Not One of Us: Stories of Aliens on Earth by Neil Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As is the case with most anthologies, not all the stories were good but most were decent. A couple stood out as amazing. There are some really great quotes/snippets in these stories that I've shared below.
Consistent throughout each story in Not One of Us anthology is that there are no green men, humanoids or aliens like we traditionally think of. These are truly 'alien' beings from the dark creatives minds of each writer (and lets face it way more likely to be what we might encounter in real life!). Some are bug-like, others are monstrous, more blob-esque or didn't even have a physical or perceivable tangible form! My imagination was pushed to its limit by these alien forms, societal beliefs, and even their methods of communication.
Story 1: Touring with the Alien by Carolyn Ives Gilman
If only I were half as creative as this writer! What an odd, yet meaningful story. A solid way to kick-off what becomes a very mind-bending anthology.
Story 2: Laws of Survival by Nancy Kress
An odd story. We are solidly in the territory now that 'alien' is not an archetype or in any way typical for this anthology.
Story 3: At Play in the Fields by Steve Rasnic Tem
”Sometimes the best thing is just doing the only thing that’s left.”
What you do when you appear to be at the end of civilization. Not bad but was missing some substance.
Story 4: Ants of Flanders by Robert Reed
A very engaging story; even though it has some large, difficult to digest concepts in it.
"Adventure is the story you tell afterwards. It’s those moments you pick out of everything that was boring and ordinary, and then put them on a string and give to another person as a gift. Your story.”
Story 5: Taking Care of God (translated) by Liu Cixin
This is not what you might expect based on the title. I really enjoyed this story about aliens that 'created us' returning to Earth thousands of years later. It has lovely language and style. A wonderful translation!
"In this universe, as long as you’re patient, you can make any wish come true. Even though the possibility is minuscule, it is not nonexistent."
Story 6: Water Scorpions by Rich Larson
Written by a fellow Canadian whom I'm familiar with! Sadly I didn’t really get this one. But there was a bit of a creepy-crawling ick factor that might have been most of my problem. Sometimes my brain just won't cooperate or allow me to imagine something.
Story 7: The Three Confessions of Jessica Churchill by Kelly Robson
Robson, another fellow Canadian, is a sci-fi author I’ve been meaning to read for some time now. If this story is any demonstration of her writing she is well worth reading! I loved the legit Canadian tidbits and settings in this one. Alongside the contrast of real catastrophic events against that of the events our lead gal is experiencing. Very clever and well done!
Story 8: Men Are Trouble by James Patrick Kelly
There is a great irony, given the title, that there is not a single man in this story. It was okay. I didn’t love it or hate it. Mostly meh on this one. Part of me can't help but wonder if perhaps the author doesn't really get how women feel and made too many presumptions?
Story 9: They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass by Alaya Dawn Johnson
*yawn* this one was sooo boring. Also it’s a poor editorial choice to put two stories where pregnancy/conception are the main topics. Neil Clarke should know better.
Story 10: Bits by Naomi Kritzer
Best story yet! Well only because it’s the most amusing and yet makes perfect sense when you really think about it. Bits is about a squid-like alien that comes to Earth and integrates with us. Including having relations (a.k.a. sex) with humans. Now (of course) our 'bits' don't match-up quite right. So a company starts making silicone-like sex organs that are compatible for the aliens and humans to enjoy one another. Seriously hilarious but also genuinely truthful in the necessity that pleasure plays in happiness and general existence of humans (and maybe aliens too).
Story 11: And Never Mind the Watching by Keffy R. M. Kehrli
Alien or covert way to gain knowledge of everyone’s life? Either way these glitter frogs gain access to everywhere, literally. This is a story that I could actually see being true. At its core it’s about teenagers wanting to get away from it all. And let's face it, if we had aliens (in any form on Earth) I can definitely see many teens wanting to run away with them. No questions asked. Adolescence is a tough, tough time and a ride in a spaceship could easily seem like the answer; especially when you feel you have no other options. This is also a statement on societies inability to really help those in abusive situations or whom become homeless just to stay alive. A sad, yet kind of bittersweet story in the end. I really liked this one and it stuck with me long after I read it.
Story 12: Dark Heaven by Gregory Benford
This is the longest story so far; as well as the most boring. There is so little alien involvement in this story that it's a stretch to even consider it remotely appropriate for this anthology. While the major (eventual) plot point involves aliens; the first 70% of the story is just a detective investigating a homicide. A murder mystery is not my cup of tea on a good day; and certainly not when what I'm expecting (and frankly hoping for) is odd alien-esque stories. Give our annoyingly broody detective an alien sidekick and maybe we can talk...
Story 13: Nine-Tenths of the Law by Molly Tanzer
This is an interesting little story of a married couple who are having problems; and one night the husband spices things up. Except the husband may not really be the husband anymore. Talk about alien's learning how humans interact! A very good (and very adult) short story about trust, relationships and marriage.
Story 14: Five Stages of Grief after the Alien Invasion by Caroline M. Yoachim
This is an okay one. It's not really about aliens; so much as it is about a result of their arrival and unintended consequences on humans. I'm not really sure there is a lot here that stands out to me but I did enjoy this quick read well enough.
Story 15: Time of the Snake by AM Dellamonica
Great, quick, action packed story. And love to see a lesbian writer included in here! LGBTQ+ rep has been really good all around in this anthology in fact. Kudos to Neil Clarke for finding some ensuring good diversity.
Story 16: The Fear Gun by Judith Bergman
This story could easily be adapted into a book or even series. So much potential! It reminded me a bit of Wayward Pines. I don't want to give anything away as this one is so good. I just wish there was more of it!
Story 17: Tendeleo’s Story by Ian McDonald
Any avid follower of sci-fi stories (especially novellas, shorts, etc) will have heard of Ian McDonald and be familiar with his genius sci-fi writing. McDonald is skilled at taking a basic, seemingly everyday concept, and twisting it on its head. Here he tells the story of refugees and their plight. However unlike so many refugee stories this one has an ending/twist I absolutely did not expect! McDonald is a master at giving new perspectives. Suddenly you find yourself really thinking differently about a situation without even realizing you might have felt otherwise before the story was laid out for you. Honestly brilliant.
Story 18: The Choice by Paul McAuley
I’m clearly missing something on this one as I didn’t get the point at all. Maybe following McDonald hurt this stories chances. I dunno just wasn't there for me.
Story 19: Passage of Earth by Michael Swanwick
I had to look up words, how fun! They were medical/scientific terminology related to worm anatomy, so everyday practicality is low, but still exciting to learn new words. :)
This story is beyond shiver worthy if you don’t like insects, mud or worms. I read it at home and halfway through retrieved my boa constrictor (Bowie) to sit with me to make me feel safe (he'd eat those icky worms!). If you can get past the possible ick factor, this is a very original and well written story. I’m definitely going to keep Swanwick on my list to read again; even if I have nightmares of giant sentient worms that devour me and my pet snake.
Story 20: Reborn by Ken Liu
”Just because something is true doesn’t mean you stop struggling.”
A very deep story about how humans are more than the sum of their history. For example, a murderer can still be a good husband or father irregardless of his murdering past. In Reborn, an alien race comes to Earth to assimilate with us and yet we fight back (as that is what humans do it seems...). We fight even in the face of a truth we don’t want to believe or hear. This is a weird story but has something unique to it. It reminded me a little of Altered Carbon in that it's about our humanity and willingness to accept what may seem counter intuitive.
Story 21: Story of your Life by Ted Chiang
This reminded me of the movie Arrival (I have not read the book). It’s entirely focused on learning an alien language. It has some really cool linguistic science in it but sadly doesn't deliver at the end. Any drawn out, slow story like this (with a lot of fancy words) needs to have a punch of an ending or some sort of twist. This one missed that for me. It's too bad as I would have loved to see the final story really grab me.
Were I putting the anthology together I'd put McDonald's or Swanwick's story last. Each left a lasting and punchy impression on me. I like to have an anthology end strong so I don't immediately forget all the stories in it.
Overall
I really enjoyed the majority of these stories. The best part of all of them was the lack of defined gender roles put onto our aliens. Because to assume aliens would be female or male would be very arrogant of humans. It was clear that there were no rules given to these writers in advance to keep things within a certain societal context; sexually, physically or emotionally. This gave a lot of depth to the stories that you don't always get in collected anthologies. I would definitely recommend this set of stories for anyone into sci-fi and for those wanting to dabble in true alien fiction (not just little green men stories).
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
So close to 5-stars. If not for two major plot points that really annoyed me near the end it might have made the coveted 5-star list. The Oddling Prince is compelling and has lovely writing; as I would expect from someone as experienced as Nancy Springer. There are some trips along the way in the story; but overall this is a great little book. Perfect to start a middle-grade reader off in the fantasy genre.
Plot Points
There are a few moments in this book that really irritated me. The first is that we start off with a lot happening and no clue what is really going on. It takes about the first 20% of the book to really give context to why on earth some random elf comes and saves a king that he does not answer to (not a spoiler as it happens in the opening chapters).
Then we are led into the typical 'back story' fill-in to catch us up. And it's done as flashback story being told to us. For those not aware this is a terrible way to give major plot points out! Yes even though Tolkien did it a lot; that doesn't mean it's a good literary choice.
The final plot point that annoyed me I can't tell you about... it's a major spoiler. But, if you know my pet peeves in writing, you'll know that anything that's convenient or 'too easy' in plot really bugs me. Unfortunately Springer copes out and nearly ruins the whole book for me. But I got over it and would gladly continue on with the subsequent books in the series after getting to the end. It may also be that Springer chose to 'dumb-down' the story because of the age group it's geared at. I don't agree with this tactic (as kids are way smarter than we give them credit for usually); but it would make sense given the target age group.
Characters
Springer has always excelled at great character development and The Oddling Prince is no exception. Our two lead males are so well defined that even though their names are so close to one another (Aric and Albaric) I managed to keep them distinctly apart in my head. Normally I would be annoyed by the similarities in their names (regardless of the reason) but because they are so clearly separate people with distinct personalities and dialogue I did okay.
Not a Romance!
Now you may laugh at my assertion that this is not a romantic story. It's actually quite emotional and has a lot of loyalty and love involved in it; but it's between two brothers and their parents, as opposed to with a romantic partner. I liked that the focus was on family and how it's sometimes difficult to reconcile people's actions with our love for them. This is really the core of what makes this a great book, there is no annoying or messy love interest; just a good clean story with a slightly weird family set-up that any child can likely relate to. Even the best of homes has its flaws and I think there would be a lot of things younger readers would be able to identify with in The Oddling Prince.
Overall
While not the best book in the world, The Oddling Prince is a solid read. It's quick for the avid reader and has some cute little moments. It can be a bit Lord of the Rings-ish at times--and there isn't anything mind shattering here for plot or characters--but it's perfect for any little boy or girl to read and get a flavour of fantasy. It would also be great read-aloud by a child or adult to a child. Springer has delivered exactly what I hope for from this level of story.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Charming, endearing and just lovely. I couldn’t put it down! It’s rare to find a gem about average people in WWII; but thanks to A.J. Pearce we have a solidly written and well put together story. All the characters felt like real people I could know or could even be me if I had lived at that time!
Characters
Our leading lady is just wonderful! I feel like she and I could be the same person; or at least kindred spirits. Her internal dialogue to herself is so similar to how I 'speak' to myself that it was almost scary. I'll confess that this lady is much wittier and funnier than I am. As a late-teen/early 20's woman during WWII our lead is torn between her 'obligation' (as per society) to marry and settle down versus her desire for a career. The man she is engaged to doesn't want her to work in the future (once married) and this is a conflict for her because she feels she can make a difference (even if small) in the war effort by supporting those at home via her writing and isn't sure she ever wants to be just a housewife. On this I do not blame her!
"Dream" Job
I'm always reminded of The Devil Wears Prada (book or movie) when anyone talks about dream jobs. I once thought I had a dream career and job; working as a magazine Art Director. Little did I realize when I started out in it that it would become crazy stressful career (didn't seem to matter where I worked) with crazy deadlines (leading to late 2 am nights at the office; only to get back up and be there at 8 am!), unreasonable requests (from advertisers, publishers or editorial staff), a poor wage, and almost none of the 'glitz and glamour' that everyone thinks it will be. And so just like my personal experience, and that seen in The Devil Wears Prada, our leading lady discovers that perhaps magazines and editorial writing is not all it's cracked up to be.
Funny how those dream jobs are rarely as wonderful as we make them out to be initially. Like me this leading lady is caught up in being young and idealistic. I loved the progression of her realization that perhaps this job isn't all she had hoped for, nor was it ever going to be. From day 1 she knows it's all wrong (so this is not a spoiler) and yet deludes herself for some time. I think we all do this sometimes in the hopes things will suddenly improve (and sometimes they do; but generally they don't).
Morals & Ethics
It may seem odd to have a book set during WWII talking about morals and ethics that are not at all related to Hitler or the Nazi's; however, Dear Mrs. Bird is that book. The ethics seen here are all about determining when you are 'helping' people and when you are just interfering. There are also discussions of what 'professionalism' entails at any given job. Pearce will challenge you at every step to decide what is moral and what isn't; and even at times place the reader and our leading lady in an unwinnable situation (the 'kobayashi maru' for those Star Trek fans out there; except cheating isn't always a way to win...). This book reminded me that a desire to help is sometimes not enough to justify our actions.
Overall
The characters, setting and situations of Dear Mrs. Bird are so well done I can't decide which elements I liked best of the book. All of our supporting characters feel well thought out (even those we barely meet but refer to a lot), the realities of food stamps/rations, bombings in London, shelters, injuries, night clubs and romance are all so well balanced and described that I started to think I was the leading lady several times. Pearce captured my imagination and pulled at my heart strings, engrossing me in the story; and then reminded me that the situations are all 'based on truth'. Realizing people actually lived just like this and at any given time the world could return to this is terrifying at it's core. The reality is that the world keeps spinning or at least rent/mortgages are still due (somehow) even when Hitler is bombing your city nightly. Pearce does a beautiful job of ensuring you are aware of how unfair the world is; but also how it just keeps on going with or without you.
Recommended For
Dear Mrs. Bird is good 'first-time' historical book as it's not super dense or full of references in history you need to know. If you've wanted to take a dive into some WWII historical fiction this is a good start to see if you are up for it.
For those who've been reading historical WWII books for some time; I think you'll find this one is unique in that it's not all dreary and depressing (like some WWII books are). It has a unique perspective as the everyday 'new' adult tries to navigate a war-torn society.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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A Little House in a Big Place by Alison Acheson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Where I grew up in Canada is in a city on the cusp of the Rocky Mountains and the prairies. We traveled a lot to camp in areas that were only a few hours from our home. So many of those trips were spent on the flat prairies of Saskatchewan or Alberta. Like in this book; most roads and homes are built on the major thoroughfares which all have railroads. So trains were always a large part of our trips. Following them, waiting for them, listening to them, etc. In fact one campground we stayed at had a train go through and blow it's horn on the hour, every hour ALL night long. Needless to say we didn't spend more than one night there!
Because of this background I really loved Little House in a Big Place and it's focus on the schedule trains have. They can help keep time for children, provide good safety teaching opportunities and of course, most engineers will blow their whistle (if allowed in the are) when they see children waving at them. It's a bit odd to me that the cover of this book shows the train at night; even though the train is actually seen every morning by our little girl. The idea of an engineer changing routes and leaving his hat behind for the little girl feels so very Canadian! The writer of this story is from Canada; and the illustrator from France. The wonderful illustrations in this are bright and feel perfect fora children's book; while the writing is exactly the right amount of words and has a lovely cadence to it.
There is one odd piece to this book that I think makes a leap/jump that many children may not inherently understand. (spoilers ahead)
At the end of the book we see the connection between the little girl, her growing up and leaving home; and then her singing in a cafe. While this will make sense to adults I'm not sure children will really understand the concept here. I think it would have been better if the story ended with the little girl leaving home on the train. A perfect circular loop that joins the beginning of our girls time watching trains to her ultimately leaving on one. However, as this can easily be explained by the adult reading the story, I am not knocking off a star for it.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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The Magic Boat by Kit Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a bit of an odd children's book in two ways.
First, it doesn't just have words that relate to the picture on the page. For example, the page will talk of an octopus, a seal and a fish. Yet the page only shows the octopus. I don't think this is a detriment necessarily; but it is a bit different than usual. Given the topic of the book is to use your imagination perhaps it's appropriate...
Second, it implies that you can only use your imagination when you have a friend/another child to share it with. This is a bit of an odd message in my mind. It says that children need to be playing with another child (as Nona is not enough in the book) in order to have a good time using their imagination. I'm not sure how I feel about this message given that there are many children that play on their own.
Author, Kit Pearson, is a very well known Canadian children's/middle grade writer. In fact the first WWII book I read in Grade 3 was written by her (kicking off my love for historical fiction). The Magic Boat is also illustrated by other Canadians; yet the setting could be any beach, anywhere in the world; whether it's near a lake, ocean or sea.
It's also a good book to show that any child of any race can play with one another. This is fairly standard in Canada these days. Canadians are more likely to be upset about a lack of diversity these days than 'upset' by it. Therefore it's very appropriate that our children are of different racial backgrounds; and that we have a boy/girl friendship at the end. These are subtle things that children will not notice; but that help reinforce the lack of noticing we are trying to instill in the younger generation.
Overall I think this is an okay book. I've given it 3.5 stars (and have rounded up to 4) as I like the idea of the story. But one star comes off because of the weird idea that you have to have a friend or another child in order to have imagination fun.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, just wow! This is an incredible and beautiful story about a river, people, a time period and real life. I absolutely adored it and am sorry it’s over in many ways. Diane Setterfield immerses us in
a time in which we often say things were 'simpler'. After reading Once Upon a River you will surely agree that the plot, time period and it's people were anything but simple.
Characters
At the core of Once Upon a River are stories about many different characters who all engage each other at different points because their connection to one tavern and one little girl. Some may want to say there is a lead character or select the primary character. I would disagree with them and say there is such a diverse set of POV's provided and that they are all equally as important. Without any one of them the plot would not come together so elegantly; nor would we have the same feel for all different classes, races, genders and positions in this elaborate society.
A few people have indicated that they feel the characters or comments made by characters are racist and/or prejudice. The thing is that this is, of course, true because it is inherently a prejudice time. BUT the real heroes at the end of the story are those who have prejudices held against them and still thrive. Our black (but highly educated and wealthy) man, a female business owner, a crippled mother, and a mentally abused and unstable woman; all play large parts in helping the reader and other characters of Once Upon a River understand how wrong they are to prejudge. It's done in an elegant and appropriate way, in my opinion.
Plot
There is a good elaborate plot here. A little girl is found, deemed dead; and then suddenly awakens alive. Yes it's scientifically possible, and yes it has been documented to happen before. Our little girl is mute and doesn't speak a word; so she is unable to tell her story. Therefore everyone around her attempts to. Interestingly there are multiple stakeholders she could belong to in the area. And of course if you've lost a child for whatever reason you want to gain that child back; no matter the cost. There are some very tough moments in this book that deal with grief, loss, PTSD (although not called that it is obvious), and family dynamics. The little girl sets up an ingenious plot that takes us through the lives of those who live by the river or on it (such as our famous photographer does).
In actual fact the famous photographer character is based on a real person. It was clear to me while reading Once Upon a River that Setterfield had done a lot of research into the river area, time period and daily life of the folks that lived there. This is affirmed when you read the author's notes at the end and gives you an appreciation for how much effort Setterfield has put into this story.
Lyrical Writing
The narrative that Setterfield gives us is so wonderful. As each POV changes we get the a change in tone and educational background. Yet Setterfield somehow manages to weave a lyrical, common voice throughout the story. It's a real feat to do in a novel that changes POVs as often as this one does. It also think it helps keep the reader in the historical time period.
Overall
This was such a wonderful book! I cannot wait to purchase a print copy and put it in my personal library (the highest honour I can give to any book). It has depth, diversity, emotion and above all else tells a story that is compelling and real. That does bring me to advise that there are some tough scenes and moments in Once Upon a River. None of them were too graphic or gory for me; and I felt all were handled within the context and feel of the story appropriately. In a realistic story hard things will happen and I'm glad that Setterfield didn't try to tone down reality. The story is exactly as it should be; whether the moment is difficult for our characters or not.
If you only read one historical (non-war) book in 2019 it should be this one! I'm now off to find every book Setterfield has ever written so I can add them all to my TBR list.
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Little Bear Wants to Grow by Judith Koppens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ice Cream!!!
What little kid doesn't want to read about ice cream and bears. :)
This is a very cute book about a bear who wants to grow faster than he currently is. He receives all kinds of (not helpful) advice from others and ultimately realizes that he can't grow any faster than he already is. It has lovely, colourful illustrations that are very pleasant to look at.
I loved the bits with lemonade and ice cream. Every kid wants to believe that eating things will help them grow. How many of us had parents that told us to eat green vegetables and carrots to grow big and strong? Now I wonder how many people still tell their kids that... (lol)
My only complaint here is that it is very short. Like so short you might have to read it five times to your child as it won't feel like it took any time at all. And while short is often better than too long for children's book, and a child could easily learn to read from this book; I still prefer children's books with a little bit more content.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Baby Bird by Andrew Gibbs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is super cute. The illustrations are lovely and the writing isn't too complex or too simple. There is a special mix of elements that need to come together for a children's book to be engaging and have staying power. Andrew Gibbs has achieved that in this simple; yet complex story.
We start by learning that baby bird has a little wing. Which means he can't fly, no matter how much he tries. His friend tries to help him out and feel better about things; as well as saves baby bird as his lowest moment. This low moment is a quick panel and the perfect subtle way of saying that it's okay to be sad and angry and low. So long as you have someone to help you back up again! For a children's book to even touch on a low moment is rare and so I love the way it's done in Baby Bird.
This is the perfect book for any child that is different or feels like they don't fit in. Be it because of a medical, physical, emotional or mental reason. The end allows us to realize that there are other ways to participate in activities than doing everything the same way all the other birds do.A great book for afternoon reads or before bed. The illustrations are colourful but not too bright and the length is perfect. This solid kids story could be purchased for any child and be appreciated.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories by Angela McAllister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm really struggling to imagine an age group that could be defined as 'child' that would be appropriate for Shakespeare stories. Let's face it, Shakespeare isn't just difficult to read in it's original format; but also the death, romance, betrayal, etc. is fairly adult. Maybe an advanced child of 10 or older would like this? Maybe.
Illustrations & Format
There is one lovely part of this book which is the cute illustrations and the over sized format of the pages. However I do wish the layout was broken into a couple columns to make the text less daunting. And the over sized format while fun (and in hardcover this book is heavy!) would be very awkward for most bookshelves. This feels like one of those books meant for a coffee table to spark a conversation. As a cocktail party piece it's perfect. Too bad that's not really what we want books for (lol).
Stories
I felt like each of the stories in the simplistic (and summarized) English wasn't well explained. Reading Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and MacBeth (to take a few of the really famous plays) I felt like if you didn't have context for some of the things happening (ie: know the play plot) then you might miss some key items. Maybe I was skimming as I knew all but three plays in the book; but it just felt like the content was really stripped out. As though the stories are more synopsis of what happens and less of a narrated story. I think kids will struggle with this format as well. It just doesn't draw the reader in.
Overall
While in theory this is a brilliant idea for a republishing of Shakespeare in a simpler format; I don't think A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories really achieves what it should. I expected the format and stories to draw me in and intrigue me (as they hopefully would for children). Instead I found the text daunting with it's full page width (on over sized pages this is just bad design, where are the columns!?) and while the illustrations are adorable they are just not enough. Watching many of the modern movies or takes on these same Shakespeare plays is probably a better use of time to learn the stories outside the original text.
I give this three stars because I love the concept and idea behind it. Plus the book itself has beautiful illustrations; but overall it was quite disappointing and not what I had hoped for.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Hydranos by Constantina Maud
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
DNF @ 16%
This independently published book was just not for me. While it's high fantasy, which is normally my go to genre, Constantina Maud's style is one that I found a bit too difficult to stay in touch with.
As with any review I want to ensure everyone that by no means is my opinion a reflection of how awesome Maud is or her capability to write. It is merely my thoughts. I can tell you that I have had the pleasure of communicating with Maud on a few occasion's and she's an absolute doll. Super nice, patient and totally accepting of criticism. I also want to acknowledge Maud for all the work she does to market Hydranos and her writing. It's not an easy thing to ask people to review your work and then take what they say later at face value in a public forum.
Writing Style
Maud's writing style in Hydranos is of the 'high' literature type; in that there were many words in the opening pages I did not know the meaning of (all of which were cleverly used however!) and time when I found myself re-reading sentences. Not because they were grammatically incorrect; just because they were a bit wordy for me.
For example:
"He had got up and fed a few logs to the hearth."
and
"With Agathon's narration, time passed like ungrounded soil under the vigorous flow of rainwater and thus came the moment when the storm was raging only in the perpetual realm of the past."
Call me a wuss but that's a bit too much effort for me to digest complex writing like this. It's a completely valid way to write; but just not for me when it comes to fictional stories. I barely manage most classics, in honesty, for the same reason. For me reading should not be work or unduly taxing to my brain.
Translated
While we're talking about words and language I think it is interesting to note that Maud tells me the original manuscript was in Greek. It was then translated and proofed by someone in the UK and South Africa. This intrigues me in that one of the barriers to understanding some of the words or language might actually be that a North American didn't also read and provide input to Hydranos translation. It might seem weird but let's face it, yes even us Canadians, are lazy when it comes to language. We'd (generally) much rather simplify language. Even most Canadians drop 'u' from words (the American way) because it's just too much effort to bother; or because spell check tells them it's wrong (lol).
Characters
While I didn't get very far into the story, it was still apparent to me that there is a lot of great character development happening. From the dialogue having a certain tone and style to the internal thoughts we see the story from.
Another note here on language. This is not a book written with traditional dialogue. In some cases the dialogue is embedded into the thoughts or narrative of a person. This is common in older European fiction. I found this a bit stifling and realized I prefer to read dialogue broken out as a scene rather than as a narrative or flashback embedded in the story.
Ellipses
Some of you whom have read a few of my reviews likely noticed that I like my 'lol's' and my ellipses (...) in my reviews. This is a style choice I make and probably drives some people crazy. Interestingly Maud uses a lot of ellipses in her story. In fact I am willing to bet that every single page has 1 if not more ellipses on it. Because of the flow of the narrative from a characters thoughts it works in most instances. But, as an ellipsis (singular still has an 's'!) is rarely used punctuation in most fiction. As such I found it really distracting to see so many on the page. At one point I was glazing over the words as I read and instead just counting ellipses. Darn my wandering mind!
Overall
While Hydranos was not for me, I do believe it is for some readers. You can see many others here on Goodreads like it (including one of my 'buddies' Mary whom I trust and respect!) and so obviously there is a market for this style of literature. For those fantasy readers who like their stories to read like classics or in a 'Tolkien-esque' style I think this is the perfect book to give a chance.
Finally, I am doing something I don't normally do here... I am giving a 3-star rating to a book I did not finish (usually they get one star). The reason is that I think it's important to note that my dislike of the book was solely due to style and not based on the plot, characters, setting, etc. So as not to unfairly bring Maud's rating down I am ranking this one in the middle. Agree or disagree with my choice here as you like; but I hate to one star independent writers who are also working with significantly less resources than 'the Big 5' publishers.
A copy of Hydranos was provided to this reviewer by the author for free. This is an honest review; with no bias given to having received the book for free.
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Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
While a clever little book with many great, quotable lines; however, it has a huge slow point that had me putting Flowers for Algernon down and hoping it would finish itself. The first 50% is a fast paced, can't put down read. But by the time our lead man has gained a crazy high IQ this becomes less interesting. Maybe it's his self-centered egoism or just that he's boring and almost too intelligent at some point. I'm not totally sure what causes the slow down; except to say that it's a huge lull in the narrative.
A Classic
I understand why this is an educational standard and deemed a classic by many. For having been written in 1959, Daniel Keyes is clearly a brilliant philosopher and writer. The idea is clever, the execution is amazing (I love the way the spelling, grammar, etc. changes throughout the story) and even the delivery of the story via 'progress reports' is inspired. There are moments of pure genius in this story and many quotable lines.
Of course on the educational side of things there is the ethical question of if what they did to Charlie was morale. As well as if it was worth it, not just for Charlie, but for anyone involved in the project. Without a doubt thousands of different papers and analysis could be done on Flowers for Algernon. I suppose that's why teachers love to keep it on the educational reading list. Although I do feel bad for any kids dealing with the lull in the story.
Relevant Even Today
Many quotes and thoughts in Flowers for Algernon are relevant even today in 2019. My two favourite are:
1. "...as soon as [any word] begins to mean anything to anyone they’ll change it. The idea seems to be: use an expression as long as it doesn’t mean anything to anybody. "
2."Although we know the end of the maze holds death (and it is something I have not always known--not long ago the adolescent in me thought death could happen only to other people), I see now that the path I choose through that maze makes me what I am. "
For number 1; we should be over the implied meaning of words by now. It's crazy to think we keep renaming something with the hope that we can remove the hurt, fear or anger that the word invokes. Renaming something doesn't change what it is.
For number 2; it constantly amazes me how few people understand that there is no 'end goal' in this world or life. It's just existence. If you aren't living in the here and now then you are probably missing the whole point of why you exist. I still have to remind myself of this, as our society is very good as pretending this isn't the truth, on a daily basis.
Overall
I'm glad to have read Keyes classic novel. And I'll leave my print copy on my shelf (with a couple quotes flagged in it) because I think it's worthy of a place on the shelf. But I'd be kidding myself if I think I'll ever read it again. That said I might lend it out to people in the future; which is always a good use of a book.
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Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
DNF @ 36%
Crown of Feathers has a cool concept on the surface, the cover is beautiful and (eek!) cute phoenixes. Unfortunately that’s where the excitement ends in this one. I found the plot to be typical, the character undeveloped and overall the tone of the writing to lack excitement.
Characters
There is really nothing more important than characters having strong personalities when they are the POV. We have the POV of three major characters (lead female and two male). Each of these POVs are unique and eventually intersect with one another in some way. However in all three instances I felt like the characters were archetypes and not really 'real' people. They lacked authenticity and were very two dimensional. Whether it was their anger, grief or frustration that drove their actions I felt too much like I had to be told what a character felt and not enough like I really 'felt' what they were feeling.
Plot
So sub in phoenix for dragon or magic and you pretty much have the standard teen plot for a fantasy novel. Crown of Feathers is a girl who wishes to learn to fly (and obtain) a phoenix and become one of the historic (but banned from the current empire) Phoenix Riders. So of course there is training, love interests along the way, struggle with lost or dead family members, etc. All very standard themes for the average fantasy lead. Especially the dead parents. What is the obsession with orphans in teen literature? Do we just not want to have the complication of adults telling our characters what to do?
Overall
I really wanted there to be some magic to this book. The use of a phoenix (over a dragon) hasn't been overdone and I felt like there was a cool opportunity here to talk about reincarnation/resurrection, properties of fire, and personalities of a phoenix. And while Nicki Pau Preto does touch on these three items it's just wasn't enough to keep me reading. There is a lack of narrative that made me excited. I honestly felt like I was falling into a slump every time I picked this one up. Twice I even found myself avoiding reading because I didn't really want to pick this one up, which is terrifying! Looking at other reviewers comments on Crown of Feathers I decided there was unlikely to be anything worth continuing on for. So I am content to let this one go and not even find out which of our two men (as I assume it becomes a love triangle, ugh) the heroine ends up with.
Although the opening couple chapters still have me wanting a baby phoenix; because baby phoenix!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As a child I must have read Anne of Green Gables dozens of times. My Nana (grandmother) on my Dad's side (who I never really knew) was from Prince Edward Island (where Green Gables is) and so she sent me the full series when I was quite young. As an avid reader by the time I was in Grade 4 I had already read through most of them once. There was also a show on TV (here in Canada) that was very popular about Anne called "Road to Avonlea". As Anne was in my life so much as a child she was, of course, very important to me.
When I re-read my favourite passages, skimmed through, and tried to get back into Anne's world I realized how naive I was as a child. I was also was reminded that, even in the late 1980's, the world was a simpler place than it is now. And while Anne will always have a special place in my heart from my childhood; I'm not sure it's the gem today that it was then. While the local gossip is much like social media; and boys remain intimidating and best friends are hard to find today, just as they were then; I still think it's too innocent in so many ways. There are no murders, stolen children, terrorists, major natural disasters, etc. that happen on the island. Having been to PEI a few years ago I can tell you that it is one of the sole places in Canada that might still be relatively untouched by the 21st century. PEI is just so quaint and lovely. Yet the internet has made it so that you can't hide anywhere and so once my cell phone vibrated or I checked my email I was reminded that vacation does not stop the world from turning or being awful outside of tiny island gems.
It's because I believe that L.M. Montgomery's classic is a bit too dated that I struggle to give it five stars today. This new publication of Anne of Green Gables is still as well written as it once was and there doesn't appear to be any major changes to the text (which is nice). but I just can't imagine it changing a child's life today as it once might have. While Anne didn't change my life as a kid; Avonlea was always a nice place to escape to. So perhaps it can be that place for some of today's children.
Although the one thing I am always reminded of by Anne is how mad I was at my Mom when I was about five and learned that my middle name (Ann) was spelled with an 'e'. I was so offended that I had this family tree that extended to PEI and yet didn't get the 'real' Anne spelling. At the time it seemed like a big deal (of course) and I wish I could go back to the days of having my name missing an 'e' being the end of the world. Although, some days I think I still might not be over this oversight by my parents (lol).
I will still encourage the children in my life (boy or girl) to read Anne at least once; but I'd be remiss to say that it's the first thing I would give them at the right age. I think Little Women is more relevant and easier to connect with as it has realistic, harsh situations. I also believe that more modern books like Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, The Giver, and others, set children up for the major flaws in life sooner than Anne every could. It's sad to say that telling our children about the harshness of life is important; but I do believe it is. There is point in pretending that bosom buddies are perfect or that gentlemen who bring flowers and kiss hands exist anymore. We are only fooling ourselves if we think Anne has a place in today's world as anything other than nostalgia and a way to show children how much simpler the world was at one time. And perhaps so the kids that come to my house will recognize my porcelain Anne doll on the shelf and know that I too was once a child.
While I own half a dozen copies of Anne of Green Gables in a variety of forms; this version was provided to me via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased opinion.
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Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The farther away I get from reading Echo North the more I dislike it. That's always a bad sign. Joanna Ruth Meyer uses old fairy tales/stories with themes from Beauty and the Beast, Tam Lynn and East of the Sun, West of the Moon. These three tales all have something in common; they marginalize women and there is some sort of 'beast' in the men. Obviously the original stories are not really suitable for today's society; so you would expect updates of them in a re-telling. That is not what Joanna Ruth Meyer gives us in Echo North.
Characters, Plot & Boring
There is perhaps one thing about Echo North I liked; the setting. An old forest that hides and changes where stands an odd house that has rooms 'stitched together' which begin to un-stitch themselves and fall away into oblivion. Cool right? Yep I agree. Except that's all that's really good for story set-up. Our characters are two dimensional at best, I almost liked our wolf but he was just deep freeze cold and gave me no reasons to care about him; and the plot of what is happening to our leading girl is just boring. Honestly I get it, she's trapped, he probably needs her to love him (as we know this is a beauty and the beast retelling) and he's a shapeshifter. Okay, all good but why do I care? Oh right, I'm never given a reason to care.
Really, Disney references?
The number one thing to NOT do when you write a retelling is to take aspects of the Disney version and pop it into your book. It's cheap, annoying and honestly just lazy. Meyer couldn't come up with a better dress than Belle's gold? She just had to include a chipped tea set? These moments feel forced and used as a crutch to avoid coming up with details by using the ones Disney has spoon-fed us our whole lives.
Predictable
Almost every moment of Echo North is predictable. From the wolf's mystery to our leading girls decisions to the really long and drawn out ending. I actually really enjoy retelling's. But I want re-told stories that use the themes and maybe some of the aspects of characters and place them into a new setting, story and situation. I know these stories; I don't want them regurgitated to me. Instead I want them to be uniquely interpreted. Amazing examples of this are; Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier. In both these stories there is a connection with the characters so deep that you care about their romantic triumphs and falls. The curses or repercussions from the original stories exist but happen in unique and different ways. I also just read A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer and was pleasantly surprised by her interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. These are the kinds of re-tellings readers want. Not cardboard cut-out characters with stolen Disney flare.
Overall
There was so much disappointment in this book. I'm not even glad I read it to the end to be honest. It's not often that I actually rate a book lower a week or two after reading it than before. Usually I increase my (possibly harsh) ratings but for Echo North I just can't come up with any reason why anyone should read it. And if I can't imagine a possibility in which I would recommend a book it's gotta go to two stars. It's rare I actually regret reading a book to completion; but this is an instance where I feel I wasted my time. Meyer probably has great ideas but she needs to spend more time connecting with her reader and less time worrying about including nods to any/all source material she may be borrowing from.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a dark, creepy book. It's not horror but it's skirting the line. While this is clearly written in the tone of YA/Teen it is maybe only appropriate for about 15+ due to the sex scenes and gore. Sarah Porter takes us into the realm of the Fae (without actually ever referencing fairies) that is far from all happy and delightful. Some things are easy: obtaining food, having clothing, no money needed, etc. While other things are harder: no real people, creepy fairies, mini versions of yourself, crumbling infrastructure, etc. The overall morale is quite simple, even if the story itself is complex, in order to get something you must give something. Be careful that what you're getting is worth that is being sacrificed.
Yes it's true some believe there is incest in this book. Read #10 below for more
Tips to Reading Never-Contented Things
I'm gonna give a list of tips. These are things that I found I had to accept or make my brain ignore in order to get a bit of enjoyment out of Porter's novel.
- Fairies exist. They will not be called fairies (and they are clearly evil).
- Remember the standard fairy rule: never eat or drink while in the Fae realm.
- Stop thinking you know what will happen and just go with it. This story is teens making decisions and (of course) those decisions may not always be logical or make sense to you as the reader. Remember being a teen is confusing.
- Yes teens have sex. If you'd like to live in a world of ignorance leave this book behind.
- Children are creepy and vulnerable.
- You might want to keep the lights on while you read this.
- Little mini gremlins (as I called them in my head) are clever. Not weird or stupid; but clever.
- Just because it's obvious what is happening to us doesn't mean our characters see the whole picture.
- This is a fictional story with magic. Therefore anything can happen.
- Finally, and the most important; FOSTER SIBLINGS BEING ATTRACTED TO ONE ANOTHER IS NOT INCEST!!! They met at 11 and 14. This is NOT incest at all. They are not blood related. They merely live in the same house. You may find it awkward or weird (and you're supposed to) but it doesn't make it wrong, illegal and is technically not inappropriate. They are just two teens, like any other, that met each other as teens. Sorry to yell but it infuriates me that people are condemning this book because a core plot point is incest. It's not incest as there is zero blood relation!
Choosing Who To Love
Even were the attraction between our two leading teens incestual it would be okay to be in this book. Why? Because it's fiction. You may not want to read it and that's fine. Then put it down. One of my favourite books as a teen was Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. Partially because it's so horrifying but also because it made the point that you don't choose who to love. You just fall in love. It helped 14 year old me understand that the world is messed up, and as we humans live in this weird world, so too can our desires be explainable. It doesn't make us bad people; it's merely a complication that we have to deal with as we (ourselves) deem appropriate. We may need to follow a few laws in place for our own protection (and that of future offspring) but that doesn't mean that we are fundamentally bad people.
Writing Style
This likely would have been a higher rating had the writing style been a little smoother. At times Never-Contented Things felt disjointed. Like there were chunks of the story missing. I also felt that too much was revealed too soon. It was very obvious to me from the get-go what was happening. I'd have liked a little more mystery to the events transpiring and subtle foreshadows. Readers are smart (yes even teenagers) and can sort certain things out in their mind. In fact many readers love to have ah-ha moments that have pieces falling into place perfectly. But you can't have an ah-ha moment if you've known what's happening all along.
Overall
The idea here is not necessarily new. Fae realms and trapping humans has long been a fundamental piece of most fairy stories. What's unique here is the driver that leads our characters to decide to act the way they do. One of those pieces is the unique relationship between our two lead foster kids. It would have helped understand their co-dependent relationship had there been more back story on where they came from and how they got to the foster home where they met. I also felt like no time was given to the foster parents who (obviously) have an influence on the teens and setting rules. More early development of all our characters (before any fairies show up) would have been great.
My favourite part of all is the little nod to traditional fairy stories by making one of the most evil of them named 'Unseelie'. This is the name commonly used to describe the lower or underground or evil Fae court. It was perfect and an early tip off to just how far these crazy fairies might be willing to go.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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