Thursday, October 31, 2013

Book Review: The Path of Names by Ari Goelman

Dahlia is a 13 year old girl who loves all things related to magic.  She enjoys a good slight-of-hand and spends her time trying to master the art of misdirection.  One thing she is not interested in is Camp Arava - the Jewish summer camp that her parents are forcing her to attend.  She is dreading three weeks of outdoor activities, sing-alongs, and announcements in Hebrew.  Worst of all, her older brother happens to be one of the camp counselors, and by the end of the first day has all of the campers calling her "Squirt".  
So when she arrives and sees two young girls walk through the walls of one of the cabins, she thinks she has found someone who shares her affinity for magic.  She soon discovers that Camp Arava has a dark and mysterious past.  Children have disappeared from the area before, and Dahlia is the only one who can stop the disappearances from happening again.
This book is interesting.  I do not know much about the Jewish religion or the Hebrew culture, so I found the information about Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, very interesting.  I did get lost when it came to numbers for letters, different words having the same meaning, and mazes spelling things, but I tried to keep it together. Dahlia's character was likable, but she was a bit too forward thinking for a normal 13 year old.  She thought about consequences, and put two and two together much quicker than your average junior high student.  I also know nothing about summer camp other than what I learned in the movie The Parent Trap, so I had a hard time envisioning some of the situations.  
Overall, I found the story to be decent and the characters, although a bit predictable, enjoyable none the less.  This is a book that I would recommend to my more steady readers (and I already have).

Monday, October 21, 2013

Book Review:  A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix


Imagine that you have always been told that you are far superior than everyone else.  Your entire life you have been led to believe that when you become of age, you will be a full-fledged prince of the empire, held in high esteem and able to get and do whatever you want.  Your body has been enhanced with machinery, telekinetic powers, and all the advanced technology available.  
Then imagine that you become of age, and the first thing that happens is someone tries to kill you.  This is the life of Prince Khemri, a prince of the Empire, who discovers that being a prince is not all it is cracked up to be.  He finds that he is one of millions of princes who constantly backstab, duel, form alliances, double-cross, and kill to get what they want.  They are able to be reborn into a cloned adult version of themselves if they are deemed worthy by the "Imperial Mind", the omniscient and omnipresent being that can see everything in the empire, but in some situations they never come back.
Khemri dreams of being a prince that has adventures all over the universe, but he finds that being a prince is more about doing what you are told by the imperial mind, superiors, and even his Master Of Assassins.  When Khemri is given an offer he cannot refuse, he must shed all of his princely powers and technology, and learn how to survive as a human.  Khemri must learn the value of life and what it means to be human if he ever wants to return to his rightful place as a prince of the empire.
Overall, I liked the book.  The narration was great - Khemri is recounting his life and adds little snipits here and there that show his sarcastic and humorous side.  The storyline is unique - I found it interesting how princes are "created" and not "born" and anyone, male or female can be a prince.  I also liked the transformation Khemri undergoes from cocky prince to helpful human.  I must admit, however, space-y sci-fi is not my forte.  I had a hard time with the names and explanations of various types of star cruisers, solar systems, worm holes, and the like.  But I could see the story underneath all of that, and I liked it.  
So, if you are a space-y sci fi kind of person, try this book out!