You don't know what you don't know until you know it. I learned so much again from another perspective of World War II. I just wish I could have met Louis Zamparini. I think I like the fact that this book doesn't just end with the liberation of POW camps in Japan (if you consider that a spoiler alert, I direct you to back to your history classes), but with the effects of the POWs afterwards.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (4/5 stars)
I this book, but beware, it is set in the late 70's, early 80's, so don't be taken aback like I was when reading it. Lydia is the favored middle child of 3. Both parents only want the best for Lydia, but they want her life to be what theirs couldn't be - a life of a doctor (the mom was not able to finish her college), or to be able to fit in (the dad was "Oriental", and therefore quite the outcast during that time period).
I guess I find it amazing that all the things that are happening now, in 2015, happened back then, but the outcomes and expectations were far different, making the story much more poignant. Actually, I just like the word poignant and am not sure if it fits.
Latitude Zero by Diana Renn (3/5 stars)
I can definitely say that I had no idea how much was involved in riding bikes competitively. Plus, there was a good plug about the importance of bikes to many countries and even people in the US who would need a bike just to survive. So that was good. But for some reason, I just couldn't get into it.
Tessa was an ok heroine, but for the most part is was hard to decide if she was a girl just trying to right her wrongs or just a brat who felt that she could even blow off her host family in Ecuador, then feel jealous that her friend got along better with them. Plus, I didn't sense enough fear from her predators. I'm sorry, but if someone is cyberstalking me and then follows me to the Equator, then I wouldn't be so sassy.
The murder itself was pretty good, (I meant that in the best way), but kind of rushed through the reasoning at the end, especially when the villain was explaining everything. Kind of odd.
But I did enjoy that a lot of the first part of the book was centered around the MIT area. I'm kind of familiar with that area since we have family there, so that was cool.
Overall, not a bad book, and I'm definitely willing to try Tokyo Heist, but this one is just ok for me.
I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan (4/5 stars)
I loved this book like I loved Eleanor and Park. There's something to be said for the simplicity of writing, yet the heartfelt words that create characters. And by golly, I just loved how everything was connected (since that is a theme, I'm not giving anything away).
It's a feel good book, and I'm eager to read book two, which for those of you who know me, that's an amazing thing. I rarely read sequels. So I will highly recommend this book to my high schoolers who are in love with Sarah Zarr, John Green, and Rainbow Rowell.
Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins (4/5 stars)
Who said it was the next Gone Girl? It was good, but I think I would have liked it better if it wasn't compared to Gone Girl. I got the fact that the main character was neurotic, a drunk, and needed something to give her focus. And I enjoyed not knowing who was to blame. Some probably knew, but since I'm kind of slow at that stuff, I didn't get it until the latter parts of the book.
And, I suppose, that the more I think about the book, the better it becomes in my mind. I liked all the characters (well, I wouldn't say "like", but felt they were well written) and the time shifts were pretty cool. I felt murky like Rachel probably felt, angry like Anna, and depressed like "Jess".
So, I guess if I gave this 4 stars, I should probably up my Gone Girl rating to 5...
Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein (4/5 stars)
Pretty interesting take on what defines a girl to woman. It's one of those things where you don't throw the baby out with the bath water. So for instance, while I think Ms. Orestein has a great point about girls not felling good because of how they look, However, if I dress professionally, I tend to feel more professional. Is that so wrong? And my daughter loves, loves, loves princesses. So we have been careful to tell her that even though it feels all happy and gushy in the princess movies, there is more to it than what is on the movie. I don't know that we would have those conversations if we didn't let her watch the sappy Disney movies. Plus, what about the boys? Just the other day my 5 year old son asked if it was weird to watch Barbie since he is a boy. Well, no, but it's a truly sarcastic show about the whole Barbie personas. Finally, as a caveat for Ms. Orestein, I would like to say the copyright of the book is way before the demise of Miley Cyrus's sweet girl play, and that Disney has made quite a few good movies that completely support her point. Interesting. Good for a book club maybe?
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School) by Jen Calonita (3/5 stars)
Flunked has more to the eye than just a cute alternative fairy tale. First, we see that reform schools are not always filled with students are only perceived as dangerous thugs, but sometimes are Jean Valjeans looking for ways to survive. Second, we see the theme of working together to battle the true evils of the world and not feel that we have the weight of it all on our own shoulders. And thirdly, we see the value of sacrifice. Although the book at times has so many characters it's hard to remember who is who, and the brevity makes character development sketchy, it's a great read and perfect for any upper elementary or middle school.
Goodbye, Stranger by Rebecca Stead (5/5 stars)
Bridge, Tab, and Em are three great friends who, based on a Twinkie promise, never fought. But this promise gets difficult as they get older, and their problems become more mature. Ms. Stead, you did a fantastic job again at a relevant plot for today's youth. While the book definitively showed how sexting occurs, the effects of bullying, and the trials of fitting in while still being an individual, never once did it feel preachy; rather, we live with the 7th grade girls dealing with today's issues.