in need of some fun and cheer at the point in time when I read it, and it didn't disappoint. From the moment when Princess Anidori-Kiladra's lady-in-waiting goes bad to the moment the book ended there was never a pause in wanting to move forward and find out what would happen. And even when you think you've got things settled, something else will jump up to suprise you, leaving you on the edge of your seat again.

I don't really remember the original Goose Girl fairy tale, but that didn't bother me a bit while reading this book. I was glad to know it was the first of a trilogy. It's always nice when there's more where that came from, in the realm of good books/authors.

Follow Ani, or Isi, as she becomes, as she struggles to learn to herd geese, belong and fit in with worker children, and somehow manage to uncover the plot against her before two countries go to unnecessary war and more lives are needlessly lost.

A Mango-shaped Space, by Wendy Moss
Mago-Shaped SpaceThis is the second book I've read that revolves around Synthesthesia, and much like the condition manifests itself quite differently in the people it affects, this story was quite different than the other.

The first difference was that in this book, our main character had this condition her whole life, but found no name for it until she was in her teens. She's then hooked up with a support group of other people sharing her condition, and finds herself in what she views as an exciting new world. Reading her story, I'd have to say that the synesthetic life sounds interesting....but for sure not easy. If you're reading words and all the letters have colors, I can't imagine the headaches. If your "dog" is blue and in Spanish it's yellow and therefore your brain can't connect the two...imagine. So it goes for Mia.

After learning of her condition, Mia's parents become more and more concerned with her new behaviors, as she spins more and more out of control, until the loss of her most special companion sends her reeling back to earth.

This was a really unique book and also, I suppose, a learning experience. Clearly this is a condition unknown to most people, and I hope to see more authors giving it voice, in fiction or non.
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Necklace of Kisses, by Francesca Lia Block
Necklace of KissesI was really excited when I found out there was a new Francesca Lia Block book coming out. And not only that, it was a Weetzie! That being said, having read all of the Weetzie Bat books, now sold together as Dangerous Angels, I don't really know whether the prior knowledge is necessary for this story or not. I think it certainly helped me, and helped with the depth in the story....without the background details some of the agony might be lost on you. But at the same time, Necklace of Kisses is a book in and of itself that I'm sure would hold its own without disappoiting.

It was really interesting to see all these characters all grown up. And yet still children. If I could move onto the planet this woman creates, I just might do it. The mix of reality, magic, dreams coming true and disappointment just seems really wonderful. In some ways fantastical, and in some ways almost more real than the actual world.

In this book, Weetzie is all grown up, and at odds with it. Her relationship with her secret agent lover man is straining, her children are in college, she has her own little store, but it doesn't seem to be enough. So she runs away. And her destination is where most of the book takes place. The Pink Hotel. I won't even try to do it justice. So do yourself a favor, and pick this one up. It's a sure feel-good. (Aside from the feel bad parts, of course.)

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception, by Eoin Colfer
The Opal DeceptionAs a late-comer to the Artemis Fowl phenomenon, I'm glad I did eventually pick it up. These books are really fun and highly entertaining. The Opal Deception didn't disappoint.

Here we are, all mind-wiped and uncertain, everything under and above ground going crazy all at once, but still the heroic group pulls together to fight yet another battle. And quite the group at that: 14-year-old Artemis, his behemoth bodyguard Butler, the dwarf-thief Mulch Diggums, and the ever-fiesty fairy, Holly Short.

This book may have been the best read yet--with the missing memories and an unbelievable scenario taking place, the excitement was high. And instead of just sinister plots and attempts to survive, in this story we also get friendships forming, and personalities shaping. And of course the leanred-the-hard-way lessons: you can never be anyone but who you are, and be careful what you wish for, you might not like it when it comes true.

Since we were left with a wide-open opportunity for more at the end of the book, I for one am hoping to see yet another Artemis adventure in our futures.
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Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter 6Well, first things first: this book was good enough that I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I 1)seem to have forgotten almost the entirety of the preceding book, and 2)was accidentally told a major point of the plot. You'd think it might, but neither of those things wrecked it for me. And as for point 3)well....I thought I was all clever and had the whole half-blood Prince thing down....now THAT surprised me.

If you're a Harry Potter fan, I'm sure this book won't disappoint, though you may or may not be looking forward to book 7 with some sort of dread. If you're not a Harry Potter fan...I don't recommend starting here. While I managed to make it through with the contents of book 5 missing from my memory, had I not had books 1-4 to back me up I think the story would have been quite lost on me. Or at least, it wouldn't have been as exciting without knowing all the back-story.

As one of the many who had this book delivered to my door on release day (although I wasn't there), I'm sure many of you are on lists waiting to read this already...but if you're not...I highly recommend picking it up.

Goose Chase, by Patrice Kindl
Goose ChaseThis book was a wonderful treat in silliness. Not only was the fairy tale in and of itself enjoyable, our main characters, Alexandria and the Prince, not to mention her 12 geese, are quite a riot. Even when things are dire, the story is told with a humorous spin, and our hero and heroine are always concocting some new crazy scheme to get out of the next trouble. The way I figured it, any book that starts out "The King killed my canary" just has to be funny. And in no way did it disappoint. If you need some humor or a little light-heartedness, give this book a try.



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