Book Review: My Book of Life By Angel

Title: My Book of Life by Angel
Author: Martine Leavitt
Teen Reviewer: Shannon Finney
Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavitt is a realistic story told from the point of view of a young girl of the Vancouver streets. After her bad habit of shoplifting gets her kicked out of her home by her father, Angel moves in with Call, an older man who makes her feel grown up, and introduces her to new substances that she becomes addicted to. Without fully realizing it, Angel is turned into a prostitute under Call’s control, and loses all hope of ever returning to her former life.  It is not until Call brings home a new girl, a very young and innocent one, that Angel has something to fight for – someone that she can save. Angel, the protagonist that almost all teenage girls can relate to, whose thoughts remain innocent and pure despite her circumstances, tells her extremely moving and inspiring story about holding on to what’s right even when things could not be more wrong.

Written in free-verse poetry, the terse lines of My Book of Life by Angel capture the voice of the troubled teenager and give the reader a new perspective on the struggles of the women subjected to violent sexual experiences and exploitation under the control of their pimps. Though not sexually explicit, Angel’s story does contain some unsettling language that Leavitt uses to convey a completely realistic message about what young women of the sex trade go through.  Although the message is heart-wrenching, eye-opening and intense, the poetry makes it simple and easy to read. I would recommend this book to young women and men who want to learn more about the terrors of prostitution that are prevalent around the world, and the girls who become victims of the sex trade.

Death Cloud: Book Review

Title: Death Cloud

Author: Andrew Lane

Teen Reviewer: Timothy Wood

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Death Cloud, by Andrew Lane, is a book about a 14 year old Sherlock Holmes who is disappointed when he gets news that he will have to spend his time with his aunt and uncle, whom he has never met, instead of returning to London with his family for the summer because his father is sent overseas with the British Army, his mother is sick, and his brother, Mycroft, lives in London busily working for the British Government. What he thought would be a boring and tense vacation at his aunt and uncle's Holmes Manor turns out to be an exciting adventure when two bodies are discovered at the Manor and the town nearby. Investigating the deaths, Sherlock finds himself unraveling a diabolical plot with his new friend, Matty, and his new tutor from America, Amyus Crowe.

When I first picked up this book, I was skeptical of how enjoyable it would be simply because of the fact that many authors try to remake iconic fictional characters without much success. I am very happy to say that I was proven wrong. Being one of the only novels approved by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate, Death Cloud doesn't try to copy Doyle's work, but rather enhances it in that we are able to see how the adult Sherlock is made, especially in his dealings with Amyus Crowe. The novel is brilliantly written in the complexity of the plot, yet is still very much understandable, which I have found to be lacking in most detective novels. If the novel is too simple it's boring, but if it is too complex it's confusing. This novel has the perfect balance. It was also very difficult to put down. I found myself reading late into the night because of its excitement. I do wish that this novel had included more examples of how Sherlock came to think in the way he does, but I think Lane will include more of these in later books. People of all ages, but especially young people, who like detective novels should most certainly consider this one, and I myself will be picking up Arthur Conan Doyle's original books featuring Sherlock Holmes because of how much I enjoyed Death Cloud. Personally, I cannot wait to read the next one! I rate this a 5 out of 5.

Book Review: Skinny

Title: Skinny
Author: Donna Cooner
Teen Reviewer: Kinsey Manchester
Rating: 4/5  Stars

Ever Davies is a high school sophomore who weighs over three hundred pounds. Since her mom passed away, the best way to control her feelings is through lots and lots of food. Sometimes, she can find solace in music, and it is her dream to one day be confident enough to sing for everyone in the school. Every day, she suffers the spiteful stares and cruel comments of her fellow classmates. Their relentless bullying and taunting does not surpass her own self-deprecation, though. Ever has an evil conscience, whom she has ironically nicknamed Skinny. Skinny does not let Ever go one day without reminding her just how ugly, fat, and unloved she really is. Finally, Ever decides that she needs to escape herself. She makes a decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery and change her life forever. With the help of her friend, Rat, Ever loses weight, but doesn’t find herself feeling any better. Her new and improved looks don’t change how she feels about herself, and Skinny never stops making her feel horrible. Ever has to readjust her attitude along with her eating habits if she wants her inner voice to shine through. Ever finds love along her long and painful journey of figuring out who she really is and which people are her true friends.

Skinny is a very touching and emotional book. I did not expect to become so attached to the novel and to all of its characters. Ever is a strong girl because of all that she has gone through. Her mother has passed away, and her father has remarried to a woman with two beautiful, skinny daughters. Ever has a hard time keeping her spirits up, and one way to do that it is to be mean. She forces her anger back on other people, which annoyed me to no end, but I understood why she did so. If people were that mean to me, I would probably act the same way. Her blindness to see what other people truly think of her is also sometimes annoying, but very human-like. Oftentimes, people don’t notice what others really think of them, and this is portrayed perfectly in Ever’s view of herself through Skinny. I enjoyed Ever’s taste in music, as a music lover, and thought it added a nice extra touch to understanding her life. Rat, Ever’s best friend, was so sweet and I simply loved his character! This book was very good, and I would recommend it to readers of all ages!

Book Review: Tender Morsels

Title: Tender Morsels

Author: Margo Lanagan

Teen Reviewer: Shannon Finney

Rating: 3/5 Stars 

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan is a fantasy novel about a woman who, after suffering throughout her teenage years as a victim of unspeakable abuse, finds peace and comes to understand the meaning of true happiness. As Liga Longfield begins to blossom into adulthood, her widower father’s mistreatments turn her life into a nightmare. Also becoming a victim of the towns boys’ violence, the tremendous pain Liga feels summons a magical force that transforms her village into a protected realm of her dreams. It is there that she raises her two daughters, Branza and Urdda, in perfect tranquility, without any of the unpleasant emotions that she felt in her old life. It is not until Liga discovers that her heaven is penetrable by strange bears and other fragments of the true world that her paradise is threatened, and her and the two girls’ lives are forced to evolve into something more real, and more fulfilling. 

Tender Morsels is a beautifully embellished, sometimes intense read full of magic, love, and emotion. Fans of fantasy novels will find themselves engulfed in the mystical setting and fairy-tale story   line led by empowered and independent women. The gruesome and fairly disturbing way that the novel begins might be too much for some readers, but the enchantment of Liga and her daughters’ journey through heaven and reality is too delightful to miss.

Lanagan’s technique of story-telling interweaves characters that seem to be unconnected at first, but by the end of the novel come together and are part of the same plot-line. Although this is an  interesting way to complicate a story and to involve the reader, I found the many characters hard to keep track of at times, especially when the point of view shifts in mid chapter, frequently even from third to   first-person. It takes a bit, after each shift, to figure out who the speaker is, and can only be determined     by the circumstances and other characters described. By the middle of the novel, I found this to be   tedious. However, this was not enough to take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. 

Tender Morsels is a beautifully detailed novel that any teen fantasy fan would thoroughly enjoy.     The great contrast of pain and dreamlike comfort that the three extraordinary women live through is fascinating and had me very much involved in the story. This novel makes a statement about life and what is   is truly important to humans that everyone can connect with. I’d recommend Tender Morsels to anyone who enjoys magical, deeply intimate stories about inspiring women.

Book Review: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass

Title: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship
Author: Russell Freedman
Teen Reviewer: Tim Wood
Rating: 4.5/5

Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship, by Russell Freedman, is a great book about not only the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, but also the events that surrounded their relationship, mainly the Civil War. The book starts off with Douglass being about to meet President Lincoln in the middle of the Civil War, then shifts to Douglass' story of being a freed slave. The book then proceeds to go into detail about Lincoln's early life, including his upbringing, law practice, and political career. After explaining the backgrounds of Lincoln and Douglass, Freedman moves into how they met and how their friendship grew in the midst of the Civil War. This book explains not only a lot about Civil War history, but it also explains how these two men shaped the course of the nation in the midst of one of its greatest struggles.

Being an avid reader of history, especially Civil War history, I enjoyed this book very much. One thing I thought the book did exceptionally well was to provide details and quotations throughout the book. Another thing I liked was that the book provided the background necessary to understand the relationship between Douglass and Lincoln. For instance, The book states in a few places that the two men had a very similar upbringing in that they were both self-taught and read many of the same books. Without this information, it becomes difficult to understand their conversations later in their lives. One thing that the author could have done was to provide citations on the pages directly because of the amount of quotes he used. As I was reading I started asking myself if every single quote in the book is legitimate. But in the same respect the author did provide a selected bibliography and notes about the quotations at the end of the book. All in all, the book served its purpose by showing the relationship of Lincoln and Douglass and how it shaped themselves and the nation, and I learned quite a bit about Civil War history myself.

Review: Faces From the Past, take two

Title: Faces From the Past 

Author: James M. Deem

Teen Review: Irina Kustovskaya

Rating 4.4/5 Stars

Read as ebook

 

Faces from the Past by James M. Deem is a book about forgotten people who now serve as windows into life centuries ago. It is a nonfiction work, focusing on archaeology, which includes a lot of history. If you are one who is into history (especially archaeology) then you will have a great time with this book.  It is a quick read and there are plenty of pictures to keep you interested.  

James Deem writes an impressive examination of ten people/burial sites of the past- a summary of their life, how they ended up in North America, how they died, and how they were found. They include immigrants, sailors, soldiers, ordinary people, etc., so there is plenty of variety.  The story discusses what made them become forgotten as well- before they were found, that is. What is also really fascinating is that there are special laboratories that actually take the skulls of the found people and “bring them back to life” by reconstructing the faces using clay! Archaeologists and historians get a look inside their lives using this technique, and it was pretty intriguing to read about this process and how it is done. That’s also what the pictures are- a lot of them are pictures of the facial reconstruction process. 

This was a very pleasant read- Deem definitely did a lot of research and information to back up everything that he discusses in the story. There is also a respectful tone for every individual and burial ground, making the book a lot more professional. For a read intended for 11-15 year olds, it actually had more of an adult tone, rather than something directed at preteens. Deem uses sharp, precise context and makes his points very well. It was not the longest story, so I really liked how Deem fit a plethora of information inside a small space. It was not one of those informational reads that you can read when you’re having trouble sleeping- it keeps your interest. The pictures, illustrations and diagrams add to the comprehensiveness of the book. It is very focused and well-spoken, and it is a much welcomed variety into a reading world dominated by teen dramas.

I would rate this book 4.4 out of 5 stars. Overall, it is an enjoyable read to anyone who is into history and archaeology, and it is fairly easy to comprehend. Faces from the Past uses a concise language and a respectful tone, adding to the overall feel very nicely. The only reason I did not give it all 5 stars was because archaeology is not my field- I am a history buff, but not in that area, so I guess it did not “reach” me as well as it could have. Overall, I would recommend it highly, especially to those who are interested in the subject! (And remember, there are pictures!)