Jack: Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson

Jack is 14 the summer he and his friends find the body in the woods. A body that has been there for two years and was ritualistically murdered. The more Jack and his friends look into things, the weirder they get. Not only does it seem to involve a mysterious society that has their Lodge in town, but there also seems to be unexplained incidents that lead back to a secret history that people are attempting to cover up at all costs.

This is a prequel of sorts to the Repairman Jack series. A prequel that is in the form of a YA novel. I haven't read any of the adult series, although I have heard good things about them, which is what led me to pick up the book.

The story centers around Jack, a loner of sorts who is very perceptive and has a knack for "fixing" situations. Weezy (aka Louise) who is a conspiracy nut and who is also the champion of the secret history of the world theory. Finally, there is Eddie, Weezy's brother who mainly shows up to annoy us by saying stupid things like "stupidacious" or "awesomacious." It takes place in the early eighties and the novel is peppered with references to video games, television shows, etc. Some of the references were cute, like when Jack's dad is explaining his new computer and how he opted to only buy 48K of ram because he couldn't imagine ever needing 64Ks. Others are more intrusive like when they need to find out something and they wish there was an interactive television that could search all the libraries at once...you know...because its the eighties...and there isn't any internet...bleh.

Its a good mystery, I read it pretty much all in one day. The pace is fast, i liked the secret history, and there were some neat supernatural elements that presumably will be expanded upon in the sequels. Occasionally I felt like the author dumbed down his writing too much. It reads really young like an upper elementary lower middle school book, but the ritualistic killing is bizarrely mature (I'm not even going to go there, it was disturbing).

I wonder how I would have felt if I had read any of the adult books before reading this. I would think it would be fun to see how a beloved character got his start in the "fixing" business. I can't help but wonder which characters are in the adult novels. Weezy must be. His brother (nemesis?) Tom probably would be. I'm definitely intrigued. I'll probably pick one up. There's a whole bunch of them!

Other Reviews: Reading Rants

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Aslaug has been raised by her mother in a house where there is no electricity, no running water, and the drapery has been nailed down to keep the windows continually closed. On the day her mother dies she rips down the drapes letting light into the house for the first time. It seemed to me this was a bit of a metaphor for Aslaug's life - her world opening and new beginnings shining in. Of course, if only it was that easy. It never is.

She discovers that although she's been raised in isolation, she actually has family living nearby. Her aunt, a pastor in a holy roller type church, as well as her two cousins. Aslaug is unfamiliar with social complexities, having never really spoken to anyone other than her mother (and Aslaug was spoken to more than she spoke). So she's unprepared for social games and is rather exploitable.

Meldrum has combined herbology, religion, and social mores into a really original story. It alternates between Aslaug's retelling of her story and the court trial where she is being tried for murder. Throughout, you're not sure who is telling the truth, who is sane, and who has lost touch with reality. Was her childhood as she says? Was her mother her savior or her jailer? Has she been part of a religious miracle, completely delusional, or taken advantage by the unscrupulous? You might think you have it figured out, but information is doled out very carefully and I think you'll find you have to keep reevaluating your position. Truthfully, I'm still sorting through my feelings on this one. The writing is very good, the setting is dark and you have a sense of doom almost from the first page, the characters are twisted and weak and often become more loathsome the more you learn of them. There are theories and motives and definitely madness. I felt compelled to keep reading. I literally couldn't stop.


I was fascinated with the plants and herbs that Aslaug and her mother gather to survive. One that figures highly in the story is Jimsonweed, or as some call it Madapple. So I had to look up to see if it really existed. It does. The author is either a botanist or did a heck of a lot of research for this book.

The book struck me as one of those YA books that might be enjoyed equally, if not more, by adults. I was reading through her Amazon blog and it turns out she thinks its for older teens and adults. Interesting.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Part 2)

Part 1 can be found here – reviewed by Joanna (read this first).

Joanna was spot on when she said that this book is a manifesto on feminism and activism. Frankie is known to her family as Bunny (short for Bunny Rabbit) because she’s sweet and innocent and in need of protection. Or so they think. Frankie is tired of being underestimated, tired of being swept aside, tired of being inconsequential. And she’s far too smart not to get her own way.

This book was so well written – it almost reads like a book someone researched on a historical figure, more humorous of course, but it presents Frankie as a person of consequence whose history has been recorded for posterity. That alone just tickled me.

From the inside flap:

“Frankie Landau-Banks:
No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an
answer.
Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all
male secret society.
Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of
places.
Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them.
When she knows
Mathew is lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.”

That about sums it up. What got to me too was that in many ways Frankie is also just an ordinary teenage girl. She pines after the good-looking older boy, snags him, and then tries to fit his idea of what he’d like his girlfriend to be. But where Frankie differs is that this fuels her anger and she acts out in unexpected ways. There is, of course, another boy of interest, but the book doesn’t play on any of the usual clichés. Well done, E. Lockhart, well done.

One more thing – I just have to say how furious Mathew and his group made me. They were so charming in some respects and such total turds in others. I wanted to smack them repeatedly. It was great!

Other Reviews: Bookshelves of Doom, Little Willow, 3 Evil Cousins, and about a million more. Everyone seems to have loved this book.

Things You Find at the Library, Part 2...

I was inspired by Patti's note found by the computer and thought I'd post a couple of my good found items, too. I have these teen picks cards next to a box in the teen area so people can write short reviews of things they've read and I'll display the review next to the book on the shelf. It has turned out to collect nearly as many confessions and random statements as actual reviews.

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers

After Johnny's dad dies his mom crumbles and he's left - at 12 years old - to pick up the pieces. He makes sure the bills get paid on time, he makes sure there's food in the fridge, and he makes sure the house is kept in livable conditions. Its all a bit much and he starts drinking to take the edge off. Before you know it, he's got a serious drinking problem and has been abandoned at the emergency room by his "friends" after he ODs. His mother, who doesn't understand him anyway because of the eyeliner, the black clothes, and the general gothiness of him and his friends takes the opportunity to ship him off to live with his Uncle.

What really struck me was that even though Johnny hasn't had the easiest life, he's sweet to the point of naivety. He is obsessed with Blondie's Debbie Harry. Obsessed to the point where he's not sure if he's in love with her or if he wants to be her. I think its Johnny's innocence that makes this work. He's open to being gay, even if he doesn't really think he is, but he's not sure what it means if he wants to dress up as Debbie Harry and enter a drag contest. He hashes it out internally and with his girlfriend, his guidance counselor, even his uncle. And it still manages to come off as refreshingly un-melodramatic.

I really enjoyed the music references too. I loved that Johnny, besides having a Blondie fixation, also ventured out into the punk community. And unlike other teen novels that focus on the punk scene, this one actually rang true. He goes to the local club on ladies night - a night when all female tribute bands play (The Ramonas do The Ramones, Janie Jones does The Clash). How cute is that? Not to mention being a really neat touch and one that ties into the central theme of figuring out his sexuality. I won't mention what Johnny discovers about his father, but needless to say, it was the icing on the cake. The only thing that could have made it even better is if he had found a New York Dolls record.

Other Reviews: Worth the Trip, Hypothetically Speaking

Delicious Seasons by Rainbow Buddy

I read this short GN a week or two back, but I just kept forgetting to review it. Picked it up because of the nice cover and the interesting name of the author/mangaka.

Xiao Qiu is a young college student who loves to cook and decides to take a well-paying job as personal chef for a guy with some serious stomach issues. Unfortunately, he happens to be one of her more obnoxious classmates; it doesn't help that he is very picky and often forgets to eat. Things get even more complicated when her best friend asks her to help make a fabulous birthday dinner for her new boyfriend.

The storyline catches the interest and could probably keep a few readers involved; there are even short recipes for Chinese dishes spread throughout the book. Sadly, the editing is awful. At places you can't even figure out what the text is supposed to be saying. It appears to have been translated by a non-native English speaker and, while on those merits it is quite well done, for anyone who is a native speaker, this book falls flat and constantly trips one up. I was really disappointed, since I genuinely liked the premise and the art style. However, I just won't be able to recommend this graphic novel for purchase or check out.

That being said, definitely pick it up just to flip to the short story in the back.....who exactly is male and who is female here? I am usually pretty good at this game, but I still don't have a clue!

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

Indigo pretty much has it all, a loving family and a great boyfriend. There isn’t a lot of money, but there is warmth, devotion, humor, and good times. She’s even got a job she loves.

“See, I loved being a waitress more than anything, but apparently, it’s ok to work as a waitress but not to be a waitress. To most people, saying you want to be a waitress is like saying your dream is to be a Walgreens clerk.”

And that is part of why the book is so good. Indigo is an insightful character. She’s descriptive, she’s got a clear point of view, and she’s different than your average protagonist. I related to her right off the bat, maybe more than most because of my years spent waitressing. She got it so right – you can tell a lot about people from what they order and how they order it. You do develop relationships with regulars and it can keep you (ok me) in a job for way too long just because you enjoy the people you work with and it feels cozy.

Indigo is a character that is uber aware of class divisions, how money separates people not only because of having more or less things, but also because of the way it makes people act – towards each other and towards their possessions. She's also got a clear sense of self and what is important in life. So when she receives a 2.5 million dollar gift from a man she waits on, you think she’ll handle it well and make level headed decisions. Right? Well, not so exactly, which is actually a good thing, because if she had we’d have no story. Or at least not a terribly interesting one.

The story is told in retrospect, which definitely has its advantages. Indigo is able to slip in thoughtful commentary since she has the advantages of knowing how the story ends and can reflect more truthfully on how she handled, or mishandled certain situations. It’s interesting to see how all the characters react to the windfall, how relationships stretch, break, and are reformed.

My only complaint is that it felt like they squished as much text on a page as possible. It was sort of like someone set a page cap on the book and to fit in everything they mussed around with the margins and line spacing. And because the book is so descriptive, the book just felt incredibly dense. I would have preferred more white space and a book with a few more pages myself.

Other reviews: YA Book Central, Read, Read, Read

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

One night. One big mistake. No one is the same again. Especially not Caleb and Maggie. He spent the last year in juvie for a drunken hit and run, while Maggie, the girl he ran over, was in rehab trying to regain strength in her shattered leg. Complicating matters is that they not only go to the same high school, but are neighbors as well. It has been more than difficult for Maggie living next door to Caleb’s family, but when he’s released early from jail she’s thrown into emotional overload.

The story is told from the two main protagonists’ perspectives. Caleb comes off as a bit unremorseful making him rather unlikable. Maggie is drowning in a sea of self-pity. Caleb tries to go back to life as it was before, while Maggie is ultra-aware that things will never be as they once were.

There are lots of positive things that this book has going for it, strong inter-generational relationships, great themes of healing, forgiveness, and redemption, an ending that isn’t too pat even if it is a bit quick, and a plot twist that many readers will predict incorrectly (or at least I thought it was implicating someone and of course I totally had the person wrong). But the dialogue is a bit clunky, perhaps a bit forced at times. There are some inconsistencies where Caleb will complain no one wants to talk about his time in jail, but then he’ll shut down anyone who tries to bring it up. Or where Maggie will say how self-absorbed Caleb was before he went to jail and then later reminisce about the times he took care of her in various circumstances. Characters are one dimensional with Caleb’s pill-popping image obsessed mother being one of the most flimsy. And a strange subplot where Caleb isn’t allowed to have contact with his victim yet is somehow allowed to attend the same high-school.

However, it is seriously melodramatic and has an interesting premise so I think the teen appeal is pretty high.

Oh no they didn't!

Those darn libraries are just smut factories! They let teens, yes teens, our sweet innocent young lambs check out R rated movies. Movies like (gasp) 300 and (choke) From Dusk Till Dawn. That one has vampires in it!!! For shame for shame!!!

You guessed it, another expose about the library is here.

I especially like how they interviewed a child psychiatrist that said, "The library isn't setting limits." Because everyone knows it is the library's job to raise the youth of today...oh wait...gosh...nope...that's actually the parents' job. Boy, that's gotta be a shocker. It seems like most people think the whole parenting thing is over once they push the little sucker out.

Article can be found here.

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Things You Find at the Library...

I found this cryptic note beside one of our teen computers. I don't know about you, but my favorite part is that the enterprising young person spelled "happened" semi-phonetically. Oh, and I am also sort of tickled that they didn't know how to spell the F word.