The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Blood of Eden

The Immortal Rules * The Eternity Cure * The Forever Song 

Dawn of Eden

Published: 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd/Audible
Author's Website
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Series: Blood of Eden
Narration by: Thérèse Plummer

Introduction

Zeke is dead, and Allie, Kanin, and Jackal are still travelling to stop Sarren. Allie has decided that with Zeke dead, she hates everything, and she wants to be a monster now. Jackal approves. Kanin isn't mad, he's disappointed.

Weak Female Protagonist

First, this book waxes sentimental WAY too much. I wish my music app on my phone had a "skip ahead 10 seconds" button like Youtube.

Overall, Allie is a weak protagonist in this book, which is the exact opposite of what she once was. People do change, sometimes for the worse, but this seems like bad writing. Instead of saving the world, she decides to go after her love interest. You know, after saving the world, he will STILL BE THERE. Saving the world is more important. Too many times she should have waited for the other two members of her team to come, but she rushed into danger and made everything worse. I guess the power of lub <3 is detrimental to strong women.

Sacrifice Ending

That was so lazy and just a dramatic gimmick. I'm pretty sure you could have sprayed your blood on them and gotten the same effect. You're a vampire, and we know limbs regenerate. Toss them an arm!

In my headcanon, he didn't die. He decided to get a hobby, like golf, and he took some time off to be by himself, away from the trio of idiots he had to spend last 6(ish) months with.

Final Thoughts

Despite Allison's terrible decision-making abilities, I still recommend this book. The trio has a nice family dynamic to it that was hilarious to listen to. If you've read the first two books in this series, or if your library has purchased the first two, there isn't a reason to not have the final book in the series in your collection. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal fiction, dystopias, vampires, or horror.

Xbox One Adaptive Controller -- Library Tech

Does your library have a gaming program? Have an Xbox One?

Microsoft has announced an adaptive controller, and libraries may benefit from having a few available.

Back in May, it was announced, and recently we heard that even the box is accessible. The base controller (above), can be connected to more peripherals (there are 19 jacks in the back), such as joysticks, pedals, and finger switches. The base controller doesn't come with these extra peripherals, but I think this is a strong step in the right direction. It releases sometime this year (2018), and I'll be looking to see if any libraries utilize it, and the outcome.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Blood of Eden

The Immortal Rules * The Eternity Cure * The Forever Song 

Dawn of Eden

Published: 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd/Audible

Author's Website 

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Series: Blood of Eden

Narration by: Thérèse Plummer

Introduction

At the end of the last book, Allison is alone again. Now, she is looking for her maker, Kanin, following the blood bond. Around her rises a new strain of the Red Lung virus that is fatal to both humans and vampires. Her journey leads her to reunite with those she never expected to see again. She gains unexpected allies and new missions: save Kanin, find the cure, and stop Sarren. Allison fights her own inner monster to remain as human as possible, despite being told it's impossible. 

Returning Characters

I appreciated the recurring characters. I find that too many authors are quick to add new characters in every book when there are already established characters at the ready. The characters that showed up here worked very well and I was glad to see them all again (with one exception, I was hoping he was gone). There's a comic relief character that was so very needed.

Book about Walking

Like the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, a lot of this book is walking. Gets a little boring, but I think the banter and the events that happen from point A to point B make up for it. Based on the world they live in (usually no access to functioning cars), it's understandable.

Different Book Covers

Seems that this book some different covers. The one above is nice, but it doesn't match the previous cover, which means that your books aren't going to match. I'd get the covers to match, personally.

Final Thoughts

The sequel did not disappoint. If you have the first one in your library collection, nothing is keeping this from anyone's collection.

  

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Published: 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Author's Website

Introduction

There are indie kids, the kids who are special, the Chosen One(s). They have destinies. Their lives are full of extraordinary occurrences, tragedy, and love. And they always save the day. But what about the rest of us? The teens that go to high school and the adults and their jobs? What happens when you blow up the school, kill all the vampires or zombies, and many of your classmates and friends go missing? With all the storylines swirling around them, what is everyone else up to? Not surprisingly, they have lives too, affected by the chaos, their own problems. A politician mom, a struggling father, mental health issues, sexual orientation, college admissions, prom--all problems that these background characters deal with. A satire of young adult literature in a familiar world afflicted with over-the-top end-of-the-world situations.

Chapter Introductions and Section Dividers

https://patrickness.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/TROUJLH_9781406331165_PI_UK-extract.pdf  

Every new chapter gives a summary of what the indie kids are doing. At first, I didn't like it, but the two stories intermingled a bit and it was great. This is the forefront story, but this book is centred on the teens in the background. It would have been a bit confusing if we had no idea what the indie kids were doing. Plus, at times, it was funny. Above, we hear that there's more than one indie kid named Finn (of course), and a girl named Satchel. Reminds me how books and films influence baby name trends (all those Edwards!).

The section dividers are occasionally these cats, and I love them:

+1 to this book.

Worst Character Award

Henna.

People make mistakes (and all of the characters in this book make mistakes) but I found myself consistently disliking her. I feel bad because, in the back of the book, we hear that her name is from a real-life person. Yikes.

Dislikes

You don't have to like the protagonist, ever. Unlikable protagonists are acceptable. However, Mikey sometimes just pops in with these mean comments that I found jarring, and they don't come up again. At least make it consistent. There're some things going on with his sister, and he has these comments about another family in the restaurant that he works at. Shouldn't he be keenly aware of these kinds of remarks swirl in his sister's head?

Final Thoughts

Patrick Ness clearly likes Buffy, but he goes behind the scenes for this book. It definitely isn't a book for readers that want a warm-feelings-and-butterflies romance. It has a diverse cast, and it is a bit of a coming-of-age story. The writing was easy and unobtrusive, though the first few pages almost made me put the book down. The teens are contemplating the concept of love, and like teens do, they try to figure it out by trying to sound mature and philosophical. But give it a try, and I think there are many teens who would enjoy it. 

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Published: 2014
Publisher: Audible/Macmillan Audio
Author's Website
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Series: Immortal Game
Narration by: Susan Hanfield

Introduction

Edie Kramer has been pushed into despair by her cruel classmates. On a bridge, a mysterious young man makes a deal with her: three wishes, which she will then repay later with three favours. There's a game afoot around her, played by the immortals in the mortal world. While Edie craves revenge on her classmates, the people around her are tormented by unexplainable events. The paranormal threatens Edie and those she cares about. The mysterious and beautiful man who made the deal with her seems to want to help her, but he is also a pawn in the game. Can Edie trust him? Is there a way out of the game after she made the deal? Luckily, Edie is exceptionally intelligent.

Bullying and Revenge

The set us is that Edie was severely bullied the year before, and she's out for revenge this year. The revenge plot quickly falls apart, though, and it was disappointing. I wanted to see her either rise above the bullies or get any kind of revenge! So, the book blurb isn't really true. It's more about different immortal factions playing a game, and us humans are pawns to be controlled and moved.

Emily is not impressed at Edie's amateur attempts. 

Essay Ideas

Faustian deals with the devil? I can only think of The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus. Bullying, revenge, the paranormal, privilege? Hell vs Wedderburn, Mawer & Graf? Urban myths and mythology in contemporary fiction? Relationships with parents (I once wrote an essay regarding a protagonist's agency in conjunction to if their parents were alive or not (Harry Potter, Lyra Belacqua, etc.) and once you read this book to the end, it fits PERFECTLY).

Length

Plot gets bogged down with the paranormal aspects. There are a few characters I'd cut for wordcount/character count. The book dragged on far too long. I tried to listen to this audiobook years ago and I couldn't finish it. I'm glad I did, but I wouldn't call this a short read.

Horror Aspect

There are some horror elements that I appreciated, but I've never seen this recommended for anyone looking for horror. There are creepy "monsters" wreaking havoc and bodily harm, and some body horror.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I thought it was a great book, though the book blurb doesn't serve the actual plot.

Looking into the book, it seems that a lot of people have problems with the concept of beauty fixing all the world's problems, and that this book promotes the wrong idea of beauty. I don't agree -- I think Edie chose to be transformed because she wanted to be pretty, not because the author/Edie thinks being pretty is above intelligence. (And I thought it was great that she is still recognizable, not moulded into a movie star.) I think she did it for herself, and second to that, she could get close to the popular kids at school and get her revenge. Plus, all through the book, we hear about Edie being exceptionally intelligent, so it's not saying that Edie has no other qualities. She is also empathetic towards people who have done her wrong. So, other readers might not like the message about beauty.

I don't believe in trigger warnings, and I don't believe in censorship, but this does deal with suicide, depression, bullying, death, etc., which some readers might dislike.

Perhaps some people might not like the idea of dealing with otherwordly beings.

In conclusion, if your library has a strong collection development policy, I'd include it in a library.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Blood of Eden

The Immortal Rules * The Eternity Cure * The Forever Song 

Dawn of Eden

Published: 2012
Publisher: Audible
Author's Website 
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Series: Blood of Eden
Narration by: Thérèse Plummer

Introduction 

In a dystopian future, a disease called "Red Lung" wiped out most of the humans. Now, vampires reign and humans are used for their blood. Cities are walled and humans who do not feed the vampires--unregistereds--are unsupported and starving. Allie is unregistered, hating the vampires to her core, living with her small group of fringe scavengers to survive. In addition to vampires, there are rabids--crazed monsters that didn't quite become vampires in the turning process. During a scavenging outing gone terribly wrong, Allie has to make a terrible decision.

Eventually, all alone in the world, she tries to find a purpose. From a band of humans, she learns of Eden, a place free from vampires.

Protagonist

Allie is a rough scavenger. She talks back, is sarcastic, and wields a katana. She does have a nice side; teaching others to read, making sure Stick doesn't starve, and going out of her way to help even the people that hate her. She is definitely not passive and it is refreshing.

The Love Interest

I wasn't too attached to him. Everyone hates vampires without question, kind of like how everyone hates the pixies in Carrie Jone's Need series. You love someone, they hate what you are. At what point do you throw up your hands, call them a bigot, and tell them to save themselves? And Allie isn't a damsel in distress in this book. She has a sword and will kick butt. She does more than her share of saving others, all while hiding what she is.

Essay Topics

Discrimination (humans vs vampires OR vampires vs humans) would be a very easy one, and it can be paired with Wicked, Need, or pretty much any other YA paranormal book. You could also look at vampire depictions across different genres/publication dates/marketed audience. These vampires are ruthless monsters. Twilight, not so much. Interview with a vampire, they can be, but they are very Romanticized. Depending on the story, vampires represent many different types of real-life fears, and you can tie in some film clips, if you have to present the argument (the film rights have been sold, but we will probably have to wait a while before it is released).

Worst character award goes to:

Stick.

Morgan has his stick.

Rafiki has his stick.

This Stick, is not good.

Second to Stick in the worst character award:

Ruth.

Final Thoughts

An interesting mix of paranormal and dystopian fiction with a female protagonist that can hold her own and vampires that don't suck (har-har). Julie Kagawa is a popular YA author, so I see no reason to exclude this book from a YA section. I hope to alternate between this series and the Immortal Game series by Ann Aguirre.

Secrets in the Attic by Virginia Andrews / Andrew Neiderman

Virginia Andrews also published under V.C. Andrews
This was actually written by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman

Published: 1979/1997? Conflicting dates.
Publisher: Pocket Books
Author's Goodreads Page
Ghostwriter's Website

Quick Review

Karen and Zipporah are best friends, hanging out in Zipporah's attic, making fun of their classmates and talking about boys. When Karen's life seems to unravel, Zipporah is concerned and tries to get to the truth.

But Karen's story isn't so black and white. 

Young Adult Literature?

Goodreads has this listed as YA, which is why I am including it here. I don't know how this was marketed back when it was published. Just because you have two main characters who are teens does not mean that it is a good example of YA literature. Why do I say this? Because these teens do not act nor speak like teens. They speak like my grandmother would write or describe formally, which is not how young people speak, even in 1979 or 1997. This is sad. None of the teens described are really good depictions of young adults. It reads more like how an adult, who doesn't know any better, would say teens act. Times do change, and I wasn't around in 1979, but the writing is awful either way (in a fight, would you say someone "embraced" your legs, or someone "grabbed" your legs?), and I suspect some actual teens might find it off-putting. 

And about the writing: say KAREN one more time, I swear.

Library Inclusion

I wouldn't buy this for a library, unless, for some reason, Virginia Andrews (of Flowers in the Attic fame) becomes popular again (and you want even the books she didn't actually write but has her name on the cover). The slow unravelling of deceit was alright, but the poor characterization of two teens doesn't make it worthwhile to me.

Below I have a spoiler for something that bothered me in the epilogue, if anyone is interested. Aside from that, this review is done, so you can stop reading it now if you don't want to spoil anything.

  










The Epilogue

Everyone figures out Karen is a manipulator and liar. Why doesn't Zipporah bring up that Karen SAID she slept with two other men, instead of letting her brother's name be dragged through the mud? Karen's mom may be right about who the father is, but we're just not going to bring up any other names in this? No? Anyone? Ok. I don't know if they had paternity tests whenever this is supposed to take place (and I don't care too much to research it), so they'd never really know the truth. I just found the absurdity of the ending to be lazy writing so Karen can be reborn "into the family".  

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Published: January 26th 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Author's Website

Introduction

The Ocean calls them to ships or the sites of disasters to bring a mass of people into their watery graves by singing to them. Kahlen was one of those who heard the sirens' song, and the Ocean decided to keep her, making her siren for 100 years. Along with her siren sisters, she serves Her, the Ocean, through the decades. Kahlen struggles to do what she must, but she obeys because once her sentence is over, she can have a normal life. Fall in love, have a family, go to school, use her voice to communicate. And then a boy stumbles (or perhaps jitterbugs) into her life, and he throws her plans--and the Ocean's--into disorder. 

Genre/Demographic

This book was an interesting mix. It definitely was fantasy (sirens), romance, and it has mass death in it, plus the emotions of being part of that.

While this does fall into the category of  YA on Goodreads, I'd say this is more for an older YA audience, but not quite new adult. There's implied physical relationships, alcohol consumption (but only a bit from the narrator), and most of all, the scenes of shipwrecks. Cass doesn't describe drowning, but you get the horror of a huge ship capsizing with no survivors. The MC, Kahlen, fills in the blanks for the reader by relating the huge amount of guilt she carries, and how she'd rather look away. I think the way the author wrote this so delicately really lets the reader's imagination do its job, and it's so much better than describing it in detail.

It was also a fast read--I was able to read most of it in one day when I was volunteering at a reception desk. I appreciated that the book doesn't dwell on details like the houses they live in, clothes they wear, partying, etc., which I believe are some complaints that Cass gets for her other series, The Selection (the film rights were sold for a film for this in 2015, if you are interested). Each of Kahlen's sisters is unique with their hobbies and mannerisms, and I enjoyed reading about all of them. We get just enough of everything to fill in ourselves and continue on.

Insta-Love

10 days.

That's how long they knew each other for.

10.

Days.

No. 

This is from page 160 of the 2016 paperback (I blacked out the love-interest's name). I got serious Edward Cullen vibes. What's with people thinking this is endearing?

Essay Ideas

An easy idea is to compare this to other mermaid/siren stories, such as the Han's Christian Andersen fable, Amanda Hocking's Watersong Series (which I reviewed some of), Forgive My Fins, and...that's all I can think of. But Goodreads has these two lists: YA Mermaid Novels and Best Mermaid Books.  

Some more ideas can be an exploration of the Enthralling Siren trope and the Femme Fatale trope, as I don't necessarily think they fit the bill for it (reluctant femme fatales?). A paper can probably be written about the subversion of these tropes.   

A bigger topic can be exploring nature personified (the Ocean, which is so motherly She gets unbearable sometimes). 

Upcoming Mermaid Films

Like Mermaid films?

Three "Little Mermaid" Movies are in the Works

2018 film (Wikipedia)

Final Thoughts

It is the most mature book on sirens/mermaids I have read thus far. I recommend it for an older YA audience. I suspect that a younger audience might become bored. Cass is a popular author, so I think including this in the YA section of a library is an easy yes. 

The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross

Published: February 6th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Author's Website

Introduction

Brienna's grandfather has placed her in Magnalia House, a boarding house to intensively study one of the five passions: art, music, wit, theatre, or knowledge. The problem is, at 10 years old, she doesn't have an innate ability in any of the passions. Her grandfather convinces the Dowager (headmistress) to take her, even when they were already full. All she knows is that it has something to do with her mysterious father. Ardens (students) live and learn at Magnalia House for 7 years, and Brienna must master a talent and secure a patron (an employer). Obtaining a patron doesn't go as planned, but she does become entangled in politics from the neighbouring country, Maevana. Maevana was once ruled by queens, and is now ruled by a ruthless king. The queen is rising, and Brienna finds herself part of the uprising.  

IF YOU'RE READING A PRINT COPY, DON'T READ THE FAMILY TREE IN THE FIRST FEW PAGES. Seriously, it's like putting Luke Skywalker's family tree before the scrolling wall of text.

Similar Stories/Essay Ideas

The easiest thing to compare this to is Divergent. Brienna doesn't have more than one talent, but I think she benefits from knowing a bit about each one. There also isn't much on the line for her if she fails to passion (become a master), other than being embarrassed and going home, not like in Divergent. Harry Potter comes to mind as well, as Houses are separated by personality. I don't tend to read many stories that separate their people like this, so this is all I have.

Feminist matriarchies come to mind as well, as Maevana has always had queens, and they highly respect their women. An essay can easily be written about feminism or matriarchies. 

Romance

There is a romance that is a bit problematic. The romance of Brienna's story doesn't take up much space, but it's there. This part of the story might bother some people.  

SPOILERS AHEAD!

I have a problem with who Brienna ends up with. He seems to be a fine young man, but the issue is that he IS A YOUNG MAN. At the end, Brienna is 18. He is 26. If that was it, I don't have much of an issue with it. But he was her teacher. There's a major power imbalance. He doesn't act on his feelings until she's about to leave. Ok... but he knew her when she was 10, and he was a teacher. Something about this is so skeevy. It didn't seem that he was grooming her, and he only taught her for her last two to three years. It also didn't help that the audiobook makes him sound like an old man. Anakin and Padme is so close to this. At least she wasn't his teacher. 

End of Spoilers 

Final Thoughts

It was a great book! The author has stated on Goodreads that there is a second book coming out next year. There's action, school drama (at the beginning), a tiny sprinkling of romance, some mystery, a tiny bit of magic, and a bit of simple politics. I liked how it wasn't a YOU'RE THE CHOSEN ONE, BRIENNA, story. A queen is rising, she's not the queen. It makes the rest of us pleebs feel good. I see no reason to keep this from a library collection. 

A Monster Calls Film, Book to Film Adaption

A Monster Calls book review

This 2016 adaption of Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls was alright. I'll make this quick review based on my thoughts about it being shown in a library or having it in the collection. 

Library Showing

I think the problem with this film is similar to what I also believe is an issue with the book (perhaps): most adults can enjoy it, because adults can theoretically relate to dying before their children. Teens, though, I think the book might not connect with everyone unless they are dealing with a parent that is ill. Honestly, I don't think I would have connected with the book at all when I was the target demographic. I'm fairly certain I would have found it childish. Like the film, there's something childish about Conor that I found off-putting. But as an adult, I can appreciate what he's going through. 

Ultimately, I don't think it would hold the interest of teens, unless you can find a group of them that WANT to see it together.

Library Collection 

Why not? I suppose someone might be upset by the bullying. It wouldn't go in the children's department, and I never hear of teens' sections having AV materials. There shouldn't be too much trouble putting it in the regular film collection. 

Other Thoughts

The three stories are animated instead of live action. I think the animation is good, but it's jarring. I get why they did it for the narrative, though. 

The monster was interesting. I suppose it is like most films where you get to see the monster up close and regularly: it becomes familiar and no longer frightening. 

There's a lot of scenes that adults get how good they were filmed.

I felt that it was an ok film, and I'm a little disappointed, but it did convey the story nicely. No reason not to include it in your collection, though it is a few years old now. I'm waiting on the Chaos Walking Trilogy to be filmed.