RETRO REVIEW: Being Jamie Baker

I have a strange litmus test for how much I like a literary character--when they cry, do I feel awkward or do I sympathize? There are some characters who burst into tears and I feel like a heartless robot because I. Just. Do. Not. Care. (No, I will not give you examples. Remember, I'm a *nice* person. Most of the time. Y'know. On days of the week that end in a y.) And then there are some who have been dumped on time and time again and really, when they cry, I just want to reach through the book and poke the author for being emotionally manipulative.

BUT there are characters who earn their tears, who have taken the load of tribulation in front of them, done what they can, and have to let some of their strength leak out of their eyes for a while. So, with that beginning, I'd like to introduce one of my favorite superheroes--Jamie Baker.

I really don't want to give away too much of the story, so I'll let goodreads do the hard work:

"An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities. To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special. Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat? More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?"

Kelly Oram is one of my favorite authors because of her superb characterization ability. Jamie is more than believable--she definitely earns her tears--and her reactions to her new life, her new abilities, and to Ryan Miller are so legit. I love the Jamie under the Ice Queen--she's witty and loving and stubborn. Her moral compass is solid, just like Captain America, though she has way better fashion sense. My favorite part of the book is her growth as she learns to control her power and become a real person, integrating her superpowers and herself into one person.

On a Facebook fan page, Kelly herself suggested that Ryan Miller looks a lot like Chris Evans. (Yay Captain America! Yeah, I'm a fan.) And Ryan himself is absolutely adorable without being cheesy--that's a difficult feat to pull off, but Kelly did it. Of course, it helps that Ryan has a giant ego. And a heart of gold. He's not perfect, but he's pretty awesome.

Of course, not everything can be sunny or this book wouldn't have any depth. In this case, Jamie's superpowers make her a target for all kinds of nefarious characters--one who absolutely surprised me the first time I read the book. Despite her tempermental teenage nature, Jamie also finds help in the least likely of places. The pacing and the plot are tight, and I find it hard to put this book down every time I read it.

Being Jamie Baker is a jewel among superhero stories. Kelly Oram has taken the angst of high school and combined it with electricity and toxic fertilizer to create a tale of loneliness and despair transformed by love into the best thing in the world--confidence and a complete sense of self. Read Being Jamie Baker. You won't regret it.

Post Apocalypse and the French Terror

I ran into an interesting confluence of events last week. The book I requested from NetGalley, Tell the Wind and Fire, and a book I've been wanting to read for years and finally got from the library, Rook, were set in the same time period. IN THE FUTURE. Not just any future, however, but a post-apocalyptic French Terror sort of future. It was intriguing.

Sarah Rees Brennan, author of The Lynburn Legacy, has written a retelling of A Tale of Two Cities in her new book, Tell the Wind and Fire. I don't know about you, but in ninth grade English we read Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities and there was a LOT of Lucie bashing. Ms. Brennan has taken that on, making Lucie beyond redeemable. I really liked her and her courage as she stood against not only the oppressive government but the overly enthusiastic rebels as well. The story is set in a future New York City, where magic has divided the populace into two kinds of magic users--Dark and Light. The Light magicians are oppressing the Dark magicians and have walled them off from the general population, but you have the usual Romeo and Juliets out there, causing mayhem with their cross-boundary love and creating untenable situations for their offspring. Ms. Brennan's writing is beautiful, and she has a gift for giving the reader just enough information about the characters to decide if they're likable, but leaves out enough to keep them mysterious. The suspense was well done and I found the resolution satisfying.

Rook has been on my radar since it was published, but being poor makes me subject to the library's purchasing whims. *dramatic hand to forehead* But my awesome little branch library in my new city had it and I devoured it. Sharon Cameron is also the author of The Dark Unwinding series, which I loved, and Rook was yet another example of her deft writing. Her characters are gleefully complex and hate fitting in with society's expectations, something I can identify with. And the plot is richly textured too, bringing together the worlds of post-apocalyptic Britain and France like a wonderful brocade. This story is also a retelling, this time of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and was an enjoyable, tense, exciting read. I really adored it.

I'm no historian, but I think that these two stories do an excellent job of showing that man's inhumanity to man--as demonstrated by The Terror, in this case--brings out some formidable heroes and provides a complex background on which the best of men and women truly shine.

Rosemary Clement-Moore

Many moons ago, I stumbled on a little book called Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore. I was taken in by the tale of a teenage psychic who can speak to the dead and comes from a family of witches and helps the FBI solve cases. But what really sealed the deal for me was Daisy's spunky, snarky attitude paired with her inherent need to help. It gets her into trouble, of course, and out of it, but she's not stupid--she's not blindly following whatever male is leading.

I found that theme again in Texas Gothic, set in the same family but with a different member--Amy, Daisy's cousin. Amy is adamant that the power skipped her and that she is normalNORMALNORMAL, thank you very much. But then, of course, she gets drawn into supernatural weirdness and has to acknowledge her own abilities before Death starts knocking at her door. That one was fun, but Amy wasn't as snarky as Daisy, which I completely understand, since snark and attempting to appear normal don't go hand in hand. But the mystery was enjoyable, the romance zinged, and it all resolved nicely.

THEN, last week, I FOUND MAGGIE QUINN. Oh, Maggie Quinn can be my new best friend. Snarky, responsible, firmly on the side of Team Good, as she puts it, Maggie battles demons in all sorts of forms and in all sorts of settings--prom, sorority rush week, and a Blessed Virgin Mary sanctuary in the middle of Nowhere, East Texas. She overcomes her own disbelief in her gifts and does the best she can with the knowledge she's given. She has a white knight at her beck and call, but Maggie is definitely not a damsel in distress--a point she makes VERY clear every time said knight shows up to help her. But they work together well anyway.

So, do yourself a favor and pick up a novel by Rosemary Clement-Moore. If you like snorting at snarky remarks and getting hooked on a great mystery, these are the stories for you!



To explore Rosemary Clement-Moore on Goodreads, click here. If you're feeling the need to get Kindle-friendly with her books, this is the Amazon link to her author page. Enjoy!


Gentle Reader Alert: There are some swears in these books--nothing beyond a mild PG-13 level--and a little hot and heavy kissing--nothing explicit.

Infinitas

From Goodreads:

"For centuries, the world of Aeon has lived in shadow, ruled and oppressed by a great evil. The land is overrun by creatures of the dark. Its people cower without protection, without hope…until now.

Prophecy spoke of a chosen one who will bring an end to the dragon sorceress, and on that day were born two. Kali and Drake. Cousins and warriors, devoted to their duty and to each other. They embrace their fates. Together with their friends, Ferra and Harold, they embark on a perilous journey, tempting evil at every turn, for they are being hunted. With danger and death on their heels, they must battle forces of nature and magic, calling forth their courage to conquer not only the sorceress herself, but an even greater enemy. Fear.

From a small woodland village to the stone keep of Infinitas, only one thing is certain.

Destiny is an adventure."


The idea of a sorceress/dragon reigning tyrannically over her corner of the world drew me in. The adventure kept me there. Kali and Drake were by no means compelling characters, but they acted honorably when faced with the dark choices in front of them, and they were well-prepared to go on their adventure. The writing skews young--I kept thinking that my pre-teen daughters would enjoy the story--but overall the pace is good and kept me hooked throughout the adventure. The world itself felt a bit like a crazy quilt--species kept popping up to be added to the milieu--but when you read the author's note it makes sense. And to the author's credit, the crazy quilt was colorful and bound together well. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy, especially for the backstory on the royal family who started it all.

Gentle Reader Alert: At this time, I recall nothing of concern.

Cookies and Chance Series

(Copies provided by the ever-gracious Catherine Brun herself.) 

TASTES LIKE MURDER

Sally Muccio’s had her crosses to bear: a cheating ex-boyfriend, crazy Italian parents, and an unfaithful husband, just to name a few. After her divorce, she returns to her hometown to start a novelty cookie shop whose specialties include original fortune cookies, served with a sprinkle of foreshadowing. But there’s no warning when her ex-husband’s mistress drops dead on Sal's porch, and police confirm it’s a homicide. Determined to stop her life from becoming a recipe for disaster, Sal takes matters into her own hands. With two very different men vying for her affection, dead bodies piling up, and a reputation hanging by an apron string, Sal finds herself in a race against time to save both her business and life—before the last cookie crumbles.

BAKED TO DEATH

Baker turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Sally Muccio, has finally found the happiness that’s eluded her for years. She’s in love with a great guy, her bakery is thriving, and now she and her best friend Josie Sullivan are gearing up to appear on the popular reality baking show, Cookie Crusades. But a visit from Sal’s greedy ex-husband Colin, who's looking to cash in on the bakery’s dough, changes everything. Within a few hours Sal’s world—like the shop’s original fortune cookies—is broken apart when Colin turns up dead, and her boyfriend’s arrested for the crime. Now Sal’s mixing it up with vengeful former in-laws, a suspicious new employee, slippery baking competitors, and a greasy mobster who’ll stop at nothing to collect on Colin’s unpaid debt. Can Sal prove her man is innocent in time? Or is she about to get baked herself?


Gotta say, Catherine Bruns can turn out a pleasant read. These cozies are unassuming and hit their paces right on target. I spent most of a day reading these books, happily curled up in my wingback chair, drawn in by Catherine's writing. Sally is a modest character--she is not a take-charge vigilante, but quietly determined to make things right. It drove me nuts when she would cave to everyone's demands--I could easily see why she stayed with her awful ex-husband as long as she did--but things seemed to work out for her anyway, and in a believable fashion. So it made sense when her sweet personality drew people in, especially the men who wanted to protect her and keep her safe. I also love the balance her gentleness brought to her friendship with the fiery Josie. But the real mystery is the fortunes in the fortune cookies--they seem to have a predictive magic all their own and the speculative-fiction lover in me wants to know where it comes from!

Anyway, the next time you're looking for a quick read with great writing and a perfectly structured plot, give Cookies and Chance a try. You won't be sorry.


Gentle Reader Alert:There are some swears in the books, but nothing beyond a PG-13 level.

Overthrowing the Dystopian Formula

Once upon a time, back when triceratops stomped small ponds into the ground as they walked across the earth, I was a teenager. My mother made sure that we went to the library every week (it's possible the dinosaurs were imaginary--I remember riding in the back of our enormously long Chevy Caprice, which ran on liquidized dinosaur fossils) and I often scoured the small science fiction and fantasy section, looking for something I hadn't already read that would catch my interest. I made the mistake of picking up an Octavia Butler once--not that Butler isn't a fantastic writer, but her vision of a dystopian future gave me nightmares for days.

So, a few years later (a decade), I reluctantly picked up The Hunger Games on the recommendation of a very well-read friend. It did not disappoint, but I didn't really enjoy it, either. Let's face it--dystopian fiction can be bleak and humorless. In the years since, we've had Uglies, The Selection, Matched, True Calling, and more that I can't remember off the top of my head. But they meet a certain formula--the original government has been overthrown or destroyed, usually through a cataclysmic event or war or act of terror, and the replacement government controls every aspect of life for the greater good (Hello to the reasons my politics are conservative/moderate--I'm all about the less government model. Anyway...). The gap between the rich and the poor is vast and unbalanced, and another revolution is coming, in which our intrepid heroine rises through the ranks to change the minds of the leaders through her unwillingness to bow to the status quo. Also, there is a love interest.

Formulaic. It works, obviously, since people have been buying and reading and talking about these books for years, but still. It's algebra--plug the right things into the right part of the equation and presto! You have a dystopian novel.

But what about The Giver, you say? Male protagonist! A breath of fresh air! Brilliant writing! Complex without being overly weighty! Yes, The Giver is all of that, but I am so disenchanted with the bleakness that is dystopian fiction that I haven't got the energy to give the rest of the series a try. Ender's Game? Oh wait, another male protag. Apparently the formula gets more flexible if the lead is male. Interesting, right? It works, but Ender's Game strays into science fiction the further you go, running away from dystopia into something new.

I have found a small niche of dystopian fiction that I've somewhat enjoyed, and I'm waiting for the writing to get better. I read The Misfits, a dystopian work that was set so far into the future that the echoes of the catastrophe were barely felt, but the remaining inhabitants were just beginning to make forays into creating a brand new world WITHOUT the suffocating government. And I just finished The Scourge over the holidays. That was almost delightful, and it really was a breath of fresh air. The fact that the society is dystopian is gradually revealed over the course of the story, but the focus is on the survivors and the limits they placed on themselves. Also, there are zombies. Normally I would avoid zombies, but in here, they *worked*.

So, dear readers, if you've stuck with me this far, here's the question: Are there more dystopian works out there, ones that do NOT involve overthrowing the oppressive upstart government? If so, do you enjoy them, and why?

New Year, New Tone

Hello friends and fellow book lovers!

The holidays are over, the kids will be back in school tomorrow, and I've read a TON of books! I ended up reading a couple of dystopian novels, which made me think about the dystopian genre in general--there will be an introspective blog post on that in the near future--and a few favorites got a re-read.

Definitely looking forward to the near future, as well! I have a couple of cozy mysteries from Catherine Brun to review, as well as some NetGalley books I'm taking a chance on. Some of my favorite books from last year, including The Secret Circle, Dahlia Moss, and Shattered Blue, were sent to me from NetGalley. Cannot say enough nice things about the folks NetGalley brings together. What a great service, especially for voracious and opinionated readers like me!

Also, I had time to think over the break, and I realized a couple of things. First of all, I love blogging, but it's really hard to blog in a vacuum. Secondly, I write my best blogs about books and topics I'm passionate about. I've spent the past four months reviewing like mad, doing my best to get this blog off the ground, but now I want to take things in a new direction. There will still be reviews, but I'd love to do some discussions as well, something that will really make the comments thread explode. So, less reviews, more discussion. Shall we?

On that note, dear reader, how were your holidays? Did you get to read something good? If so, what was it?