Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald - Book Review #35

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots

by Abby McDonald

Can a boy-hungry Jersey girl survive the wilds of Canada with her eco-identity intact? A witty new YA novel from the author of SOPHOMORE SWITCH.

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?
From goodreads.com

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots is the story about growing up and leaving the teenage maximalism behind, about understanding what you truly believe in, about avoiding extremes and finding compromises. It is also about family, friendship and sexuality. Of cause this book doesn’t cover any of these subjects completely, which, to begin with, is impossible. However it touch these subjects, some more, some less, like in life, where you are passing by a lot of different things and issues and you are touched more by ones and doesn’t notice others.

I expected this book to be funnier, then it was, but it didn’t spoil my impression. Instead I was pleasantly surprised that it had a moral, which wasn’t pushed down to the reader’s throat, but was gently, however quite visibly delivered.

Despite the fact that the title and the synopsis of the book clearly state that romance will be playing one of the main roles in the story, I completely disagree with that. I wouldn’t call Jenna a boy-hungry and it was refreshing to find out that she has other interests and responsibilities then boys and romantic relationships.

I really enjoy how Abby McDonald decided to end the story. It wasn’t a fairy-tale ending – “and they lived happily ever after”. No, Abby McDonald didn’t write a fairy-tale, she wrote a first stepping stone to the formation of Jenna’s personality. Abby McDonald did not resolve all of the problems that Jenna was facing, but she gave us the glimpse of the Jenna’s future, which might not be all rainbows and puppies, but the author also gave us a solid reassurance that Jenna will go through all of the obstacles and it will only make her stronger.

To summarize, Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots might look like a light and uncomplicated summer read for the teenage girls, but it also gives the reader some food for thought.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter by Yasunari Kawabata - Book Review #34

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

by Yasunari Kawabata

An Oriental classic of the early Heian-period retold by a Nobel Prize winner about a supernatural being found by a bamboo cutter and brought up as his daughter. He urges his "daughter" to marry but she sets fantastic quests to her suitors. All fail. Eventually she reveals she is from the Palace of the Moon and departs.

From amazon.com

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a cruel and sad, but also, at the same time, it is deeply romantic and poetic classical Japanese fairy tale. Like most of Japanese works it is full of colorful and versatile symbolism that makes you think and rethink every line of the tale.

The characters and the story itself are not as important as the language with what it has been written, the writing style. Even in translation it reads like a melodramatic song, like a purl of the river, like a birds singing, like a rustling of the leaves.

The thing that made me wonder – why there are so many tales from different parts of the world that involve a young and beautiful girl who asks a young men to prove how much they love her by sending them “go there, I don’t know where and bring me that, I don’t know what”. Why this is a prove of love? Or maybe it is as my husband suggested – the girl just trying to get rid of the men? If so, why these tales promote such a cruelty?

Nevertheless, it is a lyrical, well structured tale and I only wish that I could be able to read it, not in translation, but in original language to fully understand and see the whole beauty and symbolism of this story.

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne - Book Review #33

Around the World in Eighty Days

by Jules Verne

In Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days, and he is determined not to lose. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, the reserved Englishman immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his hot-blooded French manservant, Passepartout. Traveling by train, steamship, sailboat, sledge, and even elephant, they must overcome storms, kidnappings, natural disasters, Sioux attacks, and the dogged Inspector Fix of Scotland Yard to win the extraordinary wager.

From goodreads.com

Around the World in Eighty Days is a fabulous adventure full of suspense set during the heights of British Empire. This is the story about honorable, heroic and ingenious gentlemen for whom it seems to be no obstacle that cannot be overcame. It is about friendship and loyalty, about gentle and beautiful lady, remorseless enemies and of cause the race against the time. This is all flavored with cultures around the world and spiced with grand crime. What can be better?

I didn’t like Jules Verne when I was a child. The only book of his that was able to finish was Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea out of countless that I started to read. One of the unfinished in my childhood book was Around the World in Eighty Days. I didn’t like Jules Verne, because of his encyclopedia- like descriptions that bored and annoyed me. Jules Verne’s books for me never were a fictional works, but rather textbooks wrapped up in fiction. Nevertheless, despite his descriptions of steamboat and what kind of mileage it can do or the percentage of salt in the lake, I loved Around the World in Eighty Days this time I read it.

It is undeniably curious to look at the world with the eyes of the person who lived in 1872 and while doing so you could not agree more with Phileas Fogg that the world has definitely shrank. Even though the tremendous research that Jules Verne must have done to write this book is recognizably valuable, I think that the characters he created deserve much more attention.

Phileas Fogg is rational and punctual, the person of habits, for whom nothing, as it seems, can be unexpected, interesting or amazing, except for his goal and his habits. Passepartout – a full of life and humor, a person with a brave and open heart. These two quite opposite characters complete each other nicely and enchant sometimes too dry descriptions, bringing story to life.

To everyone who hasn’t read this – read it! Read it yourself. If you have children – read it to them and bring alone an atlas, it should be fun for them to follow Phileas Fogg and Passepartout’s journey around the world.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy - Book Review #32

The Cinderella Society

by Kay Cassidy

When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…

Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret society of popular girls dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.

… be careful what you wish for.

Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself.

What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?

From goodreads.com

When I first heard about The Cinderella Society I was expecting a pure and unleashed Girl Power spilling out of the pages. And what did I get? A self-help book retold for brain-damaged.

From the begging of the book I couldn’t get away from the feeling that The Cinderella Society reminded me of closely controlled sect. To almost every question Jess asked she got the answer that she doesn’t have clearance for that. She was also watched all the time and told what she’s supposed to do and what she isn’t, what she supposed to think and what was wrong. This all reminded me of brain-washing. And when they started to talk about The Battle… my verdict was final – this sort of organization cannot represent the good in the world and probably will be unwind somehow in the end by Jess. Oh, how wrong I was. Turned out that The Cinderella Society is a society of hypocrites, proclaiming their main goal to be a freedom of the Reggis (regular people, not member either of The Cinderella Society or Wicked group) from the control of the Wickeds (the opposition of The Cinderella Society - Cindys), but at the same time controlling their members.

The thing I couldn’t understand was why the group that focused on girls’ empowerment was called The Cinderella Society. Cinderella wasn’t even a bit close to self-empowered character. It seems like either author herself realized that, or someone pointed out to her, but fortunately we get an explanation why the group was called The Cinderella Society. Unfortunately, this explanation is at least unsatisfying and mostly lame.

And don’t even get me started on the names – Cindys and Wickeds, Charmings and Villains, Reggis. I mean how pathetic is this?

The scene that I liked in this book was when Jess is going against Cindys’ rules, while trying to do what she really believes in. Regrettably, after that she is returning to the Cindys with a tail between her legs, apologizing. They take her back, patting her on the head and telling her not to worry, everyone makes mistakes and promising to train her (read - brain-wash).

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone, maybe with exception of twelve years-old girls with extremely low self esteem. Though, I’m still not sure if this book will do more damage than help.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey - Book Review #31

Guardian of the Dead

by Karen Healey

In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a strong, fresh voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, betrayal, and war.

From goodreads.com

I was really excited to read this book, because by its description it sounded like a good suspense novel. Unfortunately, the suspense part only lasted until the middle of the book, when all the Māori legends reviled and explained. From that point the book just become messy and … well, I have to say it – disgusting. When I found out what patupaiarehe has to do to achieve immortality… well, that was too much for me. Also the scene when Mark introduces his grandfather to Ellie was quite nauseating as well. Maybe the reason for my disgust as that I wasn’t really into Māori and their mythology, maybe I’m just ignorant and the New Zealand culture was too much for me, either way, I really had to push myself to finish this novel after the first half. So synopsis turned out to be quite misleading, at least I expected something completely different from this book.

I have to agree that despite all of that the idea for the book is quite original. At least, I never read anything that involved New Zealand legends. I also have to admit that it was exceptionally well written. Additionally I admire Karen Healey for all fundamental research that she performed to write this book.

Therefore, probably this book isn’t bad at all. It seems like it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired from same old same paranormal themes in YA books, for someone who is looking for something new. But beware you will be stepping into the unknown, partially disturbing, sometimes shocking Māori world.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - Book Review #30

Gone with the Wind

by Margaret Mitchell

Novel by Margaret Mitchell, published in 1936. Gone With the Wind is a sweeping, romantic story about the American Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy. In particular it is the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle who survives the hardships of the war and afterwards manages to establish a successful business by capitalizing on the struggle to rebuild the South. Throughout the book she is motivated by her unfulfilled love for Ashley Wilkes, an honorable man who is happily married. After a series of marriages and failed relationships with other men, notably the dashing Rhett Butler, she has a change of heart and determines to win Rhett back.

From amazon.com

Since I was a child, if Gone with the Wind was playing on TV, I was running towards it like there is no tomorrow. So by the time I actually dared to pick up the book, I knew the skeleton of the story by my heart. That’s why actually, it took me so long to start reading it – it is a very long book (over 1000 pages) and since I knew the main points of the plot, I was afraid it would get boring for me. Surprisingly, I was wrong.

After I finished reading the book, I understood that the movie was just a very compressed plot summary. Only after finishing the book, I understood how wrong I was that the movie is giving that unforgettable feeling of lost South. And I finally understood that this book could not be shorter, it would be almost illegal to make this book shorter, it would reap the reader out of unbelievable experience, out of seeing, sensing and feeling the South, no one can ever see or feel again.

I think what makes this book so great is that the story was directly integrated in the history, in the Civil War, into Southern civilization. I wasn’t just coexisting next to all of that, it was living and driven and shaped by these events. This story is packed with tiny historical facts that you would never find in your text book, the historical facts that you need to dig out the archives to get, the historical facts you could have only gotten from the eyewitnesses of that time. That why I’m so enormously grateful to Margaret Mitchell for all the research, for interviewing these eyewitnesses that still were alive and for writing it all down for generation to come to enjoy and savor. Margaret Mitchell’s contribution even greater, because she collected facts and wrote the story from the Confederate’s point of view, from the point of view of the side that lost, because you would never find some of the attitudes or visions in the textbooks that are controlled by the winner’s side (winners are always glorious aren’t they?).

I always loved Scarlett, I adored her. She probably was my role-model. For me, she is an example of truly strong female character. I read how she has been called an anti-hero, most of people see her as selfish, she even described in the novel itself as not beautiful and stupid. However, these qualities can always be regarded differently, from other point of view. And then you can see Scarlett as charming, goal-orientated, driven, strong and fearless person. What not to like? I also always loved Rhett, probably for the same reasons as I loved Scarlett – he is an almost complete resemblance of her, just in the male form. I used to think about Melanie as Scarlett saw her – weak and incapable, though I changed my mind with time and now I agree with Rhett, she is truly a lady. However, even this realization didn’t make me like her. And I always hated Ashley, his weakness and melancholy, his dreaming and absolute incapability to exist in the real world, his indecision and incertitude was always driving me crazy. And I could never see what Scarlett saw in him. It took me years to realize that she wanted him, only because she couldn’t get him and at that point I almost fall out of love with Scarlett, though finally deciding to allow her one weakness - Ashley.

I could never understand why the ending of Gone with the Wind is considered to be tragic. No, I agree that at the end there is a lot of tragic events occurred, but the last paragraph, in my opinion, is an undeniable example of sparkling optimism. Even the last sentence is a pure optimism – Tomorrow is another day!

I would like to encourage as many people as possible to read this book. Don’t be alarmed by its size, if you like a good story, you will breathe through it in no time and will be left with a sore feeling of parting with beloved characters, with mesmerizing settings and with unforgettable, glorious and dreamy, lost forever South.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - Book Review #29

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Brontë

Wuthering Heights", Emily Bronte's only novel, is one of the pinnacles of 19th-century English literature. It's the story of Heathcliff, an orphan who falls in love with a girl above his class, loses her, and devotes the rest of his life to wreaking revenge on her family.

From goodreads.com

This is one of the most disturbing novels I’ve ever read. I kept hearing that Wuthering Heights is one of the greatest romantic stories, so naturally that what I was expecting when I picked it up. Are you kidding me? If this is a romance then I don’t understands a thing about romance. In my opinion, this book is about ferocious revenge, hatred and child abuse with narcissistic, self-involved, vicious characters and nothing more.

I hated each and every one of this novel’s characters. They all deserve each other. At some point when I completely failed to understand as least one of them, I decided that they all must be insane because of the ongoing intermarriages and complete isolation down at England’s moors. Some people say that the trigger in this story is Heathcliff, but I completely disagree, all other characters have such a collection of qualities that they would torture each other without a Heathcliff even being there.

What else can I say? I didn’t like it, even though it made a great deal of impression on me. Maybe I just didn’t understand it, maybe one day it will came to me what so many people like in this novel… maybe… maybe not… and maybe it is just an overrated personal drama of Emily Brontë.