November:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Flashplot: In a futuristic post-apocalypse America, you're either from the Capitol, or you're nothing more than a pawn used to support their exceedingly outlandish lifestyle. You're the entertained or the entertainers. The sickest form of entertainment the Capitol created is the annual Hunger Games, where each district must offer up two of its children to participate in this fight-to-the-death competition as retribution for partaking in an unsuccessful rebellion. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen becomes district eleven's female tribute when she takes her younger sister's place during the reaping. Every decision from that point forward could save her live or end it.
As a reader: Suzanne Collins had a number of successful young adult books prior to The Hunger Games, so I was not surprised when a few of my students recommend the title to me. I never expected, though, to be blown away with the sophistication of the writing and the themes. This is one of those rare books that speaks to readers of all ages and all genders. It is a twisted love story, a wrenching coming-of-age tale, and an action-packed adventure. What makes it truly a gem, though, is how it uses a futuristic setting to force readers into examining so many aspects of contemporary society. I instantly fell in love with Katniss, who narrates this book and the others in the trilogy. She is the epitome of an unreliable narrator, yet she is so strong that you find yourself believing even what you know is likely untrue. The supporting characters in the book are equally wonderful. They are flawed and unique, and Collins unfolds each carefully over the course of the book and trilogy, so that every page offers new insight into someone.
As a writer: I was into book three before I realized what was off about the writing of these books. They are written in first person present tense, a very rare narration choice, but one that works for these books. First, it builds suspense; you can't assume Katniss will survive the way you could in a first person narration told in past tense. Second, Collins clearly is a master at it. The fact that such a unique form of writing can go unnoticed means the author is skilled in her craft. The reader is so in Katniss's head that it doesn't seem at all unnatural that the story would be told in present tense. As mentioned above, Collins is also a master of characterization. She creates a world where a large chunk of the characters, those from the Capital, could seem outrageous and unbelievable. She described them, after all, to look the way one might picture the performers in a Cirque du Soleil show, yet as we meet each, we love or loathe them for their personalities alone. The final skill I envy Collins for is her world creation. As I mentioned above, this is not an author who is new to fantasy writing, but the detail with which she describes this world and the various settings, creatures, and technology is amazing.
Bottom line: I think I've gushed enough. Read it for yourself. Read it to your kids. Read it with your students. You won't need me to tell you it is worth the all-nighter.
September:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Flashplot: Eugenia Phelan, unluckily nicknamed Skeeter, returns from college to her home in Mississippi with a degree and an aspiration to make it as a writer–but without a husband, which according to her mother, her friends, and her romantic interest was the only reason young women from the South were supposed to go to college in the sixties. While Skeeter struggles to find her new place in her old world, she stumbles upon a story that will shake that world to its roots: the story of the help.Alternating between the viewpoints of two black maids, mouthy Minny and heartbroken Aibileen, and that of young naive Skeeter, Stockett's first book takes on a variety of issues, including race, woman's rights, spousal abuse, and childrearing.
As a reader: I was instantly taken in by Aibileen's honest narration in chapter one. For me, the dialect rang true, the story tugged at my heart, and the characters, though seemingly a world away from today's society, were easy to relate to. I loved cheering on the small victories of the main heroines and reveling in the comeuppances of the book's bitches and racists. Were there flaws? Sure. Some parts were predictable, where others seemed a bit random and unbelievable, added in to drive character more than story development (most notably was the scene at Celia's with the naked invader). Also, the end was bothersome, but I'm a sap who often likes her book endings tied up with a pretty bow. None of these issues, though, detracted from the overall enjoyment of the book.
As a writer: I was bound to like this book from the moment I heard Kathryn Stockett suffered through sixty rejection letters before selling this best-selling manuscript. That aside, Stockett deserves the praise she is now receiving.Sure, she took on too many deep issues to squeeze into a book this size. And, yup, there were some oddities that didn't seem to fit the overall tone she seemed to going for (Skeeter's mother "curing herself" was a strange distraction from the rest of the plot). But for a debut novel, this was laudable. Stockett deftly uses the alternating narrations, repeating some scenes from different viewpoints, while adding suspense by making the reader wait to get the whole story in other instances. She also nails each character's voice, while doing justice to a dialect she heard her own help use growing up. And if she didn't quite have her readers sold on the verity of this historical fiction work by the end, she hits it home in her afterward when she tells her own tale of being raised by a black woman in the South and how those experiences inspired her to write the novel.
August:
The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Flashplot:After losing a libel trial and facing a prison sentence, Michael Blomkvist has become somewhat disillusioned with his career as an investigative journalist. So being offered an escape in the form of a strange assignment in a rural part of Sweden, he takes it. Through this job he meets hacker and wild child, Lisbeth Salander and develops an interesting and unexpected relationship with her.The first book surrounds a family mystery unrelated to either's life, though lays the personal and relationship groundwork vital for books two and three. These final two books, written like two halves of a whole, unravel the mystery of Lisbeth's personality by uncovering the truth of her disturbing past.
As a reader: I'm glad I had the benefit of friends' recommendations and warnings about this series, particularly the first book. Had I not, I likely would have given up about fifty pages in. The first book starts off with an intriguing opening, but then drags on with too much detail for far too long. However, knowing that, you can skim read much of the family history and focus on what Larsson does best: tell an intricate tell through superbly developed characters. Book one, though slow to start, had a good mystery with plenty of twists, but it's really worth reading for the character and plot development it provides for books two and three, which in my opinion where fabulous. Be warned there are a few graphic scenes, including two rape scenes in book one, which some readers might want to skim or at least avoid reading directly before bed.
As a writer: Having rewritten the opening pages to my first novel a dozen (or two) times, I was envious of Larsson after reading the very beginning of Dragon Tattoo. Okay, I was downright jealous and therefore not the biggest fan. However, I quickly fell in love with this author because he gave me hope–he proved even flawed novels can get published if your characters are real enough. Larsson's characters are just that: real.They are lovable because they're simultaneously loathable. He brings new meaning to the flawed protagonist. The magic of these books is in Michael and Lisbeth's ability to have readers screaming at them one chapter and crying for them the next.No matter what one thinks of Larsson's style, which is often detail laden to the point of being inconsiderate to the reader, no one can deny this writer was a master of characterization. Lisbeth and Michael will find their way onto readers' lists of characters they'd love to meet and hate letting go of at the end of these books.
Bottom line: If you like intricate plots or love wonderfully flawed characters, stick with it; you'll be rewarded!
July:
Interred with Their Bones & Haunt Me Still by Jennifer Lee Carrell
* Apologies if this review is shorter and less detailed than it should be. I should have written this one earlier in the summer when I first read these books, but I couldn't leave them out.
Flashplot: Shakespeare scholar, turned New Globe director, turned sleuth, Kate Stanley finds herself chasing modern day murderers while attempting to uncover the mysteries surrounding the world's most famous playwright. At her side, and occasionally in her bed, is bodyguard Ben Pearl, who is a man of mysteries himself (sounds cheesy, but it's totally hot).
As a reader: The plots of these mysteries have enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing and then second-guessing. Whether you're a Shakespeare fan or not, if you like a good mystery, Carrell won't leave you disappointed. The story is faced-paced and broken up perfectly by the interlude historical fiction chapters set in Elizabethan England to create maximum suspense. In contrast to a few other online critics, who complained about a lack of characterization, I found the main characters, Kate and Ben, well developed and easy to relate to. Where Carrell left ambiguities it was to drive the plot and to develop fantastic red herrings.
As a writer: Sticking to the topic of characterization, I enjoyed Carrell's technique of slowly revealing character traits, particularly about more minor characters. By avoiding vomiting too much characterization too early, she was able to have readers more willing believe where the clues seemed to be leading us. I also was in awe of the deftness demonstrated in weaving together the hard facts of history with others' speculation and her own imagination. The detailed notes in the back will satisfy those readers who want to know exactly where the history-fiction line begins to blur. As for me, I enjoyed a story written so well that I couldn't tell and didn't care.
Bottom line: Worth staying up for!
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