What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

Gingersnap by Patricia Reilly Giff -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

Jayna, nicknamed Gingersnap, finally has a home with her beloved older brother now that he's aged out of the foster care system. Jayna loves watching her brother cook and learning to make soup; soon they plan to open a restaurant. First though, Rob has to go off to the Pacific to be a cook on a Navy destroyer. The war (WWII) is still going on and Jayna worries about Rob. She doesn't like living with her fussy neighbor who wants her life back. When a devastating telegram arrives, Jayna aided by a ghostly presence, discovers evidence suggesting she has family in Brooklyn. Taking her beloved turtle Theresa, a suitcase of clothes and a faded old recipe book written in French, Jayna heads off to Brooklyn to find the family she desperately wants and needs. Patricia Reilly Giff has been one of my favorite authors since I was in elementary school  a long long time ago. She has a wonderful ability to write a poignant story with humor and gentleness. Gingersnap is no exception. Jayna is a likeable character. She's tough but not prickly like most preteen protagonists in middle grades fiction these days. She wants to be loved and let people love her. She discovers new things about herself and the meaning of family. The plot moves fairly quickly at first but stalls a bit in the middle. I couldn't put it down until the very end though. The story is sweet and touching. I don't really understand the ghost girl though. The inclusion of her into the plot doesn't make a lot of sense and something that is revealed at the end threw me for a loop. I think readers ages 10+ will enjoy this book and learn a lot about World War II history. Has anyone who read this tried any of the soup recipes? Some of them sound delicious! 

Princess of the Silver Woods (Twelve Dancing Princesses) by Jessica Day George

This thrilling conclusion to the Twelve Dancing Princesses trilogy takes place some nine years after the princesses were rescued from the Kingdom Under Stone. The princesses have been able to put their past behind them and some have found true love. Princess Petunia, the youngest of the sisters, loves gardening like her mother and wants nothing more than to breed a new type of rose. When the Grand Duchess Volenskaya invites Petunia to visit her estate on the outer edge of Westphalia, Petunia hates to disappoint and old friend so she agrees to the visit. Then her carriage is attacked by bandits in wolf masks. Pistol-wielding little Petunia manages to fend them off, but is then abducted by the strange young ring leader. Oliver, an Earl by birthright, lost his father and his home to the Analusian War and now he must resort to thievery to feed his family and their devoted followers. His mother immediately recognizes Petunia as the daughter of her old friend and when she learns where Petunia is headed, she feels uneasy. Oliver is sent off to spy on Petunia and what he discovers frightens him enough to decide to go to the capital and turn himself in so he can inform the palace what has happened. Petunia is plagued by strange nightmares of shadowy figures visiting her in the night. Her strange maid is always underfoot, and though the Grand Duchess and her grandson Grigori are kind, she longs for her sisters. When the sisters are finally reunited, they discover they have fallen for a carefully laid trap and their lives are in danger. Fortunately, the men in their lives are willing to sacrifice everything in order to put an end to the living nightmare. This fairy tale is part Little Red Riding Hood, Part Robin Hood, Part Twelve Dancing Princesses with a bit of Rapunzel thrown in. The story is closer to the first book in the trilogy than the second. It's a little scary but not as bad as the first. The plot moves quickly and I had a hard time putting it down. The epilogue was a bit too rushed and should have focused more on Petunia and Oliver. I liked Petunia a lot. She's plucky, but not as tomboyish as Poppy. She's fearless because she was too young to fully understand what the first King Under Stone had planned for her and her sisters. She has faith that their allies will make everything right. I admire her courage and confidence. Oliver is a good hero. He acts like a foolish boy at times, but he had to grow up fast and is very brave and strong. His scenes with Petunia are funny and sweet. The villains are very transparent. It was obvious what was happening and should have been, if not to Petunia, then to Rose or the Bishop. That is, unless the King Under Stone's magic was at work. I felt a bit sorry for Rionin and his brothers. They're not quite human and have been brought up by their evil sorcerer father to behave a certain way. I wish there had been another way to end the story. Though this book is the third in a trilogy, past events are explained enough so that it could stand on it's own. This story is so different from the usual fairy tale, I think others who like dark stories, gothic stories and fairy tale retellings will like this one too.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Hello faithful followers, I apologize for the lack of frequent postings. Time for blogging is difficult during the school year. I hope to have some interesting historical information for you soon but for now, enjoy these book reviews.

The Wake of the Lorelei Lee: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, On Her Way to Botany Bay by L.A. Meyer -- Young Adult Historical Fiction

Things are looking up for Jacky now that she's about to be pardoned by the British government. Jacky plans to her beloved Jamie in London and head up Faber Shipping Worldwide. Jacky has purchased a new ship, a brig, she names Lorelei Lee to take her on her next adventure. As always, Jacky is impetuous and arrives in London before she receives word from Jaimy that it's safe to do so. Upon her arrival, Jacky learns that a change in the Admiralty led old enemies to tell lies (and half-truths) about her and reveal that she kept some of the Spanish treasure for herself. This time, there's no escape for Jacky. She's thrown in the hulks (prison ships) and her future involves being sent to Botany Bay in the new colony of Australia as part of a program forcing female convicts to marry and mate with male convicts in order to populate to the new colony. Jacky, of course, does not quite submit willingly to her fate. When she discovers that the ship that will be taking her to Australia is none other than her own beloved Lorelei Lee, she uses her knowledge of the ship to her advantage. Jacky, along with the faithful Higgins and a kind captain manage to make the voyage pleasant. However, there are those who believe the lies told about Jacky and mean her harm. Meanwhile, Jaimy has landed himself in hot water and is also being transported to Australia. Jamie's voyage is less than ideal but he has learned a thing or two from Jacky and isn't willing to submit to despair. Jacky and Jaimy continue on their star-crossed paths and Jacky tries to find a way to thwart fate in this latest adventure. As usual, Jacky is wild and impetuous, but this time she seems to have grown up a bit and learned from past mistakes. I enjoyed her adventure though it felt a bit formulaic and predictable. I especially liked Jaimy's journey and the evolution of his character. Previously I couldn't stand him but I like him much better in this book. I've grown tired of Jacky and her adventures. The novelty has worn off and each adventure brings less excitement for me. I quit reading at the end of Part IV which has a happy ending and imagine my own future for Jacky. Even though I am through with Jacky, I think faithful readers will enjoy this latest adventure as much as the others in the series.

Storyteller by Patricia Reilly Giff -- Middle Grades Contemporary/Historical Fiction Elizabeth, a 21st century girl, is sent to live with her Aunt Libby she's never met when her father has to leave the country for business. Elizabeth is upset at being left with a stranger and having to change schools but she and her Aunt Libby begin to bond when Elizabeth notices an old drawing of an ancestor who looked just like her. Elizabeth begins to feel a kinship with the other Elizabeth (called Zee) and Elizabeth's quest to know Zee's story helps her bond with her mother's family and find her way in her new school. Zee lives in the 1770s in upstate New York with her parents and older brother who came to America from Europe searching for a place to belong. Zee feels unwanted and unloved because she's awkward, clumsy and forgetful. Luckily, her closest friend Ammi likes Zee just fine. Ammi's older brother Isaac seems to like Zee too. However, Zee and Ammi's families are on opposite sides of the growing conflict between those who are loyal to the king and those who wish to be free. Zee's father and brother march off to join the patriots and Zee and her mother are left to run the farm the best they can. When tragedy strikes, Zee must pull herself together and find a path to safety and to freedom. Elizabeth and Zee's stories alternate with each chapter and show how everyone isn't perfect but each person possesses unique abilities that enrich the lives of others. I personally felt Elizabeth's story was the weaker of the two. Told in first person present tense it reads awkwardly and some of Elizabeth's feelings get left out and events are rushed. Zee's story kept me turning the pages wanting to know what happened, though some parts were a little gruesome. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of the Revolutionary War and reading about a heroine who had many faults but was still likable and a strong female character. I do not think the writing is as strong as Giff's earlier historical fiction novels but it's still above average. This is a good book for middle school children and their parents. Adults will probably like Zee and Elizabeth's desire to know Zee's story.

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson -- Young Adult Historical Fiction

This sequel to Chains is told from the point-of-view of Isabel's friend Curzon. After Isabel rescues him from prison, having served his time in the American army for his owner, Curzon considers himself a free man. Curzon and Isabel disagree about their future plans and Isabel runs off, leaving Cuzon alone. Curzon is strong-willed and manages to make his way in the world, befriending a young soldier and rejoining the American army in the fight against the British. The soldiers are quartered at Valley Forge during that disastrous winter experiencing bitter cold and starvation. Curzon makes the best of things, despite an enemy who is determined to hate him for the color of his skin. Though Curzon enjoys the time spent with his comrades, he hesitates to get too close and share his deepest secret. Curzon also worries about Isabel, with whom he's fallen in love. He is alternately mad at her for leaving him and worried for her safety. A chance meeting with someone from his past may ruin everything Curzon has worked for, especially when he discovers that Isabel's life is in danger. Curzon has to be brave and determined in order to survive. This book is historical fiction at it's best. Anderson's descriptions of life at Valley Forge are incredibly detailed and realistic and draw the reader in. Her descriptions of life in slavery are also true-to-life and she doesn't shy away from horrific details yet she manages to do so without being too graphic. The story is populated with supporting characters drawn from imagination and real life which make the story all that more realistic. My biggest complaint is that I would have liked the story more of it alternated with Isabel's viewpoint. I kept wondering what had happened to her and whether Curzon would ever learn her fate before the end of the book. This is an excellently written novel for readers ages 12 and up. I can't wait for the next volume in the series!