Review: Heaven Looks a Lot like the Mall
Title: Heaven Looks a Lot like the Mall
Author: Wendy Mass
Edition: ARC
This was my first verse novel. I was apprehensive because I associate verse with difficult and time consuming interpretation (i.e. poetry along the lines of Shelly and Byron). This was much much different, happily. It is a story with elements from It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story… Tessa is knocked into a coma by a dodgeball during high school gym class (ha ha) and after hovering between Earth and Heaven (i.e. the Mall), she soars upwards. In this atherial mall, Tessa (named after L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time) relives important and mostly fogotten moments in her life that culminate to explain the woman she is today. I love the brazenness and truth with which the vignettes are told. It brought me back, reminding me of some of my own weak moments, but readers will find, like Tessa, the we can all sparkle.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Title: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Edition: ARC
I started this book at 8 pm and finished it at 3 am because I simply could not put it down. Zevin examines how our memories define and control us in her portrait of Naomi. When an accident stripes Naomi of all personal memory of her last four years (thankfully, she retains her math/French skills!), she must begin piecing together who she is, a task made difficult because she doesn’t know who to trust. But it also frees her from past prejudices and judgments. A novel that doesn’t wrap things up with a neat bow but instead, takes its time in figuring itself out. Another great book to recommend to those pesky teens that hate fantasy but enjoy those “what if…?” questions that leave you pondering about how you might change if you ever found yourself in such a situation.
More Harry Potter Pics
The party last night was a lot of fun (thank you potterparties.com)!
Harry Potter Party!
I am so excited for tomorrow evening’s Harry Potter Party at the Toms River Branch hosted by…. me! i’ve made chocolate/caramel magic wands, book props, acid pops, and more. It’s going to be a blast. Check out the yummy below:
First Impression Award
At Ocean County Library’s annual Staff Development Day, I was given a First Impression Award. This award honors a staff member who exemplifies the shared values of the Ocean County Library – Customer Service, Respect, Integrity, Excellence and Community – during his or her first 24 months of employment. It was very exciting! I work with an excellent Young Adult Team as well as many talented reference Librarians, whose mentoring and support has helped me greatly. I wouldn’t be successful without them!
Other First Impression Award winners include (from left) Angela, me, Marguerite, Elsworth, Elaine (our director), and Tyler.
What FMA Character are you?
I’m always a cute character!
What Fullmetal Alchemist Character Are You?
Hosted by theOtaku.com: Anime. Done right.
What Tsubasa Character are You?
I am Sakura!
What Tsubasa Character Are You?Hosted by theOtaku.com: Anime. Done right.
