Monthly Picks

Favorite Book:

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
I really enjoyed this one with its science fiction flair and a main character who is adorable.  I'm anxious for the next book to come out in the U.S.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

In Quill, people are divided at the age of 13 into three categories, Wanteds, Necessaries, and Unwanteds.  The Wanteds are sent to university and get the higher level jobs, the Necessaries do the menial labor and the Unwanteds are sent to their death.  But all is not what it seems because at the Death Farm, there is a magical world, Artimé, behind the gates that takes in the Unwanteds and grows their artistic talents (the reason they are Unwanted in the first place).  Alex is an Unwanted with a drawing ability while his twin brother, Aaron, is deem Wanted.  The two brothers are very different and that might cause the biggest problems of all between Quill and Artimé.

I really did feel sorry for Alex and all the other Unwanteds.  Sentenced to die for having creative ideas is terrible.  But the High Priest is determined to keep everyone under her control and forward-thinkers would challenge that so out they go.  But luckily for them Mr. Today, the so-called "Death Farmer," has created a magical parallel universe hidden from Quill to save the Unwanteds and not only foster their artistic abilities but to teach them magic based on their abilities.  So the drawing students learn to paint themselves invisible and use clay to bind people and many other pretty awesome things. The Unwanteds thrive in this world.  But they must say hidden from the land of Quill otherwise the consequences would be dire. It's a pretty neat concept and I liked the magic involved as well as the characterization of Alex and his Wanted twin, Aaron.

I was expecting more older middle grade but this was read younger middle grade to me.  The story was very simple and everyone was fairly straightforward.  Nobody really had gray areas in their personality.  But it was cute and I enjoyed it.  The cover says The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter and that is far from the truth, having neither the grittiness of The Hunger Games nor the world-building of Harry Potter.  It is still charming though.  If I compared it to anything it might be Diana Wynne Jone's Chrestomanci series but it still lacks that intangible quality that makes those books great.  What I'm getting at is that it is cute and fun and provides a largely one-sided view of creativity and that it is worth reading, but it lacks that something that makes a book a classic.  Children will enjoy it, some adults will enjoy it as well.  I would recommend it, just don't go looking for greatness.

Provided by the publisher
Publisher: Aladdin (Simon and Schuster)
Publish date: 8/30/11
ISBN: 9781442407688

Weekly Round-Up 8/29

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library.

This week I'm reading Huntress (Lo) and Ashes (Bick) and I'm listening to Paranormalcy (White). After I finish that I'll start In the Wake of the Lorelei Lee (Meyer).

Last week I read The Unwanteds (McMann).
Other reviews posted: Fury (Miles)

Vintage Nancy Drew books!

My friend got me these early 1950's Nancy Drews at a library booksale.  How awesome is that! They are pretty neat and in good condition.   They all have the blue tweed board covers and some pretty illustrations.  The end papers are nice too, most are the blue "Digger" endpapers, except for one which is the blue silhouette endpaper.  I'm going to have to read them soon! Aren't they pretty?

Top left: The Mystery at the Ski Jump

Top right: The Mystery at Lilac Inn

Bottom left: Nancy's Mysterious Letter

Bottom right: The Secret at Shadow Ranch

Blue Digger end paper for Nancy's Mysterious Letter

Frontispiece for Nancy's Mysterious Letter

Blue Silhouette endpaper for The Mystery at the Ski Jump

Frontispiece for The Mystery at the Ski Jump