Book Info:
Graceling by Kristen Cashore. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.
A spellbinding fantasy about a world where people born with magical powers or "Graces" are easily identified by their different-colored eyes. Katsa, King Randa's niece, is one such Graceling. However, her Grace is unique as it is a killing Grace. Because of her talents, Randa uses her as his enforcer, sending her out to hurt, punish, or kill anyone who does not comply with his orders or wishes. However, Katsa and some of her fellow nobles and friends, including Randa's son, form a secret council which seeks to subvert Randa's plans and cruelties by stealthily fighting against injustice throughout the Seven Kingdoms. When their latest mission has Katsa rescuing the grandfather of Lienid royalty, Katsa encounters a man with a Grace of his own, a Grace for fighting. He's almost a match for Katsa, and she soon discovers that this man is Prince Po of Lienid. After defying her uncle's wishes, Katsa and Po flee Randa's kingdom, intent of finding out who wanted Po's grandfather kidnapped and why. What they find out could change all of the Seven Kingdoms for years to come, and could change both Katsa and Po in ways they could never imagine.
My Take:
I loved this book. Friends had told me how good it was, but I hadn't had a chance to read it (though I had bought its sequel, Fire already). I figured, given all the recommendations, that I should just buy it, and I wasn't disappointed in my purchase. For some reason, given the blurb on the back, I had thought the book was about younger characters, so I was pleasantly surprised that the characters were older and more mature, as it meant they could go on bigger adventures than if they were in their early teens as I had first thought. Katsa was a fun and interesting character, reminding me a lot of some of Tamora Pierce's heroines, and the romance between Katsa and Po was beautiful and intriguing, but not so simple as to be improbable or unbelievable. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys historical/supernatural fantasy with a little romance mixed in, or anyone who enjoys strong heroines who still have faults and problems despite all their strength.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (October 01, 2008 ; 0-15-206396-X )
Gr 8 Up-In this debut fantasy novel, Cashore treats readers to compelling and eminently likable characters and a story that draws them in from the first paragraph. In Katsa's world, the "Graced," those gifted in a particular way, are marked by eyes that are different colors. Katsa's Grace is that she is a gifted fighter, and, as such, she is virtually invincible. She is in the service of her tyrannical uncle, king of one of the seven kingdoms, and she is forced to torture people for infractions against him. She has secretly formed the Council, which acts in the service of justice and fairness for those who have been accused and abused. Readers meet her as she is rescuing the father of the Lienid king, who has been abducted. The reasons for his capture are part of a tightening plot that Katsa unravels and resolves, with the help of Prince Po, the captive's grandson. He has his own particular Grace, and he becomes Katsa's lover and partner in what becomes a mortally dangerous mission. Cashore's style is exemplary: while each detail helps to paint a picture, the description is always in the service of the story, always helping readers to a greater understanding of what is happening and why. This is gorgeous storytelling: exciting, stirring, and accessible. Fantasy and romance readers will be thrilled.-Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
The New York Times - Katie Roiphe
In the course of her dark and eventful tale, Cashore plays with the idea of awkwardness, how at a certain age gifts and talents are burdens, how they make it impossible to feel comfortable in the world. And in this she writes a fairly realistic portrait of teenage life into the baroque courts of her outlandish kingdoms…In many respects Graceling is a study of mysterious angers: it offers a perfect parable of adolescence, as its characters struggle with turbulent emotions they must learn to control. The consequences are more tangible than they usually are in more mundane settings—if Katsa loses control, she breaks someone's jaw by accident—but the principle is the same. The teenage characters in this novel, like some we may know in life, grow into their graces. They realize that their monstrous individuality is not so monstrous after all.
Suggestions:
This book would be great for a book talk, especially if you were trying to encourage teens to read new and interesting fantasy with strong and likable characters. This could also be good for a book discussion group for teens, opening the doorway to other teen supernatural fantasy (other than Twilight).
Book Info:
Impossible by Nancy Werlin.
Inspired by the song "Scarborough Fair", this book blends modern life with a capricious Elfin Knight and a curse. Lucy Scarborough is a seventeen year old girl with a very pragmatic way of looking at the world, despite her mother being a mentally ill homeless woman who gave her up for adoption. Despite having very steady and normal parents, Lucy is still troubled by the occasional visits from her mother which have become more and more frequent as Lucy has neared seventeen. There's also Lucy's childhood friend, Zach, who Lucy's been a little in love with since they were children, but as he's older and about to go to college, Lucy allows herself to like another boy her own age, going to prom with him. Something strange happens at prom though, and Lucy's date rapes her, leaving Lucy pregnant. Soon after Lucy discovers a letter from her mother and a diary which warns her of an ancient family curse which states that each girl will become pregnant at the age of seventeen and then go mad after they give birth unless they can complete the three impossible tasks laid out in the song. Unlike the other women before her, Lucy's steady adoptive parents and friend Zach help her work out how to solve the curse and escape from the Knight's clutches.
My Take:
One of the most brilliant and moving books I've read in a long time. I couldn't stop reading this book from the moment I picked it up. So beautiful and haunting that I cried more than once while reading it (and it takes a bit to make me cry when reading). I had originally thought that this book was set in the past and was surprised and delighted to find out it was a modern story with elements of fantasy that were an interesting juxtaposition to the modernity. Lucy was a great character, one I really routed for, and her romance with Zach was sweet and beautiful and moving (and also a bit unexpected just in how quickly it progressed, especially their marriage). The climax was exhilarating and had me yelling at the book when Lucy almost gave up, and the resolution was absolutely brilliant. I can't recommend this book enough.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (September 01, 2008 ; 0-8037-3002-0 )
Gr 9 Up-Werlin combines magic, romance, and a family curse in this 21st-century fairy tale based on the ballad "Scarborough Fair." On the night of her prom, Lucy, 17, is raped by her date and becomes pregnant. She decides to keep the child, and she is supported by her foster parents and Zach, her childhood friend whose love for Lucy changes from platonic to romantic as the story progresses. The teen discovers the curse on the women in her family when she reads her birth mother's diary. Lucy is destined for madness at 18 unless she can perform the three impossible tasks described in the song and break the curse of the Elfin Knight. She is determined to rid herself and her unborn child of the curse, and her family and Zach help her as she works to solve the riddles. This unique story flows smoothly and evenly, and the well-drawn characters and subtle hints of magic early on allow readers to enter willingly into the world of fantasy. As in The Rules of Survival (Dial, 2006), Werlin addresses tough topics. Rape, teen pregnancy, and family madness set the story in motion, but the strength of Lucy's character and the love of her family and friends allow her to deal with such difficult matters and take on the impossible. Teens, especially young women, will enjoy this romantic fairy tale with modern trappings.-Jennifer D. Montgomery, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Suggestions:
Probably better for a discussion group (though it would also work for a book talk) this book would be best for older teens, more specifically girls given that the story is told from a 17 year old girl's POV.
Book Info:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC, 2002.
Ender Wiggins, a six year old genius, is recruited into Battle School, effectively ending his childhood as he must strive to become the best soldier he can be so that Earth can defeat the alien "buggers." Though Ender is very young and a lot smaller than the other cadets, he soon learns to hold his own despite his age and size, defeating enemies at Battle School as well as greater enemies. With some really great twists and a likable character, this is a book that can appeal to a myriad of audiences, teens or adults.
My Take:
This was a book that had been recommended to me by several friends over the years, but one I hadn't read as I typically don't like sci-fi fiction (though I love sci-fi movies). Once I got into it, I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to know so badly what was going to happen to Ender. Now I can't wait to read the other books in the series. Ender is a fun and interesting character, with problems that make him realistic enough to still be likable despite his genius status. I think my favorite character though was Valentine, Ender's sister, who is torn between the power her older brother offers her as a political commentator and the love she has for her younger brother and how she wants to protect him from her older brother's machinations. Despite this type of sci-fi typically being geared towards guys, I think women could equally enjoy the book if they give it a chance.
Reviews:
Library Journal (March 02, 2009 ; 0-7653-4229-4 )
A space-age Lord of the Flies thrill ride (sans the psychological couch trip), this follows six-year-old Ender Wiggin's odyssey from being the smartest, smallest boy in Battle School to savior of humankind. To prepare for an upcoming war with a devastatingly murderous insectoid race (the "formics," aka "buggers"), select earth children are trained on "the Battle Game." Aptest pupil ever Ender quickly rises to the top of Battle School, which has twice the nasty of any boarding school and all the charms of a snake pit (Battle School dude factors are endless). Many Card novels are spun outward from this tale, including the recent Ender in Exile. Dude factor: While these works can be enjoyed individually, they tend to enhance one another. For example, reading Ender's Shadow, which focuses on the fascinating and tragic character of Bean, is heightened by knowing all about Bean's hyperdevotion to (and competition with) Ender. The chronological details of various books remain in neat order, with some entries complementing others during simultaneous time frames and others serving as prequels or sequels. Also fascinating is the shift between the blunt action of Ender's Game and its two immediate sequels, Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide; these are completely different in style, yet similarly captivating on a philosophical plane. In 2008, Tor published Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind in one big gift set, ISBN 978-0-7653-6243-8. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Suggestions:
This would be a great book for a discussion group or book talk to help interest teens in science fiction. Though there are things which can be confusing (the aliens, the rules about multiple children, the concept of Battle School, etc.) to readers, the story's compelling enough that most readers will be drawn in if they give the book a chance.
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