"Against the Tide" by Elizabeth Camden

Against the Tide (October 1, 2012) by Elizabeth Camden.*

Lydia Pallas grew up poor and then became an orphan on top of that in Boston in the latter part of the 1800s. She has the gift of language in her ability to quickly pick up vocabulary and understand sentence structure. This earns her a coveted career as a translator for the U.S. Navy. To secure such a professional job as a woman during this time is especially impressive. It is through her translator job that she catches the eye of the exceptionally attractive Alexander “Bane” Banebridge. He is driven to put a stop to the opium trade and has a tormented past because of that trade. His fight with it causes him to deny himself non-secret friends and loved ones, security and a permanent place to call home. When the enemy goes on the offensive, Bane resorts to a ploy he is not proud of. But Lydia is ready to jump in with both feet to help Bane. Can Lydia keep her wits about her? Can she overcome her obstacles? Will Bane maintain the upper hand?

            Camden’s novel gives readers a lot to think about, but in a very engrossing, constantly-moving book. I enjoyed this book immensely from the deepness of the history to the richness of detail with which Camden wrote to the denial of Lydia’s major issue to the internal battles of Bane and to the innocent romance and intensity of danger. I was riveted from the first page.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rutabaga's Reads 2012: Part 8

This is Part 8 of Rutabaga’s Reads 2012. It includes books I’ve read since Part 6 that are not picture books. What are you reading today? Let me know by commenting on Part 8’s post.

Breadcrumbs (Sept. 27, 2011) by Anne Ursu.

In a contemporary version of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Hazel Anderson does not fit. An adoptee from India, she is too imaginative, most of her classmates treat her with contempt or simply give her the cold shoulder, and she’s only stuck at the school to begin with because her parents have divorced and money is tight; therefore, she had to leave her previous school. But she has Jack Campbell, and they fit together like the pieces of a fantastic puzzle.

            Or they did.

            Overnight, Jack seemed to find her disdainful. He suddenly quit talking to her and then he went away. Because something happened. A mirror shard fell from the sky and happened into his unsuspecting eye, traveled to his heart and froze it. Hazel goes off on a quest to rescue her best friend, albeit “in ill-considered shoes, brave and completely unprepared.”

            “Breadcrumbs” is a middle-grade novel that takes place in Minnesota and mentions Minnesota Twins baseball player Joe Mauer in the storyline. Ursu writes a creative story that is part fantasy and part realistic fiction. It is magical, but the magic is subtle. Ursu expertly weaves the realism with allusions to the modern-day stories we’ve read (“Weren’t wizards good? Dumbledore’s a wizard.”), but also to the well-known tales of yesteryear (“… but all she knew about wolves was that you should never tell them how to find your grandmother’s house.”). While Hazel’s flighty imagination can be trying, she is a heroine, and even more importantly, she is an awesome best friend.

Juliet Immortal (Aug. 9, 2011) by Stacey Jay.

You think you know Romeo & Juliet’s star-crossed love story.

            But what if Juliet died so Romeo could gain immortality and join the Mercenaries of the Apocalypse? And what if, consequently, Juliet also gained immortality by joining the Ambassadors of Light? In this rendering of the greatest love story, this is precisely what happened. Romeo has spent centuries inhabiting deceased human bodies to recruit more Mercenaries through murder. Juliet has only returned to Earth about 30 times over the past 700 years. She works to bring soul mates together – to spread love and light.

            Juliet inhabits Ariel Dragland, who is not dead. She has to find the soul mates she should be helping and bring them together before Romeo negatively interferes. Romeo has reanimated the fresh corpse of Dylan Stroud. But extra trouble lurks. Juliet/Ariel can’t contact Nurse for details, and Romeo/Dylan is actually scared. Both are being watched.

            Juliet tries to mend Ariel’s relationships with her mom and with her best friend, the selfish Gemma Sloop. She even falls for Ben Luna before making a devastating discovery.

            Whether you accept – or scoff at – this take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, consider this book. Juliet/Ariel and Romeo/Dylan are well-developed characters even when supporting characters appear flat and underdeveloped. The full story of the Ambassadors and Mercenaries is unclear, but the main plot is intriguing. Besides, who doesn’t like the occasional love story with a twist? I expect fans of supernatural YA novels will enjoy this one.

Princess Academy (July 6, 2005) by Shannon Hale.

Have you ever dreamt of being a princess? Miri Larendaughter hasn’t, until eligible-age girls from their village home of Mount Eskel – in the kingdom of Danland – are summoned to a princess academy. To learn what? How to properly be a princess, of course! There are the usual subjects of Reading, Mathematics and Commerce, as well as the princess-forming subjects Poise, Conversation and Diplomacy. Studies are led by the harsh Tutor Olana, who makes it clear what she thinks of mountain girls, but fortunately knows not what quarry-speech is. They have a year’s time to learn to read for the first time and become as polished and poised as true princesses. The competition is strong. Who is chosen as the academy princess? Who catches the eye of Prince Steffan of Danland? When danger arrives by force and aggression, how are Miri and her classmates saved?

            This is a satisfying middle-grade story of tough work, hard studies, family, friends and where our hearts call home. For anyone who’s ever felt out of place in anything or felt wronged by unfairness, you’ll connect with Miri. She stands up for herself and for the fairness of the class, as she also strives to learn all that she’s never had the opportunity to. She struggles internally: with her feelings for Peder, how she can help her village and the possibility of becoming princess. They say that Home is where the heart is. Where does Miri’s heart tell her she belongs?

This Dark Endeavor (Aug. 23, 2011) by Kenneth Oppel.

Oppel writes a gothic prequel of Dr. Victor Frankenstein. In this version, Victor is a hot-headed, hot-blooded, attention-loving sixteen-year-old. He lives with his parents, two younger brothers and cousin, Elizabeth, at Chateau Frankenstein. In Oppel’s narrative, Victor also has a twin brother, Konrad. Victor, Konrad and Elizabeth stumble one day upon the Dark Library. It is filled with books on alchemy and ancient remedies. Their father discovers them there and forbids them to return, as it is illegal to practice alchemy. But when Konrad falls deathly ill, Victor is driven to find a cure. To procure the ingredients, Victor, Elizabeth and their friend, Henry, enlist the help of a disgraced alchemist named Julius Polidori. The ingredients are few, but obtaining them is dangerous and difficult. Victor is overly confident in the ability of the elixir. Can the Elixir of Life save his much-loved twin?

            Oppel creates a young Frankenstein who is on his way to becoming the mad scientist we know from Mary Shelley’s novel. Victor is perhaps unlike the protagonists we are used to reading – those who are, for the most part, easily likeable – but that is part of what makes Oppel’s tale so appealing. “This Dark Endeavor” is an excellent prequel to Shelley’s work and honors it well. It has enough horror and romance to push it into gothic territory, enough history and science to feed the story without muddling it, and it has bursts of humor to prevent it from reading too darkly. There were a couple particularly tough parts to read, but it otherwise read very quickly. I won’t be surprised if a movie version is made of Oppel’s creation.

Unbroken: A Ruined Novel (Feb. 1, 2013) by Paula Morris.*

Rebecca Brown (“Ruined,” see Part 1) has returned to New Orleans (NOLA), a city of beauty and ghosts. After the events of the previous year, the last thing Rebecca wants or expects to see is a ghost. Now cue a teenage boy with intensely blue eyes named Frank O’Connor. He’s looking for a lost item that led to his death in 1873 and will trap him if it isn’t found soon. Complications arise as Rebecca strives to help. Not enough time. Aloof, maybe-boyfriend Anton Grey. Keeping secrets. Threats from vengeful ghost Gideon Mason. Unhinged Toby Sutton. Rebecca’s vacation to NOLA isn’t a vacation. It’s a high-stress trip tougher than a school project. Can she help Frank before he’s trapped for eternity? Can she open up to others about the spirit world? Will Toby get his revenge?

            This is another enjoyable YA story from Morris. Rebecca did spend a decent amount of time completing wonderful volunteer work, but it occasionally detracted from the ghost world. That said, I do see how Morris used the volunteerism backdrops to allow Rebecca to have a ghostly chat or put a visual to a verbal description. “Unbroken” is a fast-paced, engaging read. If you like ghosts. And some non-scary suspense.

* This is a Scholastic purchase, and the edition is only available through the school market.

"At Every Turn" by Anne Mateer

At Every Turn (Sept. 1, 2012) by Anne Mateer.*

In 1916, Alyce Benson is a 22-year-old graduate of the Chicago Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. She is impetuous, but has a heart that is full of faith and compassion toward others. Alyce loves to attend church, as her grandmother did when she was physically stronger and had her sight. Alyce found her connection to religion through her grandmother, although neither of her parents attend. One Sunday, Alyce hears the story of a missionary couple. She wants to help, not just after hearing their words, but seeing pictures of dear young faces who have so little, and she, with her wealthy father, has such abundance. Impulsively, she stands up and pledges three thousand dollars to the mission of Mr. and Mrs. McConnell. She challenges the church membership to rise up and match her pledge.

            Unfortunately, her father does not simply hand over the money. Frantic, Alyce tries to come up with ideas to raise the funds herself. What is she good at? Driving fast! With the assistance of Webster Little, her father’s mechanic, Alyce trains and competes in a few car races.

            Races with cars to be driven by men only.

            But Alyce is determined to help those children through the missionaries, and she is desperate to raise the money she pledged so publicly. Her heart is in a good place, for she wants to help so much. But she will have to juggle her secrets and the stories associated with them. When she’s left in a big quandary, can she trust the Lord to lead her out of it? Will she allow Him to mold and shape her in His own way?

            Mateer creates a subtle heroine in Alyce. She is not a weapon-wielding warrior-woman on an action-adventure chase. No. Alyce’s heroine is demure with a penchant for driving fast and being around automobiles. She’s a heroine to those who are down on their luck and is a caring friend as well. Mateer’s research into the time period is both obvious and appreciated. Her characters seem real, and the story progressed smoothly. While I did not love the book, I did like it. It may be of particular interest to those who enjoy historical fiction and/or Christian fiction and/or car racing stories with a female protagonist.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of (No) Material Connection

[Edited 4/14/2013]

This Disclosure of (No) Material Connection applies to most of the posts on The Reading Rutabaga blog. Unless noted specifically as otherwise, I HAVE NOT received any compensation for writing my book summaries and reviews. I have no material connection to the authors, artists or publishers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


[Original Post]

Due to a summary/review that I will post as an otherwise, I want to include a Disclosure of (No) Material Connection, which applies to the books/posts prior to today that I’ve blogged about and will likely apply to most of the books I summarize/review in the future. Unless noted specifically as otherwise, I have not received any compensation for writing my book summaries and reviews. I have no material connection to the authors, artists or publishers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”