Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer. To be published by Harcourt Children’s Books in September, 2011. Read in August, 2011. ARC provided by publisher at ALA Annual.

Description from GoodReads:

Willa is lucky: She has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa’s peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother.
Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself been a lie? As Willa sets out to untangle the mysteries of her past, she keeps her own secret—one that has the potential to tear her family apart.

I was excited to read Blood Wounds as I am such a fan of Pfeffer’s “Moon” books. I found the set-up of Blood Wounds unique: dealing with a murder that impacts a character’s life even though said character does not know the victims. There is a lot going on in this book, though, and I don’t think that is good. Willa’s unknown past, fear of the murderous father, death, long-lost family, blended family balance issues, financial strain, divorce, cutting…all brought up and resolved in 248 large print, wide-spaced pages. (In the ARC, of course; the published version could change.) All the different plot points come fast as a rolling boil, yet never blend together to form a solid story. And like a rolling boil, the heat is quickly turned off and things are resolved in a way that feels too sudden.

Because there are so many issues, the characters suffer and are rendered weak with little dimension. For example, I never was able to nail down the individuality of Willa’s two step sisters. When Willa decides she must visit her birthplace – the town where her father committed the murders – I had a very hard time believing that a mother would let her teenage daughter travel to the site of the crime so soon after their lives were at risk. It was all too convenient.

I think some readers will enjoy the book, especially because it is fast-paced and a quick read. I can see the possibility of using it to engage reluctant readers because there is so much going on, and will buy it for my school library. I think readers who appreciate a book with depth and three-dimensional characters will be left unsatisfied.

I see on Susan Beth Pfeffer’s blog that she is contemplating a 4th Moon book, and I do look forward to returning to that world.

My Beating Teenage Heart by C. K. Kelly Martin

My Beating Teenage Heart by C. K. Kelly Martin. To be published by Random House in September, 2011. Read in August, 2011. ARC provided by publisher at ALA Annual.

The plot of My Beating Teenage Heart is hard to describe without giving too much away. It is told in first person through the eyes of two different characters. In the beginning, they are both unnamed, so I am going to leave them this way. A girl is floating among the stars, unsure of where she is or why she is there. She begins to fall until she stops in a bedroom where she sees a teenage boy on his bed. He is not aware of her presence, and all she can figure out is that he is wracked with emotional pain. Going forward, the reader learns more, along with the girl, about these two characters. The chapters are told from both character’s perspectives.

I loved this book. LOVED it. Even when I thought I knew where Ms. Martin was taking me, she surprised at every turn. The characters sucked me in and I needed to see them through to the end. One of my favorite things about it was the healthy relationship the male character has with both his girlfriend and his best friend. He forgets their love at times, but they love him in a way that is real and true. I enjoyed reading a book where the people closest to a main character aren’t quick to betray or otherwise hurt their friend.

If there is another female author who writes male characters better than C. K. Kelly Martin, I haven’t read said author. I admit that I have only read two of her four novels (bad YA librarian!) but in the two I have read now, I Know It’s Over and My Beating Teenage Heart, Ms. Martin’s teen male characters are deep, emotional, thoughtful, honest, and could step off the page fully formed.

The last two chapters in particular will make you want to keep the tissues close at hand. Not a fluffy read; it will take you on an emotional journey and leave you feeling wrung out yet satisfied and hopeful. Will definitely be a 2011 favorite of mine, and I can’t wait to add it to my high school’s collection.

This Week on Dog-eared and Well-read: Dark and Twisty

I recently managed to read a string of books back-to-back that dealt with loss, abandonment, fear, death, etc. It was after that string of titles that I really needed something different, hence my cry for help. I’ve decided to knock them all out in one week on the blog as a themed week: Dark and Twisty. So stay tuned!

fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science by Lucia Greenhouse

fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science by Lucia Greenhouse. Published by Crown Publishing. Read in July, 2011. Advanced copy received through GoodReads Giveaways.

Lucia Greenhouse’s memoir is an engaging story about coming to terms with one’s parents when one does not share said parents’ integral belief system. Lucia was born to parents who became members of the Christian Science faith as adults; most of her extended family are not members of this faith, Christian Science is not to be mistaken for Scientology, which happens sometimes due to the shared “science.” It is a denomination of Christianity founded by Mary Baker Eddy. In addition to The Bible, members of this church also follow Ms. Eddy’s teachings, which she published in Science & Health With Key to the Scriptures.  In short (from someone who has never experienced Christian Science), members of this faith believe that physical ailments are a symptom of a person’s lack of faith. Illnesses should not be treated with medicine; instead, one should be able to pray and receive healing. This goes for everything from a headache to cancer.

The first part of Lucia Greenhouse’s memoir details her childhood with the usual experiences: chicken pox, church services, camp, school friends of other faiths. Then things change. Her parents decide to leave Minnesota and move to London, where there are Christian Science boarding schools Lucia and her siblings can attend while her parents work on growing as Christian Science practitioners (sort of a faith healer). As Lucia grows up, she starts to question Christian Science. She experiences death of loved ones, which shakes her. Lucia’s parents are unhappy when she gets glasses to remedy her poor eyesight. Her faith in the founding ideas of Christian Science is on shaky ground.

The book moves forward in time. The reader finds Lucia out of college and working in New York City. She is called home to learn that her mother is ill. The rest of the memoir focuses on her mother’s illness and how is affects the family. Mother and father insist that she is getting better every day, despite the growing frailty. Her mother eventually goes to stay at a Christian Science care facility and Lucia is asked not to contact her mother for fear of impeding her improvement. Eventually, Lucia and her siblings intervene and call an ambulance to take their mother to the hospital. The conflict in the family grows as other family members come in to town and are horrified to see how sick Lucia’s mother was allowed to get.

Lucia struggles with guilt and blame, torn between the knowledge that her parents are adults who made their own choices and the idea that as a daughter, she is responsible for the love and care of her parents as they grow older. She questions the role her siblings and extended family played – or should have played – as time went on. All family members are forever changed, and some relationships are broken beyond repair by the end of the memoir.

Ms. Greenhouse has written a book that grabs your attention. It gets in your head and one cannot help but question where religious freedom and responsibility to the ones you love intersect and separate. Every few years, a story in the news surfaces about parents who “let” their child die as they practiced the Christian Science faith rather than visit a doctor, and this memoir gives the reader a window into one person’s experience in that situation. When, if ever, is it okay to ignore the advancements of modern medicine because it goes against faith? How does it affect relationships when you disagree with loved ones on such an important life issue?

I will definitely add this book to my high school’s collection. It is published as adult lit. I think this is a book that high school students in particular can relate to as they are figuring out who they are, separating their identity from their parents, and testing beliefs and boundaries.

Photo Friday 8/19/2011

While I have had several work obligations this week, Monday is when I go back full-time. In honor of my last day of summer break, here is a quiet reminder of relaxing during the off-hours.

One Day by David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls. Published by Random House. Read in August, 2011. Copy purchased for my personal collection.

Description from GoodReads:

It’s 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met. They both know that the next day, after college graduation, they must go their separate ways. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. As the years go by, Dex and Em begin to lead separate lives—lives very different from the people they once dreamed they’d become. And yet, unable to let go of that special something that grabbed onto them that first night, an extraordinary relationship develops between the two.
Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day—July 15th—of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself.

When One Day came out, I put it in my to-read list, but kept putting it off. It sounded interesting, but not being YA pushed it off my radar. When the trailer for the movie came out, I finally bought a copy and swore I would read it before the movie came out. I finally did.

I have mixed feelings about the novel. Sometimes I found Dexter Mayhew insufferable and just wanted to punch him in the teeth. Other times, I could see exactly why Emma Morley loved him. Sometimes, I could relate to the book so much, it took my breath away. After I was done, I couldn’t start another book for a while; it lingered with me. This is not a romantic comedy, and I also would not label it chick-lit like I have seen others do. It’s not fluffy, or fun, but I also could not put it down.

I did like the way Mr. Nicholls wrapped up the book in the last 5 or so chapters. While the ending was not the end one might wish for, the way he goes about revealing the last chapters is a warm, soft blanket on a chilly night.

One Day did remind me of two plays I have read: Love Letters by A. R. Gurney and Jack and Jill by Jane Martin. The plots are not the same, but the relationship between the two main characters is similar.

I want to see the movie, although I might wait for the DVD. I’m not sure I am ready to rehash this story so soon.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Published by Dutton Juvenile in April, 2011. Read in March, 2011. ARC provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter.

I just realized this weekend that I never blogged about Where She Went, which is a shame. I LOVED Where She Went. LOVED it. I may have had a few reservations about If I Stay, but none exist with this book.

I love Adam. I adore Adam. This book is told from his viewpoint (Mia’s boyfriend from the first book). Ms. Forman crafts a beautiful, gut-wrenching story in exploring Adam after what happened in If I Stay. He’s a famous rock star now, but fame never solves the problems some people seem to think it will, and eventually he has to deal with his past.

I don’t want to reveal more in case you have not read either book, but Where She Went is cathartic to those that read the first. I cried and cried, and the last third of the book is perfection. Just thinking about the last page of the book makes me happy.

This will definitely be in my top ten of 2011.

Kiss of Death by Lauren Henderson

Kiss of Death by Lauren Henderson. Published by Delacorte Press. Read in May, 2011. ARC provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter.

A Fast Five View:

1. This is the fourth (and final) in this series. This is a good thing. The last two books have not been as enjoyable as the first two. For more background, I reviewed the first one here – Kiss Me, Kill Me, and the second one here – Kisses and Lies, but the third didn’t stick with me and I barely mention it here – Kiss in the Dark.

2. The boarding school takes the students on a trip to Scotland, and I really enjoyed the change in scenery.

3. This book requires more suspension of disbelief than the other three did, and I have to admit that I couldn’t get myself to that point.

4. I did enjoy the way Ms. Henderson circled back to address several characters and plots brought up in the previous books. It is a good resolution to the series.

5. Overall, I have enjoyed this four-book series. The books are realistic, and Scarlett is an awesome character. I do recommend starting at the beginning if you plan to read them, and the first two are the best. I am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Henderson publishes next!

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker. Published by Bloomsbury in July 2011. Read in July, 2011. ARC provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter.

A Fast Five View:

1. Small Town Sinners is centered around a “Hell House” production put on by a southern evangelical church. Hell houses either weren’t around when I grew up or else we just never had them, but so many other elements of this book echo the experiences I had growing up in evangelical churches.

2. I loved how Ms. Walker handled Christianity in Small Town Sinners. She never gets preachy about religion, but she does not belittle believers.

3. Lacey is a realistic, relatable character. She questions many things, including her father, while remaining grounded and sure of her foundation.

4. The other characters are all written with depth and care, never feeling like Ms. Walker has fallen back on any stereotypes.

5. The New York Times published a review, so you should check that out!

Readers Advisory Request

I am craving a new book to read, but I have a very specific craving.

Something similar to:

• FitzOsbornes in Exile (and A Brief History of Montmaray but I liked Exile more)
• The American Heiress 
• Downton Abbey
• F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Brideshead Revisited (although I didn’t LOVE it, but it has the setting I might like)

I’m thinking a book that deals with:

• upper class (but can also have other lower class characters)
• late 1800s to beginning of WWII (but nothing set in the frontlines of a war), but I lean towards 1900 – 1920s
• European in setting but would also be open to the northeast US
• realistic
• somewhat literary – I don’t want a bodice-ripper or trash, but I also do not require a literary masterpiece
• can be YA but am thinking it will be easier to fill my needs with adult fiction

Any ideas? I’m coming up dry so far.