28th October, 2008

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Wouldn’t you like to own a pair of shoes that fit like it was made for you? Ah, how nice that would be! Coriander Hobie is one lucky kid. She receives a pair of silver shoes and they fit her perfectly. But then, there is another story altogether behind those pretty shoes.

In this book, Coriander tells her tale in seven parts. She also lights seven candles to represent each part and blows them off one by one as she finishes one part after another. Now this candle-blowing thing is really intriguing but I don’t understand what it means.

First, Coriander introduces herself (she was born in 1643) and her parents. Where they lived, how her parents met, how her mother could ‘cure’ the neighbours by recommending them to take some of her homemade remedies. Some people secretly called her mother a witch or a cunning woman but they still flock to her home to be treated.

Now one day, a package arrives for Coriander and what does she find in there? Why, it’s the pair of silver shoes that fit her so darn well. Unfortunately, her mother doesn’t allow her to wear them. Six-year-old Coriander who has fallen in love with the shoes just couldn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed to wear them. She knew that the shoes were made especially for her.

Unable to resist not being able to have those shoes, Coriander sneaks into her father’s room and discreetly wears them. She panics when she couldn’t take them off, as if they wouldn’t come off. Well, it was only temporary. The shoes acted normally after that and Coriander’s parents let her wear them freely.

After a while, something odd happened to Coriander’s mother. She died not much later and the family’s broken-hearted. To make matters worse, Coriander’s father is advised to take on a Puritan wife so that he can keep his properties. Mr. Hobie was supportive of the Royalist cause and the Royalists had lost the English Civil War.

Mr. Hobie’s new wife, Maud, is like the wife/step-mother from hell. She finds fault with almost everything and is set on making the house more Godly by removing and changing many things which she considers to be linked to witchcraft. She also brings a preacher, Arise Fell home and insists that he stay with them.

Arise Fell is definitely one person whom I would never like to meet! He’s an extremist, heartless, cunning, and just a really hated character in this book. I felt angry and sympathetic towards Coriander and the others who had to suffer from Arise Fell’s ‘hand of wrath’. He even forces Coriander to change her name to ‘Ann’ because Coriander is not a suitable name for a God-fearing person. Ridiculous!

You’ll enjoy reading I, Coriander as it’s magical and beautifully-written. The parts with Arise Fell were quite disturbing because he just seemed so cruel! He’s quite remarkable because he can influence people with what he preaches but things go too far when he takes matters into his own hands. For example, the part where he and Maud deliberately kill an old, defenseless woman while other people just stood by watching.

I should like to see this book turned into a movie. It would be quite fascinating to watch Coriander, Arise Fell, Tycho (Coriander’s love), and other characters on screen.

Other Reviews: Jenne, Jen Robinson, Casey

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors G, Children's Books, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Titles I at 9:55 pm | Comments (14)



21st September, 2008

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Another book on the Holocaust. The last book I read which was set during the same time was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. Such books are always sad and get the readers all worked up with all its horror and misery. Makes you relieved that you didn’t have to go through all of it.

I was sobbing away while reading the ending of The Book Thief. Yes, this book has that effect on you especially if you’re an emotional kind of person. I don’t wish to reveal the ending but I’ll tell you the beginning.

This book received a lot of attention and praises that I had really high expectations from it. However, the first 50 or 60 pages didn’t impress me much. I wasn’t used to the odd, short paragraphs and short sentences. But as I went on, the reading became enjoyable and I found myself lost in the Liesel’s story.

As most of us who have already read or have an idea on what the book’s about, the narrator is Death. Death? Sounds frightening and morbid, don’t you think? Actually, it’s anything but that. Death sounds kind of melancholic and it’s (or he???) obsessed with talking about colours. I did not care about the colours though. Also, it’s not a totally depressing book. There are parts that can make you laugh too. Seriously, Death can also joke.

Okay, so I read about Liesel’s story. She’s the book thief because she steals books so she can read them later. While travelling to Munich with her mother and brother on a train, her brother dies. He was only six. Liesel would be sent to live with foster parents at Himmel Street. That was in 1939. She does not meet her mother again.

Liesel’s foster parents are Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Hans is a really cool and kind foster father. The total opposite of his loud-mouthed, cursing wife, Rosa. Because of his caring and calm nature, Liesel warms up to him. He comforts her when she wakes up from recurring nightmares of her dead brother and he teaches her to read after those nightmares. He’s like the father she never had.

Oh, I have no idea where or who or what her father is. He’s deemed as “missing”. Was he a Jew or a German? Why was he missing? I assume that Liesel’s mom’s a Jew because Liesel overheard Hans and Rosa talking about what “they” might have done to her? Well, if Liesel’s mom was taken away, how come Liesel’s safe? I think I had better read up more on my history. Perhaps there are exceptions for kids? Hmmmm….. (ETA: I just found out that Liesel’s parents were Communists!)

Anyway, Liesel makes new friends with the kids from her neighbourhood, particularly with her neighbour, Rudy Steiner, who obviously likes Liesel a lot and is always asking her for a kiss whenever the opportunity seems right. Rudy and Liesel become best friends and they always go on stealing sprees together.

I guess my favourite character in the book would be Max Vandenburg. He’s a Jew and with the Hubermanns’ help and permission, he hides in their basement. He feels sorry for putting them to so much trouble but they can’t turn away a man whose father once saved Hans’ life. The sub-chapter, “Liesel’s Lecture”, was an emotional one. It’s where Hans tries to make Liesel understand the danger of spilling out an absolutely dangerous secret, which will ultimately cause unpleasant events.

Liesel and Max, they too become friends. Liesel would find newspapers for him to read and do crossword puzzles. They would sit together in the basement, each doing their own reading. They share a strong bond and you could feel Liesel’s sadness and sorrow when they’re separated later.

All in all, it’s a riveting and keeps you glued to the pages kind of book. It does not have a strong introduction but if you keep on reading, you won’t regret it. Of course, I assume that you’ll keep on reading to find out what happens to all the characters. Read the book and I hope you’ll like it like I do.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Nymeth, Laura, Leah, Kristine, Reading Monk, Rimi, Natasha, Alessandra

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors Z, Historical Fiction, Titles B, Young Adult Fiction at 11:10 pm | Comments (21)



1st August, 2008

Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer

I don’t quite remember when I started reading this book, probably at the end of June or beginning of July and I only finished it tonight! I’m already not a fan of romance books but I thought I’d give this book a try as it was sent from Sourcebooks.

This was my first Georgette Heyer book and at least, it’s better than Austen. It is still dull for me, the story was slow and I really couldn’t wait to finish the book! So I’m really, really glad it’s over.

Anyway, what day were you born on? I was born on a Wednesday and I guess I’m full of woe. :D Friday’s child is loving and giving, which describes Hero perfectly. Hero’s an orphan and she’s been under her cousin’s care ever since she was young. Well, her cousin wasn’t really fond of her and her life’s actually quite miserable.

The hero in the story would be Sherry or Lord Sheringham. He has asked the Incomparable or Isabella for her hand in marriage but was rejected. Feeling indignant that he should be married right away so that he can have full control of his money, which was left to him by his late father, he vowed that he’d marry the next girl he meets. Sherry’s quite addicted to gaming and he is in a lot of debts.

And it’s no other than Hero Wantage who’s about to be sent to Bath to become a governess. She’s also Sherry’s childhood friend and adores him completely. When he suggests that they get married, she agrees on the condition that they don’t interfere in each other’s lives. It’s like they’re free to do what they want but in a discreet way, I guess. So, they set off to London and Hero says goodbye to being a governess.

With the help of Sherry’s cousins, Gil and Ferdy, the wedding goes smoothly. They nickname Hero ‘Kitten’. After that, life goes on as usual. Hero gets along very well with Gil, Ferdy, and another of Sherry’s friend, George, who’s completely smitten with Isabella and has always been trying to win her heart. Thanks to the characters of Gil, Ferdy, and George, as they make the story much more interesting! What would the book be without them?

Hero also lands herself in a number of scrapes and Sherry helps her out since he’s her husband and he’s responsible for her. But for how long will he tolerate it all? Hero utterly worships him and would do anything to make him happy. Whatever he says, she follows. She doesn’t really have a mind of her own but then when it comes to love, can’t blame her, right?

If you want to try Georgette Heyer’s books, I’m not sure if you should start with this one. I have more Heyer books to go and I hope that they might be better than this.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Ames

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors H, Historical Fiction, Romance, Titles F at 11:02 pm | Comments (7)



12th June, 2008

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

Wow! This is how I’d describe this book about a 9-year-old boy named Bruno. Bruno comes home one day to find the maid packing his clothes and things. He discovers that they have to move to a place he calls ‘Out-With’. It’s actually Auschwitz but Bruno’s too young and ignorant to know the real name of the place.

Anyway, the whole family, that is, Father, Mother, Gretel or The Hopeless Case, and Bruno have to move because Father has been given an important job by The Fury (Führer). Bruno is reluctant to leave his home in Berlin and also his 3 best friends for life, Karl, Daniel and Martin. He just doesn’t like the idea of moving to a whole new place at all.

When they arrive at their new 3-storey lifeless-looking house, Bruno feels that the place is devoid of any real joy and laughter. Then, in his own room, through his window, Bruno sees the concentration camp and its inhabitants. He sees only grown-up men and young boys but no women. He’s curious as to why they were all wearing the same grey striped pyjamas and were looking gloomy. Bruno’s only 9 and nobody will want to tell him who he’s really looking at. Even Gretel, his older sister, can’t think of anything suitable to explain the people they saw through the window.

Bruno wants to be an explorer when he grows up. He has always enjoyed exploring at his old 5-storey Berlin house and since the new house is not even worth exploring, he decides to take his exploration outdoors. Without anyone knowing, he walks towards the concentration camp and at a fence, he accidentally meets a small Jewish boy. Bruno’s pleasantly surprised to find out that both of them share the same birthday. The boy, who calls himself Shmuel, is just happy to sit and talk to Bruno. Bruno is delighted to have made a new friend.

Each day, they’ll sit and exchange stories about their different lives. Shmuel will tell Bruno about how he came to his ‘new home’ and how his mother had been taken away. Bruno listens but doesn’t really understand that his new friend is suffering. He assumes that there are vegetable and fruit stalls in the camp. He’s also jealous that Shmuel seems to have many friends to play with while he has nobody but Gretel and she was a Hopeless Case.

The friendship between the two lonely boys is endearing and it reminds me of the two boys from The Kite Runner. I finished this book in one day as it’s quite easy to read. It’s written like a book for children but I think that only older children should read it. Younger children might not really understand and also to handle the ‘heaviness’ of the story although it’s written in a light way! Parents may need to explain things to them though.

There’s no doubt that it’s an utterly good book which everyone should read. In a way, it’s about history but history only takes up a small portion of the book. It’s more about Bruno’s young life and his chance encounter with his new friend. Moreover, it’s a relatively sad story and I won’t be able to forget it for a long time.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Marg, nylusmilk, Papercuts, Steven, Carol, KittyCat, Natasha, Alice, Trish

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors B, Historical Fiction, Titles B, Young Adult Fiction at 7:37 am | Comments (17)



9th April, 2007

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

You should read Rebel Angels after completing A Great and Terrible Beauty. Gemma, Felicity and Ann are back and Christmas is near. It is the holiday season so Gemma is about to experience life in London during the Christmas season.

There is also a new teacher at Spence Academy and she is Miss McCleethy. Gemma and her don’t really get along well. Gemma also finds Miss McCleethy a little bit suspicious and several incidents that occurred confirmed her suspicions even more.

Now, Gemma keeps having visions of three girls in white who are trying to tell her something. She is quite afraid of them since they looked pretty scary, judging from the descriptions about them. Well, they are ghosts anyway, so go figure.

On the day Gemma goes home, she meets the handsome Simon Middleton while waiting for her brother, Tom, at the train station. The meeting happened by chance because she was trying to lose someone whom she thought was following her. Simon shows interest in Gemma immediately and continues pursuing her. Soon, Gemma finds herself caught between Simon and Kartik.

Yes, Kartik from the Rakshana, is back too. His task is to help Gemma find the Temple before her enemy, Sarah or Circe finds it first, where she has to bind the magic, which has become loose since she destroyed the Runes of the Oracle in the realms. In fact, he has another crucial and difficult task, too but he’s not telling Gemma about it.

Gemma continues bringing Felicity and Ann to the realms where they are reunited with Pippa, who died in the first book. Pippa is obviously very happy to see and spend time with her friends again. Somehow, Gemma thinks that Pippa has changed and feels that she should not be trusted too much. Kartik did warn Gemma that nothing in the realms is to be trusted.

I was surfing the Internet for more information about the books by Libba Bray and stumbled upon the Wikipedia page. I couldn’t contain myself and went to the page with information on Rebel Angels. As I was reading about the summary of the book, my eyes caught the sentence that revealed Circe’s true identity! It was an accident but I was quite glad it happened. It made the reading a bit more fun.

It was hard to put down this book, as the story was so very interesting! I did not want the book to end at all. That’s the feeling I got while reading it. I’m utterly delighted that there is a 3rd book coming out in September 2007/Autumn 2007. Truly, both Bray’s books are among the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: A High and Hidden Place, Becky

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors B, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, School Stories, Titles R, Young Adult Fiction at 2:47 am | Comments (11)



26th March, 2007

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

I finished this book last night and was a little freaked out after that. Well, I was already scared out of my wits many nights before too. I tend to be a little bit afraid and extra-imaginative when I read stories that involve ghosts or dead people coming back to haunt. Pretty creepy, if you ask me.

Anyway, this book was not so bad. It’s an interesting story and I even bought the book that follows it, Rebel Angels. The 3rd book in this trilogy will be released in autumn 2007.

Gemma Doyle is the main character. She’s just turned 16 and lived in India her whole life. On the day of her 16th birthday, her mother took her own life. Gemma saw this in a vision and was shocked to know that her vision came true. She was also shocked that she had such powers, too.

Then, she was sent to Spence Academy in London to learn to become a well-mannered, proper lady, ready to be married to some proper gentleman. At Spence, the new girl was not so welcomed at first. Gemma had to bear with the group of highly stuck-up girls, which included Felicity and Pippa.

But, as things turned out, Gemma finds herself always in the company of Felicity, Pippa, and Ann, her roommate. They also take turns to read the diary of Mary Dowd, a girl who used to be at Spence 20 years ago and who supposedly died in a fire with her best friend, Sarah. Gemma is also very curious to find out more about these two girls who also had the same powers like her.

There is also the mysterious Kartik, whose brother, Amar was killed by the ‘thing’, which was after Gemma. Gemma finds herself attracted to Kartik but is not sure if he feels the same way towards her too. All he ever does is warn her not to have any more visions. He also spies on her to see what she is up to.

Oh, this book is quite different, too because there is a Reader’s Guide. There are Questions For Discussion and also an interview with the author herself, Libba Bray! So, after reading the book, you can ponder over the questions asked.

All the same, I have to say that this book is a well-written one. It is the type of book that is difficult to put down. I can’t wait to get started on Rebel Angels!

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: A High and Hidden Place, Iliana

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors B, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, School Stories, Titles G, Young Adult Fiction at 2:26 pm | Comments (12)



22nd March, 2007

Sweet Exile by Alison McLeay

17-year-old Kate Summerbee has never lived anywhere but aboard a stern-wheeler with her eccentric father, Ben, on the Mississippi river in New Orleans. During the Civil War, she stumbles upon an Englishman, Matthew Oliver, who is desperate to bring a few crates of unknown contents to England. When Kate and Matthew were caught being together, Ben forces Matthew to take Kate as his wife, with the drunken pastor conducting the wedding ceremony. However, Ben suffers a gunshot wound and Matthew escapes successfully to England while promising Kate that he would write to her.

Ben dies and Kate has nowhere else to go to. Finally, she decides to find Matthew in England. When she arrived there, she discovered some shocking news about Matthew and ended up staying with his parents at Hawk’s Dyke, Matthew’s father’s house. More unexpected events occured during her stay there, among them is the death of Matthew’s beloved mother. Thus, believing to be the cause of her death, Kate quietly leaves Hawk’s Dyke where she calls home.

This romantic novel tells of the inspiring story of an independent, strong-willed young woman who is loved deeply by two men, Matthew and his father, Adam Gaunt. And as the book’s back cover describes: “But only Kate, impulsive, generous and all too human when it comes to matters of the heart, can determine the future of her love…and the home where she can finally belong.”

I read this book in 2004.

Buy Sweet Exile

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Similar Posts:

Posted in Authors M, Historical Fiction, Romance, Titles S at 2:35 am | Comment (0)


Back to Top
|
 

XHTML . CSS . 508 . Powered by Wordpress.
Designed by GGUK Design. All Rights Reserved.