#bookreview - Golden boy by Abigail Tarttelin

I read Golden Boy by
Abigail Tarttelin
last summer.

Now even a year after reading the book
the story is still fresh in my mind.
To me that is a sign of quality.

Golden boy in my words:

On the outside Max is a boy, but biologically he has both male and female reproductive organs. Max is born intersex(there are various kinds of the condition this is just one of them). Even if he might be different underneath a few layers of clothing Max leads a life no different than other teenagers. That is until one day when his best friend from childhood oversteps all boundaries. A friend who knows everything about Max turns his world upside down and shatters it. To Max intersex has been his normal, as well it should, and he lives just fine with the condition. Now Max starts to doubt himself and wonder if he is a freak of nature. 

A golden boy

First of all my heart bleeds for those who in real life experience the difficulties of feeling that they are born different and those struggling coming to terms with the fact that we are not all made the same way. Luckily each day shows us that 'normal' is a concept far broader than the world perhaps initially defined it as. Max is intersex yes, he happens to be biologically parts boy and girl, but that does not define who he is as a person. Max is portrayed as generous, loving and kind - if he were a living, breathing human, and not letters on paper, I would love to have Max in my own life.

In the news:

As I am sure you have picked up on by now Abigal Tarttelin made sure that Max is a character the reader cannot help but fall head over heels for. Max is such a sympathetic and strong boy, even when people try to break him down. When Max is brutally forced into learning more about his condition he is quite shocked by what he learns and also to discover what has been kept from him all his life. Some of the people in Max life,that loves him dearly has made some less than wise choices in the name of love and for what they thought would protect him from harm.

Multiple point of view

The story is told to the reader through the eyes of Max and those closest to him and that makes it possible to view things from several angles and to understand some of the choices that was made. I am glad for it and in my opinion it works quite well. Everything is illuminated, so to speak. Things have been said, done and kept from Max out of love and good intentions, but there is a time and a place for everything. A parent cannot protect his or her child from difficulties forever, especially not when the problems are related to the child's physical and psychological well being. Sometimes on has to face the difficulties and work it out in the best possible way, teenagers has a right to be heard in matters concerning his or hers future.

No justice

Golden boy was an excellent novel, one I cannot do justice by mere words from the English vocabulary of a Norwegian. I enjoyed the writing and the theme(s) addressed in this novel, it makes a person more able to understand and empathize with the difficulties that can arise concerning gender identity. In addition this book is important for those who might be intersex, you are not alone and you are not abnormal. Like I said I cannot do this story justice but I will treasure it forever. One of the best books I have read in the past year. I recommend this book to young adult and adults alike.

Have you read Golden Boy or will you sometime in the future?

Flat out love by Jessica Park #bookreview

The self publishing industry is popular at the moment, but in my experience the good titles are few and far apart. The quality of self published novels is often lacking, there is a lot to be said for having a good editor and the traditional publishing industry on ones side when publishing a novel. This time however I have managed to find that rare piece of gold among the gravel!

I bought Flat out Love after reading several good reviews from my Goodread friends. I felt reasonably safe that I could trust these reviewers as I just removed well over 600 friends whom for some reason or another did not fit my new criteria for GR friendship. So after my bout of cleaning Flat out Love still stood out as a good read, friends had given four and five star ratings to the novel. I was curious, could this self published YA novel really be that good? After having finished the novel, I wonder why on earth no major publishing house has bought the rights to this lovely story. Several self published novels that is lacking, compared to Flat out Love, has already been bought, so why ever not a novel that actually deserves it?!

Julie has been scammed, her supposedly nice little flat (one she found through Craiglist) is a restaurant. What ever should you do when you have no place to live in a new town? Julie calls her mother. Luckily, mom Kate is able to find a temporary home for Julie with a family of her best friends from her own time studying. The Watkins is kind and Julie quickly bonds with brothers Matthew and Finn, and their younger, quirkier sister Celeste. One of the strangest tings with Celeste is the fact that she is dragging with her a live size cardboard copy of her older brother Finn everywhere. The doll is appropriately named Flat Finn; it keeps Celeste company when Finn is out traveling the world.  Julie finds it rather weird that this is how a thirteen year old copes with missing her brother. Could there be more too it? However nice the family is something is off and all family members are overprotective of Celeste. 

Julie moves from Ohio to Boston to go to college. In Boston, she houses with a nice but also a very dysfunctional family. The story is predictable and could perhaps have delved even more down into the more serious issues, that being said the story was so entertaining and addictive that I devoured it despite of some of the things that the author could have delved deeper into. What you see is what you get and sometimes that is all this reader needs. Nicely done characters, smart (sometimes perhaps a bit too smart on some areas in life and not so much in others) and evolving throughout the story. Jessica Park has a good vocabulary and a varied language, I enjoy that in a novel, it has a nice flow too it and I learned a few new words along the way.

“Only one more exit, and then we’ll be there. This will be worth the two-hour drive. Trust us.” “When you say worth, do you mean there will be cash incentives involved? Apple is having a press conference in a few days, and I’m sure they’ll be releasing some wildly unnecessary gadget that I need."

Self published novels are often more unpolished than a traditional published novels. I find myself speculating how this novel could have taken the step from very good to excellent with the firm hand of an editor. Jessica Park has done an amazingly good job all on her own. It is important to remember that the publishing industry is a whole lot more than big budgets for marketing, at least in the early stages of a novel. Author and publisher works together to bring out the very best story that lives in the author, the see a good story and offers guidance on the road to a great story. I must not forget the wonderful people washing the manuscripts for grammatical errors and so on. Luckily, I cannot say that I noticed any grammatical errors in Flat Out Love. I give this sweet romance my stamp of approval. The sequel, I do believe it is the story of Celeste, is already added to my wish list.

Have you read Flat  Out Love? What did you think? What are your experiences with self published novels in general? Would you consider reading this one? Drop me a line in the comments.

#bookreview - Cemetery girl by Charlaine Harris & Christopher Golden, ill. Ben Kramer

From Sookie and her sizzling hot vampire crew in Bon Temps, to a young girl struggling with amnesia. I have read Charlaine Harris' first graphic novel.

The birth of Cemetery Girl

Behind Charlaine Harris' light brown curls a mass of entertaining plot ideas abode. This time the idea was also a first for Harris - her first ever collaboration project.

The ball started rolling when Charlaine conversed with Christopher Golden - known for, among others Buffy, Baltimore-serien, Hellboy & X-men - about an idea that she had. An idea the author felt had no format befitting it. Time went by and nothing happened with the embroy of an idea that Charlaine had. One day an email from Mr. Golden silently glided into Charlaine's inbox. Should they work together on Charlaine's idea?

The result is as you probably all have guessed by now; Cemetery Girl. The first in a graphic novel trilogy illustrated by Ben Kramer - known for Batman, JSA and a the Dr. Fate miniseries.

The story

As luck would have it an acquaintance of mine had this book in her possession. Some time ago we discovered our mutual passion for reading, and the love of the same genres, so she generously offered to Cemetery Girl to me.

The novel is a fairly new, published early in 2014. This time around Charlaine Harris is wooing to a younger audience than the one she normally caters too. In my opinion this novel is fitting for a lot younger crowed than just Harris' faithful fans.

This sounds familiar

The plot is perhaps not as original as many a reader might like when they pick a new read. If I was interested in originality I wouldn't have picked one of Harris' novels to read. When I read a Charlaine Harris I come for a light, entertaining read, and she usually provides(if one forgets about the last books in the Southern Vampire mysteries), Cemetery Girl is not an exception.

A girl, she calls herself Calexa Rose Dunhill, loosing her memory and settling down in a crypt on Dunhill cemetery. After a close encounter with death Calexa Rose can see the soul of humans recently passed. One of these poor souls need Calexa's help to find peace. This might sound like The Ghost Whisperer or Harris' own Harper Connelly series. Still, I was buying into it and I stuck around until the last page was turned. The writer duo even managed to squeeze a couple of tears from my eyes. It was definitely a nice 20 minutes break from the world as we know it. This graphic novel debut gets a stamp of approval from me.

The illustrations

Below you'll see one of the illustrations from the novel. What is shown is a piece of memory. If you look closely you will be able to see that Ben Kramer added the illusion of broken glass over the memories, to show us, I guess, that this is only a fragment. A nice touche. I really enjoyed the way Kramer used that kind of effect throughout the story.

#review: Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

A girl trying to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, in a society whose dwellers are divided, by law, between day and night. Plus One is a great story with injections of smart writing and beautiful prose.

In Elisabeth Fama's world the population on earth is divided, in each country, by day and night. A measures taken to prevent further diversification of the Spanish Flu in 1918.

You think the cover is beautiful now?
Read the book and the story will bring a new dimension to the cover.

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux(Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) for providing me with a reading copy through Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion of Plus One.

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

WOW

Plus One just threw me off track right from the very first sentence. I hadn't really done my research before starting this novel and I actually thought I was in for a story on teenage pregnancy. How wrong I was. The first ARC cover might have been a tad bit responsible for misleading me - one look at the pregnant O and I knew, well at least I thought so, what this story was about:

Smart decision to change cover for this sublime story.
Sadly covers matter a lot, unless you are as famous J.K. Rowling.

When one right makes two wrongs 

You know how sometimes people do things for the right reason? Sometimes it just all gets out of hand no matter how good the intention was initially. In Plus One this goes both for our main character Sol and the society she lives in. Things get out of hand and in the dead of the night good intentions turns sour. This might sound like a dystopian but I wouldn't really say it is.

At its most visible level Plus One can be said to be a story about love in a family as well as broken families. Sol's love for her grandfather(and brother)is truly touching. It reminded me of the loss of my own beloved grandfather, a person that truly held a special place in my heart(as all of my family members do, but some people leaves a greater mark in our hearts than others). I'm not sure I would commit to kidnapping, like Sol did, to put a smile on someone's face. Kidnapping can seem a little extreme, but in Sol's case the situation is so special that I accepted that it had to happen that way.

"But after he tells you how they died, I want you to remember how they lived(...)"

Secondly this is a story about people being unfairly treated by the lawmakers. It is about how they react to it. Some just go with the flow, accept the rules, play by them and even find life good in some ways. The ones who never question why, how or whom. For Sol that is very much how life is, she is not out to change the world, she just wants one last happy moment with her grandfather, to see him smile out of pure joy once more.

It was familiar, it made sense, it was permanent. It had never been presented as a point of discussion.

Also we have these people's very opposites, the people who will fight for everyone elses rights at all costs. They will sacrifice their soul for the sake of others. People like that walk, and have walked, on this earth every day, not just in Fama's alternative version of it. In Plus One the people have started a demonstration against the government. The revolt on the division of hours is led by Grady Hastings and in him all great freedom fighters from our history lives on.

Thirdly this is a romance and that might I add is a wonderfully played bonus.  

The not so insta-love

Mrs. Fama has been clever and she never fell all the way down the insta-trap. Thank you! In a clever manner she drew, by short switches from present to past, an old connection between the two who were romantically involved. It made the whole thing a lot more believable and antagonizing at the same time. All the way through the story I felt that these two can never become one, this cannot possibly end well. I will not reveal the answer here, you just have to read the story to figure it out for yourself.

Characters

Elizabeth Fama has done a thorough job with the characters, they are well fleshed out on the page. They are all human - they all have their strengths and weaknesses and the good guys can be bad and the mean ones nice.

Language

I love Elizabeth Fama's language in this novel, there is no dumbing it down. The author trusts her audience to be able to read the text without it being simplified in any way. The language is rich and Fama leaves little doubt that she has a vast vocabulary to work with. Fama and her likes should be an example to others, most young adults and adults needs, and enjoys, the text to challenge them in some way. As I mentioned in the first lines in this monster of a review I adore the prose that can be found in the text.

Powerless But for the star destroyer Unknowing She crash-lands in his heart.

A huge bonus for those of us always happy to learn new things was that Fama had interesting tidbits hidden in the text educating me without it being obvious. I now know about Pavlov's dog, the green flash, The Ink Spots and the hypnagogic twitch - the latter has happened to me for as long as I can remember, but I never knew there was a word for it. I bet some you know the feeling of falling down in your bed before sleep - well that my friend is the hypnagogic twitch.

“Look at the mid- sky, about halfway up from the horizon, and wait for your eyes to adjust,” I said softly. “It will take five to ten minutes.”He was quiet. The sky was full of stars; and the spaces between them were not fully black, because the longer we stared, the more the pricks of other stars peeked behind and next to them. I stole that time to listen to him breathe. I soaked up his presence, storing it for the future, burning it into my memory.

Surroundings

The bridge was geologically ancient, an impassive observer, surrounded by life that was fleeting in comparison: trees that would only survive hundreds of years, tourists who would only live decades, insects that would thrive only for weeks.

The description above is both wonderful and philosophical, and perhaps not the best example of Fama's wonderful work describing the characters surroundings throughout the novel. But hey, it was a very lovely sentence, I had to incorporate it somewhere in my review and this was as good as any. Fama has a way of describing places that makes you want to go there right away. To see what the characters of the story sees, and feel what they feel. I now have an urge to go to the Maquoketa caves state park in Iowa, the Noma camp(sadly it won't be there) and The Harper Memorial Library in Chicago.

Soon the sky had become a blanket of stars; and then it became heavy, bulging down on us, so thick it was like soup that I might reach up and stir with my hand if I tried. And finally, to my relief, Cygnus the Swan and the Great Summer Triangle began to emerge from the cosmos with the faint, cloudy dragon spine of the edge of our galaxy.“Oh my god, is that the Milky Way?” he whispered. My throat got hot. It was the most beautiful thing I could ever have hoped to show him.

There is one incident of sex in this story, but it is nicely done and nothing too graphic. It feels a bit weird to just have to state it in the text, as sex, drugs and swearing is not that uncommon in Nordic YA(those of you who've read The Circle will have an idea about what I mean).

The only negative thing I can say is that I feel that some of Sol's reflections might seem a little too adult for her age, but that is just a minor hitch nothing that sets back the quality of the overall story.


Elizabeth Fama

Photo:  Gene Fama Jr.

• is Italian, married and has four wonderful young adult children 

• is well educated

• likes to jog, swim and play tennis

• her father won the Nobel Prize in Economics 2013

• asked a very good question on YA book covers that publishers ought to ponder.

Check out Elizabeth's homepage for more information. Also check out her family's page for comics and Elizabeth's Hippo.

Other books by Elizabeth Fama:

Upcoming books by Elizabeth Fama:

Book Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor just moved to a new place with her mom, stepdad and younger siblings. Park has lived there forever with his korean mother, american father and younger brother. He likes his spot alone on the school bus where bullies like the neighbour Steve leaves him alone. For reasons he doesn`t understand he offers the seat next to him to the weird looking Eleanor when noone else will on her first day. And this is where the story about the two of them starts.

                                                                   

The story about Park and Eleanor is cute, real and heartbreaking. They are in a way two lost souls that find each other over comic books and music on the school bus. Eleanor is the new weird looking girl with clothes that don`t really fit and big read hair. Park is the half-Korean kid that tries to be left alone most of the time and is in sharp contrast to his brother who looks and act more like his all-american macho father when he himself looks more like his feminine korean mother. At Eleanor`s house they all have to tip-toe around the very moody and abusive stepfather. Eleanor has been sent away before for being rude and even though home is not a happy place it`s still home. She also has way too much responsibility for her brothers and sisters, that all sleep in the same room, for keeping them of the stepdad`s radar. This way of living has made her very tough and her shell is not easy to break into.

The story`s told form both Eleanor`s and Park`s perspectives divided into their own chapters. It`s set to the 80`s with a lot of popcultural references from that era but it doesn`t seem to matter to the younger readers nor should it. I guess when an author writes about things they know it usually feels more real than if they try to write about the things that young people care about today without really getting it. Music and comic books are the most important way for Park and Eleanor to connect and communicate. Park provides Eleanor with mix-tapes and comic books to take home and they`re definitely her comfort in a home where nothing`s like it should be. And then they talk about it on the school bus the next day. Eleanor also finds a way give something back when she realizes Park isn`t that updated on older music. So I guess the main reason why the era doesn`t really matter is that all readers will get their way of communicating and finding someone who cares about the same things you do.

The best part of the book is the way Rowell gets you to really care about the characters. They are so well described and seem so real to me. My heart just breaks for Eleanor and all the things she had and has to go through. And even though Park`s problems in comparison doesn`t seem as major you still gets his struggle because I think a lot of us can relate to feeling like an outsider, not being or looking the way you want or are expected to especially in those challenging teenage years.

What makes this book stand out is the way it combines the heavy issues with the more plain but still important issues of being a teenager. And this is not your typical romance or love story where the girl is swept away.  It`s just as much about friendship and finding someone who gets you, for both of them all told in such a cautious way that makes it such a tender experience. And even though I constantly wanted to help Eleanor, hug her and tell her everything would be okay, she manages to find her own way and strength. And unfortunately this is the reality for many people that struggle, there are noone there to save them or even help them. The story gets to me as my teenager self, and as a mother and human being and it`s the beautiful and strong Eleanor I will remember the most.

Eleanor & Park has won several awards, both literary and given by the readers. Amongst them YA-book of the year on Goodreads and just last week it was recognized as an Honor Book at the Printz awards. I did really like and enjoy this book despite all the fuzz because fortunately quite a few books actually deserve it. I am very tempted to read more by the author and since I already have Fangirl  at home it`s very likely this will happen. I am also very happy tø say that I recently discovered that this book will be published in norwegian later this year.

#Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Jessica Spotswood wielded her magic pen and out came a debut novel she can be proud of. Endangered witches, a sweet romance in a depressive historical setting and some strong female characters to boot is some of the things packed into this novel. 

Sixteen year old Cate rules the Cahill household after her mother died three years ago. A hard enough task on its own, but extremly difficult when Cate and her two younger sisters are all smart young women and witches.

In a socity where women is denied knowledge and power by The Brotherhood the Cahill sisters true nature must remain a secret. If they are discovered then it's Harwood asylum, or worse, next. An additional challenge is coming up for Cate; at seventeen she has to decide on a suitor and get married or she will be forced by The Brotherhood to join The Sisterhood.

Born Wicked was a fast and fun read - a perfect blend of historical fiction, kissing and magic. Jessica Spotswood knows how to entertain and she has done a good job by mixing up an alternative reality with history. I could tell that she had done research on the late Victorian-Era and that the story was influenced by the Salem witch trials.

The setting is perfect, New England in the late 1800' early 1900's, I believe. It is in the same area where the witch trials took place in the 17th century. A place where the supernatural was something they believed in and feared.

What I loved the most about this novel was all the strong female characters in a puritanical world, a world were women were being suppressed. It really upsets me to think about the fact that some places in this world this is not fiction, places where women still is far from being seen as a mans equal still exists.

The main character Cate was a refreshing change from a great deal other YA heroines, they sometimes seems to be lacign a bit in the intelligence department when it comes to making important decisions. And here comes the trait I loved the most about Cate, she asks for help and she confides in people. That is admirable, one cannot tackle every problem out there alone. Admitting that one isn't Superman/women is a character strength, non of us are perfect.

Oh, also, there is a few excellent kissing scenes here to get those butterflies in your stomach fluttering about.

Now I need to hit The Book Depository and order up the next two installments in this trilogy(I am pre-ordering the third one as I am pretty sure it will be worth the read).

Jessica Spotswood

Photo:  Anne Chan

• got caught reading under her desk in fifth grade

• is married and living in Washington DC

• has a cat named Monkey

• is a full-time author

• loves Earl Grey tea and Snow Patrol

Check out Jessica Spotswood's bio for more information.

Have you read Born Wicked? What did you think of it? Feel free to add a link to your review of this novel in the comment section and I'll stop by your blog to read and comment your review.

Haven't read Born Wicked? Is it on your wishlist perhaps or are you considering it after having read my review?

Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman`s boyfriend Nick opened fire in the school cafeteria and killed and injured several teachers and students including Valerie. Most people initially thinks she was in on it or at least that she knew about her boyfreind`s plans. Both Valerie and Nick were outsiders at school and together they created a "hate list" with names of people and things they really disliked or hated. This list were found by the police and known by the public shortly after the shooting. Nick obviously used this list to target his victims so no wonder people blame Valerie. When her stay at the hospital and the summer holidays are over she is forced to confront her guilt and fear and return to school. Old friends and even family turn their back on her and some new and unexpected people welcomes her. But will she forgive herself and move on with her life?

                           

   

My thoughts:

First and foremost Hate List is about Valerie and she is a very complex and interesting character. She is confused and broken because she still loves Nick but cant`t tell anyone. She blames herself on one hand and on the other she does`t. She doesn`t in any way understand why Nick did this terrible thing but feels she probably should have known. She thought he was messing around when he talked about wanting to hurt people or is this something she keeps telling herself to justify why she didn`t contradict him? Recently before the shooting he`d started to hang out with an older guy and Valerie felt left out because Nick didn`t share as much with her anymore. Still she didn`t suspect anything. The way people treat Valerie made me really angry but Valerie`s way of thinking and denying that she had any part of this also made me angry. She didn`t shoot anyone but she was part of creating the list of people that were targeted. In fact she was the one that started it. Even after reading the book you don`t have an answer to why this happened and how guilty Valerie really was. It is up to the reader to decide and personally I`m not sure. Her perspective gives the book something special and makes it such an interesting read.

Even though Hate list is an easy read and written in a way that really captures you the content is obviously not to be taken lightly. The story about what happened on the day of the shooting, earlier stories of  incidents that made some og the people get their names on the list and how Valerie copes with it are given to the reader bit by bit in separate chapters. This is very effectful. You don`t get the whole background story at once and all the pieces come together in a puzzle that is not at all black and white. It`s like we process things together with Valerie and your initial thougts might change. Is she without any guilt? Are the people on the hate list without blame? And is Nick only an evil guy? The author makes us feel both sympathy and anger for Nick because he was also a victim but his actions are of course in no way exusable.The book doesn`t give us the answers to these questions because as in real life situations, things are very complicated. Hate List both allows you to and makes you think and that is what makes this a good book. High school bullying definitely occurs and hate and anger amongst the ones that are bullied rises even though fortunately the consequences rarely gets this extreme. Bullying is not really the main issue of the book though but it is definitely an important topic and the school didn`t handle the issue of bullying or the situation very well. In extreme incidents like this people easily get blinded by hatred and the importance of placing blame instead of dealing with what created the situation. And I guess placing blame is a main issue here, how difficult it often is. By not really giving us any answers only more questions this book is one you don`t forget that easily.

My rating:


Source:
I bought my own copy

Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith AKA I've read J.K. Rowling's crime novel!

Money, mysteries, fame, drama, dysfunctional families and jealousy are keywords for J.K. Rowling's latest novel - a crime novel titled The Cuckoo's Calling. I finished the story yesterday and even though this is not YA I wanted to share my review with you guys.

Three different book covers for The Cuckoo's Calling, all targeting a different audience. Which one appeals the most to you?

With the Harry Potter series Rowling delighted millions of readers all over the world and with her first adult novel,The Casual Vacancy, Rowling's writing reaching a whole new group of readers. Earlier in July "the bomb" dropped, Rowling had written a crime novel and hidden behind the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith. I threw everything else aside and jumped over to Amazon clicked the novel and voila it was in Norway and on my Kindle in no time. An excellent argument pro e-books by the way!

Times are hard for private detective and ex-military Cormoran Strike. He just left his fiancee, he is sleeping in his office and on top of it all he is penniless. The creditors is pounding at his door and Strike is in dire need of a case that can solve his financial problems. As if heaven sent John Bristow shows up at Strike's office. Bristow claims that his sister, the supermodel Lula Laundry, was killed. The police filed the case as suicide  something Bristow refuses to accept and he insist that Strike has to investigate the death of Lula. 

It looks to be an open-and-shut case, but Strike's got his professional pride and he works is way through every single detail of the case. With excellent help from Robin, Strike's clever and resourceful secretary, he discovers that the police neglected to follow up on a lead that might just be crucial to the cause of death in the case of Lula Laundry.

THE REVIEW 

A highly entertaining read, but Rowling haven't revolutionized the genre

Before I start my constructive criticism I have to point out that I very much enjoyed reading The Cuckoo's Calling. I want to give Robert Galbrait or J.K. Rowling excellent marks for delivering an almost unputdownable story, but I was hoping Rowling had gone for a little more creativity and originality when writing a crime novel.

For good part of the story I was suspicious towards, almost, every single character connected to the case. Still when the solution came it didn't wow me, I wasn't surprise, I was more like yeah it just had to be like that. And the killer had to be the luckiest person to walk on this earth to pull off something like that, and to fly under the radar for so long without being found out.

 

The characters

Strike as a character is reminiscent of what I am considering a typical Nordic, fictional mind you, detective. He is brooding, keeping people at a distance, he has a handicap and trouble with the ladies. However some of these traits are not a part of who Strike really is, I know he is between a rock and a hard place right now so his spirit will hopefully lift a bit in the next Cormoran Strike novel. I wouldn't want to see Strike ending up as a grumpy middle aged man, anyway he his way to young for that with his 35 years. 
Robing, the secretary  is a lovable and clever character and she has a really good nose for detective work. The duo is complementing each other very nicely, and I have to say that I've fallen for this odd "couple". You know that the detective just HAVE to have a nice sidekick in a whodunnit novel, it says so in the rule book(I know sometimes I want the author to follow the rules and other times I want her to break, or at least, bend them. I guess I can't have it all). 

The characters involved with the murder investigation was at times a bit to one dimensional for me, I wish they were a bit better built. Some where but not all of them.

A hint from the authoress?

A comment made to the main character, Cormoran, captured my attention:

'You ought to give up detecting and try fantasy writing, Strike.'

If the media hadn't revealed the author due to an anonymous tip might  this have been an itty bitty clue? Or at least J.K. Rowling having a bit of fun herself. I at least found it a bit witty when I knew who the real author was.

I'll have an other one, please!

I am smelling, and hoping for, a series with Cormoran Strike and Robin and all I can say is yes, pretty please. There are several hints throughout the book, hints to Strike's colorful past and a few on Robin's past as well, there is so much more that I want to know about him. Honestly... Cormoran makes me go a bit weak in the knees and that is a good sign.
And that is why I was thrilled when I found out that a new book about this private detective is due to release in 2014.
So final words - an addictive and entertaining read, but I do not think this story is deserving of a five star rating. Perhaps the next installment? 

What do you think? Will you be picking up The Cuckoo's Calling?

Addictive and annoying: Renegade by Amy Carol Reeves

I enjoy reading Amy Carol Reeves' Ripper novels. I love the setting and the overall gothic feel the author creates from London in the 1880's with a sprinkle of the supernatural. It is also interesting to travel back in time to an era when girls weren't supposed to want anything for themselves, other than a nice home, and certainly not should they ever fancy themselves becoming a physician.

My copy of Renegade was provided by the
publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

If you missed my review of the first book in the series you can check it out by clicking on this link.

There will be spoilers - continue on at own risk!

"The End Is the Beginning Is the End"

We're picking up almost where the first book ended. One of the members of the cruel and twisted Conclave is still out there somewhere and of course he is after Abbie Sharp and her friend. This time there are cruel murders in London, again, people being resurrected and suspiciously sounding like vamps. However things get lost and Abbie keeps having these visions of a creature that is half woman, half large reptile. Not a good sign! The rest is up to you to find out, I will not reveal the whole caboodle.

Some pet peeves - and start spoilers 

Why does the girl, almost without exception, choose the guy who is an ass over the good guy?! Some bad guys(and girls) are nice and just bad by reputation and if you've tried being with them once and it doesn't really work out that well then why o' why try again?

Old affair out in broad daylight

In this case the love interest confesses as to have had a partner earlier in his life, after Abbie picks up some vibes when she and Mr.Lovely visits this past flame, an older woman, and her husband for dinner. Abbie reacts to this, no wonder really it must feel weird to discover such a thing in that kind of setting and I would think that had made anyone a bit insecure. Also Abbie is no more than seventeen, she is supposed to react to these sort of things with a bit of a hormonal outburst. It will pass, but that was not the issue for me here. My problem was the way the boy/man behaved after the relationship went down the drain after this. He behaved like an ass and turned to the bottle instead of trying to win Abbies trust and be the best man that he could be for her and make her see that the past was the past. Instead he welled in self pity, very charming! How can a girl resist such a behavior? Read with dripping sarcasm on tongue.

Chemistry with a capital C

When Dr. Charming makes Abbie's heart beat faster, and the chemistry actually makes my own heart beat a bit faster and the butterflies in my stomach start to dance, she gives it a thought about five seconds and decides no I'll go hook up with "Mr. pity party" over there. Please Mrs. Reeves don't let it end like this, I am begging you!

Historical

I love the historical setting and all the bits and bobs of history that lies hidden in the inky lines. Some historical figures has been written into the story and others are mentioned so I've taken my sweet time with this novel as I wanted to find out more about the real characters(Google, Wikipedia etc). This is not necessary, I am just that kind of curious girl. I have to say that as a bonus I discovered what is thought to be the first modern vampire story; The Vampyre by John William Polidori. It was a short little thing and I will try and review it shortly.

Little clues and pieces of read string are strewn throughout the story making it possible to write some dark and intriguing stories in future novels in this series. I am sticking with it and looking forward to what comes next for Abbie and co.
 

Good, better, best - Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

In out of the Easy Ruta Sepetys have created a wonderful set of characters. The characters never asked to be loved, but still they crawled under my skin, and as a result everyone of them will live on in my heart for years to come. It pains me to face the facts, these memorable characters aren't real. In their own way they feel so real and vibrant, colorful, fun and exiting to spend time with.

Caged? Spread your wings and fly away! I love this cover <3

Another time, another place

Come with me, take my hand and jump aboard my time capsule. We'll travel back in time, to the south, Louisiana, in the "French quarter" in New Orleans. When we are there I'll introduce you to Josie Moraine, she is just seventeen years old, but Josie is wise beyond her years. Growing up in the shadow of a mad woman working on a brothel is no joke. Josie will tell you she is doing fine, in spite of or perhaps because of her difficult childhood she is making a life for herself. She has dreams and she has the fighting spirit to make her dreams turn into something solid.

The Future

If you think that this is all set to be a tragic story about a young girl, then you are on the wrong track. Ruta Sepetys choose to focus  on Josie's future, the hard past is something that is part of Josie but it never takes over her life. Josie is living and fighting for a better future. It seems like everything just might be in Josie's reach when she is involved in a murder case. I will not tell you how it all turns out but I need to let you know that this is a story that will give your warm and fussy feelings. Thinking about Josie, her friends and foes makes me feel thins bubbly sensation of happiness inside and I want to hand out a copy to all my friends and make them read Out of the Easy.

Josie spent most of her childhood and teenage years in a bookstore. Perhaps it was this one?© Flickr/Justin Cozart

Characters

In my intro I mentioned how much I fell for the wonderful characters within the word of Out of the Easy, that is just the way it is when a talented author let the characters live a life that feels true, real, a whole lot more than black ink on white paper. Ruta Sepetys writes characters full of richness and complexity, like real live human beings. There is a whole set of memorable characters here; like Willy the brothel owner(based on Norma Wallace), the taxi driver Cookie, mechanic and florist Jessie and many more. I heart them all.

A lovely fasade in New Orleans. © Flickr/Michael Allen Smith

Do you like reading stories featuring memorable and quirky characters? A story that makes you believe in the good that exists in the human kind? With a sweet romance as the delicious cherry on top(or whatever rocks your boat)? Then Out of the Easy is your next read, you won't regret it.

Listen to author Ruta Sepetys talk about what inspired her to write Out of the Easy.



After reading Out of the Easy I dived a bit further into the history of New Orleans, being Norwegian and all I haven't got all that much in depth knowledge on all the American states. I thought I would share some of my finds with you guys before ending this review:

• Louisiana was named after Louis XIV of France
• In 1719 the French founded Nouvelle-Orléans. Guess what the city is called today? ;)
• "The French Quarter" is the oldest quarter in New Orleans
• Napoleon Bonaparte sold New Orleans to America(with Thomas Jefferson as the man in charge) in the Louisiana purchase in 1803 for 15 million USD.
• Author Truman Capote was from New Orleans. You might very well have read or heard of his most famous work; Breakfast at Tiffany's. I have read, and enjoyed, the book.

Book Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

It's been a while since I've had the chance to read a book. Really read it, not chasing through a couple of chapters a night, but actually getting lost in another world for hours on end. I suppose you can say I had a reader's block, and I'm very happy I'm out of it. Thanks to Born Wicked.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Cate Cahill and her sisters have always been different. They are witches, like their mother. After her death, Cate has taken care to hide the whispered spells from everyone - including their own father. The burden heavy on her shoulder, Cate misses her mother. Then she discovers her mother didn't quite tell her everything... She didn't only keep her secret from the world, she was also keeping secrets from Cate. Cate works to unravel the mystery her mother's death left and desperately holds on to the only leads she has. However, Cate has only a few months to make a decision, one that will alter her life forever: announce her engagement to a suitor or join the Sisterhood. In this world girl and women do not have freedom.

This story takes place in America around the 1900's. It's not only a historical novel, it obviously has a few paranormal things going on as well. The witchcraft, the magic, it was entwined with the world Cate lives in perfectly. Spotwood's writing fits that world, it has a classy, old and somewhat tense feeling. The story is a bit slow at times, but Cate's interesting descriptions and thoughts kept me interested.

I found Cate to be a likeable character overall. She has promised to keep her sisters safe, silently teaches them magic as their mother would have done. She has developed an aversion of magic due to this constant responsibiliy, middle sister Maura hates her for it. Cate has taken a lot of responsibilities and underneath her calm face a bright and stubborn spirit is visible.
The difference between the sisters is remarkable. Responsible and quiet Cate, she doesn't resemble the fiery and reckless Maura at all. Maura who considers the magic as a beautiful gift and feels trapped. Tess, the youngest sister, is a girl wise beyond her years. She is sweet and eager to learn, always supportive of Cate. Both are intriguing in their own ways and make the reader wonder about their parts in the prophecy. The final chapters really got me by surprise, it also got me thinking. Who is the strongest sister?
Elena, Finn and Paul kept the story interesting. Elena, the governess assigned to find Cate a suitor, appears to be quite different to what Cate had expected. The whole Sisterhood, for that matter.
Finn and Paul, ah. Paul, Cate's childhood friend and suitor. A man she can only love as a friend. Finn, the bookseller's son and Cate's new gardener. The boy she grows to love. Considering Cate's final choice I am curious to see what further role Finn will play in the story. He is a member of the Brotherhood, which means he might be able to get closer to Cate.
Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes.
He will be part of it, and look at this message posted by Jessica Spotswood. There's more kissing, so more Finn? I sure hope so, I'm rather fond of Finn as well!
Well, I'm rather fond of it, but also rather biased. I hope it lives up to my goal to be "brutal + awesome, with kissing."

There are some minor things in the plot I would have liked to see differently though. According to a prophecy, Cate is the most powerful witch to walk the earth. If so, how is it possible her sisters have both overshadowed her magic since their talent manifested. Until Cate learns about the prophecy she keeps telling us how her 12-year-old sister can do magic she could only wish for. The change in her power is too sudden after the revelation of the strongest sister.
Also, Cate is warned not to raise suspicion because they are with three, three sisters who are known to be 'different'. A lot of girls have been taken away already, often girls with two other sisters. Why didn't the Brotherhood think about taking these sisters? Is it because their father is a well-respected scholar? Surely that shouldn't change a thing, as witchcraft is still witchcraft and forbidden. I hope I'll get my answers in Star Cursed, Born Wicked's sequel, which will be released later this year.

A magical story set in an older world. It definitely has the fairytale like feeling I love to see in books, certainly a must-read for those who are anything like me. I can't wait to get my hands on Star Cursed!

My rating of this book

Source

ARC kindly provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Other links

Find this book on Goodreads

Visit Jessica Spotwood's website here

Book review: Wonder by R.J.Palacio

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? (From Goodreads)

The story about August is told with several perspectives. Even though most chapters are through August`s eyes we also get to read the points of view of his sister, Via, her former childhood friend Miranda, her boyfriend Justin, and August`s new friends Jack and Summer. I liked most of these chapters, but maybe we didn`t need all of them. Especially the part with Justin seemed a bit redundant. On the other side Via`s chapter definitely brought an important layer to the book and most of the other chapters did too. It is so easy to judge everyone for their behaviour and reactions towards August but showing their points of view makes it a lot more difficult.

I think this book is important, well-written, easy-going, funny and beautiful all at the same time. As an adult reader I sometimes missed a little debth and severeness to the story but this is a book where older children are the main target group and it is also told through children´s eyes. It certainly has it´s tougher parts though where you get both angry and sad, but the heart, the smile and the hope is there all the time. For instance Auggies parents makes the story about his rather dramatic birth into a comedic story about a farting angry nurse and he wants to hear it over and over. I also did find myself thinking if children and some adults really could be this mean and ignorant and unfortunately they can. This is an important lesson for me as an adult and parent, to remember exactly how mean children can be without even realizing it or at least not thinking about the consequences. For children and I guess all of us this is also a story about the importance and value of being kind to each other.

These last few days after I read Wonder I`ve found myself really missing August. He is such a beautiful and strong character with the optimism and curiousness only a child can have. This little boy could definitely teach most of us a thing or two about life and what`s really important. He is a complicated character but not as broadened, cynical or deep as an adult nor should he be. None of the characters that tell the story are adults and inside these frames the story really works. When life is good, it is all happiness, and when it´s not it´s devastating. All that in between and ahead are for adults to think and worry about.

I read this book in norwegian as it was a gift from the norwegian publisher Gyldendal. I am happy about owning this book in norwegian because I`m looking forward to give this to my daughter to read when she is ready. The norwegian publisher has published this as more of a YA-book but I think it is mainly for older children. That being said this book could and should be read by a large group of people age not considered. I still think it´s important to say that this is a book suitable for children from the age of 9 I think. The author says on her web page that adults have a stronger emotional reaction to this book because we know life is not going to be easy for little Auggie later on but children find the story mostly funny and uplifting. Despite it all Auggie has a family that loves him and gives him whatever they can and he also has friends that got his back, and that´s more than a lot of "normal" children can say.

My rating:

Graphic novel: Baby's In Black by Arne Bellstorf

Arne Bellstorf's Baby's in Black is based on a true (love) story. My heart was in pieces after closing the final page.

Front and back cover to the left, to the right is the book
(I love books that has something underneath the dust jacket).

All you need is love

Baby's In Black is based on the romantic relationship between the German photographer Astrid Kirrcherr and The Beatles' first bassist Stuart Sutcliff. When The Beatles was just a wee baby band they went to Hamburg, in Germany, for months they played every night at a club near The Reeperbahn.

Astrid was introduced to the band by her former boyfriend Klaus Vorman. Both Astrid and Klaus formed a friendship with the boys in the band. Astrid asked if she could photograph the band and she took a number of wonderful (now very famous) pictures of The Beatles. While working close with boys Astrid and Stuart Sutcliffe became close.

After reading Baby's In Black I ordered a photography book with
several of Astrid Kirrcherr's beautiful photos in it.

Hello, goodbye

Stuart Sutcliff was originally studying arts, he had ambitions of becoming a painter. After selling one of his works he was persuaded by his good friend John Lennon to buy a bass guitar and to join Lennon's band. Stuart played with The Beatles while in Hamburg, but left the group to continue his studies.

Yesterday

I loved how Bellstorf's illustrations underlined the moods and what a perfect way  he had to capture the seasons.

In case you are unfamiliar with this love story, like I was, I do not wish to reveal anything from the main story itself. Still I wanted to write down a few words about this story that broke my heart. I alsp loved the fact that I gained some knew knowledge of The Beatles while reading and that Bellstorf created a history that is for everyone, not just hardcore fans of The Beatles.

Book review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The year is 2044 and the world looks different than today. As many people have foreseen the world is not really big enough for all of us, the energy crisis is a fact and people live in bunkers on top of each other in need of both space and resources. To escape the depressing reality a lot of people also have a life inside of OASIS, a virtual reality where you create an avatar and can go to school, hang out in chat-rooms, play games, make friends and some people even get married without ever having seen each other in real life. The founder of OASIS James Halliday, hid different clues and riddles in OASIS for people to solve before he passed away. The one who finds three keys and three gates will find Halliday's Easter Egg, win the lottery and inherit all of Halliday's fortune and the control of OASIS. Wade Watts is a 17 year old orphan that lives with his not very loving aunt and spends most of his time trying to win the prize. When the story starts he's been looking for five years without finding anything. The only thing he knows is that the riddles are based on popculture of the 80s, Halliday`s big passion. He is of course not the only one looking. When Wade finally finds the first key,  his avatar`s name shows up on the high score list, everything changes and the game is on for real.

What did I think?
This was such an incredibly fun and clever book. Even though it contains plenty of references to the popular culture of the 80s I am pretty sure you will enjoy the ride even though you don't get most of them. I was born in 1980 and I got some of the movie and TV-references but video games have never been one of my biggest interests. I think if you have some nerdy bones in your body, know what it`s like to be obsessed or really into different popcultural phenomenas you will understand. You might say that Ernest Cline get's to the inner nerd in you:-) What impresses me the most about this book are all the details and that it`s so thoroughly done and still so entertaining and thrilling. I have to say the book didn`t capture me instantly but it definitely did eventually. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much and it's such a great feeling when that happens. I didn't want it TO end but still I had to know HOW it ended as soon as posible. I also found myself beeing really into the main character Wade and the group of friends he makes during the hunt even though he`s never met them face to face.

Social criticism or pure entertainment?
Ready Player One has everything a novel that`s primary goal is to entertain should have; friendship, a love story, excitement and humour. Compared to many other dystopian novels it doesn't feel as a society gone wrong is a main issue here, more the background of the story being inside OASIS. There are som social criticism in the book, both environmental and about not being present in the real world, living your life online, not having to face reality as I guess more and more people do. OASIS seems very compelling to the reader but on the other hand you see that it's not real, and that it can never replace real human contact. But mostly I think Ready Player One is just a refreshingly fun tribute to geekyness and pop culture. I don't miss more criticism or debth because Ernest Cline does what he knows best and loves the most. His passion shows through the whole book and is a big part of what makes this work so well.

It's not really a YA-book but it received the YALSA Alex-award in 2012, an award given to books written for adults with special appeal to young adult readers. In my opinion this could just as well have been published as a YA-book but then it probably would have been lost for many of the adult readers. Hopefully it won`t be lost for all the YA-readers.

Source:
Gift from the norwegian publisher Vendetta.

My rating: