The Unidentified by Rae Mariz: Review

The Unidentified
By: Rae Mariz
Review copy provided by publisher

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Kid knows her school’s corporate sponsors not-so-secretly monitor her friendships and activities for market research. It’s all a part of the Game; the alternative education system designed to use the addictive kick from video games to encourage academic learning. Everyday, a captive audience of students ages 13-17 enter the nationwide chain store-like Game locations to play.

When a group calling themselves The Unidentified simulates a suicide to protest the power structure of their school, Kid’s investigation into their pranks attracts unwanted attention from the sponsors. As Kid finds out she doesn't have rights to her ideas, her privacy, or identity, she and her friends look for a way to revolt in a place where all acts of rebellion are just spun into the next new ad campaign.

My Review: I was so excited about this book. Dystopia, a nice message about the dangers of consumerism, and a dialogue on privacy.  I read reviews from Lenore and Steph Su, and I thought I would love this book. I imagine you can see where this is going. I was pretty underwhelmed. I wasn't able to connect with Kid, and if I can't connect with the main character, it just doesn't work for me.


But, I think this book will have a lot of fans, so I want to highlight some of the things that I think other will like about this book.


While Kid's character didn't work for me, I think a lot of people will like her.  She's just an ordinary girl who likes to hang out with her friends and play music. She likes to stay under the radar, doesn't have a lot of ambitions to get "sponsored" and doesn't challenge things in her life.  So, while a lot of people could relate to her, I just wanted more from her.


I also wasn't fully convinced of the purpose of The Game. I was told that it was supposed to be a solution to the budget crises of the public school system. But, the story didn't show me that that was the case. They had a few text message questions and some other projects, but I really didn't think a lot of learning was happening.  No one in their right mind would think that this was an adequate substitute for school.


But, if you can buy into the concept of The Game and see it as a commentary on consumerism and privacy, then you will probably really enjoy the book. One of the things I really liked about the book was how few of Kid's relationships were genuine. Social networking and branding were so important in this society that you never knew the real motivation behind friendships.


So, while this book only left lukewarm feelings in my heart, if you give it a try, I hope it lights your fire.


My Rating:

 

Profanity: Mild

Sexuality: Mild

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Violence: Mild

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein: Review

Cate of the Lost Colony
By: Lisa Klein
Copy received from Bloomsbury for review

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The greatest unsolved mystery of American history--what happened to all the colonists who landed on Roanoke Island in 1587? This novel traces the fortunes and misfortunes of one Cate Archer, banished to Virginia by a jealous Queen Elizabeth because of her dalliance with Sir Walter Ralegh. What will be her fate in this dangerous New World?

My Review: I love good historical fiction. And this was good historical fiction.  Lisa Klien did a fantastic job of walking that fine line between fact and fiction.  I was so excited about the concept of this book. The Roanoke colony mystery captured my interest when I took American History in High School. I really had high hopes for this book that it would fill in some of the blanks that my textbook left behind. Cate of the Lost Colony definitely delivered.


Cate reminded me a lot of Kit from The Witch from Blackbird Pond.  She was spunky, doesn't quite fit in, but has a heart of gold.  I really enjoyed reading her story, and how she went from being a girl who would do anything to please the Queen, to a girl that can take care of herself and her friends.  There was no task to great for her, whether it was learning a new language, or befriending a person or entire culture that was foreign and unfriendly.


I wasn't as interested in Ralegh's story.  I've read a few review that didn't like the journal-style voice for him.  I don't know that there would have been any way that his story could have been written that would have made me like Ralegh.  He was definitely an opportunist, and cared only about his own interests. What a tool.


But, the unsung hero of this book was definitely Manteo. He straddled both world. His story was engaging from the very beginning, and I was rooting for him the whole time.  I was fully invested in hoping that he would be able to resolve differences between his people and the settlers. Of course, knowing history, I had a pretty good idea about how it was all going to turn out, but it was thrilling all the same.


My Rating:
 

Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: None 

Interview with Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I loved Beautiful Creatures, and was so excited when I heard that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl were coming to The King's English (aka the best independent bookseller in the Salt Lake Valley). for a signing. And I was even more elated when Kami and Margie agreed to do an interview with me before their presentation.  My friend Julie and I took our Literati group up and asked Kami and Margie a few questions.

Want to know what types of books Margie and Kami read? Will they ever write separately? Why was it important that Beautiful Creatures was written from Ethan's point of view?

Watch and find out!

Plain Kate by Erin Bow: Review

Plain Kate
By: Erin Bow
Copy received from publisher for review

Synopsis: Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden talismans are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade”: a dangerous nickname in a country where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate’s father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.

Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he’ll give Kate the means to escape the angry town, and what’s more, he’ll grant her heart’s wish. It’s a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes she can't live shadowless forever -- and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.

My Review: Plain Kate will be a book that I will treasure in my house for years to come.  There is no cheesy love story. No love triangles. Just the journey and misfortunes of a sweet girl named Kate.  Oh, and her crochety but loyal cat, Taggle.  But, that's all this book needs to make it wonderful.

So many of today's Young Adult and Middle Grade rely on a romantic element to keep readers interested. While I enjoy a fun romantic subplot as much as the next girl, It's such a delight to read a truly captivating story that stands on its own.


Plain Kate is one of the most endearing female characters that I've ever read. Her life is truly heartbreaking.  For most of the book, nothing goes her way. You, the reader, of course know that Kate is not plain, but quite extraordinary.  You want the rest of her village and those who come in contact with her to know just how wonderful Kate is and about her many talents.  But, it seems that Kate is doomed to be misunderstood by those who are afraid and superstitious.


Linay has an equally haunting story.  I loved him as a villain because he could have been good. In fact, he isn't so much as evil as misguided. He has good intentions, but uses evil methods to achieve his designs, and it ends up consuming him.


I'm a cat lover by nature, so Taggle really tugged at my heart strings. What a perfect companion for Kate.  Taggle added that little bit of dry humor that otherwise would have left the story overly dark.


This would be a perfect book to read aloud to children. Or to curl up by the fire in a blanket and read silently to yourself. Either way, if you enjoy fairy tales, this book is a must-read.


My Rating:

  

Profanity: None
Sexuality: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Violence: None

Tell Me What to Read! November

Last night as I was watching the tweets pour in about NaNoWriMo, I had a strange feeling. That feeling of wanting to belong.

For a long time, I have said that I am not a novelist, and this is true. I have a disability that prevents me from writing a story longer than 5 pages.

So, in order to project my problem on to someone else, I tweeted about my friend Julie and how she was the real reason that I wasn't participating in NaNoWriMo. Because even though I hadn't mentioned it once to her, apparently it was my life-long dream to write a book with her.

Well, she texted me back and said that she thought writing a novel wasn't my thing. Apparently she doesn't know me, like, at all.  So, we started bouncing ideas back and forth really late last night. (Okay, so it was like 10 pm. But, I'm like 24 and married, which is really old).  I said I wanted to do a steampunk Western. There could be a girl that goes West to settle a bit of land and get away from the city. And she would have a pair of mechanized oxen known as Roboxen. I thought it was super clever. So clever in fact that I woke up my husband and told him. He said, "You're cute." I think he was still asleep though.

Anyway, this has nothing to do with telling me what to read. But, good luck to everyone participating in NaNoWriMo.  This month I'm switching up the Tell Me What to Read feature.  I've got a huge pile of books that I've either bought or had gifted to me that I want to read. So, I'm going to throw out 5 choices, and you all get to vote on them. Then I review it, and a burden of guilt is lifted in the knowledge that I will someday have read over half the books I own.

Now go forth and vote! You might have to click over from the reader in order to vote, but you would have done that anyway to leave a comment, right?

November's Tell Me What to Read Selection