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Book Review: Disney at Dawn

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Disney at Dawn
Kingdom Keepers #2
by Ridley Pearson

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the first book in the series, Disney After Dark.

After the events of the previous book, the DHIs are back online, and the kids they’re patterned after are part of a huge celebration at Magic Kingdom. But Maleficent wasn’t as secure as they’d thought, and now she’s made Animal Kingdoms a wilder place to be. With a new threat of being locked up if they fall asleep and cross over into their holographic forms, the five hosts have to stay awake long enough to free Jez, who has been captured by the Overtakers.

Like its predecessor, this book is not terrible but not great. Again I assume that if I was a major Disney World buff, I would enjoy this book more…or maybe I’d enjoy it less, since some reviews mention incorrect descriptions of the parks. But I have no real ties to Disney, so I wasn’t able to go along for the magical ride as intended. Instead, I had to rely on the story itself. The plot is nothing unexpected and the characters are perhaps even more static and interchangeable than they were in the first book. I have to give this series credit for being inventive in the general premise and fantastical world, but the execution continues to fall short. I will keep reading the series for now, because I can see what it’s trying to be and appreciate that idea. In the meantime, I wouldn’t really recommend this book to anyone, but if it does sound intriguing to you, certainly check out other reviews at the link below, as others have liked it more than I did.

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Book Review: The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic

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The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic
by P. C. Smith

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Historical fiction

It’s 1941, and 7-year-old Annie Elizabeth Jordan (known as Cricket) is going to stay with her grandparents for the summer alone for the first time, since her mom is about to give birth. Amidst the uncertainty and confusion of the war that has already cost Cricket dearly, a tragedy rocks her grandparents’ small Pacific-northwest town.

Before I get into the actual review, I feel the need to give some warnings up front. From the synopsis and at least some early parts of the book, I got a kind of To Kill a Mockingbird feel, so I was completely caught off guard by the extreme language and sexual content. Specifically, there are multiple rapes described in varying levels of graphicness, at least one quite graphically. It’s really bizarre, in fact, considering the amount of prayer and references to God in this book. Cricket’s prayers are sweet and could make the story come across as Christian, but it’s not too hard to see that it’s shallow at best.

Now to the story itself—I have to applaud the author for the depth she put into it. The story is told in snippets of Cricket traveling to and then spending the summer with her grandparents, mixed with fairly in-depth backstories of different characters as they’re introduced. Some of these characters are seemingly minor, and at least at the time we read about their lives up until the point that we meet them, we have no idea why they’re important. It is an…interesting pacing choice. Then, as if because Smith understood the possible issues that would arise from this style, she ends a lot of chapters with a reminder that something terrible is coming to keep the suspense up. This might work for some people, but it was just a little strange to me. Especially since the official synopsis tells us what that event is going to be (though not all of the details, of course); it just takes quite a while to get there. I also feel like the title was fairly disconnected from most of the book.

There is a little bit of a twist near the end, which kept it from being as predictable as I thought it might be by the time the actual “event” happened. It was a little underwhelming though. Also, Cricket’s prayers seem childish in nature, but some of the words and things that she seems to understand are too grown-up for her age. I was also a little confused by the “present time” that the book starts with, at which point Cricket would have to be in her 80s, since she was 7-8 in 1941, yet her baby brother, who was born around 1941, says he’s in his 50s. So maybe the “present time” is actually supposed to be the 90s, yet iPods and iPhones are mentioned. It was a minor thing, but it really confused me. On the other hand, for a book that, as far as I can tell, is self-published, it contained barely any typos and mistakes, which is refreshing. In the end, though, it just wasn’t for me. I would say that enough of that was personal preference, though, so if you’re interested in the book, check out the other reviews, which are all positive so far, at the link below.

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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February in Review

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I read 12 books last month, pretty close to my recent monthly average. The page count was lower than average, though, due to a lot of shorter books last months. That doesn’t surprise me, because I definitely felt like I wasn’t reading as much throughout last month, for no particular reason I can pinpoint.

Here are the books I read in February:

39-9
Scottish Shore
McGee7
Eyre
Storm
Alcatraz 3
BSC2
Christy
Rendezvous
Cahills vs 5
Quiet

Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin (5 / 5)
Do the Bright Thing by Bill Myers (4 / 5)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (3 / 5)
Storm Warning by Elizabeth Goddard (2.5 / 5)
Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko (5 / 5)
Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls by Ann M. Martin (4 / 5)
Christy by Catherine Marshall (5 / 5)
Bittersweet Rendezvous in New England by Diane Green (2 / 5)
Hounded by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Trust No One by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
Reclaiming Quiet by Sarah Clarkson (2 / 5)

This list includes 4 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from February was Midnight on the Scottish Shore. I started 0 series, continued 6 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.

Book Review: Bittersweet Rendezvous in New England

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Bittersweet Rendezvous in New England
by Diane Green

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Christian historical fiction

When Becky Chalmers and her new fiancé learn about a connection between their families they didn’t know existed, she reconsiders her relationship with the man. In the wake of this decision, Becky’s brother offers to take her to Boston to hopefully allow her to re-connect with man from her past, whom she’d very nearly married once upon a time.

This short read is, unfortunately, a little confusing and not quite what I had anticipated from the synopsis. The story is mostly about Becky’s various relationships during her life, past and present, including friends who have or have had crushes on her. Even though one of these men has a distinctly separate POV (and actually starts off the entire book), he’s no bigger of a character than the other man in Becky’s life at the start of this book. It all makes for some odd pacing and plot choices. There are some other questionable things that happen in the text, and I was left scratching my head a few times.

When I read a self-published book, it is my intention not to let things that a professional editor would help with affect my view too much. I’m not saying that there is no burden of responsibility here, but it’s harder for self-published authors. So while it did not affect my rating, I will at least mention that there are several mistakes throughout the text; for example, there are quite a few missing opening or ending quotation marks. It can detract from the book for some, so let that be a warning. Overall, I think this book could benefit from an editor, both in style and substance. However, taken in the right context, this could be a book that others would enjoy. For example, it appeared to be a romance from the synopsis I was originally sent, but I wouldn’t call it that. It’s more contemplative of Becky’s life and the choices she has before her. If you’re interested in the book, please don’t let my lower rating keep you from giving it a try.

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Hounded

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Hounded
Andy Carpenter #12
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When one of Andy Carpenter’s few actual friends, police lieutenant Pete Stanton, is charged with murder, it’s no question whether or not Andy will defend him. At the same time, Andy and his live-in girlfriend Laurie take in the 8-year-old son of the man Pete is accused of killing, so he doesn’t end up in the system. Murder suspects Andy can handle, but a child is a whole other story.

I really enjoyed this book all the way through. I don’t know if it was just the mood I was in while listening this time, but I actually chuckled out loud while listening to it at least 3 times—I always find this series funny, but this book seemed even more so. I said in my review of the book literally before this one that I would be okay with smaller conspiracies in these books sometimes, since it seemed like they’d gotten pretty bloated in the last several installments I’d read. And then this book gave me just that. The addition of Ricky, the murdered man’s son, added a new dimension to the formula that I appreciated. Andy took some major steps in his life in this book, which I knew would happen, because I’ve read some of the later books in the series, and it was nice to see them finally happen. Overall, this was a solid addition to the series, and I recommend the book (especially the audio) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas.

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Book Review: Trust No One

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Trust No One
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #5
by Linda Sue Park

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Amy and Dan Cahill continue to jump through hoops for their enemy, Vesper One, trying to save the lives of their abducted friends and family members. Meanwhile, the in the Cahills’ inner circle will be exposed.

I kinda don’t know where to begin with this review. The story really ramps up in this penultimate book, and yet at the same time, it’s still stagnant in some ways. The fact that my synopses for these books basically always have some version of “Amy and Dan continue doing Vesper One’s bidding to try to save the lives of their hostage loved ones…” means that there’s not a whole lot of variation in the plots. And what they’re doing for the Vespers is always stealing something that’s priceless or super heavily guarded or just missing from history. I will say, though, the historical treasure involved in this book was really interesting. I was curious enough to look it up online and learn more about it.

I mentioned before that this series is a bit darker than the original, and that is especially true when you consider the body count to this point. Not that no one died in the original series, but here it seems like a Cahill or Cahill ally dies every book. I’m not a huge fan of that, especially considering who some of the characters are that are dying, some that I really like. Some of the danger elements in this book seem a little forced and unnecessary, which is the main reason for my lower star rating. There are some explanations given in this book as well as some questions left open still for the final in the series. I have my own theories as well, including a counter theory to one made by Dan near the end of this book. Then the book ends on a major cliffhanger, and I have high hopes for the last book (while also being trepidatious, since it’s written by an author brand new to this series and has quite a few loose ends to tie up).

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Book Review: Christy

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Christy
by Catherine Marshall
Read by Kellie Martin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Classic historical fiction

The story of the young, naïve woman who moved to a small town in the Appalachian hills to be a school teacher is one I remember a tiny bit of from watching at least a little of the show when I was younger. Reading it for the first time now, I was drawn pretty quickly into the book, immersed due to the setting, the characters, and Christy’s passion to help. I felt for her as she was up against not just the superstitions and ignorance of the locals but even the resistance of the man who runs the mission she’s part of. I really liked her openness to other viewpoints and how hungry she was to understand God and make Him more personal in her own life.

Though this book is billed as Christian, and it certainly is a heavy element, I’m concerned about some of the theology presented in the book. I don’t think the author was trying to push any kind of religious agenda forward, more like she was simply showing her character’s view of the world. Which means that other characters’ view of the world are also shown, including the pastor who runs the mission where Christy lives, who believes that the Bible can’t be taken as complete truth. It’s because this is not contradicted at any point in the book that I wouldn’t feel comfortable labeling it as Christian fiction. On the other hand, some of Christy’s conversations with ex-Quaker Miss Alice were very interesting to me.

A little past halfway through the book, I decided to switch to the audiobook. One reason for this was due to the length of the book and the fact that I was struggling to have as much time to read at the time. I didn’t want to be reading it for weeks. What clinched it was when I saw that the book was narrated by Kellie Martin (who played Christy in the same-name television show in the 90s). Though she wasn’t as great as a narrator as I hoped, I still enjoyed the book as a whole. It’s full of emotion and heart, triumph and tragedy, and even a little romance. I recommend this book for all who enjoy historical fiction set in America from around this time period (early 1900s).

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Book Review: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls

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Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
The Baby-Sitters Club #2
by Ann M. Martin

My rating: 4 / 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.

Claudia’s interactions with her sister and grandmother were my favorite parts of this story. I also liked that, though they were irrationally scared, the babysitters came up with protocols to address the potential of someone breaking into the house. They kept telling each other/themselves that they probably didn’t need to be worried about a thief who hadn’t harmed anyone, but at the age of 12, I can easily understand that fear would take over when they’re alone with little kids at night. In fact, I’m sure younger children reading this might be a bit freaked out by some of the night scenes in this book. Though I guessed the outcome of the phantom storyline (not sure if it was a pure guess or something I remembered from reading this when I was young), I’m sure most kids wouldn’t. However, I don’t particularly care for that outcome nor how Kristy responds to 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: Al Capone Does My Homework

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Al Capone Does My Homework
Tales from Alcatraz #3
by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade historical fiction

Thirteen-year-old Moose Flanagan’s life on Alcatraz we already a little odd, not to mention difficult, but when his father becomes assistant warden, he knows it’s up to him to watch his dad’s back. Then his apartment catches fire and his autistic sister is blamed, and Moose has his hands full trying to figure out who really set the fire.

I liked this book almost as much as the first in the series, which means I liked it a little more than the second. The kids on the island were a little more under control this time (they seemed to just go a little nutty in the previous book), and I really felt for poor Moose. He tends to take too much responsibility on his own shoulders, and there’s a lot to deal with here. Besides the fire, there’s another side mystery developing on the island, and I was caught up in both of these plots. I half-guessed one of the culprits, but there was more to it than I expected, and events transpired that I didn’t anticipate. 

One of the things I like about this book, and the series in general, is that it doesn’t pander to its younger audience. Stakes and consequences are high, and though the kids and teens on the island tend to get into things a little above their heads, it’s not unrealistic or eye-rolling like some books for this age group can be. I also appreciate that the author has first-hand experience with an autistic sibling, which makes Moose’s sister Natalie come across as authentic. I recommend this book for pre-teens and young teens, as well as any adults who enjoy younger-audience books.

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Book Review: Jane Eyre

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Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë
Read by Nadia May

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Classic gothic romance

I haven’t been quiet about the fact that I haven’t read many classics in my life and that now that I’m starting to read more of them, I don’t connect with many of them all that much. I’ve watched an adaptation of this book, so I already knew the story (I’d forgotten some of it, but not the main “reveal”). The only reason I finally decided to read the book, though, is because I came across the audiobook narrated by Nadia May, whom I have greatly enjoyed as narrator for other classics. I still liked her narration, but the story itself was not my favorite.

I really appreciated many of the aspects of Jane’s characters. Despite being mistreated through much of her childhood, she’s an independent young woman with a strong moral compass. She holds her own against some forceful personalities (mostly men) who try to bend her to their wills. I can’t fully place myself into Jane’s shoes, partly because I’m far removed from that time period and culture and partly because her upbringing was vastly different from mine, but I would definitely have made some different choices than her. I’ve seen this book hailed as a feminist work, but to me at least, that mostly just comes across in how terrible both of the main men in the book are. Mr. Rochester, with whom Jane has a romance that so many swoon over, is deceptive, manipulative, overbearing, and willing to trick Jane into an immoral (and illegal) situation. St. John is whiny, cold, overbearing, and abusive—seriously, when he tells her that if she turns him down, she’ll be saying no to God, I immediately lost any tiny bit of respect I may have had for him. Yet, Jane consistently sees both of these men as good, noble, righteous, defending St. John by saying how pious he is or whatever…so the strength of character Brontë gave Jane sort of dissolves in the presences of these strong men.

Add to all of that the long descriptions, which are generally lost on me, more detail to Jane’s adolescence than I really feel was necessary, and some underwhelming plot choices, and this book was never destined to rise above “okay” for me. I didn’t hate it, but I really didn’t like it much. I have a feeling that a lot of what one gets out of this book is going to depend on what they bring to the book. I didn’t quite bring the right stuff to it, but others clearly do and if you’re interested in the book, maybe you will too.

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