Book Review: The True Adventures of Charley Darwin by Meyer

The True Adventures of Charley Darwin by Carolyn Meyer

In this novel, Meyer writes as a young Charles Darwin, inscribing his memoirs in a journal.  This would be historically accurate in that Darwin filled many a journal with scientific discoveries, ideas, and personal thoughts.
The novel begins in 1818 when Darwin is nine years old and beginning school.  It then traces his life up to his marriage to Emma Wedgwood in 1839.  This time frame includes his voyage on the HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836.
I must say, what I love about Meyer is she is authentic.  I very much felt like I was reading Darwin's voice.  I could feel every lurch of the boat and every bout of illness.
At the same time, I felt the pacing was a bit off.  Many pages were devoted to South America, where Darwin spent many months collecting and examining flora and fauna, but only a few pages were devoted to the Galapagos and Tahiti.  I was expecting a bit more meat on those pages.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more of how Darwin would have reacted to the finches and boobie birds - this was the area where the seed of an idea was planted, but very little attention was given to this part.
I did enjoy seeing an awkward Darwin in social settings while he was in England.  I could imagine him tucked away in a corner, praying for a swift end to the evening's frivolities.  And his courtship (or lack thereof) of his cousin also gave him a human side that we often forget when learning about men of science.
Overall, I would give this book a seven out of ten.  I found the content and situations intriguing, but the build up was a bit slow, and I would like to have more information from his time on the Beagle.

Two book reviews - because I am behind...

Hello, all!
I am a little behind - I have been reading like no one's business but I have not been posting!  What is wrong with me??!!  Anywho, I will briefly review two outstanding books that I have read over the last week and L-O-V-E-D.
Book the First:  Here Lies Arthur by P. Reeve

As I was pacing the shelves trying to find something a little action-y in my adventure section, I stumbles upon this tome.  My first thought was, "Oh, man...I put this in the wrong section." Then I began reading.  And I kept reading.  And I continued reading.  Next thing you know I was half way through the book!  This is the story of Gwyn/Gwynna, a girl whose home is detroyed by Arthur and his men.  She is picked up by Myrddin, a bard who spins fantastical tales about the savior of the realm, Arthur.  Arthur does not act or look like the savior of the realm, but thanks to the tales of Myrrdin, people all over have heard of his bravery and general awesomeness.
Myrrdin takes Gwynna under his wing and makes her his page - he also tells her she must act like a boy so that no one is suspicious of her (she becomes Gwyn).  As she gets older, Myrrdin sends her to live with Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's Christian wife, as a Lady in Waiting.  She must learn how to be a girl again and blend in with the "royal" family.
This novel is the story of Arthur through the eyes of  Gwynna/Gwyn.  She sees him not as the hero that Myrddin portrays throughtout the countryside, but as the flawed human who is a great fighter but also an intimidating leader.  It also shows how the myth of Arthur is continued even after bad situations occur, and it justifies why we need the lie of Arthur in the first place.  The flawed hero is one of my favorite types of hero in books, and for this reason I loved the story.  Along the same lines, the folks who love the myth of Arthur might find this book a bit disconcerting - they might not like to see Arthur portrayed as a brute.
This novel was greatly researched and greatly written.  I loved the use of the Welsh names for the people around Arthur - it gave the book a very authentic feel. 

Book the Second:  Divergent by V. Roth

Let me start this review by saying I have not been living under a rock for the past year.  I do know about this book, but I have refrained from reading it because I like to read series when all of the installments are in - this way I can seamlessly work my way through the story.  Once I have finished one book, I simply move to the next one in line without batting an eyelash.  With that said, I thought I would just wait until September when the last installment of this book was published and I could read the whole thing in one week.
I must have a weak will, because I could not take anymore buzz surrounding this book.  I had to read it just to see what all the fuss was about - I made it through Twilight virtually unscathed, so why not this?
Awesomeness, thy name is Roth.  This book is great - great premise, great story, great characters, and lots of awkward teen moments.  Awesome. 
This is the story of a future world where 5 factions live in peace - Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, and Candor.  Each of those factions are in charge of something that helps the city function - I will let you read to see what they all do.  On the day Beatrice must choose which faction she would like to join (based on an aptitude test, among other things) she decides to go into a faction completely different from where she was raised.  As she is training under the new faction, she finds romance, heartbreak, questions herself, questions her leaders - pretty much runs the gamut of teen emotions.  She also discovers that there is a plot to overthrow the government.  She must save the world and get her first kiss at the same time!!  Now THAT, my friends, is what you call good YA lit!!!
I found this book awoke my inner giggly teen, and I cannot wait to read Insurgent, the next book in the series.  I just have to wait for it to come back into the library - it is ALWAYS checked out!

Book Review: The Grave Robber's Apprentice

The Grave Robber's Apprentice is the newest tome from Allan Stratton.  Now, as they say down here in Texas, this is not Mr. Stratton's first rodeo, and this book does not disappoint!  In this story we follow Hans, a boy found at birth by an old graverobber.  Hans is raised to be a graverobber's apprentice, but he does not want that life.  Angela is a young countess who is trying to escape a forced marriage to an evil man.  These two must join forces to escape the evil Archduke who is hunting both of them for very different reasons.  There is adventure, mayhem, hermits, wolves, and even a traveling circus!  It is a great fantasy adventure, and one that many students will love.

Book Review: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

I have never been a Sci-Fi girl.  You can ask anyone.  I have enjoyed fantasy, horror, chick lit, and mystery, but I could never get into Sci-Fi.  The most I can do is alternate futures, maybe a little time travel, but once you get into space or tech-y stuff, my eyes glaze over and I turn into a vegetable.  It is not pretty.  So, when I got a copy of this from Junior Library Guild I just placed it to the side.  However, as I began reading reviews, I decided to give it a go.  Why not?  If I do not like it, I can put it back on the shelf...
Well, let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  It is the future, and the world is at war (World War III).  The war is fought in space - there are lots of resources there and no inhabitants.  Countries are tied to businesses, and the businesses fund the war - they want to get the resources from the planets and use them to bolster their bottom line.  Giant cruisers do all of the fighting, but they ar controlled by pilots here on earth. 
The protagonist, Tom, is a squirrelly guy who can't seem to do anything right - except play video games.  The government recruits Tom to train in their academy so that he can eventually become a pilot of one of the great space ships. Tom must face many demons, some in human form, others in his head, in order to survive his first year and graduate to the next level of training.
This is a great start to the series, and I cannot wait to see how Tom will grow and develop - I am also excited to see how his relationship with Medusa develops!

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

I ordered this book for the library after I read some great reviews on it, and, I must say, it was FANTASTIC!  It is a tale of a boy named Sage - an orphan and a theif - who is selected by a noble as a part of a secret plan to save the country.  The royal family has been killed, and unless the long lost heir to the throne is located, there will be a civil war.  The nobleman, Conner, has devised a plan to find a young man to impersonate the missing prince and become a puppet king, thus saving the country from certain war.  Sage is selected based on his looks, but he is anything other than princely.  For two weeks he must compete against other boys to determine who could transform into the Prince.  Whoever is the closest match gets to reign as a puppet king; the losers must be kept quiet at all costs.

This is a fast paced book with great action and a wonderfully flawed main character.  Sage is a good kid on a rough road.  He must find a way out of his dreary life, and, although Conner can give that to him if he is selected as the False Prince, he is unsure if that is the best way out of his situation.  He knows that the other boys are his rivals, but he also helps them out when it matters most.

This is a great read for fantasy enthusiasts, but I have also given it to some of my more reluctant readers (not that they can't read, they just do not like to do it.).  I can hardly wait for the next installment in this exciting trilogy!

Welcome back!

Hello, all!
I hope everyone had a fantastic break!  I cannot wait for another year of great teen lit!  Check back often as I will catch you guys up on some great reads!

Book Review: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Oh my gosh, gosh, giddy-gosh! 
I just finished The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens yesterday, and I must admit, I was impressed.  Try to stay with me here, this is going to get complicated...
Imagine three siblings who are torn from their parents at quite a young age to be shuffled from orphanage to orphanage for ten years.  What keeps them going is the promise that their mother made to Kate, the oldest:  they will come back for them. 
When the three are sent to an old, run down mansion in Cambridge Falls, they think they have hit rock bottom.  There are no other children at the orphanage - in fact, there are no children anywhere.  The landscape is barren, the people are openly hostile, and the weather is abominable.  While exploring the old mansion, the students come across a mysterious book - one that can transport them to different times in history.  They are immediately sent back in time 15 years, and Cambridge Falls is completely different.  The landscape is beautiful and the mansion is gorgeous.  The children of the town have all been taken hostage by an evil witch who will stop at nothing to find the mysterious book - the one that just brought Kate and her siblings back to the past!  Kate must figure out a way to save her brother and sister, the town, the children, and find out where her parents are located all without the witch taking possession of the book.  She does not get all of these tasks accomplished, but three out of four ain't bad! There will definitely be sequals!
There is action, adventure, magic, monsters, and even dwarves!!  I found the book to be entertaining and an easy read.  I have already recommended it to some of my fantasy kiddos, and I hope they come back with raving reviews!