Review: Tempestuous

Tempestuous

by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Twisted Lit series, book one

 

Publication date: Dec. 18, 2012

 

Book Description:

After a mistake with big financial consequences topples her throne, former "it girl" Miranda Prospero is bitter: she finds herself stranded in a crazed new world, holding court among geeks and misfits at a mall Hot Dog Kabob stand. Then, she gets her chance for revenge. When the storm of the decade snows in the mall workers and last-minute shopaholics for a long winter's night, Miranda sets out to get back at the catty clique who was behind her exile. But there's a complication. She somehow gets handcuffed to sullen loner Caleb. With him (literally) bound to her side, Miranda learns more in one night about her own heart, and human nature, than she ever did as prep royalty. With this twisted take on Shakespeare's The Tempest, authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes prove again that, from Juliet's grief to Cordelia's rage, no one knew about teen angst better than the Bard. His wisdom holds up nearly half a millennium later.

 



Review: This is the fun start of a series with an interesting theme.  The authors plan to revamp different classic tales and put out modern versions.  This first book, based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, was a fun ride.  Though some things have been changed from the original version and most of the characters have different names, there are definite pieces from the original that can still be found in this version.

This story takes place from Miranda's point of view, and Prospero (or here, her father) is not involved in the story at all.  Miranda has fallen from grace, falsely accused of being the ringleader of a massive school-wide cheating ring.  Now, to make reparations, Miranda must work in a disgusting fast food job at the mall.  On the positive side, Miranda's made some great new friends, including her new bestie, Ariel. 

When she and most of the other mall workers get snowed in at the mall during a freak blizzard, Miranda suddenly has a lot of problems to tackle! Ariel's surprise birthday party must be reimagined, her skeezy ex-boyfriend and her old frenemies are also locked in the mall causing trouble, someone is robbing the high end mall stores, and worst of all, she finds herself handcuffed to a boy that is so not her type.

With some *very* creative problem solving that had me laughing throughout, it was very fun to follow Miranda's wild and crazy night.  I liked the elements of romance that pervaded the story and I liked that those who needed a comeupance got it in one way or another...

There were some times that the characters sounded a little like they were in the wrong time period...like the authors had tried to use vintage dialogue from The Tempest and it didn't quite work, but aside from that, I thought this was a very fun update.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Exposure.

What's on My Hold List?

 

Welcome back to

"What's on My Hold List?"

This is the December 2012 edition!

 

One of the most beautiful things about working at our Library is that I know what's coming out and what we'll be getting and I can put the books on hold right away!

 

Confessions of a Murder Suspect

by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

 



Eye of the Storm

by Kate Messner

 

Goblin Secrets

by William Alexander

 

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

*If you click on each title, it will take you to the book on

Amazon.com for more information. :)*

 

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...

what are YOU waiting for??

 

 

 

Review: See You at Harry's

See You at Harry's

by Jo Knowles

 

Book Description:

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. Her dad is always busy planning how to increase traffic to the family business. Her Mom is constantly going off to meditate. Her sister Sarah, who's taking a "gap year" after high school, is too busy finding ways not to work; and her brother Holden is too focused on his new "friend" to pay attention to her. And then there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, and the center of everyone's world.

If it wasn't for Ran, Fern's best and oldest friend, there would be nowhere to turn. Ran is always calm, always positive. His mantra "All will be well" is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe.

But when their lives are unexpectedly turned upside down, Fern feels more alone than ever, and responsible for the event that wrenches the family apart. All will not be well. Or at least, all will never be the same.

 

Review:

What a book! I have to warn you...the cover of this book is deceiving. When you pick it up, you might think this is a light read with a slight romance, or something fun for summer... you will get way more from this book than you were expecting!

This is a book that deals with a family. A close knit family and their relationships. A family dealing with children coming of age and a family dealing with the worst sort of grief. While Fern is our narrator, and a great one at that, each family member is fleshed out and becomes a strong part of the story. Even Fern's extended family, her friends, seem like real kids that you could meet.

This book felt so authentic that I found my heart breaking as I was reading. I was sad, I was angry, I smiled, I laughed. I felt like a part of the family almost. It was completely gut-wrenching to deal with what Fern's family must face.

I cannot help but give this book a huge GOLD STAR for being simply amazing.

 

I can't recommend this one enough. If you haven't read it yet, and you like realistic fiction, this would be a great one to pick up ASAP!! 

Review: A Confusion of Princes



A Confusion of Princes

by Garth Nix



Book Description:
You'd think being a Prince in a vast intergalactic empire would be about as good as it gets. Particularly when Princes are faster, smarter, and stronger than normal humans. Not to mention being mostly immortal.

But it isn't as great as it sounds. Princes need to be hard to kill—as Khemri learns the minute he becomes one—for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor, and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.

Soon Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle he meets a young woman called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself.

But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces that have very definite plans for his future. . .

Review:
I have to say, sadly, that I was disappointed in this book. I LOVED all of Garth Nix's other books and so I was *super* excited when I found out this one was on its way. I loved the premise and I thought it was going to be amazing.

Unfortunately, though the premise is indeed intriguing and I liked the setup of the book very much, I found myself completely losing interest just over halfway through. I made myself continue, though, and found the ending to be quite good. It was sad that really it was the introduction of romance into the story that seemed to derail it for me...

I wish it could have been what I hoped.

Mini Reviews: A Tween Edition

My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer

by Jennifer Gennart

Book Description:

Twelve-year-old June Farrell is sure of one thing—she’s great at making pies—and she plans to prove it by winning a blue ribbon in the Champlain Valley Fair pie competition. But a backlash against Vermont’s civil union law threatens her family’s security and their business. Even when faced with bullying, June won’t give up on winning the blue ribbon; more importantly, she won’t give up on her family. 

Quick Review:
I really enjoyed this title. I think it's a lot more serious than the cover leads readers to believe. It handles the issue of families with homosexual parents very well. I'm glad I read it. Probably best for 5-7th grade readers.

Dying to Meet You

by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise
43 Old Cemetary Road, book one

Book Description:

This is the story of the churlish, child-hating sixty-year-old children’s book author Ignatius B. Grumply, who rents an old Victorian mansion in Ghastly, Illinois, for the summer . . . only to find it already inhabited. Enter eleven-year-old Seymour Hope and the vivacious, “old as dirt” writer-ghost Olive C. Spence. The ensuing tale of unlikely roommates is cleverly, seamlessly told in letters, newspaper articles, Grumply’s work-in-progress “Ghost Tamer” manuscript, and winning illustrations by M. Sarah Klise.

Quick Review:

Cute. I love all the different "media" used to tell the story. The letters, the newspaper articles, etc. It was a fun read. A great read for grades 4-6.