Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock -

Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
Author: Matthew Quick
Format: Paperback 


Today is Leonard Peacock’s birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather’s P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate, Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school’s class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting look at a day in the life of a disturbed teenage boy, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is a look at one boy's life on the day he is going to kill hos best friend, then himself.  We find out little morsels about Leonard's life throughout the book - like the fact that his mom just up and moved to NYC, leaving him behind to care for himself, and also the fact that his former best friends Asher raped him for months before Leonard finally said enough.  This book was at once a revelation and a heartbreaker. 

Leonard has little in his life to live for - or at least that's what he thinks.  Many people who are right on the verge of suicide don't think about just how much they have in their lives - they are in a very desperate situation.  Suicide is never an easy topic to discuss.  But it's a necessary one.  People need to be more candid about asking if someone is in crisis or is suicidal.  People need to know that it's okay to look for signs in their friends and family members to see if that person is thinking about suicide.  Leonard had that in his teacher - Herr Silverman was the person who noticed that Leonard was completely messed up.  He gave Leonard his personal cell phone number, telling Leonard to call him if Leonard felt like he was going to kill himself.

Anyway, I digress - let's talk about what I actually thought of the book.  I 99% loved it.  The 1% I didn't like was that I found it hard to believe that Leonard's ONLY FRIEND was his elderly neighbor Walt.  Maybe the fact that he had been raped for so long by someone he trusted made it hard for him to befriend people.  Maybe he just genuinely didn't like people. Who knows?  But the chances are that Leonard had at least one friend his own age he could have turned to or who would have noticed something was wrong. 

Other than that, I think the book was very well written and the characters were well developed.  It was easy to get insight into Leonard's anger, and to understand just why he was so angry.  I do think that his mother was an idiot and that she either should have stayed with him, moved him with her, or found another capable adult to care for him while he was still underage.  Maybe then someone would have realized even sooner what had happened to Leonard and he could have gotten some therapy (because, let's face it, he needed therapy and what teenager is going to go to a therapist on their own?) 

I think in some ways Leonard was a bully.  When he met Lauren, for example, he earned her trust almost instantly because he told her that he wanted to get to know Jesus.  Now, granted she did seem like the type to trust people easily, but that's neither here nor there.  He goes to her church, where he proceeds to mock her because of the religious tracts she was handing out, and was asking her and her boyfriend if they ever parked their car somewhere to have sex - it may not sound scandalous, but the way that he phrased it was incredibly horrible.

The story definitely seemed cohesive from beginning to end - and flowed as smoothly as one would expect in a book that also has some flashbacks. When Leonard finally called his teacher, after a failed attempt to shoot himself (because the bullets wouldn't come out of the gun), it totally seemed plausible.  I was pissed that he just up and left the next morning without even talking to his teacher though.  Herr Silverman went out on a limb for Leonard and he acted like he didn't even care.  Of course, he could have picked up that attitude from his snotty mother. 

At the end, when Leonard just walks out of his house leaving his mother behind, I was not at all surprised, except for the fact that their is a cliff hanger of sorts - you never really find out whether or not Leonard actually got help like he told Herr Silverman he would, or whether or not he went on to kill himself.  Perhaps that was intentional on the part of the author, but it drive me crazy. 

Anyway, all in all, I would recommend this book.  It was a solid 4 star read for me.

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Format: Paperback

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

It's hard to explain how much I love this book.  Shadow and Bone is like every fantastic magical novel rolled into one and packaged in a fabulous book that I COULDN'T PUT DOWN!

A lot of people were hating on this book, or weren't really feeling it, and I really just don't understand.  I loved it.

 Let's start with the plot.  Alina and Mal, two kids who grew up in an orphanage, were tested when they were young to see if they held any grisha power.  Apparently, they didn't, and they were sent to be in the military.  When Aline is older, it is discovered that she does, in fact, have Grisha powers and is known as the sun summoner.  Anyway, this discover leads Alina down a road that is full of love, lust, and some pretty creepy discoveries - especially about the Darkling.  I won't give away TOO much, but let's jut say that I was rooting for Alina from beginning to end.  I loved the whole story.  I thought the plot was great, well planned out, and held together well.

The characters were, in a word, amazing.  Each character had their own personalities, and they all worked together so well.  There was tension between characters in the right places, and easy conversations between characters as they go to know each other.  I think Mal and Alina also had a lot of personal growth throughout the novel, and the ability to adapt as necessary. They had moments of anger and rage with each other, and then also the ability to forgive and love each other anyway, even when they were mad with each other.

I loved the back and forth between Alina and the Darkling - the attraction to each other, and also Alina's hesitance towards him because he is the Darkling.  It was interesting to see her reaction and growth upon learning that the Darkling is in fact the Black Heretic.

I loved watching the changes between Mal and Alina, and their willingness to forgive and love each other anyway, even when they thought they couldn't or didn't really want to.  I think their relationship was a testament to what friends can be when things are not good (and the Darkling wants to claim you!)

Overall, my reaction to this book can be summed up as follows:

 5 stars all the way.  Read it!  Now! 

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett - Chelsea Sedoti

Title: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
Author: Chelsea Sedoti
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: January 1, 2017

Hawthorn, a teenage girl with a hippie mom, an older brother named Rush who seems stuck in the past, and a pretty traditional dad, becomes obsessed with the disappearance of Lizzie Lovett.  Lizzie, four years older than Hawthorn, disappeared one day while on a camping trip with her boyfriend.  Hawthorn doesn't think much about it at first, but slowly becomes obsessed with Lizzie - and also believes that Lizzie did not, in fact, get killed or kidnapped or anything like that but rather that she turned into a werewolf.  Yep - Hawthorn thinks Lizzie turned into a werewolf. 

The story includes some history about Lizzie - including a photo of Lizzie from junior high where she had black hair and goth style clothing.  It turns out Lizzie just kind of changes who she is when she moves to a new place - perhaps so she doesn't have to let anyone see the real her.  Anyway, the story is not really about Lizzie, or at least not completely.  It's mostly about Hawthorn - a sort of coming of age story. 

I couldn't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book.  I loved it all.  There were moments that made me laugh, and there were moments that made me cry, and a couple times I thought this book was just going to break me wide open and leave me like that.  Hawthorn experiences a lot of...change and growth and some hard truth throughout the book.  When both her best friend Emily, and her brother tell her that life is not all about her, and that she seems to think it is, Hawthorn is kind of forced to open her eyes and evaluate who she is.  She and the other characters in this book all experience development in the book.  They all grow in some way, which is good.  It adds depth to the characters that so many books are lacking!

The story itself was great.  Sometimes it was a little weird - but even in the weird moments (like Hawthorn thinking Lizzie was a werewolf, or finding out that Hawthorn's mom prefers to be called Sparrow) the story was still great.  It had ups and downs, enough tension and dramatic moments, and the writing was excellent!  There wasn't a single moment when I wanted this book to end - and when it did, I felt just really sad at what had happened and at the fact that it was done. 

This book gets a solid 5 stars - read it and give it to your teens as well.  You will love it!

The 100 - Kass Morgan

I started listening to The 100 on audiobook without even knowing that it was semi popular and had been made into a TV series.  This is one of those book series I've been woefully behind on.  Apparently, that's okay.

When the book started, I was mildly intrigued.  I mean, radiation kills off humans on earth and only a handful escape to make their lives in outerspace on a spaceship? That sounds like a good story!  While the idea for this story is great, the actual story itself falls flat.  The writing is great - Kass Morgan is a good writer.  But, there are so many diverging plot points and so many different characters that it's hard to keep everything straight. 

If their had been one narrator, that would have made the story much easier to flesh out.  The author could have still revealed all the details that needed to be revealed and followed the story well with one narrator.  Also, because their were so many characters with their own POV in the story, it made it hard to get attached to any of them.  Things kept switching back and forth so much I felt like my head was spinning. 

Because of all the different main characters and the lack of one POV, their was also a noticeable lack of character development.  Their wasn't a lot of growth in any of the characters, and that was too bad.

I wanted to like this book - but found it to be just mediocre at best.  Read it if you want - but overall, I'd give it just 3 stars.

August Book Club Picks - YA Fiction

Because teenagers love to read - this month my book club picks are all YA fiction!  (Don't worry - some of you adults may find some books here that you'll love, too!)

Divergent - Veronica Roth

There wasn't a single page of Divergent that I didn't like.  It's sequel, Insurgent, was good as well.  This is a great discussion book for any teenage book club. 

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 

I have yet to read a Neil Gaiman book I didn't like.  This one is no exception.  Full of creepiness and awesome characters, this is a book that is sure to bring lots of discussion and love from any YA book club!

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Chances are there are tons of teens (and adults) who have already read this book!  So, get ready for a re-read, because this book is totally YA book club worthy.  Full of fantastic characters, a weird yet well written plot, and some death, this anti-war book leaves plenty for book clubs to talk about!

 The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak

I originally read this with my book club and fell in love with it. It was one of my favorite reads of 2010.  This book has a haunting, amazing plot that will break you open and leave you wanting more.  I am sure any YA and adult book club will have plenty to discuss with this book.

 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Some people say this book is weird - and I agree, but I probably think it's weird for different reasons. I love this book!  Part thriller, part romance, completely amazing - this book will leave you reaching for the next in the series as soon as you finish.  There are plenty of things to discuss in this fantastic book.

The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski 

This book about a young woman who falls in love with her slave and a society on the brink of war will leave your book club with so many things to talk about.  There has yet to be a single moment in this series that I don't like - I think you'll love this book as much as I do.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

I just finished reading The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer last night.  I had to review it right away because ever since I read the first page, this book has been stuck in my head.  I can't stop thinking about it, even now that I've finished it.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is part psychological thriller, part romance, part struggle with mental illness, and completely amazing.  The whole plot works well together - all of Mara's flashbacks and hallucinations, all of her insecurities, all of her wondering if she's going totally crazy - it fits together well.  I didn't have any "Wait this doesn't belong," or "What the hell just happened" moments.   The pacing of the story was well-done - nothing happened to quickly or to slowly.  Everything just came about in its own time. 

I think the way this book deals with Mara's PTSD is important.  Too many books that deal with mental health issues will trivialize it, or make it seem almost comical.  This book didn't do that.  The PTSD was there, and it was a part of Mara's life, but the author showed that Mara was doing the best she could in her life with PTSD.  We saw the good days and times that Mara had, as well as the bad moments and the triggers.  There was never a moment where I thought she was faking it, or where I thought that the author didn't handle it well.

The characters in the book were, in a word, amazing. They all complemented each other well. They were all believable, and had emotional ranges that I haven't seen in a lot of YA books.  All too often, people think that characters in YA novels need to be one dimensional.  They shouldn't be though.  The characters should be fleshed out, and deep, and have more than one or two interests, and have multiple friends - and that was the case in this book.  There were characters I didn't like (Anna the conniving twit, for example,) but that's just because they were so well written that I even though I didn't like them I still liked them.

I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book.  The tension, the characters, the story and plot - everything was on point.  From the moment when Mara woke up in the hospital, to the day they moved to Florida, to that day when she and Noah went to see some crazy possibly cult leader who made Mara drink blood to heal her, to the end when Mara sees her ex in a police station, there was not a moment when I wanted to be done with this book.

So, to end: This is a 5 star book - if you haven't read it yet, you need to! 

The Maze Runner - James Dashner

 

***Spoilers:  If you're one of those people who hasn't read The Maze Runner yet, save this review for later, as there are a few spoilers.  If you don't mind knowing a few things that happen, read on.***

 

 

The Maze Runner, the popular fantasy novel by James Dashner, is certainly worth the read - but make sure you know that it has an open ending and is part of a trilogy.

The book opens with Thomas, our protagonist, being brought to the Glade in an elevator.  He has no memory of anything that has happened to him in the past.  No memory of family, friends, or even his name.  He meets several other people who live in the Glade, including Chuck, Minho, Gally, and Alby, amongst others.  The first day there is eventful and obviously frightening for Chuck.  The next day something even more frightening for the Gladers happens - another person arrives.  However, this person is different - because she's a girl.  She's the first girl the Gladers have ever had, and she's unconscious.  She wakes up briefly to let them know that she's the end.  The last one.  Then she's out again.

I don't want to give too much of this book away, because I really want you to be surprised.  So, as far as the story, I'll tell you this: the very basic premise is that the people in the Glade are trying to get out by solving a maze (which people called Runners go through every day to figure a way out.) 

Throughout the book, people die, survive griever attacks, fight, discover things about themselves, and learn something they never thought they would. 

The characters in the book are fairly well-developed.  The story kept me wondering from beginning to end, just hoping that the next page would be the one where they found a way out.  From the first Wicked beetle to the last griever attack, I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book.  It's dystopian and marvelous - and it's a book that anyone age 14 and older should read! 

The Winner's Crime - Marie Rutkoski

 

****SPOILERS**** I usually have a few spoilers that make their way into my reviews.  So, if this is on your must read list and you want to be totally surprised, save this review for later.  If you don't mind a few spoilers, read on.

 

 

 

 

If you have read The Winner's Curse, you know that the novel ends with Kestrel becoming engaged to the emporer's son. It should come as no surprise that this is purely a political move, one made in an attempt to save the man and the land that she really loves. 

 

We find ourselves, in the beginning of The Winner's Crime. with the emporer making attempts to feel out Kestrel.  They have breakfast together, meet together in his office, talk political strategy.  All of this is simply so that the emporer can determine where Kestrel's allegiance lies.  My opinion: Kestrel is loyal to nobody but herself.  She may love Arin, but when all is said and done, she is who she wants to please.

 

Throughout the novel, many events are held in honor of Kestrel's engagement to Verex, including a ball that lasts through the night.  Arin, claiming he couldn't come, sends another Herrani to the ball, only to show up later and engage in a tryst with Kestrel behind the curtains in her bedroom.  Kestrel hides her tryst well, or so she thinks, but you can imagine that there is some fallout from her behavior.  In addition to this hidden event, Kestrel also manages to offend Jess to such a degree that Jess removes herself from the emporer's home with no goodbye and refuses to speak to Kestrel ever again.

 

The remainder of the novel is mostly political ploys and games designed to keep us guessing as to whom is on whose side, and making us wonder who loves whom.  There are spies created, allies made, and friendships broken, but what would be the point of a shaky revolution without all that?  

 

To be honest, this is a slower moving novel than The Winner's Curse.  There is not as much action.  There is no revolution, not as much meeting of the hidden lovers.  But, there is intrigue.  There is a blackmail feel to the relationship between Kestrel and the emporer that will make you want to keep reading.  I loved this book, and I loved the political intrigue in it.  I loved learning about the new characters and their land - Dacra.  (There are three lands here - Valoria, Herran, and Dacra.)  I think it was brilliant the way that all the characters secrets are revealed slowly (and some not at all.) 

 

Overall, this book is a must-read, so add it to your list!  I give it 4.5 stars all the way!