Mortal Fire Review

Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox

Title: Mortal Fire

Author: Elizabeth Knox

Series: None

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Genre: Fantasy; Supernatural; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 448

Format: Hardback

 goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Canny Mochrie's vacation takes a turn when she stumbles upon a mysterious and enchanting valley, occupied almost entirely by children who can perform a special type of magic that tells things how to be stronger and better than they already are. As Canny studies the magic more carefully, she realizes that she not only understands it--she can perform the magic, too, so well that it feels like it has always been a part of her. With the help of an alluring seventeen-year-old boy who is held hostage by a spell that is now more powerful than the people who first placed it, Canny figures out the secrets of this valley and of her own past.

Cannie Mochrie is misunderstood. Known for being the daughter of a hero and for her skill in rote learning (especially mathematics), she has established a name for herself, but not a very big one. When she is forced to accompany her brother and his girlfriend on a research trip about a tragic mine accident, she is not happy. When they stumble upon an enchanting valley, Cannie notices things that no one else does. A house hidden from view. Children with rhyming names that have uncanny abilities. Mysterious Marks appearing all over the valley. Pretty soon Cannie would do anything not to leave this extraordinary place. As she discovers an imprisoned seventeen year old in house almost impossible to reach, past crimes are discovered and magic is revealed. This intelligent read shows us that no matter how things seem, they are never how they appear.

I almost DNFed this book.

I am so glad I didn’t.

Mortal Fire is so unlike any other fantasy book that I am used to reading. It was so strangely intriguing and amazingly peculiar. And it’s a standalone! It’s like this perfect little package filled with perfect little characters and the perfect plot, all wrapped in perfect pretty packaging.

But, no matter how much I loved this book after I finished it, I did almost DNF it. I almost put it down, never to be revisited. The truth is, is that the beginning is slow. And confusing. It’s one of those books that start out confusing and mysterious, that leaves you feeling like your brain is rattling inside your skull. You feel like you have to dissect each and every word and it takes so much concentration! And just as your about to give up, a cute boy enters. I don’t know about other people, but a cute boy is reason enough for me to stick with a book. After a while you get so absorbed into this book that, while you still have to rest your mind at regular intervals, you can’t seem to stay away from it for very long. It’s too strange, too weird, and, in my opinion, just plain too fantastic not to finish.

The ending is the best part. Which is a good thing. It kinda sucks when an ending is the worst part. That’s usually when a book is part of series. Well, lucky for me, this book was a standalone. And a very good standalone at that.  All those loose ends you just couldn’t put a handle on during the book are tied into neat little bows. Everything ends in the way that you wanted, and you’re left feeling happy and satisfied.

Sometimes you just read a book that is so put together and well thought out, that you can’t help but look at it as a masterpiece. Mortal Fire is the perfect example. It is not just an extraordinary journey for the mind, but for the heart as well. While I think the audience for such a book is smaller than most, I am part of such an audience. I loved it and think it is remarkable. I am so going to read Knox’s other books. 

Prisoner of Night and Fog Review

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog

Author: Anne Blankman

Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #1

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: April 22, 2014

Genre: Historical Fiction; Romance; Mystery; Young Adult

Pages: 401

Format: Hardback

goodreads

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

You read so many books about World War II, but you almost never read about Nazi Germany from a Nazi’s point of view. I’ve read my fair share of WWII-based books (it’s one of my favorite subjects to read about), but I have never read one like Prisoner of Night and Fog.

Gretchen Müller is the beloved princess of the National Socialist Party, favored by Adolf Hitler himself. Daughter of the famed martyr that saved Hitler’s life, Gretchen has little to question in her life. But when she meets Daniel Cohen, a Jew so unlike the enemy he is made out to be, she is forced into second guessing everything she’s ever been taught. About the Jews, about Hitler, even about her father’s death. This epic tale teaches us the difficulties of finding what’s right and wrong for yourself, and breaking free of an oppression you didn’t even know you were trapped under.

What made this book so great was not the plot (a bit predictable), the characters (who occasionally fell flat), or the setting (amazingly realistic). It was the fact that half of what Blankman was writing actually happened. According to the lengthy author’s note at the end, about half the characters actually existing and a lot of the pivotal events are ones that you could find in a history textbook. The politics of the Germany in that time were nothing if not complicated. This book untangled the mess of questions I’ve always had about WWII and Germany before Hitler’s reign.

It surprised me that Hitler’s character was as big as it was. He had a personality and dialogue in this book, which is so unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Usually he is minor character, mentioned briefly in passing for the effect of the setting or plot. He is almost never a flesh-and-blood (metaphorically speaking) character like he was in this book. Understandably, Hitler is one of the most mysterious historical figures of all time. Almost nothing is known of his past or who he was before becoming a German politician and eventually one of the most hated tyrants this world has ever seen. It’s honestly incredible how Blankman managed to capture such an ambiguous character.

While you get to know Hitler on an intriguing level, you also learn so much about the Nazi party, not just as a political faction that persecuted innocent people, but also as individuals who honestly believed what they were doing was right. You also discover people who brave enough to stand against the person who would ruin thousands of lives, who was, even then, terrifying and powerful.

It still astounds me that a person who was that obvious of a psychopath came into so much power. This book explores that subject and expands on your knowledge of what really happened during that time. Phenomenally interesting and hard to put down, definitely worth reading and reflecting over.    

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

April 21, 2015

The Summer I Turned Pretty Review

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Series: Summer #1

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

Genre: Romance; Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Young Adult

Pages: 276

Format: Hardback

goodreads

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Summers are what Belly waits all year for. Summer means swimming. Summer means tans and beaches and bikinis. And most of all, summer means Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. Spending summer at her mother’s best friend’s beach house is what Belly looks forward to all year. But this year is going to be different. With her everlasting crush on Conrad spiraling out of control and new summer loves blooming, Belly must figure out how to hold her life together, even when it’s falling apart at the seams.  

First off, what is with the name Belly? Belly is a weird name, isn’t it? I mean, you have to read half the book just so you can finally learn that Belly is not her actual name. (It’s Isabel, by the way. Just thought I would save you the trouble.) Secondly, the boys. Conrad is, shall we say, a jerk. He’s moody and dark, and in the book they play that up to be a good thing. Maybe it’s just me, but I would like my boys to be a bit nicer. Like Jeremiah is in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Just a note to the author, if you want one love interest to be the one all your readers are rooting for, don’t make the secondary love interest so much more likable! I was rooting for Jeremiah the whole entire time. I wanted him to win. Not Conrad the Jerkish. Jeremiah was perfect, and I mean perfect, boyfriend material.

The main problems that I had with this book mainly involved the characters. Belly was, throughout the entire book, immature. As in, spoiled little kid immature. And she was constantly complaining about how she was treated like she was immature. Which was simply annoying. Conrad was, as previously mentioned, a huge jerk. Jeremiah was perfect, but undermined and ignored. While the characters left a lot to be wanted, the plot was okay. I liked how this was not just another summer romance. The subplot that dealt with family and devastation and real-world problems left this book with a few more degrees of realism.

I don’t count on reading the sequel, but if the opportunity presents itself and I have nothing else to do, I may. Maybe. Probably. I mean, this book wasn't absolutely horrible. Just not absolutely fabulous. 

It’s Not Summer Without You

A Time To Dance Review

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

Title: A Time to Dance

Author: Padma Venkatraman

Series: None

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Publication Date: May 1, 2014

Genre: Poetry; Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Culture; Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

goodreads

Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancientbharatanatyam dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit.
 
Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.

Written in beautiful verse, Padma Venkatraman tells a story of a classical bharantanatyam (I dare you to say that three times fast) dancer who, after a tragic accident, becomes a below-knee amputee. She must learn how to accept who she and how her life has changed, and rediscover the dance she fell in love with. Inspired by the brave survivors of the Boston bombing, Venkatraman wrote this wonderfully creative and inspiring tale about a girl who must conquer obstacles to return to what she loves to do more than anything.

I picked this book up for two reasons: The first was the amazing cover. I mean, look at it! It’s gorgeous! The second was the obvious Indian culture involved in this story, which is something I rarely get the chance to read, and know almost nothing about. I knew nothing about bharantanatyam (bah…bahran…bahrantatanatatn?), not to mention having no idea how to say it!

As usual, I was surprised to find that this book was written in poetry. I don’t think I have ever read a poetry book that I knew was poetry before reading the first page. But, like always, it was a happy sort of surprise, and by the end of the novel I was so in love with it, it was like I wasn’t reading poetry at all!

One of my favorite things about A Time to Dance is that the spirituality aspect is not one that preaches a certain religion to you. It explains how something, like dance, can bring you closer to something so big and encompassing, you know you’ll never fully understand it. And yet, you can still connect with it someway, and be as close to it as you possibly can. It was beautiful how the author explained the main character’s connection with dance and how it helped her discover who she really is. This book is unlike anything I have read before, with its amazing Indian culture and magnificent prose.

This book was lovely and poetic. The author entranced me into a hypnotic story about acceptance and passion, and I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read something else by Padma Venkatraman, because if it is even remotely as good as A Time to Dance was, I know that it will be fantastic. 

Steelheart Review

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: Reckoners #1

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: September 24, 2013

Genre: Fantasy; Science Fiction; Young Adult

Pages: 386

Format: Hardback

goodreads

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

A classic tale of David versus Goliath, Steelheart tells the story of a boy who wants nothing more than revenge for his father’s death. Steelheart, one of the many Epics that have taken over the world, is now the dictator of Chicago. Impervious to everything and possessing magnificent powers, he is undefeatable. Expect David has seen him bleed. And he intends to do everything it takes to make him bleed again.

You know when you watch a movie like, let’s say, Transformers 4, and you just say, “Wow. This is such a guy movie.”?  It’s all action, action, action, the frequent sprinkling of special effects, and the occasional humorous line. Occasionally there is a love story woven in for variety. But overall, while the action scenes are cool and exciting, the actual writing is, at best, meh. Let’s just say that Sanderson could definitely be the screen writer for the next Transformers.

While it was just interesting enough for me to finish, I was not into this book. It was a chore for me to read it. Sure, once I started reading it, it got a little bit less tedious of a job, but I still didn’t really enjoy it. The humor, or shall I say the attempt at humor, was strained, blatant, and cheesy. The main character, David, was confusing and not well formed. I couldn't match up his awkward personality and his strange infatuation with bad metaphors with who he kept saying he was: a boy obsessed with killing his father’s murder and vengeance-obsessed. That side of his character was not shown to the reader, and it was hard to believe that he was that boy at all. The other characters were also not convincingly real. The explanation for the story was, at best, hard to understand, and at worst, non-existent. I still don't know what Calamity is. And I read the book. 

Long story short, I was disappointed. Sure the action scenes were badass, but that was all they were–action scenes. The characters, story, and conflict were all flat. They were rushed and mediocre, to the point that I wondered if the author really cared. I probably won't read the sequel. 

Firefight

January 6, 2015

A Monster Calls Review

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Story By: Siobhan Dowd

Illustrations By: Jim Kay

Series: None

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Genre: Supernatural; Contemporary; Young Adult

Pages: 215

Format: Hardcover

goodreads

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.” 

Words to describe this book: Powerful; Haunting; Inspiring.

Phenomenal.

Inspired from an idea by Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness wrote A Monster Calls when Dowd died prematurely from cancer. Dowd was a Human Rights Campaigner for twenty years and wrote A Swift Pure Cry in 2006. Ness was previously known for his Chaos Walking trilogy.

Ness weaves a beautiful tale about death and life, truth and lies, and love and fear. Conor is haunted by a nightmare with a fearsome monster. When another monster comes walking, it is looking for the one thing Conor is sure never to give: the truth. This wonderfully woven tale about the effect of death on the living teaches us about how important our truths are. Laced with inspiring thoughts, memorable quotes, and extraordinary illustrations, this book is one worth reading over and over and over again.

“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?” 

I almost didn’t read this book. I am so glad that I did. While sadness and devastation are intermittently woven in the story, there is also hope and truth and love. As Conor was forced to confront his mysterious demons, I was enthralled cover to cover. The illustrations by Jim Kay were amazing and wondrous.  A Monster Calls is the type of book that will continue to haunt me three books from now.

It is hard to put a book as powerful as this one into words. So I’ll just say this: if you don’t read another book this year, read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

“You do not write your life with words...You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.” 

The Spectacular Now Review

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Title: The Spectacular Now

Author: Tim Tharp

Series: None

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Genre: Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Coming-of-Age; Young Adult

Pages: 304

Format: Hardback
goodreads

SUTTER KEELY. He’s the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.

Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.

“Life is an ocean, and most everyone’s hanging on to some kind of dream to keep afloat.”

The Spectacular Now was on my to-read list for a while, and it seemed like kismet when it was just sitting there on the shelf at the library, daring me to pick it up. Since it was made into a movie, and also won many awards, I figured it would good. Great, even. And I was only a little bit disappointed.

Sutter Keely has one philosophy: To live in the Spectacular Now. The future and past don’t matter. All that matters is the here and now, and living it to your fullest capabilities. Anything else is obsolete. That beautiful thought has guided Sutter his whole life. When he meets Aimee, he decides she needs help in recognizing the Spectacular Now. But even when he tries to change Aimee, Aimee changes him in ways he would never expect.

Tharp’s writing was powerful and, at times, beautiful. Sutter’s thoughts were surprisingly accurate to a modern teenager’s. Sutter was more than a character; he was part of the book and he was telling the reader a story. I was blown away with how true some of his thoughts were. And while I didn’t agree with everything he believed in, it was interesting to be submerged in such a different way of thinking than my own.

The Spectacular Now’s target audience is directed to the more mature of the young adult audience. Alcohol plays a big part in the story, and while I see how it ties into Sutter’s character and story, it quickly got excessive. The ending was not a crowd-pleaser. It was not even a real ending. It was more an open-ended prompt. The story cut off and the author left you to your own devices to imagine what happened next. Maybe it’s just me, but I like closure with my books.

While I can see the reason for all the hype for The Spectacular Now, I’m not sure I can exactly join the fan club. I have no regrets in reading it, but it won’t have a home on my favorite book shelf. Worth reading, but not exactly worth loving. 

"Embrace the weird, dude. Enjoy it because it's never going away."

The Moon and More Review

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Title: The Moon and More

Author: Sarah Dessen

Series: None

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Genre: Contemporary; Romance; Realistic Fiction; Young Adult

Pages: 435

Format: Hardback
goodreads

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

“Life is long. Just because you don't get your chance right when you want or expect it doesn't mean it won't come. Fate doesn't punch a time clock or consult a schedule.” 

Continuing the summer reading theme, I finally picked up Sarah Dessen’s latest novel–an entertaining read about a girl who wants more than her tiny beach town of Colby can offer. The Moon and More was obviously of the Dessen persuasion, and it had everything I expected it to have: unusual relationships, imperfect romance, and unique situations.

Emaline has the perfect boyfriend. Luke is kind, fun, and (most importantly) attractive. He and Emaline have been together since highschool–just another thing in her life that seems to have gone exactly as it was supposed to. And now, with the rest of her life all lined up in even rows, she should be happy right? Good college, good boyfriend, good future. Nothing else left to want. Nothing else she should want. Enter Theo, someone new and ambitious that makes Emaline think that there could be more. Even as Emaline searches for the moon and more, she must first figure out what exactly she wants for herself and her future.

Compared to other Dessen books that I have read, this one seemed considerably more light and fun. I liked the distinct questions it raised on family and relationships. I also like how the romance was all but perfect and cheesy. It gave the story line a sense of reality than many summer romance novels never seem to grasp.

The beginning was interesting, but the further I read, the more uninterested I was. The book lost some of its appeal, and at the very end, I was bordering pure boredom.  The characters weren’t very relatable. The story wasn’t very complex. In short, I loved and hated this book.

This was not my favorite Dessen book, but it is good for a not-so-short read in the summer. Definitely not the moon and more for me, but an okay book nonetheless. 

“The truth was, there was no way everything could be the Best. Sometimes, when it came to events and people, it had to be okay to just be.” 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks Review

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Author: E. Lockhart

Series: None

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: March 25, 2008

Genre: Realistic Fiction; Contemporary; Young Adult; Mystery

Pages: 345

Format: Hardback
goodreads

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.
Her father’s “bunny rabbit.”
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Laundau-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 Matthew’s lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way.

“I, Frankie Landau-Banks, hereby confess that I was the sole mastermind behind the mal-doings of the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds.”

As Frankie Landau-Banks returns to her high-class private school as a sophomore, she has changed– whether for the better or for the worse is uncertain. Her body had filled out in all the right places and people, especially boys, are starting to notice. While she can’t complain about the radical change, she does resent that she is still the “bunny rabbit” in the family. She is not taken seriously by anyone and underestimated by everyone. When her dream guy finally takes notice and becomes the boyfriend she always hoped for, she can’t help but want to be more than just a pretty girlfriend. When she learns that her boyfriend is part of a secret society called the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, she decides to take matters into her own hands. As a result of her evil genius ideas, the Basset Hounds become infamous and notorious for brilliant pranks all around the school. When Frankie’s ideas suddenly become a serious problem for the administration, and someone is blamed for her ideas, she must make decisions that will change her entire of idea of who she is and what she wants to become.

This book was as amazing as any book can be. Witty, sarcastic, and intellectual in most brilliant of ways, it is hard to do anything but love this book to its very spine. I fell in love on page one, and kept adoring it until page 345. The Disreputable History is the reason why I read books. I love to find ones that are as creative and intelligent as this one. Every character, even the dumbest, was smart and witty, in ways I can only wish to be like. If everyone talked like how people talked in the Disreputable History, then I would like people a whole lot more.

“In some ways, we can see Frankie Landau-Banks as a neglected positive. A buried word.

A word inside another word that’s getting all the attention.

A mind inside a body that’s getting all the attention.”

Frankie Landau-Banks (is that just the coolest name you have ever heard, or what?) is a woman who dreams of being seen as more than just a woman. She is extremely resourceful and smart and wants nothing more than being seen as such. She recognizes the unfairness in the world where woman are seen inferior to men. She resents that femininity is seen as weakness, and balls are a symbol of courage. I related to Frankie like she was one of my best-friends, and I wish she were a real person so I could get to know her more.

The language in this book was astounding. I had to read a few sentences over and over just because I loved them so much, and didn’t want to forget them. The idea of neglected positives was enthralling and amusing. Lockhart used words how they were meant to be used; how they were meant to be seen and understood. E. Lockhart is an amazing author that I would love to meet. I can’t wait to read more of her in We Were Liars, a book already climbing charts and reaching a well-known popularity.   

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is an amazing book that everyone should read. I loved it, and it reminds why I love to read in the first place.

“It is better to be alone, she figures, than to be with someone who can’t see who you are. It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people.”