Review: Hit the Road, Helen!

Title: Hit the Road, Helen!
Author: Kate McMullan
Publisher: Capstone

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Synopsis from Book:

When Paris and Helen decide to hit the road together, it means more trouble than they can imagine for both themselves and the people of Troy. But who says Helen is entirely at fault? Sure she had a face that launched a thousand ships . . . but she also had a little interference from the meddling god of love and his mother, Aphrodite. Think you know the truth behind the Greek myths? Think again. Hades is here to set you straight once more on the true story of the Trojan War.

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A current trend in children's literature is that of Greek and Roman Mythology. Rick Riordian (who wrote the Percy Jackson books) and others have made this a favorite genre-and so, I believe this Myth-O-Mania series would be equally popular. I had never heard of it before I read this book nor did I know it was number nine in its series. Perhaps if I had, I would have enjoyed it more.

What I did enjoy was the author's writing style. It was quite good and entertaining. What also made this book unique was that it was written from Hades's, "Lord of the Underworld," point of view. Perhaps all books in the series are like that; I am not an authority on that. Hades was a very funny character and I'll admit it, I kept picturing the animated Hades from Disney's Hercules.

However, I have discovered something about myself: I am not a fan of Greek mythology. All of the gods and goddesses run together for me. The obvious ones are easy enough to handle, but Hit the Road, Helen! drifted into territories where there were too many people. I skimmed several portions of the book.  Partly because it was formulaic (i.e. I knew after he had one interaction with certain gods how the rest would go). Partly.....I wasn't as interested as I wish I had been.

That being said, I think most middle graders will love it. There is an element of comedy that the kids will enjoy and the myths are presented in a whole new way. (Thus making it not boring for young readers). It will also appeal to what is current--and publishing is all about giving the masses what they want.

So while I might not read one again, I can definitely recommend it to fans of Zeus and Hades, Aphrodite, and the like ;-)

Review: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins

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Synopsis from book:

"One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so."

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I got on the bandwagon for this series late. Perhaps it is because I have friends reading it. Perhaps it is due to the movie coming out.....all I know was that I decided to take it up. I began with Divergent and now, I have finished the second book, Insurgent. Dystopian series are all the rage in literature right now, especially among the teen sector.We cannot keep them on the library shelves (although summer could have something to do with that) and they are also the common theme among recently ordered ones. However, most of them are subpar at best. Very few, I believe, are written well and worth reading. For all of its controversies, I personally believe that "The Hunger Games" belongs in this latter group and now, I feel the same way about the "Divergent Series." 

Both series are extremely well thought out and have entertaining plots. They have deeper characters as opposed to superficial ones. Each character is complex; some do not seem completely bad and those who are the "heroes" have their failings. Characters are identifiable--in fact, a dear friend claims that she has a lot of Tris's characteristics in herself. I personally like a book where you see an element of yourself in someone, even if it isn't in the greatest of ways. In this series, you cannot ever be completely sure who to believe and trust.

I will be upfront with you: Insurgent is a complex book to review. I can't start giving plot points away nor I can jump right in where the story takes place. It's confusing; you could not read a book out of order. If I started with a traditional review or intro, nothing I would say would make sense. At times in Insurgent, the reader struggles to remember certain people (as there are a LOT of people involved--people who "disappear" for several chapters only to have them come back), for the most part, it is an easy-ish read. 

If there is controversy about this one, I can guarantee you it has to do with the premise behind the book. One faction of people is trying to control others by means of stimulation; they want to take over. This stimulation deadens those under it so they do not know what they are doing. They kill in cold blood and with no remorse--though, I must add, it isn't because they chose to murder. The serums for stimulation are gained through less than desirable means. Torture if necessary. There is no easy way around the topic; it is a tough one to read about. So for that, I definitely would advise it to be more of a teen read--or read by someone with a certain maturity. Nothing is written in an overtly graphic way. Still, I think it to be too intense for some readers. And it certainly will not be everyone's cup of tea.

Though this is a book review site, I would be remiss if I didn't mention it was being made into a movie. (Or rather, Divergent is). I'll just say it flat out: I believe the casting choices to be abysmal, especially casting the role of "Four"--the hero of the story. A lot of times, the casting you do in your head is better than what is portrayed on the screen. And in this case....I do not picture the guy who plays Pamuk (Yes, the guy who dies in Lady Mary's bed on Downton Abbey) to be in the movie. Too old!!!! So now we shall play a game?If you have read this book....who do YOU think should be cast?

To sum it up, I enjoy this series immensely, but like I have already stated, it is not for everyone. But for those who it IS--it is a page turner. And I enjoy page turners....don't you?

Review: Fairy Tale Comics

Title: Fairy Tale Comics
Author: Chris Duffy (Editor)
Publisher: First Second

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Comic books and graphic novels are one of the current trends. Kids like reading books with lots of pictures, where they can see the action unfold before their eyes as opposed to descriptive verse they must dissect. Biographies are beginning to make an appearance in cartoon form and now, apparently, are fairy tales.

Every child loves fairy tales, but I can tell that this will be an even more beloved item on library and bookstore shelves. Within this volume can be found the classics--such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"--to lesser known stories from other nations. Fairy Tale Comics could have stayed in a Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault bubble and they didn't; I applaud them for that. However, on the flip side, and my slight criticism, some kids might dislike the fact that they do not know the stories. It's a gamble to be sure and one I am intrigued to see how it will pay off. Many kids are drawn to books because they know them and when they don't, they put them aside in favor of something else. While I do not see that being the case here, it is a remote possibility...

However, the beauty and secret lies in this: each story has been illustrated by a different cartoonist. I could say that there are similarities and yet, that would be a lie. No two stories look the same. My personal favorites were those stories done by Brett Helquist (who also illustrated The Series of Unfortunate Events), Raina Telgemeier (creator of the graphic novel, Smile), and Luke Pearson (a UK cartoonist). The more I am around kids, the more that I discover that while they like the familiar, they do like being surprised, especially where illustrations are concerned. It's that "wow factor" that is so crucial of which to be in possession. As they read through Fairy Tale Comics, I can imagine how they will enthusiastically turn the page, wanting to see just what illustrations come next.

I will readily admit, I am not the biggest comic book fan; I skim them more than anything. Yet I see huge marketing potential. I see fairy tale aficionados soaking this book up. I see kids grabbing it off library shelves as they grab their Big Nate and Calvin and Hobbes  comic books. That is a good thing.

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Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for an ARC of this book.
Fairy Tale Comics will be released on Sept. 23, 2013

The Start of Something New

Here begins yet another chapter in my life's story. I intend to share the books I have read and my opinions on them. I will try to always be honest and perhaps, you will find a hidden gem to pick up yourself.

Topics and genres will vary. I hope to cover both mainstream children's and YA titles as well as Christian fiction. We shall see....