Consumed by Books: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Review of Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America-- a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

One of my first books in verse was by Sonya Sones, which I first read as a middle schooler, and I’ve had a soft spot for this format ever since. When I received a pitch for Purple Daze, I was intrigued because of this and the period in history and that it took on this format. Although Purple Daze does not lack emotion, it tries so hard that it left no impact on me.

Purple Daze has been one of my quickest reads of 2012. Although some passages are written in the form of prose writing assignments or letters instead of poetry, it’s still a fairly short book. Readers get to see how characters interact with each other, as well as their inner monologues.

These elements make Purple Daze an interesting story, but are ultimately why I didn’t like it. This book is told from the perspective of six different characters, which was too many for me given the length of the book. I picked up on a few basic plot points, but got confused and never really tied the whole format together. Coupled with the odd formatting, it meant that even though I read the book, I had a hard time absorbing what I was reading.

I was underwhelmed by the literary quality of Purple Daze. This story had a great deal of potential, but read as thought it required more stringent editing and plotting. As a librarian, I would pass this book on to a teen looking for a book about this particular period, but otherwise, I’m dubious about recommending it.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Monday, August 27, 2012

New Look!

Hey you! Yes, you! Are you looking at this post in an RSS feed? If so, you're missing all the fun, because Consumed by Books recently got a makeover!

All right, so I'm sure many of you have noticed that I got a new layout on the blog about a month ago. I decided it was time for a change, so I turned to Nicole of who is a fantastic designer, blogger, and person. I absolutely love the new look and hope you do too. I still need to tweak a few things, such as update the list of books I've read this year, and I hope to do that once I'm done moving (speaking of which: MAKE IT STOPPPPPPPP).

Thank you so much, Nicole, for the awesome design, and thank you, loyal readers, for continuing to stop by.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Review of The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

***THIS REVIEW IS OF BOOK TWO IN AND MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE. TO READ MY REVIEW OF THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES, CLICK HERE***

Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe.

Reaching the end of their tense and desperate flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives — Todd’s gritty and volatile; Viola’s calmer but equally stubborn — the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

(Summary from GoodReads)

Oh, Patrick Ness. Dang. I had not read any of your books when I met you in October of 2010, but I’ve since remedied that. Three times now you’ve left me feeling as though my heart has been unceremoniously ripped out of my chest. Then again, you’ve also rocked my world and left me craving more. I may not have loved The Ask and the Answer quite as much as The Knife of Never Letting Go, but once again you had me turning pages late into the night and feeling gutted.

The Ask and the Answer picks up right where the first installment of the Chaos Walking trilogy left off, which is good, because anything less may have turned me into a screaming banshee. Todd and Viola’s circumstances have changed dramatically, and the narration shifts a bit as well. Instead of hearing just from Todd, parts of The Ask and the Answer are told from Viola’s perspective. While her voice didn’t engross me quite as much as Todd’s, it was still amazing. Another thing that made this book a little bit harder? The gaping Manchee shaped hole. That is one literary canine I cannot think about without my heart aching.

Ness packs The Ask and the Answer with shock factor. I gasped at the plot twists and cried about some of the atrocities I read about. Todd and Viola also both spent a good chunk of this novel in some kind of moral dilemma, which enriched the characters themselves as well as their stories.

Another thick, whirlwind of a novel, The Ask and the Answer is an engrossing read. Even though I had some minor issues with this one, I want more. I want to know how this brilliant story ends. Suffice it to say, I hope to pick up my copy of Monsters of Men sooner rather than later.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Liz Returns?!

It's been a while. Things have been inconsistent, posting has been sparse, and I've generally been absent from the blogosphere. Well friends, soon posting might just get back to a regular schedule, because I am done with graduate school!

That's right. I've earned my MLIS. I had few moments where I literally doubted whether or not I could do it, but summer semester was pretty stressful, and I was ready to have some of that weight off my chest. It didn't help that a few personal problems, including the passing of my maternal grandmother, kicked off summer semester. However, I enjoyed my classes, and got to intern in the children's department of a totally awesome public library. Ultimately, I made it.

I am in a transitional phase, which probably doesn't surprise any of you, and am headed back to Minnesota while I figure my life out. While I graduated August 3rd, I've had to spend a good deal of time preparing to move and tying up loose ends. In addition to my move, the month of August also included a brief vacation for me (glamping with friends!). I had the chance to canoe, swim, hike, outlet shop, and enjoy campfires, so it was all good.

There is a lot I've got that I want to blog about. There are discussion posts stewing in my brain, and 22 books on my "need-to-review" shelf on GoodReads. I've got lots of ideas,but at the moment, my primary goal is to have a move that involves no more fiascos (because sadly, there have been a few) and organizing my priorities. In the mean time, enjoy this picture of me and a ferocious beast.

I hope that all of you have a fantastic August, and I hope to see you sooner rather than later with some more posts. Just give me time. Until then, happy reading!