Book Review: The Round House

Louise Erdrich


This book helped me understand some of the issues with VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) and its connection to Native Americans.

From Amazon.com:
"One of the most revered novelists of our time--a brilliant chronicler of Native American Life--Louise Erdrich returns to the territory of her bestselling, Pulitzer Prize finalist The Plague of Doves with The Round House, transporting readers to the Ojibwe resercation in North Dakota. It is an exquisitely told story of a boy in the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family."

Riveting and Suspenseful, arguably the most accessible novel to date from the creator of Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, and The Bingo Palace, Endrich's The Round House is a page-turning masterpiece of literary fiction--at once a power coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a tender, moving, novel of family, history and culture.

(Reviewed by Ginger)

Book Review: The Art of Fielding

Chad Harbach

I loved this book! 

You don't have to love baseball to love this book. You don't have to love great writing to love this book. You don't have to love a great story to love this book. But this book has all three.

"At Westish College, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league intil a routine throw goes disasterously off course. In the aftemath of his error, the fates of five poeple are upended."

"The Art of Fielding is a mere baseball fiction the way Moby Dick is just a fish story." - N. Dawidoff

(Reviewed by Ginger)

Book Review: Room

Emma Donoghue

Told by 5-year-old Jack. Room is his whole world. His mom is protecting him from Old Nick. Then, one day, she decides to escape... Great story of a mother/child bond! 4 of 5 stars from me!

(Reviewed by Susan)

The Need Series- Review

 

Teen/YA Novel

Reading level: Ages 12 and up

Zara White wears peace embroidered t-shirts and writes to the leaders of foreign countries begging for equality and peace, so why is it she ends up in a town filled with creatures that want her dead?
In the small town in Maine Zara finds that the life she has known is all a hoax and she must fight for freedom. In a place where her boyfriend is a werewolf, her step grandma's a tiger shifter and the fae folk hide in the forest calling for her death, Zara realized a startling truth. When it comes down to it, she is the greatest monster in their fairy tale.

Finished! Finally finished and now I can gush about how much I adore this series. I am so happy to finish this series and also horribly sad. This was one of those books that I honestly had no idea how it was going to end. That is ridiculously refreshing considering that a lot of teen books are nice to read, but horribly predictable. This was outstanding, as a series I give it 5/5 stars.

 

Series Order: Need, Captivate, Entice, and Endure             

Reviewed by: Sashary White

5/5 stars for the whole series!

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) - By: Marissa Meyer



 (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)

Reading level: Ages 12 and up

400 pages

Loved it! The only reason I didn't give it 5 out of 5 stars is because it's the first book in a series and some parts of the book were exceedingly drawn out to explain the back story. I was also frustrated when I read this book and realized the second installment would be a long wait (Feb. 5th).

At first this book appears to be a revised Cinderella story; however it is so much more. With a strong heroine who not only is treated like an animal by her step family, but is also revered as a monstrosity by society because she is a cyborg. This book depicts a future society, not unlike our own, which is seeded with prejudices and oppression of individual thought. The most thought provoking question this book addresses is that of, "Are you strong enough to be yourself when no one else wants you to be?"

For more teen books check out the Library's Teen Blog!