Annette's Book Spot: illness

Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts

Monday, July 22, 2019

Book Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

I'm not really sure what the title Wilder Girls refers to unless it's the wild ride this book takes you on!

There's an all-girls boarding school on an island and all of the people on the island succumbed to an illness about 18 months ago. Many of them are dead. There are only two adults left. Not only have the humans been attacked, but the animals and plants are all bizarrely affected -- growing larger and stronger.

A few girls are assigned to leave their fenced enclosure to go get supplies when they are delivered. Hetty has always been a lookout on the roof protecting the grounds with guns, but she has been elected to be one of the girls that go to get the supplies. It is dangerous, but she learns a lot by leaving the grounds -- some of it not very good. Then Hetty's best friend, Byatt, gets sick and disappears. Hetty will do anything to find out where they have taken Byatt.

First of all, the world-building is really good -- unique, deadly, and utterly terrifying. Secondly, the build-up of tension, from so many directions really sucks you in. The characters are somewhat mysterious. I'm not sure if that's intentional (I suspect it is), but I have questions about some of the motivations and decisions that were made.

Of course, we don't get much closure, although this episode ends at a good spot. Throughout the entire book, the situation seems hopeless, and in the end, I still didn't have much hope. The more I read, the faster I read, and that's a good thing. I think this is going to be a popular book with teens, and it has been well-received by the professionals. I'm "all-in" for the sequel. Write fast Rory Power! I haven't read Lord of the Flies (I should since my son says it's the only book he read for school that he enjoyed), but Wilder Girls has been compared to a female Lord of the Flies. Go for it.

Published by Delacorte, July 9, 2019
eBook obtained from the library
368 pages

Rating: 5/5

Monday, August 14, 2017

Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon book cover and review

Everything, Everything is a quick, enjoyable read with an interesting premise.

Maddy has a disease that has made her allergic to everything. She has to stay in her house in isolation from everyone and everything besides her mother and her nurse. Anyone coming to visit has to go through a pretty severe decontamination process.

A new family moves in next door and Olly, a teen boy, catches Maddy's eye. They begin to communicate through their windows, and then on the computer. Soon Maddy's nurse is allowing Olly secret visits, as long as they don't touch.

Eventually Maddy's mom finds out, and puts an end to it. Maddy is depressed and can't stand not being allowed to communicate with Olly, but she knows it's a relationship destined for ruin. Or is it?

As a reader, you really want the story to have a happy ending, and Yoon devises a way. I suspected something like this -- but didn't know exactly how it would play out. So you get some closure and a satisfying conclusion.

Everything, Everything is very quick and hard to put down. It's fluff, and a bit predictable, but sometimes that's what you want. I'm pretty picky about my contemporaries, and I'm glad I chose this one.

Published by Delacorte, 2015
Copy obtained from the library
310 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, September 7, 2015

Book Review: One, by Sarah Crossan @SarahCrossan

One by Sarah Crossan book cover and review

Sarah Crossan does an exceptional job putting the reader inside the head of a conjoined twin in One.

There's just a lot you don't think about when it comes to the issues that conjoined twins face. I first became more away of this when I read The Girls, by Lori Lansens (which I still highly recommend.) Grace, our narrator, is trying to be a teenager. Her sister, Tippi, is always with her, since they are literally joined at the hip and share their lower body.

At the beginning of the book, their parents are having financial difficulties and tell the girls they must go to school instead of being home schooled. This is quite a change for them. But they end up making a couple of friends and they actually enjoy school, engaging in some typical teen activities.

Their father has lost his job and spends much of the time in an alcoholic stupor. Their younger sister wants nothing more than to dance, and she's taken a job teaching so that she can pay for her studio time. Grace and Tippi feel very guilty, because it's their medical bills that are sucking up all the funds.

Another issue is that Grace has become attracted to their friend, Jon. But the girls have agreed they can't fall in love. Their health becomes the foremost concern, and that's all I'll say about that.

Don't let the "written in verse" part keep you away. One reads very easily, keeps your attention, and is very quick. One is a heartwarming, emotional story that will keep you thinking long after you've turned the last page.

Published by Greenwillow, September 15, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
400 pages

Rating: 5/5

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Book Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund

Across a Star-Swept Sea surprised me with it's political intrigue and interesting world building all wrapped around a slow building romance.

Across a Star-Swept Sea is really a spy novel. There's a revolution on one island, Galatea, and a secret spy from the other island, Albion, in what is left of the world. Then we have Justen, who has escaped the revolution because all he wants is to find a cure for the drug that his island is giving the aristocrats that damages their brains and turns them into slaves.

Justen convinces Isla, the ruler of Albion, that he needs to be able to do research to continue to find a cure -- research that his famous grandmother started years ago. Isla thinks Justen and her best friend, Persis, should pretend to be in a romantic relationship. What Justen doesn't know is that Persis is the secret spy who is rescuing aristrocrats of Galatea. Persis finds out things about Justen that causes her to believe his motives may not be truthful.

The politics, and the history of how the islands got to this point is complex, but interesting. The characters are well developed. I really liked Persis. She acts pretty much like a rich airhead -- but is really an intelligent and very successful spy. There are subtle nuances that add a lot to Across a Star-Swept Sea. The intricacies of the disease, how it affects the "regs" as opposed to the "aristos" and how the disease has changed over the years is all very intriguing. The technology is unique, and the differences between Galatea and Albion technology just adds to the tension.

The plot is steady, although I wouldn't consider Across a Star-Swept Sea to be unputdownable. The ending provides much tension, but up until that it's just a really interesting, well-paced story that I really enjoyed.

Because of the details, I wouldn't recommend Across a Star-Swept Sea to reluctant readers or younger teens. Although it adds a bit to the story to have read For Darkness Shows the Stars, it isn't necessary. I haven't read The Scarlet Pimpernel, so I can't comment on Across a Star-Swept Sea as a retelling. Those teens who like a bit of espionage with their romance will enjoy this one for sure.

Published by Balzer + Bray, October 15, 2013
Copy obtained from Edelweiss
464 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Book Review: The Stone Girl, by Alyssa B. Scheinmel

I think I understand the response that The Stone Girl was intended to elicit, but this just wasn't the book for me.

The Stone Girl is about a girl, Sethie, with an eating disorder that gets worse and worse throughout the book. Not only does she have a problem with eating, but her self esteem issues make her perceptions of romantic relationships way out of whack too. The character and aspects of her personality are wonderfully portrayed, but not much happens during the entire book.

I didn't like the third person narrative. I couldn't relate to Sethie at all, and she felt very distant, like I couldn't get to know her. The book was very repetitive. I understand that Sethie kept telling herself the same things over and over, and this was probably intentional on Sheinmel's part, but it drove me crazy. There is one paragraph that says twice in the same paragraph how Sethie longed to be a "cool independent girl." This is an ARC, so some of the wording may change. It was like she had a mantra that she kept repeating. But, I also think I could have understood this literary technique if I were reading these thoughts in first person. Like they were HER thoughts, rather than someone telling me what she was thinking. Because if someone else is explaining it to me, then I don't need to be told twice within three sentences.

I didn't understand why Shaw, one of Sethie's love interests, was always cold. He always felt cold to Sethie. I kept thinking, "Wait, is this a paranormal story? Is he a vampire?" It didn't make sense.

I just don't have much positive to say about the way The Stone Girl was written. I must admit I skimmed the middle part, waiting for something to happen. I appreciate that Scheinmel had problems with an eating disorder, and I admire her for writing what probably was a very difficult story to tell. It just wasn't something that I could relate to given the style in which the story was told.

There is quite a bit of casual drug use and sex, so The Stone Girl needs to be saved for older teens who are OK with those situations. I would never discourage anyone from reading this, and I'm sure some will relate to this style of story telling better than I did.

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, August 28, 2012
eARC obtained from NetGalley
224 pages

Rating: 2/5

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Book Review: The Kill Order, by James Dashner

While I enjoyed the story contained in The Kill Order, it wasn't what I expected for a prequel to The Maze Runner.

The prologue of The Kill Order describes the period immediately before Thomas is placed in the big box -- where we find him at the beginning of The Maze Runner. I expected the following story to take us to this point by the end. It didn't. We go back 14 years, to when solar flares pretty much destroyed everything on Earth.

Mark and Trina are in the wilderness trying to survive. Mark has dreams which serve as flashbacks of the actual time after the sun flares. We find out how this group of friends ended up together and the trials they have gone through. But, in the "present," it seems like life is hard, but things are going fairly well. Then, the village is attacked by a huge ship in the sky. Black clad soldiers shoot many of the villagers with dart guns. These villagers soon die.

So, Mark and his rescuer, Alec (who is a former soldier), decide that they need to take off into the wilderness to find out where this berg (as they call the ship) came from. Eventually they end up on a huge adventure with Trina and some other characters joining them.

When they meet up with other humans, they realize that these dart guns have spread a deadly virus that makes people go crazy before it kills them. So, in essence, we now have a zombie book. The action was very tense. The Kill Order, just like The Maze Runner Series, is a page turner. I thought the encounters with these rabid populations were a bit much. They dragged a bit, with every detail being explained and much of it turned my stomach. Younger teens will probably love these parts, but I just wanted to get on with the story. I didn't need all of these encounters described in exquisite detail, with the hero being almost killed and then saved just in the nick of time (over and over.)

Did I care about the characters? Not really. I was entertained by them, in particular Alec, who is one tough old man. He and Mark had some interesting exchanges. There's a romance between Mark and Trina, but I don't think there was enough to establish it before the huge attack, so I didn't really care that much about their relationship.

And, while The Kill Order is supposed to be a prequel, there's still a large period of time to cover before we get to the point where WICKED is formed and Thomas is put in that box. Yes, there's an epilogue that skips ahead, but that doesn't count. Maybe there's another story coming to fill the gap. This is supposedly what happened to set up The Maze Runner, but it really is a separate story that can be read at any point, whether you've read The Maze Runner or not.

I liked The Kill Order. It certainly kept my interest. It was exciting. I suspect many people will need to read The Kill Order just because they want to know how and why WICKED is formed. But, this is only part of that story.

Published by Delacorte, August 14, 2012
eARC obtained from NetGalley
336 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Book Review: Sean Griswold's Head, by Lindsey Leavitt

Sean Griswold's Head is a delightful, heartwarming story that will appeal to younger teens who enjoy contemporaries.

Peyton gets very angry at her parents, and everyone, when she finds out her father has multiple sclerosis. Her family has been keeping this from her for at least six months. After she refuses to speak to her parents, her mother sets up an appointment with the school guidance counselor. The counselor suggests that Peyton find a focus object, and journal about it while she learns to deal with all of her other emotions.

She chooses Sean Griswold's head, the kid who has sat in front of her since third grade, but she really knows very little about him.

The attention on Sean expands from his head to his entire body and personality. Peyton's friend, Jac, is all too willing to assist Peyton in her "research." And, soon Sean becomes an obsession.

The obsession progresses, and yes, eventually blossoms into romance. But there's more to the book. There's a strong message about judging people by their appearance. About assuming you know a lot about someone, just because they act a certain way. This is portrayed in several ways throughout the story. (A teacher, who they assume is hung over when she decides to show them movies, the "goth" guy that inexplicably is Sean's friend, Sean himself, who has been next to Peyton for years, but she knows nothing about him.)

Leavitt utilizes a strong family support system, making this book stand out. Peyton has two older brothers, and her parents are involved -- not the typical inattentive parents we see so much in YA fiction. What is a friend? The relationship between Jac and Peyton also delivers a powerful message.

I fear I'm giving the impression that this is a preachy book, but it's not. It's a heartwarming story, with steady pacing and realistic situations. The messages don't hit you across the head, because we can relate to these situations -- teens experience these things on a regular basis.

Recommend this one! It's a quick read, entertaining, and powerful. It is probably more suited to younger teens, but more experienced readers shouldn't be discouraged.

Published by Bloomsbury, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
274 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 4/5