What Matters?

I am not a big fan of historical fiction books, and definitely not a fan of historical nonfiction. I just thought I'd say that right now, just to let you know that I have nothing against the book that I'm reviewing, just the genre.

In fact, Ann Rinaldi's The Secret of Sarah Revere is pretty good, considering its genre. But a beautiful rat is a rat nonetheless.

The book revolves mainly around Sarah Revere, daughter of the legendary Paul. Sarah constantly asks herself, "What matters? What's true? Or what people think?" This is one of the main themes of the book. That's where it is better than a normal nonfiction book, or even some historical fiction books. The characters seem dead, as in a history book. In Sarah Revere, however, this is not the case. The characters are as lively and sentient as most books.

Sarah lives in a world full of strife. Her mother, of whom she is named after, died years before. British soldiers are constantly terrorizing the colonists living in Boston, Massachusetts. Suspicious acts revolve around her stepmother Rachel and a family friend, Dr. Joseph Warren. The many brothers and sisters (Debby, Paul Junior, Mary, Frances, and Elizabeth were the ones who didn't die at birth) all have their own problems and fears and lives. Sarah struggles to survive emotionally through all this.

The story can get to be kind of confusing at times, and a little boring in other places, but for the most part, it works. The book, though historical fiction, is a decent story. I would recommend this for people who like historical fiction or that time period (American Revolution times), but would be very hesitant to do that for anyone else. So I ask myself: What matters? What's true? Or what people think? And for books, it's what people think.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sarah-Revere-Ann-Rinaldi/dp/0152046844/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208555276&sr=8-1

Grade: 6.5

Parallax to More Than the Plot

Orson Scott Card, as you know if you have read my previous reviews, is my favorite author. He wrote Ender's Game, one of my favorite books (see post "Ender Scores" and "My Favorites"). There have been three sequels to that book as of yet, one forthcoming sequel, six short stories that take place in the universe, one other novel that takes place at the same time as Ender's Game, and one short story collection about the Ender universe. In addition to all these, there is a parallel series, the Shadow saga, the first of which is Ender's Shadow (as Card calls it in his foreword to Ender's Shadow, a parallax).

And just like its parallel, Ender's Shadow rocks.

The book opens on the streets of Rotterdam, in what used to be called the Netherlands, but what is now International Territory. A four-year-old (who is the size of a two-year-old) is sitting by himself, homeless. He scavenges for food sometimes, but usually just watches the other homeless kids, inspecting their hierarchy. He is incredibly smart. Soon enough, he has the whole order of Rotterdam inverted and mixed up. A recruiter for the International Fleet takes the kid to Battle School, where Ender Wiggin (the protagonist of Ender's Game) is a student. The kid is Bean, one of Ender's friends in Ender's Game.

As expected by his intelligence and his incredible entry test scores, Bean thrives in the school. He advances quickly, and has many adventures (and misadventures) in Battle School.

Card doesn't write with humor per se, but with his incredible wit and intelligence that made me fall in love with Ender's Game. The amazing story, incredible characters, and the superb writing combine to form an amazing piece that anyone could enjoy.

When writing a parallel novel, a writer could easily fall into the trap of making events that don't go with the book it is parallel to. Card, though, successfully makes it so that nothing contradicts anything in Ender's Game, and so that there is enough different to make it not just another interpretation of Ender's Game. It seems like a completely different book that just takes place at the same time and place. Many characters are cast in completely different lights. Many events are interpreted completely differently by the two characters. And most importantly, even though both Bean and Ender are cognitively incredible, they think differently enough to make both books worth reading.

After reading this, I feel Ender's Shadow is a parallax to more than the plot of Ender's Game. It also parallels the excellence. I can hardly wait to read the other Shadow saga books. Thank you, Orson Scott Card.

http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Shadow-Ender-Book/dp/0765342405/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Grade: 9.5

A Great Return

You may have seen my previous reviews for Rick Riordan's series Percy Jackson and the Olympians (see "Riordan Makes it Work" and "Ridiculous"). If you haven't, then here's a summary: The Lightning Thief I liked. It was a good idea, and the author delivered it pretty well. The Sea of Monsters, though, was not good at all. The jokes were ridiculous, and it stunk.

But Riordan made a successful comeback with the third book in the series, The Titan's Curse. It wasn't perfect, but compared with his last try, it was worthy of Zeus.

The Titan's Curse opens with Percy Jackson going to a military school with some companions of his. They heard that there is a new half-blood or two there, waiting to be brought to Camp Half-Blood. (A half-blood is a child of both a human and a Greek god, and Camp Half-Blood is their summer camp.) Soon enough, both members of Camp Half-Blood and some Hunters of the godess Artemis are on a search and rescue team to find half-blood Annabeth and Artemis, both of whom have been captured by the titan Kronos.

Riordan is definitely not my favorite writer. (As a side note, that would be Orson Scott Card and J. R. R. Tolkien.) He cannot write particularly well, and he can be borderline offensive in some cases. But The Titan's Curse was really good for his standards. Some of the jokes were actually kind of funny. The story was pretty good and pretty well developed. The characters were plenty and had their own personalities. I wouldn't recommend it per se, but it was definitely better than its predecessor.

Riordan made a great return with his third book in the series. Hopefully the fourth will follow in its footsteps.

http://www.amazon.com/Titans-Curse-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/1423101456/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206984644&sr=1-2

Grade: 7

Time Rages Not

When writing a book that takes place 50 years in the future, there is a large element of danger and a small margin of error. If it is read when the setting takes place and it is too far away from reality, it becomes history (literally and figuratively). If one were to read a book that takes place in modern-day but has too many differences from modern culture, it's a joke. Some authors can make it work. But there are not too many people who could make it near perfect.

Enter Ray Bradbury.

The Martian Chronicles, the second book by one of science fiction's most renowned authors, is one of those that work. True, there are a few instances where a 1950s writer can mess up in foretelling the 2000s. A modern-day rocket cannot fit as many people as it did in the book (at least to my knowledge). And there is one chapter which, if it were to take place today, might cause a small uproar. But there are not too many of these instances, and it's not like Back to the Future Part II, where there are already flying cars and 3-D posters in 2015.

The book takes place from 1999 to 2026, mostly on the planet Mars. People seeking new lives, astronauts, and murderers alike come to Mars looking for adventure. The Martians don't take it all that well, but, as one character near the beginning of the book says, since when has humanity cared about anyone but itself?

The book provides suspense, terror, philosophy, and adventure alike for anyone who reads it. Even though it is 50 years old and takes place today, there are only minor inconsistencies. Bradbury successfully tells a tale using several short stories, each from a different person's perspective, to create a whole novel. Anyone interested in science fiction should add this to their collection because, as Ray Bradbury can prove, time rages not when you're talking books.

http://www.amazon.com/Martian-Chronicles-Grand-Master-Editions/dp/0553278223/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206463171&sr=8-2

Grade: 8.5

A Seventh Son's Saga

Orson Scott Card is an excellent author, as I said in a previous blog (see "Ender Scores"). He has written many books, most renowned of which are the Ender Saga books (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind). Card has proved his skills again in Seventh Son, the first book in The Tales of Alvin Maker.

The story begins with Alvin Miller's family crossing the Hatrack River. It is a raging current, and the mother is about to go into labor. It is very important that they get to safe ground. If the child is born, he will be seventh son of a seventh son, said to have certain qualities, or hidden powers, that separate them from everyone else.

Years later, Alvin Junior is a young kid, growing up with his parents, brothers and sisters, and a new church being built that Alvin Senior and his wife disagree on. The father is not much of a Christian, but the mother would rather die than be a heretic. There are many characters that have different sides in the church, and others with no sides at all.

The story is very interesting and intriguing, and has many thought-provoking lines. The characters are very interesting, and if the story has a fault, it is that it ends all too quickly. With only 200-odd pages, I feel I could go on for another several-hundred more. But I guess that's what the six sequels are for, including the one that has yet to be released.

I hope to get my hands on the second in the saga of a seventh son of a seventh son soon, for Orson Scott Card has proved again just how good of a writer he is.

http://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Son-Tales-Alvin-Maker/dp/076534775X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204931910&sr=1-1

Grade: 8.5

Never Thought I'd See the Day

I love to read books, as it is obvious from my previous entries and the whole subject of this blog. And there are almost no books that I would quit reading in the middle because of their worthlessness.

Notice the word "almost." That wouldn't be there before I started Donita K. Paul's DragonSpell.

The book was so terrible that I stopped reading it in the middle of the book. The story isn't very good, the author is not a good writer, and the only appealing part of the book is the front cover.

The story is about a girl named Kale, who finds a dragon egg and is sent to the center of the country she lives in. She has to deliver the dragon egg and figure out what to do with it. But she gets sidetracked from her quest, and then is told by people from the center to not go there. It is not bad yet, but read on.

There are so many characters and weird words that it gets confusing to the point of ridiculous. What is an o'rant? Who is Paladin? What are the seven low races, and what is their difference from the seven high races? What in Wulder's name (by the way, who is he?) happened to the people that were sent to help Kale but were lost on the quest, or were they even lost?

Is this confusing to you? If your answer is yes, don't read the book. It is full of several characters with weird names and weird roles, characters who disappear and never show up, and weird species (o'rants, emerlindians, mariones, grawligs, etc.) And Donita K. Paul cannot write. It is like reading a novel by a teenager who thinks she can be like Tolkien or Shannara author Terry Brooks. Most good authors can do good descriptions. Paul thinks she can, and tries to, but can't. She describes a cup of tea at one point of the story, and it is ridiculously boring.

One of the things I despise in most books is when one author tries to copy another. Reading DragonSpell is like reading Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, but worse. Most of the themes are the same. A mind-link with dragons. Dragons cannot be owned, only befriended. Try to block your mind so others can't read it. You almost expect to have Saphira, the dragon from Paolini's novels, appear. It is like a terrible rendition of the Inheritance Cycle. Don't get me wrong, Paolini is a great author, and his stories are really good. Not so for Paul.

I never thought I'd see the day where I would actually quit reading a book in the middle. But after reading a boring 100 pages of DragonSpell, I couldn't stand 200 more. I'm sorry, Donita K. Paul, but you can't write.

Grade: 2

Death: A Comparison

There are many, many, many books that have been written that include death as one of the events, topics, or even themes. Not all writers, though, portray death as the same thing. This blog entry will be devoted to studying death in books, and how it is portrayed.

Most books view death as a very, very sad beast that claims the lives of innocent souls. This is how most people view death in real life, too. There are many scenes in books where the hero or heroine dies, and people crowd around his or her corpse, as tears drip off their noses to the body before them. There are many scenes where people are sitting around silently, thinking of the dead one's life, and their legacy. Death as a beast, a sad, sad, creature, is very common.

Other books, such as the Harry Potter series, view death as not the worst thing that can happen. Some characters do not realize that there are much worse things than death, and that is what brings them down. Others do believe this, and it makes them much stronger. Books such as these think that moral values should be more important than whether you live or die.

Like that theme is the theme that books such as The Bible and parallel stories use. Jesus died for the sins of the world. By laying down his life, others could live. This is repeated in many other books, of which I will not write their names for fear of spoiling the end. Death is necessary, in some novels, for lives to be saved.

The character Peter Pan, who was appeared in many stories throughout the years, has a different take on death. "Death would be a great adventure," he says. Death in Peter Pan's perspective is just part of the fun of life (oxymoronic, I know). This view of death is not offensive, because Peter Pan is all fun and adventure, and he thinks death would be a great addition to his repertoire of adventures.

But one series that is very offensive and annoying is Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I have previously commented on the first two novels of this series (see "Riordan Makes it Work" and "Ridiculous"). Death is a joke. At the summer camp Percy goes to, he is warned to do what the camp director says or he'll be eaten by harpies. If he's late in leaving, he'll be killed. In the camp's training, he could die by lava. No one actually does die by these causes, but the mere suggestion of it I find offensive and grotesque. I cannot believe an author would actually make the good guys be so bad as to kill their companions, and even worse, the children they are supposed to look after. It slaps death in the face. And anyone who has ever known someone that died knows that it is not something to be mentioned jokingly.

Death is viewed differently in different books: monstrous, bad but not terrible, necessary, an adventure, or a joke. Some work, others don't. But an author that successfully makes their idea work, as long as it is not too offensive, is a great author indeed.

Two Months, Three Weeks, and One Day

That's the time it took me to read what is for good reason one of the best-selling series of all - Harry Potter.

I started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on December 3, 2007. Yesterday, on February 25, 2008, I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

J. K. Rowling is one of the richest women in Great Britain (if not the richest), and for good reason. Her books are written with a good mix of literary elements, from humor to action to suspense. The plots are very enthralling and have little, if any, weak spots that would bring the series down.

There is and has been much controversy over the Harry Potter series. Many schools have banned the series, and many families do not allow their children to read the books. After reading the series, I believe that there is not as much sorcery and witchcraft as the name of the school suggests (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), but it is still a safe choice for parents to not allow their children to read it, especially because this very day I read a quote by a Potter fan saying she sometimes wished she was a witch.

The first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is Harry's first year at Hogwarts. He is confronted with the facts on his lineage as the son of magical people, and brought into the wizarding world.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has Harry returning to Hogwarts to much fear. It seems the legend of the mysterious Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin may be true.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is Harry's third year at Hogwarts. The dangerous criminal Sirius Black has escaped from prison and is heading for Hogwarts. Harry may have something to do with it.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the wizarding event known as the Triwizard Tournament will take place for the first time in years, a tournament between Hogwarts and two other wizarding schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Through different challenges the competitors must go to claim the title of Triwizard Champion.

In the series's longest novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the good guys are beginning to fight against the forces of evil by recreating the Order of the Phoenix, an anti-Dark Lord group.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince may be my personal favorite of the series. Harry returns for his sixth year at Hogwarts. Strange things are happening, and some people have already died over the summer. Harry gets help in his classes by the mysterious Half-Blood Prince, an anonymous wizard.

And the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I do not want to give away any of the last book's plot, but it is also one of the best in the series, filled with action and adventure.

The Harry Potter novels will for years to come be a much-loved book series by youngsters and adults alike. Filled with characters that are both helps and hinderances, lovable and hated, and traitors and friends alike, the series has heart and humor, action and adventure, mystery and suspense. And whether or not they can read the series in two months, three weeks, and one day, I hope many other readers for years to come can enjoy the spell cast by Harry and his friends.

http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Boxset-Books-1-7/dp/0545044251/ref=pd_bbs_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204088378&sr=8-6

Grade: 8.5

Ridiculous

When reading Rick Riordan's The Sea of Monsters, one word that comes to mind is "ridiculous."

The first novel in Percy Jackson of the Olympians, The Lightning Thief, was a promising start to the series. Its humor was good enough, and the story was good (see previous blog, "Riordan Makes it Work").

Not so the second.

Here's an example from the book of the characters' logic: Percy Jackson, Annabeth, and Tyson are in the woods. Annabeth tells Tyson to go find donuts just so he'll get out of the way. In under five minutes, Tyson returns with a box of donuts. Instead of congratulating Tyson on his find, or even eating the pastries, Annabeth gets scared and realizes that the Hydra is near. Because everybody knows that every time a Hydra's head gets cut off, another donut shop pops up somewhere. Duh.

The jokes Rick Riordan thinks are funny are not. Whereas the first book had some good lines and an interesting plot, the second has no lines even remotely amusing, unless you have the sense of humor of a four-year-old. The main idea is fine, but it does not live up to The Lightning Thief in the least.

Percy's summer home he shares with his other half-blood friends, Camp Half-Blood, is falling. The magical borders are dying. Someone has to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back in order to save the camp. Meanwhile, Percy has to save Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus. Not a terrible idea, but the delivery stinks like Pegasus dung.

This book could've been a lot better. It could have been a really good book, but Riordan fails to make it enticing. The series just took a dreadful dip to Tartarus. And not even Percy can save it.

Grade: 3.5

Ender Scores

There are not many books that truly excite a person, seduce them into a series, captivate their interest, make them crave for more. There is an even smaller number of authors who are able to put this spell upon a person.

Orson Scott Card can.

In Card's novel Ender's Game, a futuristic science fiction novel, a young boy is forced to go to a battle school in outer space. His older brother Peter was too violent to be given this honor, and his older sister Valentine was too soft. They were both close, but no cigar. So the government allowed Mr. and Mrs. Wiggin to have another kid. That's where Ender comes in.

The idea of a two-kid limit is a theme used in many books, including Lois Lowry's The Giver and Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series, both of which were published after Ender's Game. Yet this book does not focus on that idea too much, and thus makes it very original.

So Ender is sent to Battle School with the warning that he might never see his parents again until he is an adult. But six-year-old Ender goes with many other boys, to learn how to fight, and more importantly, to win, against the alien buggers, who are coming back for another war, even bigger than the last.

The book does not portray Ender as a superhuman, mindless fighting machine, nor as an over-emotional wimp. It has very realistic characters, an exciting plot, and is filled with action and thought-provoking lines. It has spawned several sequels (the first of which is Speaker for the Dead) and parallel novels (including Ender's Shadow). In my opinion, it is one of the best books ever written. Orson Scott Card has joined the ranks of the authors who can weave the spell of captivation. Keep writing, Mr. Card, and I will keep reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Orson-Scott-Card/dp/0765342294/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203115439&sr=1-1

Grade: 9.5