Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick (2010)

His head, when he removed his fur hat, was shaven to his scalp. His skull was disturbing shape, flat at the back, his ears too small. It was not a face stroked into creation by God’s loving hand, but battered into shape by the Devil’s hammer (p 34).

It is a frigid evening in 1910 when fourteen-year-old Sid  discovers his father’s frozen body on the Arctic ice. Sid is baffled by his Einar’s death. After all, it was Einar who warned Sid not to take the shorter, more dangerous route across the ice. So why was his father in such a hurry that he recklessly approached home over weak ice?

Sid’s older sister Anna, and their step-mother, Nadya, leave for the village to get help. Sid must stay with his father’s body. Then a man with a revolver appears at the door. Wolff wants something from Einar. Finding the man dead, he makes demands of Sid, demands Sid can’t possibly fulfill. And Sid has a revolver of his own.

As the story unfolds, we travel back ten years to Nome where Einar and Wolff meet. Theirs is a story of gold, greed, alliances and betrayal. For the last ten years Wolff has hunted for Einar. He will not let death cheat him of his prize.

Revolver is a dense story, tightly woven and sparse in its telling but perfectly told, like the Colt Einar admires so greatly. I know the folks at Oops… Wrong Cookie included Revolver in their mock Printz awards, but condemned the epilogue. Personally,  I could’ve done without it (I admit, I loved the image of Wolff trapped in the snow and Sid’s parting words)  but I did want to know how Einar had cheated the gold miners and where he hid the gold. Of course, not knowing would have only added to the tension I felt at finishing the book proper.

Revolver is a 2011 Printz Honor book. Also by Marcus Sedgwick: My Sword Hand is Singing.

Read other reviews: A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy,  Oops… Wrong Cookie

 

Children of the Sea: Volume One by Daisuke Igarashi (2009)

As a young girl, Ruka sees a fish turn into light and disappear at the aquarium where her father works, but no one believes her. Years later, the mystery of the ghost of the sea unfolds before Ruka and a pair of mysterious young boys, Umi and Sora. Both boys were raised in the ocean by dugongs and can hear the same strange calls from the sea that Ruka does. After being suspended from her handball team, Ruka becomes caught up in the boys’ world, which seems to ease her feelings of loneliness (Publishers Weekly).

So, Booklist raves about this first installment of the manga series The Children of the Sea but I have to say, I thought it was a little weird. The art is beautiful and it was easy for me to follow, but it is clearly setting the stage for more action.

My manga loves are mostly in the shojo genre, while this falls into the supernatural mystery genre. The character of Sora seemed to be going for enigmatic and aloof, but I just wasn’t feeling it. The manga does have a Miyazaki feel but when the story tried to convince me that Sora and Umi were human, I couldn’t buy in. Perhaps it was that disturbing picture of Umi at the breast of a dugong… I read this for the Garden State Teen Book Award committee but I won’t be fighting for it. I hope someone who reads a lot more manga than me reads and reviews it.

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab (2010)

Carly wasn’t just my girlfriend; she was my best friend. She changed my life. The shy, anxious, and lonely boy I used to be had grown confident because of her; I began to see value in myself because she saw value in me, and if all I had to do was ignore who she was becoming, well, that was something I was willing to do (p 126).

Neily is a boy lost. Dumped by his girlfriend and first love, Carly, in a very public way, he needs closure. Carly opted for Adam Murray, the pinnacle of Brighton Day School’s rich and brilliant student body, and his fast and loose friends. A year later, Neily finds Carly murdered. There is a trial and a conviction. A man is in jail. The only problem is that Audrey, Carly’s cousin and best friend, is convinced it’s the wrong person – and not just because that person is her father.

Audrey and Neily make an unlikely pair, but the two set out to learn what really happened to Carly.

This is a brilliant book. It sucked me in immediately. In retrospect there was a lot of information to plow through, a lot of characters, and a lot of relationships. But it was clearly and cleverly revealed so I never felt overloaded with its complexity. A strong contender for a Printz!

Read other reviews: A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, Bewitched Bookworms, Lucid Conspiracy, and The Compulsive Reader

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: A Novel by Mark Haddon (2003)

I think people believe in heaven because they don’t like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don’t like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish (p 33).

And so you have an idea of the straightforward narration of Christopher John Francis Boone, a savant. He is not given to flights of fantasy. He is perceptive like Sherlock Holmes and his memory is almost flawless. But he has impaired social abilities. He dislikes yellow and brown, but for good reasons.

His story begins with the midnight murder of a neighbor’s dog. As Christopher walks the streets, enjoying the solitude, he happens upon Wellington. Mrs. Shears’s dog has been pinned to the ground with a garden pitchfork. Christopher removes the pitch fork and holds the dog, sorry that he is dead. And that’s how Mrs. Shears find them.

Though Christopher is a reliable narrator, his straightforward fact telling has humorous results (though Christopher professes he cannot tell a joke).

I don’t listen to what other people say and only sticks and stones can break my bones and I have a Swiss Army knife if they hit me and if I kill them it will be in self-defense and I won’t go to prison (p 43).

In this way, we see how he acts and reacts but more importantly, the reasons for his actions. When his father finds Christopher’s book, instead of using it to understand this child (as Siobhan, his teaching aid does), he confiscates it – an action that becomes understandable as the story unfolds.

I can see why this book would enjoy an adult market version. Though Christopher is a teen, it’s almost as much a story about adult relationships and passions as it is Christopher’s story.

There is a delicate balance here between conveying Christopher’s mind and conveying the story. At some points, Christopher’s tangents, often necessary for him to continue functioning, are distracting and run on for a bit too long, especially toward the final pages when we are sprint reading to reach the denouement. But this impatience is in stark contrast to the lengthy time outs Christopher must take, driving home the point.

I believe I enjoyed this more than most because my world view is similar to Christopher’s. He does not see the point in pretending about God and heaven and “what ifs.” Instead, he is concerned with science, discovery, organization. While I, obviously, enjoy fiction, I have similar thoughts about religion and withering under “what if’s.” I sympathize with his desire to be alone, though he does not seem to understand that he could not survive on his own.

The end did ramble a bit. It seemed unlikely that Christopher could make it to his mother’s apartment without being detected. I rather detest when characters run around at the end of a book in order to wrap things up (a la Evil Genius). All in all though, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to an older teen/adult reader.

Pair with: The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin, Marcello in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

The Twin’s Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (September 2010)

I stood between them looking from one to the other: the one who was dressed and coiffed in a way that showed she had every advantage in the world – my beautiful gorgeous mother – and her mirror image, but dressed and coiffed far differently. I can say with near certainty that I am the only child in the world who can claim she was there the first time her mother met her twin.
My mother fainted dead away (p 7).

Lucy Sexton is stunned when her mother’s identical twin sister shows up at the family’s front door, unknown and unannounced, underfed and drabby dressed. Separated at birth, the two sisters have had dramatically different upbringings-and have never known of the other’s existence.

The unwanted children of a penniless maid, Helen was raised in an orphanage, or more properly, a workhouse while Aliese was adopted by a wealthy family and eventually married to a wealthy man.

Aliese, with her husband’s leave, determines to better her sister. New gowns are ordered, a tutor is hired and manners are taught. Before long, Helen becomes indistinguishable from her sister, Aliese. And Lucy has grown to love her new Aunt.

But is it just Lucy’s imagination or does Aunt Helen seem to delight in being mistaken for her sister… especially where Lucy’s father is concerned?

Then one day, Lucy is horrified to stumble upon the scene of a brutal murder in her own house. Who is behind the slaying and who has been left behind?

I tore through this book with great eagerness, delighting in the prose and hooked by the differing and vibrant characters. Lucy, our narrator, fulfills not just that role but plays a crucial part in the game.

I thought it interesting that there was very little inclusion of the servants or interactions with the servants (none are named) but upon reflection, Lucy and her family do not think of servants, never marking their presence, so why should they be included?

I love the final cover (the one on my ARC is very different and much less appealing) but I am not fond of the title. While it is appropriate, the awkwardness of it sits heavy on the tongue.

Read another review at A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy.

My Father’s Son by Terri Fields (2008)

The camera switches from the anchor to a mug shot of the monster they caught. And it is my face–or at least my face as it will look in 20 years. My same think black hair, my same long eyelashes, my same brown eyes. A new image replaces the full-screen mug shot as I see two cops hustling a handcuffed man into the back of a police car (p 2).

Kevin’s father has just been arrested after being discovered at the scene of a brutal murder. As I read, I think, “He fits the profile: a single man in his mid-thirties. A computer programmer who keeps to himself.” As Kevin deals with the fall out, he initially believes in his father’s innocence, after all, they are pals. But why won’t his father allow him to visit? Why has he written Kevin a letter suggesting his guilt and telling Kevin to forget all about him? Why won’t his mother talk about their divorce?

While Kevin, age 17, comes across as a 14-year-old, his story in none-the-less interesting. After all, most people glue themselves to the TV when something big happens, like the arrest of a suspected serial killer. The twist at the end, while I knew something was coming, was interesting. Kevin’s frustration at finding answers kept me reading without pause. I needed to know as well! It’s definitely a story that sucks you in, though there was little literary merit – just good writing. Not a very catchy cover though.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

I’m certainly catching up on great historical fiction for teens lately. It’s taken a while, but I finally got around to reading the national book award winning What I Saw and How I Lied. Have I mentioned that I don’t often gravitate toward historical fiction? Well, that might change.

There are plenty of great reviews out there: The Guardian and NYPL. I agree with both of these. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. I had to know. And then I found out, but it wasn’t what I thought, and then Evie lies and the story shifts again. But then it ends, and I felt like I was holding air. So good.

This is definitely one of the more accessible historical fiction books for teens and I can’t wait to recommend it.

The 39 Clues (Book 1): The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

I picked up a copy of The Maze of Bones yesterday and aside from being tricked into buying a card pack that “goes with it” (according the the sales clerk), it’s been a good experience so far. I created an account on the 39 Clues website (the39clues.com) and I’m in the Tomas branch of the Cahill family. I enjoyed adding my cards and solving the puzzles. I’m eager to see this play out.

I’m about half-way through the book and greatly enjoying it (Riordan’s writing in this book is superior to some of his later Percy Jackson books). It’s like the Da Vinci Code for kids! And I love that the follow up book is only 82 days away. While this is has been a heavily marketed book and clearly designed to suck up your dollar on accompanying cards, if the experience is worth it, I don’t have a problem with it.

Fortunately, the librarians were having a slow day, and Amy wasn’t shy around them at all. She loved librarians. When she told them she was doing a summer research project on Benjamin Franklin and needed to use historical documents, they fell all over themselves to help her. (p 89)

Now that sounds exactly like Librarians

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd (2008)

Salim boards the London Eye with twenty other passengers while two other children, Ted and Kat, look on. Thirty minutes later, the sealed capsule opens and twenty one people exit, but not Salim. Where did the youth disappear to?

Ted, our narrator, is the heart and life of this otherwise ordinary mystery (Salim’s location is obvious from the beginning, especially if you’ve read the Anne of Green Gables series, as I have). But hearing Ted’s thoughts, following his reasoning, is worth the read. Ted is special. He has Asperger’s syndrome and a fascination with weather. His condition and interests bring humor, depth and a unique perspective to the story. I very much enjoyed this book and can’t wait to discuss it with my KidLit group meeting this weekend!