Monday, August 29, 2016
[Book Review] EVEN WHEN YOU LIE TO ME by Jessica Alcott
Fiction/Young Adult
Andrea reviews EVEN WHEN YOU LIE TO ME by Jessica Alcott (Crown, 2015)
It’s hard to be Charlotte (“Charlie”) because guys are constantly drawn to her best friend, Lila. Charlie has always lurked in Lila’s shadow, knowing guys don’t want her around when they’re flirting with Lila, and other girls just put up with her because she is Lila’s best friend.
Now it is the girls’ senior year, and things are going to be different. Charlie just doesn’t know how different yet! Enter Tom Drummond, new AP English teacher, whom Charlie feels an instant pull towards. She wants to believe Drummond has feelings for her too, but that’s preposterous because guys like Lila and besides, he’s her teacher! Or maybe the notion isn’t so crazy, after all.
Lines get blurred because the two are consenting adults, but they also need to think about the ethics of the situation and the moral responsibility Drummond should uphold. I found their relationship complex and intriguing with a twinge of creepiness. Hopefully, other readers will find a lot to discuss after reading this debut novel by Jessica Alcott.
Andrea Bledsoe King, Cordova Library
Labels: Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King, Staff book reviews, Young Adult
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
[Book Review] The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
Science Fiction
Marilyn reviews THE WHITE DRAGON (Dragonriders of Pern #3) by Anne McCaffrey (Ballantine Books, 1978)
Jaxon is a boy on the brink of manhood in a world that is under a great threat. The planet of Pern has been invaded by a creature from space called Thread. In order to fight Thread, dragons are used in this imaginary world created by author Anne McCaffrey. Although the reader meets Jaxon in earlier volumes of the series, The White Dragon chronicles his becoming a leader. Anne McCaffrey also creates a loyal companion for Jaxon in Ruth, the white dragon. As Jaxon grows into manhood his relationship with Ruth deepens into a stronger bond of loyalty for each other.
The White Dragon is the third book in a series of science fiction novels that take place in Pern. I enjoyed the book because it had mystery, romance, and dragons. A reader who has not read the previous two books can easily follow Pern’s politics and benefit from McCaffrey’s use of brief explanations and background information.
Marilyn Umfress, Central Library
Labels: Fiction, Readers' Advisory Annotations, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress, Science Fiction
Thursday, August 04, 2016
[Book Review] Falling by Jane Green
Andrea reviews FALLING by Jane Green (Berkley Books, 2016)
Emma Montague has always been a quiet introvert. She would much rather be in the corner reading a book instead of being at a party. She was part of the hustle and bustle of New York banking for too long when she realized she was craving a more subdued and quiet lifestyle. Answering an ad for a rental house in Westport, Connecticut, Emma thinks this may be the answer she has been looking for. The house itself is horribly dated but Emma realizes its potential, especially since her most attractive landlord, Dominic DiFranco, lives right next door.
Time passes and Emma and Dominic find themselves more and more in love, and Emma is smitten with Dominic’s young son, Jesse. Even though Emma and Dominic couldn’t be any more different, the two are inseparable and even start thinking about becoming a family unit with Jesse. While Emma and Dominic are getting closer each day, they are thrown some major curve balls as all couples are.
Everything seems idyllic for the couple until it isn’t. Experiencing the worst kind of loss, Emma must go on without Dominic.
This is a heartbreaking story about all the ups and downs of true love; readers will learn that true friends are the family we make for ourselves.
Andrea Bledsoe King, Cordova Library
Labels: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King
