Rutabaga's Reads 2013: Part 11

Here is another round of +Scholastic books. These were my first books by each of these authors. Please note that I am in no way connected to Scholastic except through my love of books and personal support of their brand.

            I thank my brother’s fiancée, Katie, for recommending Cinder!

The Apothecary (Oct. 4, 2011) by Maile Meloy.

It’s 1952, and Janie Scott is a fourteen-year-old who suddenly moves from Los Angeles to London. Her parents are television screenwriters. They’ve been blacklisted¹ by the House Committee on Un-American Activities². Still, Janie isn’t distraught by her parents’ predicament so much that she’s distraught for herself. The flat in London is cold, and Janie’s terribly homesick. On top of that, she has to wear a school uniform and learn Latin. But she meets Benjamin Burrows, son of the apothecary, and she’s moved by his defiance. Benjamin’s dad entrusts them with the Pharmacopoeia right before he goes missing. As they work to keep the book out of enemy hands, they uncover seemingly impossible things and encounter many faces. Who can they trust?

            I was pleasantly surprised by this middle-grade novel. It’s witty and inventive with enough intensity to move the plot along without making it scary and enough humor to keep it from being too serious. The book is part magic and part science with an element of history – a good choice for anyone who enjoys historical fantasy. There is mystery, danger and adventure. It contains the smallest bit of young romance, but it’s not enough that it should scare away a male readership. Make room in your imaginations for “The Apothecary!”

¹The Hollywood blacklist.

²This committee was abolished in 1975. (Yes, it was real!)

Cinder (Jan. 3, 2012) by Marissa Meyer.

In this future Earth, there are six Earthen countries. Linh Cinder resides in New Beijing, capital of the Eastern Commonwealth, and she’s a second-class citizen who’s more a possession than a body with rights. That’s because she’s a cyborg. She knows nothing of her past before she was eleven. She’s sixteen now and is a gifted mechanic. She pays her horrid stepmother’s bills. All of them. She has two stepsisters: one nice (Peony) and one not-so-nice (Pearl). Cinder’s life interconnects with Crown Prince Kaito’s, and she soon gains insight into his major stressors. His father, the emperor, is in the fourth and final stage of letumosis. No cure has been found for the disease, which covers the body in a bruise-colored rash. Fourth stage is reached once the finger tips turn blue-black. Furthermore, the ruthless Lunar people (they live on the moon) watch with Queen Levana trying to bedazzle her way onto an Earthen throne through the manipulation of bioelectricity. Any Lunar has this ability, except for shells. Queen Levana uses it for glossy bully purposes as much as for just plain evil ones. Cinder will find that her role will become far more important than simply being a cyborg-mechanic.

            I was initially unsure of “Cinder,” wondering if I’d like a book centered on a gifted-mechanic cyborg. It turns out that I did! “Cinder” is a YA science fiction book with fairytale ties set in a dystopian future. “Cinder” is not a remake of the Disney version of Cinderella, so don’t set yourself up for a classic retelling of that beloved story. It is Meyer’s take on the tale, and there are similarities. You may see the “pumpkin” in the car, and of course there’s the terrible stepmother. The characters are distinctive, and the storyline is decent. The book is perhaps too predictable at times, but the author’s writing is skilled, her world-building is sound, and the racism (even of an atypical kind) is still racism enough to rankle the nerves. This is the first book in a series.

Mockingbird (Apr. 15, 2010)  by Kathryn Erskine.

What would it be like to view everything in black and white? I’m not referring to TVs before they were in color. I’m talking about Caitlin Smith’s world. For her, everything is black or white, good or bad, easy or hard. She is an eleven-year-old with Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. Her brother, Devon, taught her and guided her, but he’s dead now. She wants to find closure after she learns the definition of it. Caitlin works with her school’s counselor, Mrs. Brook, who wants her to find friends, learn finesse (the tactful kind) and show empathy. She doesn’t want to, because it’s hard and sometimes she just Doesn’t Get It. But life is more than black or white, and Caitlin may find that it’s not all so bad or scary.

            A National Book Award Winner (2010), “Mockingbird” is a realistic, middle-grade fiction novel. While the sorrow of the story stems from a school shooting, it is not a book that focuses on violence. It is more a book that focuses on the healing (closure) of a main character who lives with Asperger’s and the grieving community. This is a fine selection, not just for middle school students learning about disorders and realistic tough stuff, but also for high school psychology classes as a discussion topic. While she doesn’t wear a snazzy suit or have superpowers, Caitlin is still a hero who works to learn more, understand more and be more, as we all should.

Pegasus: The Flame of Olympus (May 22, 2012) by Kate O’Hearn.

An unexpected thunderstorm is ravaging the East Coast with NYC in the heart of it. Its intensity seems unusual, but not as unusual as discovering that Pegasus – yes, the winged stallion – has crashed onto Emily Jacobs’ apartment building’s roof. Pegasus is injured and is displeased with Paelen’s actions. Paelen is an Olympian thief, and he’s in a tight bind elsewhere. Meanwhile, Olympus is in danger of being snuffed out by the Nirads, smelly stone giants of gray marble sporting four arms. The Roman gods struggle to defeat them. To complicate matters in NYC, Emily, her friend Joel, Olympian Diana and Pegasus are being pursued, not just by kill-thirsty Nirads, but also by the CRU (Central Research Unit). The CRU deals with “unexplained phenomena,” and all taken by them are never seen again. But it’s imperative they stay alive. They must retrieve Pegasus’ bridle and find Vesta’s Flame (Hestia, for those more familiar with the Greek) and save Olympus. Will anyone be lost? Will Olympus be restored?

            The story is energetic, and it is a decent tide-over for Rick Riordan fans. I still much prefer Riordan’s writing; however, a review quote of his was on the book, which is what prompted me to purchase this title. The pain and anger (yes, there is violence) make this story especially strong emotionally. There is also plenty of daring and adventure mixed with fantasy in this upper middle-grade tale. I appreciate this story of modern mythology combined with our world and how O’Hearn distinguishes her world from similar ones such as those from Riordan.