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Book Review: The Scandal

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The Scandal
Theodore Boone #6
by John Grisham
read by Richard Thomas

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fiction

No one likes standardized testing—not the teachers, not the students, and not the parents. Theodore Boone is no exception, but at least he can be happy when they’re over. But when he hears about a possible scandal at a nearby school involving the tests, he can’t help but be concerned that he’ll have to take them again. And that would be the worst thing ever…

The idea of someone cheating on state-wide standardized tests was interesting to me. I remember those tests in school (who doesn’t?), and I remember disliking them. And I remember hearing the phrase “teaching for the test” being used as a negative, and eventually coming to understand why it would be seen as a bad thing. Yet the tests persist, though that’s really a matter for a different discussion. Or maybe not, since, as has become typical in this series, the question of the wisdom of having these tests is brought up in the form of Theo’s parents disagreeing over them. I suppose young teens and pre-teens might not find the subject as interesting as I did, but Theo’s involvement in the scandal, as well as his attempts to not be involved in the scandal, keeps the book moving forward at a decent pace. I enjoyed the story and the characters here just as much as previous books. Poor Ike takes a bit of a hit in this book, but I still like him.

It’s strange that a series that I just discovered randomly when looking for something to listen to that I wouldn’t have to put on hold ended up being something I liked so much and that I’m sad to be near the end of. This book is probably the most stand-alone since the beginning of the series, though I’d recommend reading it all in order anyway. Overall, I’d say whether or not a teenager or pre-teen will be interested in this book will depend on what kind of fiction they like—if fast-paced action is important, this probably won’t suit them. If they’re interested in realistic fiction about crime and law and trials, this could be fascinating for them. And the audiobook is well-narrated, if that’s your/their speed.

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Book Review: Kristy’s Big Day

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Kristy’s Big Day
The Baby-Sitters Club #6
by Ann M. Martin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic

For complete transparency, I’ll say up front that I read a lot of this series when I was a kid/pre-teen. And at the time, my name was the same as the founder of the BSC (with the first name spelled slightly different). Nostalgia will hugely affect my reviews for this series, and I have no plans to try to be objective.

The main story in this book involves a whole bunch of kids, aged 10 down to an infant, converging in Stoneybrook in advance of Kristy’s mom’s wedding. The entire Baby-sitters Club pitches in to keep the kids occupied for a full week while their parents help plan the short-notice wedding. I really related to what they went through, first making plans for how to pass the day and then having to alter the plan or even throw it out the window as the day gets going. I’ve totally been there. Sometimes I have to remind myself that these babysitters are only 12 years old and being left alone all day with around a dozen kids, a few of which are only 2-3 years younger than them. I can’t say how realistic it is, but I did enjoy it.

Whether or not this book will translate well to kids and pre-teens now, I couldn’t say. I wish I had thought to start reading this series to/with my daughter when she was around 8-10, because I think she would have enjoyed it, and we could have discussed the good and the bad of the books.

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Book Review: A Kingdom of Shadows

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A Kingdom of Shadows
Lightseekers #1
by Emily Bain Murphy

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

The light is disappearing and shadows are increasing in the world that 12-year-old Finn inhabits, along with his best friend Adrion and little sister Lydia. They have a plan to escape their town and try to make their way in the dimming world, but that plan is derailed when they meet Ehrit, an older teen who promises that he can take them to a lake of light. It won’t be an easy journey, but just maybe it will be worth it.

This book is stated to be similar to both The Wingfeather Saga and The Chronicles of Narnia, which is a tall order on both counts. The first is one of my favorite series (and a big deal in my family in general) and though the latter series isn’t as meaningful to me, it’s obviously a well-loved classic series. And unfortunately, to me at least, it doesn’t really live up to any of that hype. The story isn’t bad, but it felt like it rambled along to me and things that happened were kind of random. I didn’t get into the story very much, at least partly because of the lack of cohesion, so it wasn’t as enjoyable as it might have been. The characters overall were fairly bland, except Finn himself, who at least had a decent arc. 

A lot of people see this as a Christian (or at least generally religious) allegory, and I can see why they do, especially considering the 2 series it’s compared to. However, I don’t see any indication that it’s meant to be such. I don’t see it listed as Christian fiction anywhere (except on Goodreads, but I’m pretty sure those labels aren’t official), and the author hasn’t written other Christian fiction that I can see. It has obvious themes of good vs. evil or light vs. dark, but felt much more mystical than faith-based to me, maybe even bordering on New Age, especially considering the bizarre “inner forest” sensing that Finn has. If it is supposed to be a Christian allegory, I can’t say I care for it. The expectation of any Christian themes aside, the book was decent enough to make me interested in continuing the series. I think that readers around the age it’s meant for (maybe 12-14) will probably enjoy the adventure more than I did, too. (For anyone like me with arachnophobia, be aware that there is a scene that might be an issue. I survived, but it wasn’t fun.)

Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook Children’s for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Luck and Judgement

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Luck and Judgement
DC Smith #3
by Peter Grainger
read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Detective procedural, mystery

When a man disappears from an offshore gas platform, it’s unclear whether foul play was involved or not. DC Smith and his team’s investigation leads them to some seedy parts of their town and involves some powerful people.

I think this was my favorite of the series so far, even if it did involve some very questionable elements, from a “married singles” club to DC’s own decision to bend the rules (quite a bit, really) for a matter unrelated to the case. Plus, the case was left a bit dangling at the end, but it’s really just a lack of a satisfying resolution. For all intents and purposes, we have an ending, just maybe not one we’d like. I don’t know if this will be continued in future books, but I could see it as a possibility, since cases from previous books are brought up here and there in this book as well.

DC is such a nuanced character, it’s difficult to get a handle on him. But I mean that in a good way. He feels a lot more realistic that way. I enjoy his ribbing with Waters yet also being stern when needed. And him being understanding with a new member of his team that has had a bit of a colorful and rough background. And the further crumbs we get about his history before the start of the series—both about his late wife and the difficult, high-profile case that apparently had some issues—continue to intrigue. Gildart Jackson unsurprisingly does a great job as narrator, bringing DC and all of the other characters to life. I recommend the book for fans of procedural crime dramas, especially with a seasoned detective and set in a small-town area of England, and I don’t think you’d really need to start at the beginning of the series.

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Book Review: Exiles

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Exiles
The Ilyon Chronicles #4
by Jaye L. Knight

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian fantasy

Spoiler notice: The following review will contain some spoilers for the previous book in the series, Samara’s Peril.

The resistance camp near Landale is growing all the time, and now the exiled rightful kind of Samara is part of the group. The rebels need more allies, so they travel to Dorland to try to enlist the help of the rest of the cretes and even the giants. Meanwhile, the heat is being turned up in both Landale and the capital, while more and more people turn to the one true God, Elôm, all the time.

It was nice to expand even further out in this book, seeing the homeland of the dragon-riding cretes and then meeting the giants. There is a lot of diplomacy and some more snatches of battle in this book. Some of my favorite parts involved Daniel, the son of the emperor, who has always been at odds with his father, but now there’s even more to separate them. There were some parts of the book that I was more interested in than others, and Kyrin is still a major character that I wish was more dynamic. In four books, she hasn’t really changed much, and she’s been pretty boring, overall. Jace annoyed me less in this book, though he did make me shake my head a few times.

Some major events happen in this book, and it ends with a promise of both danger and hope. With two books left in the series, I’m really looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out. My 15-year-old daughter continues to be a huge fan of this series, so it’s easy for me to recommend this book to older teens through adults (it’s not YA, but it’s very clean), fans of fiction with Christian elements, whether you’re really into fantasy or not.

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Book Review: How to Break a Dragon’s Heart

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How to Break a Dragon’s Heart
How to Train Your Dragon #8
by Cressida Cowell
read by David Tennant

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Camicazi is missing, and Hiccup goes with his tribe to try to find her. This leads to Hiccup becoming engaged to the daughter of a rival tribe’s leader and sent off on a quest to earn her hand and coming face to face with an old nemesis.

Hiccup and Fishlegs are, what, 13? But here we have a plot involving an older woman (I don’t remember it ever saying her age, but my guess is at least 18, if not older) that Fishlegs swoons over and Hiccup ends up pledging himself to. It’s just ridiculous. I can appreciate an over-the-top story now and then, but I just couldn’t get into the premise or the story here. I was touched by how Hiccup cared about Toothless when he was sick, but Toothless remains more of a menace than anything else.

Sadly, I realized part way through listening to this book that I was just bored. I can see from the synopses of the rest of the books in the series that a greater story is about to pick up here, but I find myself not caring enough to keep going. I’ve enjoyed a few of the books up to this point, but mostly it’s the ones that break the formula that I tend to like more, and that happens too little. David Tennant’s narration may have been what kept me going for this long, and it is still great, but I’m calling it here for my own journey through this series.

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Book Review: Cinder

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Cinder
The Lunar Chronicles #1
by Marissa Meyer
read by Rebecca Soler

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: YA sci-fi

As a cyborg, Cinder and her kind are considered second-class citizens, so much so that cyborgs are chosen at random to be test subjects for possible cures to the plague that has been threatening New Beijing and the surrounding country. But when the nation’s prince brings Cinder, a gifted mechanic, an android to fix and then Cinder’s step-sister falls sick with the plague, events lead to a more dangerous adventure than Cinder ever could have anticipated. And her mysterious past will prove to be more of a liability than she ever knew.

There’s so much going on in this book, and while sometimes that can be bad in a book, it all worked together here. It’s no secret that this is a Cinderella retelling, but really, that’s just a small part of it (though it still made me think of Ever After a lot while I was reading). It’s a starting point and a vehicle for part of the plot, but the bulk of the story revolves around secrets that Cinder begins to learn throughout the story. I enjoyed the unfolding of all of these secrets and the connections that were made between seemingly separate subplots. There were several side characters that I also really enjoyed, including an android sidekick with a particularly perky personality chip.

There were a couple of revelations in this book that I predicted, at least one pretty early on, but I don’t think much of it was meant to be a huge twist or anything. I would have been pretty surprised and even a little disappointed if I’d turned out to be wrong. At the end of the book, I was surprised when the story ended on a cliffhanger. I’m not usually a fan, but I think I’m starting to realize that how much it bothers me depends a lot on how much I enjoyed the book up to that point (which makes a lot of sense, really). So though it felt abrupt, I’m pretty invested and am definitely happy to continue the series.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job with the different characters, including a couple of accents. My 15-year-old daughter has read most of this series and loves it so much that she kept wanting me to listen to the book when she could be around and listen with me. That’s an endorsement in itself, but I also recommend this to fans of futuristic sci-fi and/or fairy tale retellings around age 14 and up—it’s quite clean in all respects, which isn’t too common for YA these days.

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Book Review: Mists over the Channel Islands

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Mists over the Channel Islands
Allegiance Under Pressure #3
by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When the Germans invade the British Channel Islands, Dr. Ivy Picot is left trying to keep her dad’s medical practice afloat, with him and half of her family evacuated to England. Then Ivy is pulled into a ring of medical people who help treat hidden laborers who are in danger from their German taskmasters who are using forced labor to build fortifications on the island. One of those responsible for the new structures marring the beautiful landscape of her beloved Jersey is Gerrit van der Zee, a Dutchman who volunteered for the work in the hopes that he’d be able to help the Allies in some way. But even as he is captivated by the lovely young doctor, he can’t tell her that he is not one of the occupiers she so despises, that he’s actually on her side.

Again I’m struck by Sarah Sundin’s grasp on the history in this time period. I’ve read a few non-fiction books about (and in some cases written by) people who were involved in underground resistance rings during WWII, and Sundin’s writing here rings true for the most part. There is one character who never quite grasps the “don’t say anything to anyone ever” concept, but the codes that are set up and different ways they attempt to keep things hidden and secret kept me engage and in suspense. I kept watching the dates tick ever closer to D-Day, then to the date I knew the Channel Islands would be liberated, and wondering how badly things would fall apart as the Germans got more and more desperate. 

Sundin has a way of writing romance into her stories without making it the predominant theme or overwhelming the plot, and the same is the case here. I also really liked several of the side characters and was appropriately saddened by one particular story arc throughout the book. Then near the end, we get to reunite with characters from the previous two books in this series, and I really enjoyed that. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction from this time period in the Christian romance genre. Though this is the third book in a series, you don’t need really to read them in order. Though of course, since I enjoyed the whole series, I’d say there’s no reason not to start with the first book, Embers in the London Sky.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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February in Review

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I read 13 books last month, a major drop-off from the record-breaking amount of reading I did in January and much closer to a normal month for me. As the month went on, I was amused to realized that all of the books I was reading were coming out to be 4 stars (minus a couple of re-reads that were 5 stars). Up until the last 3 books (again, excluding 2 re-reads), all 4 stars. Kind of bizarre.

Here are the books I read in February:

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HTTYD 7
Puzzletastic
Dead Fake
Smith 2
Silent Extraction
Boone 5
Carpenter 23
Gentleman
Red
K Team 3
Lottery
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (5 / 5)
How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm by Cressida Cowell (4 / 5)
Super Puzzletastic Mysteries by Chris Grabenstein & various authors (4 / 5)
Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph (4 / 5)
But for the Grace by Peter Grainger (4 / 5)
Silent Extraction by J.N. Timmer (4 / 5)
The Fugitive by John Grisham (4 / 5)
Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
The Gentleman Spy by Erica Vetsch (5 / 5)
Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
Red by Ted Dekker (5 / 5)
Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt (3 / 5)
Time Lottery by Nancy Moser (3.5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 3 re-reads. My favorite book from February was Red. I started 2 series, continued 8 series, and finished 0 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.