Audio Review: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Narrated by: Cassandra Morris
Title: Elsewhere

Publisher: Listening Library

Format:Unabridged Audio CD

Length: 7 hrs: 3 mins

Publication: 2005

Source: Library

Amazon|Goodreads|Website

Goodreads Summary: Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.

Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

My thoughts: This story is about coming to terms with change. Zevin makes the hereafter real and something to look forward too. We have all wondered "what happens after I die?" Liz Hall gets to find out all too soon. Liz dies in a tragic accident. She is really struggling with the fact that she is dead and the circumstances of the afterlife. Getting to experience all the stages of grief with Liz was emotional. I laughed and cried right alone with her. Elsewhere is very similar to traditional ideals of heaven, beautiful, no growing older, and no sickness. Liz spends a lot of time whining and scheming. Her behavior is understandable. She had so much to live for and so many plans. Liz breaks the rules, makes new friends, and finds love. This is a great book, depending on what's going on in your life it could be extra emotional. 

This was my first time listening to an audio narrated by Cassandra Morris. She did an excellent job. Her narration made Liz real. I enjoyed how she would change her voice and tone for the other characters in the story. She was able to keep my attention and evoked emotion when necessary. I will defiantly listen to another audio narrated by her. 

Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Unspoken
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publication: September 11, 2012

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Source: Publisher via netgalley

Genre: Young Adult

Audience: 12 and up

Website|Amazon |Goodreads

Summary
Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

My Thoughts: Kami is just a regular girl with one exception, she has an imaginary friend. She knows this isn't normal so she keeps her conversations with Jared to herself. It's easier if everyone thinks she outgrew her imaginary friend years ago. Kami has started a school newspaper and is looking for a story to crack. A lead sends Kami to investigate mysterious happenings in the woods. Each step she takes leads her to the newly returned Lynburn family and her no longer imaginary friend. To top everything someone is trying to kill Kami. The mysteries leave Kami wondering who is trying to kill her and who can she trust. 

Kami is an inquisitive and feisty girl. She's not scared of much, especially since she is never alone.  At times she seems reckless in her pursuit to crack the case. I'm not sure if she is really reckless or if this is just a front.  

Jared is a conundrum. He wants to come across as the strong bad boy, and he does this well. I'm not sure that is how he really is. I know he is confused by Kami being real and that has an affect on his behavior, but who he really is is cloudy. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow for me in the beginning but it picked up quickly. My favorite parts of the book include the unspoken dialogue between Kami and Jared, and when they bump into each other and find out that they are real. Their reaction to their realness was a little surprising to me. I enjoyed that even though there is a love interest and a possible love triangle the story is not too steamy. I found the ending shocking. I'm looking forward to the next book. I have so many questions and need answers. 

Review: Wintergirls by Laurie H. Anderson

Author:Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Wintergirls

Publisher:Viking Juvenille 

Publication: March 19, 2009

Source: Library

Rating: 5 out 5

Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat.Must.Not. Eat Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. Must.Not. Eat. 

Thoughts:This is an emotionally raw and compelling read. It gives realistic insight into the mental, physical and internal struggle of an anorexic teen. Lia struggles to cope with the death of her friend Cassie, so much so that she feels haunted by her. They made a pact to be the thinnest they can possibly be and of course this is a very unhealthy thing to do. Not only is Lia starving herself, she is a cutter. She doesn't comprehend the damage she is doing to her family, especially her little sister, Emma, who is more perceptive than she realizes. Lia will never be satisfied until that scale reads zero and by then she will beyond reach. The author does a great job of immersing the reader into Lia's mind and I like how the chapters are set up like weight on the scale, like 001.00 as so on. The characters are well developed and real. Stories such as this are hard to forget, they linger and it's hard not to feel what the characters go through. I believe that this is a book worth reading. 

Review: E is for Eggplant by Buddy Mays

Title: E is for Eggplant
Author: Buddy Mays
Publication: July 26, 2012
Publisher: Earthworm Publishing
Source: Author
Genre: Children’s
Audience: 4 and up

Website|Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Smashwords

Summary

Yams in disguise, zucchinis in bikinis, corn being cool, green onions with grins, all make learning the alphabet loads of fun for young readers. Wonderfully written and illustrated by author and prize-winning photographer Buddy Mays, E is for Eggplant, is a fun, funny book of rhymes and pictures that every child will want to hear and see over and over. Great for teaching kids about scrumptious healthy foods and their ABCs at the same time.

My Thoughts: I was not sure how this book would go over at my house. It was a hit. Jessie (my official unofficial assistant reviewer) loved this book. We had to read it 5 times back to back. The pictures are incredible. Jessie loved the faces in the fruits and vegetables. She also noticed a little frog and it became a game to find the frog in every picture (I had not noticed the frog when I looked over the book). Jessie and I talked about each of the fruits and veggies pictures and she is interested in trying a few of them out. We also spent a good bit of time laughing at the pictures and making our own jokes. The ABC's have never been so fun. This is a fun and educational read. If you have children this will be a great edition to your child's reading collection. 

Amped: A Novel (Audiobook)

Author:  Daniel H. Wilson

Title: Amped: A Novel

Publication: June 5, 2012

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: Adult, Adventure, Science Fiction, Futuristic

Pages: 288
Length: 8 1/2 hours

Audience: 18 and up

Rating: 3.5 out 5

Source: Public Library

 Favorite Quote: "I'd rather be weird and know it than be a stupid ass."- Nick


Synopsis (from the cover):
 Twenty-nine-year-old high school teacher Owen Gray had long ago come to terms with the tiny device in his head, which was implanted to control the seizures he suffered in his youth. Owen's "amp" gave him a normal life, even though he question where his brain ended and the computer began. 
But when the Supreme Court rules that "amplified" humans like Owen are not protected by the same basic laws as pure humans, his world in downtown Pittsburgh instantly fractures. Before he can get his bearings, Owen receives desperate news from his father, the doctor who originally implanted Owen's "amp". He confides a dangerous secret: Owen's "amp" has the potential o do something extraordinary- and there are people who will come for him, and want to kill him for what is in his head. 
Owen begins a harrowing journey to a dusty community in rural Oklahoma where he finds the one man who can explain his true abilities He also meets Lyle Crosby, whose stunning physical abilities and ruthless ideas show Owen how to harness his own startling gifts- but also threaten to drawn him into a dark world from which there may be no moral return.

My thoughts:
This book has been on my mind ever since I read it. I want to know why it bothered me so much to listen to this book. I've read books by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of books like Fight Club, Diary, Rant, Choke, etc. He isn't an easy author to read. His books are very graphic, gritty, dirty, and painful. I've watched graphic movies and TV shows like Dexter, The Expendables, etc. and I've had to look away every now and then because it was hard to watch. I think I didn't like the book for three reasons 1. I was listening to it with my boyfriend who loved it, and felt bad if I turned it off (we were on a looooong road trip). 2. I can look away at graphic scenes or I can imagine them less graphic when I'm reading. However, when something is being read to me in a certain tone...I can't exactly stop or look away...I just listen and imagine. 3. This book scared me because I can see medical implants with chips coming into existence in my lifetime, and having to deal with the issues the people in the book had to deal with. I will go out on a limb and call this book a boy book. A friend of my boyfriend suggested it and he and my boyfriend loved it. If you like really gritty books and science fiction, then I recommend it. It may not be so bad if you read it, but listening to it was so hard for me. There were times I know I had to look goofy because the details were so painful that I was making pained and disgusted faces for most of our trip. As for the idea and the storyline- I loved it. I think the way the book was written with little snippets from news blogs and historical documents was really cool. The characters were well written that I could actually imagine people I know as some of the characters. I love the quotes in the first chapter of the novel because it talks about how reliant we are on technology that it is inside of us, taking over us. I enjoyed the book overall, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it instead of listening to it.

Thoughts on Leven Thumps Series by Obert Skye

How did you stumble across Leven Thumps?

Cricket: Um, I work in a library...and I'm always browse the childrens' department for something to listen to in car. Don't like having to hear all that radio repetition, it works my nerves after awhile.

Ashna: Cricket told me that I should listen to the audio. She knows that I spend an hour in the car daily and need new audios to listen to. 

Who is your favorite Character?Why?

Cricket: Clover! He is just so mischievous, adorable and funny. Love him!!

Ashna: I agree with Cricket. Clover is the best. You never know what he is going to say or do. (Or what his food will do to you)

What to you think the narrator's ability to portray the characters and Foo?

Cricket: I think E.B. Stevens does an awesome job of breathing life into the characters. Skye has created a wonderful fantasy world.

Ashna: He did an amazing job. All the characters are so real and distinctive.  

Do you think this works well in audio format?

Cricket: Yes, because I listened to all but one of the books, as the library didn't have them all and I found I preferred the audio. I think I was spoiled by that point, needed to hear all the sounds and different voices.

Ashna: Yes, Stevens gives so much life to the story. It's really a performance. 

Would you like to see this made into a movie?

Cricket: I think it would be a cute movie, if the right cast is found to pull it off. I was be thrilled to see Clover on the big screen. I was doing some research and saw that the author optioned away the movie rights,but nothing has happened yet. Excited!!

Ashna: Yes, I would love to see the characters come to life. Especially Clover.  

So, would you recommend this series?

Cricket: Definetly, there is even a spin-off series Beyond Foo, which follows Geth and Clover on new adventure. I think this whole series is great read for boys and girls. They will fall in love with the magic of Foo.

Ashna: Yes. This is a great series suitable for all ages. It has humor, mystery, suspense, and no series is complete with out a love interest. 

What would your sycophant be like?

Cricket: A male like Clover, with humor and cuteness. His name would be Bandit.

Ashna: I would want a female sycophant. A pale pink color. She needs to be fiesty yet sweet. She must to get along with Cricket's sycophant since they will be spending time together. We can't have them fighting. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Gotham City Sirens Volume 2: Songs of the Sirens

Author: Paul Dini

Illustrator: Tony Bedard

Title:Gotham City Sirens Volume 2: Song of the Sirens

Publication: November 29, 2011

Publisher: DC Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Villains

Pages: 168

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): 
Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn--they're beautiful, they're deadly, and for the first time in their lives, all three are trying to fly the straight and narrow. Can they trade their lives as supervillains for a life as (relatively) normal roommates?

Easier said than done. Especially when maniacs are killing innocents and making it look like the Sirens are the culprits, when Ivy's new civilian identity proves murderously difficult to maintain, and when Catwoman's sister comes to town to rider her of the demon she believes possesses her...and rid her of her life in the process

My thoughts:
The sexy lady villains of Gotham are back! I know there are only 4 books of the Gotham City Sirens, but I'm hoping to goodness that someone will want to continue their storyline. I know this will probably never happen, but I can have my hopes and dreams. There isn't much to say except I love these graphic novels. I've been reading them as soon as I have time to read anything. The ladies are trying so hard to be good, but the shenanigans they get into are over the top. I find the problems that keep finding them to be funny. It is so hard to be good, when all you have ever been is bad. The girls do their best though. This graphic novel was a  bit weird just because Catwoman's sister appears and become a warrior nun, which was over the top. The storyline for that was not fully resolved, and I hope it is in the next one or even in the final graphic novel. Poison Ivy is trying to be a regular person and finds a day job. And, Harley Quinn is the same old Harley Quinn. I urge you to step of your book boundaries and TRY a graphic novel. The Gotham City Sirens takes about an hour to an hour and a half to read, and it is funny, has a good storyline, and the ladies are kicking butt throughout the entire graphic novel. I promise, you won't be disappointed!