The World is Mine by Lyah B. LeFlore, ill. by DL Warfield
New York : Simon Pulse, 2009.
1st Simon Pulse pbk. ed.
269 p. : col. ill. ; 18 cm.
There is a lot that is good to say about this book. It has interesting characters from different race, class and gender backgrounds; involves teens dealing with conflicts with parents, with friends and in their romantic relationships; shows the difficulties of balancing work, school and parental expectations; and offers a drama based on young people pursuing their dreams in the business/creative world of hip hop. This book is the first of several planned for "The Come Up" series.
The dialogue and situations are crisp & contemporary and the setting in Washington, DC offers a nice blend of urban and suburban settings. The structure of the book makes it an uncomplicated read, with each chapter heading titled with the name of the character who is narrating it. A bit of the plot and pacing is somewhat overblown (e.g. the main characters quickly move from livening up a high school dance party to the big time world of hip hop music production and party promotion) but setbacks, relationship drama, and a few plot complications keep the reader engaged.
My biggest complaint with this book is the ending. After a major climax (involving new plot complications) the book ends by leaving the reader hanging - and not on just a few minor points. It is clearly a hook for selling the sequel to the book, which may be good business, but - as far as I'm concerned - is not the most respectful way to treat one's readers.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
One Wild Trip Down the Mississippi
Total Oblivion, More or Less by Alan Deniro
New York : Spectra/Ballantine Books, c2009.
306 p. ; 21 cm.
Reading this book was an interesting experience for me. I liked it a lot at the beginning - started to dislike it a lot about a third of the way through, but then found myself liking it - and unable to put it down until I finished it. Not bad for a book!
The book opens in St. Paul Minnesota as the US has fallen apart to roving bands of horsemen called the Scythians. Sixteen year old Macy and her family flee, go to a refugee camp, and end up escaping on a boat just before the camp is overrun by marauders.
Along the way they encounter more and more bizarre events, suffer from the plague - which creates the strangest buboes in the world - and split up and reunite. The book has a wacky atmosphere of gloom about it, but is tempered by adventure and genuine family love and loyalty. In many ways, I found this a much better book than this year's Printz winner, Ship Breaker.
I'd recommend this to readers who like Neil Gaiman but want something a little darker. I also think any reader who enjoys an unusual setting - such as the Chaos Walking books - might find this a good read, too.
New York : Spectra/Ballantine Books, c2009.
306 p. ; 21 cm.
Reading this book was an interesting experience for me. I liked it a lot at the beginning - started to dislike it a lot about a third of the way through, but then found myself liking it - and unable to put it down until I finished it. Not bad for a book!
The book opens in St. Paul Minnesota as the US has fallen apart to roving bands of horsemen called the Scythians. Sixteen year old Macy and her family flee, go to a refugee camp, and end up escaping on a boat just before the camp is overrun by marauders.
Along the way they encounter more and more bizarre events, suffer from the plague - which creates the strangest buboes in the world - and split up and reunite. The book has a wacky atmosphere of gloom about it, but is tempered by adventure and genuine family love and loyalty. In many ways, I found this a much better book than this year's Printz winner, Ship Breaker.
I'd recommend this to readers who like Neil Gaiman but want something a little darker. I also think any reader who enjoys an unusual setting - such as the Chaos Walking books - might find this a good read, too.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Big Split
After the Prophet: the epic story of the Shia-Sunni Split by Lesley Hazleton
New York : Anchor Books, 2009.
239 p. : geneal. table, map ; 21 cm.
This is a great book for understanding the schism between Sunni and Shia Islam. What makes it a compelling read - in addition to it being very well written - is the fact that the story reads like a Greek tragedy or play by Shakespeare. Taking place in the mid to late 7th century, there is romance, betrayal, mystery, murder, heroes and villains - all playing out with consequences that are still with us today.
I really like how Hazelton writes with obvious passion, and clearly has her own idea of whose actions are most noble, but leaves a lot of conclusions to the reader. Did Muhammad really want Ali as his immediate successor? Was Ali's son foolhardy or Christlike in heading into the obvious tragedy of his death? Was Aisha a vainglorious, spoiled favorite, a brilliant political strategist, or some combination of the two? Is the Shia or Sunni interpretation of the succession true? She manages to leave all these open-ended without seeming evasive or vague.
With its index, this is a fine resource for student research on the origins of Islam and for any student of ancient history it is a great read.
New York : Anchor Books, 2009.
239 p. : geneal. table, map ; 21 cm.
This is a great book for understanding the schism between Sunni and Shia Islam. What makes it a compelling read - in addition to it being very well written - is the fact that the story reads like a Greek tragedy or play by Shakespeare. Taking place in the mid to late 7th century, there is romance, betrayal, mystery, murder, heroes and villains - all playing out with consequences that are still with us today.
I really like how Hazelton writes with obvious passion, and clearly has her own idea of whose actions are most noble, but leaves a lot of conclusions to the reader. Did Muhammad really want Ali as his immediate successor? Was Ali's son foolhardy or Christlike in heading into the obvious tragedy of his death? Was Aisha a vainglorious, spoiled favorite, a brilliant political strategist, or some combination of the two? Is the Shia or Sunni interpretation of the succession true? She manages to leave all these open-ended without seeming evasive or vague.
With its index, this is a fine resource for student research on the origins of Islam and for any student of ancient history it is a great read.
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