Book Review: XVI by Julia Karr

XVI by Julia Karr
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book. All I knew from the jacket was that in this version of the future Chicago, something terrible happens to girls when they turn 16. The book annoyed me from the first couple of pages with terms that didn't make immediate sense... vert, PAV, tier-two, FeLS, trannies. Seriously, some of these things weren't spelled out until well into the book.

Annoyance number 2 was the characters. Dull and sterotyped. Nina, the good-girl main character. Sal, her brave and mysterious boyfriend. Sandy, her sex and fashion-obsessed best friend. Wei, the smart and tough Asian, complete with martial arts skills.

My third annoyance: the plot. It was just bad, boring and predictable. Even the chase scenes and other dangerous moments were tampered with lackluster dialogue and character reactions.

The abrupt ending, with NOTHING resolved, begs a follow-up. Which there is, called Truth. The truth is, I won't be reading it.

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Book Review: The Messenger's Handbook by Pamela DuMond

The Messenger's Handbook by Pamela DuMond
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise of this book was decent- teenage outsider Madeline's mother disappeared when she was young. At 16, another mystery rocks her life when she time travels to the late 1600's. There she learns she is a "Messenger", one who can inhabit various places and times to alter history or save lives. As Madeline struggles to adapt to life during the dawn of America, she learns about traveling, love, and her lost mother. With the help of Angeni, a magical mentor, and Samuel, her Native American soul mate, she becomes strong and courageous enough to return home to present-day Chicago. Just when she finds she can let go of the love she found 300+ years in the past, she encounters both Samuel and Malachi, the man who hunts her across the ages.

It was just ok for a few reasons. I found the narrative and dialogue to be a bit choppy in places, which was fine when the protagonist was time traveling and ended up in a new time and location, but otherwise distracting. Also (and this may have just been the Kindle edition I was reading), there seemed to be a few grammar and punctuation errors, such as substituting then for than.

Overall, this young adult fantasy story was quick and absorbing, if you can get past the technical stuff.

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Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Compelling, sad, poignant... Hannah Baker committed suicide and left a note of sorts, in the form of cassette tapes. With insight and understanding beyond her teenage years, Hannah recounts the people, experiences and interactions that led to her death. Each person she holds responsible will receive the tapes and hear their impact on Hannah's life. A map accompanies the tape, allowing the listeners (and readers) a tour of Hannah's last few months and the places that were significant to her.

I'm not quite so old that I don't remember my teenage years and the strong emotions that characterized them. Love, jealousy, fear... REAL feelings. Asher honors the strength and effect of such emotions in this book.

Besides serving as a warning about teenage suicide, this book reminds us to treat each other well. It's biggest lesson is that you never know what breif encounter might mean to another person, or the lasting imprint you will leave in another's life.

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