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Review: The Julian Chapter by R.J. Palacio

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The Julian Chapter  R.J. Palacio Genre: MG  Contemporary Ebook: 84 Pages Publication: May 13, 2014 by Knopf BFYR From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in the pages of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder , it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie's story through six different viewpoints, Julian's perspective was never shared. Readers could only guess what he was thinking. Until now. The Julian Chapter will finally reveal the bully's side of the story. Why is Julian so unkind to Auggie? And does he have a chance for redemption? Review In her FAQs page, R.J. Palacio mentions that Julian doesn't have his own chapter in Wonder  because he never bothers to get to know Auggie and thus doesn't have something to contribute to Auggie's story. It's true that Julian doesn't show much depth as a character in Auggie's story. In fact, he seems like a bully who enjo...

Review: Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams

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Ruthless Carolyn Lee Adams Genre: YA  Crime ,  Thriller , Hardback: 256 Pages Publication: July 14, 2015 by Simon Pulse A spine-tingling debut about the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse in reverse as a teen struggles to retain hope—and her sanity—while on the run from a cunning and determined killer. Ruth Carver has always competed like her life depends on it. Ambitious. Tough. Maybe even mean. It’s no wonder people call her Ruthless. When she wakes up with a concussion in the bed of a moving pickup truck, she realizes she has been entered into a contest she can’t afford to lose. At a remote, rotting cabin deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ruth’s blindfold comes off and she comes face-to-face with her captor. A man who believes his mission is to punish bad girls like Ruth. A man who has done this six times before. The other girls were never heard from again, but Ruth won’t go down easy. She escapes into the wilderness, but her hunter is close at her heels. That’s when the real b...

Review: Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

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Trigger Warning Neil Gaiman Genre: Short Story Anthology Hardback: 310 Pages Publication: February 3, 2015 by William Morrow In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well "Black Dog," a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods , exclusive to this collection. Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. Review Trigger Warning  is an eclectic collection of short stories that range from the fantastic and weird to the horrific and macabre. Short ...

Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

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Walk on Earth a Stranger Rae Carson Genre: YA  historical ,  fantasy Hardback: 432 Pages Publication: September 22, 2015 by Greenwillow Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes. Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more. She also has a secret. Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it. When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey. Review Walk on Earth a Stranger  renewed my love of historical fiction—in ...

Review: The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

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The Last Time We Say Goodbye Cynthia HAnd Genre: YA  Contemporary ,  Tragedy Hardback: 400 Pages Publication: February 10, 2015 by Harper Teen There's death all around us. We just don't pay attention. Until we do. The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment. Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be. As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything. Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on. Review The Last Time We Said Goodbye  is so good and so very sad. I love when novels portray strong positive family relations, but it also makes me th...

Review: Mendocino Fire by Elizabeth Tallent

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Mendocino Fire Elizabeth Tallent Genre: Short Story Anthology Hardback: 272 Pages Publication: October 20, 2015 by Harper The son of an aging fisherman becomes ensnared in a violent incident that forces him to confront his broken relationship with his father. A woman travels halfway across the country to look for her ex-husband, only to find her attention drawn in a surprising direction. A millworker gives safe harbor to his son's pregnant girlfriend, until an ambiguous gesture upsets their uneasy equilibrium. These and other stories—of yearning, loss, and tentative new connections—come together in Mendocino Fire , the first new collection in two decades from the widely admired Elizabeth Tallent. Diverse in character and setting, rendered in an exhilarating, exacting prose, these stories confirm Tallent's enduring gift for capturing relationships in moments of transformation: marriages breaking apart, people haunted by memories of old love and reaching haltingly toward new futu...

Review: Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne

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Angel Killer Andrew Mayne Series: Jessica Blackwood #1 Genre:  Crime ,  Thriller ,  Urban Fantasy Paperback: 368 Pages Publication: September 23, 2014 by Bourbon Street Books FBI agent Jessica Blackwood believes she's left her complicated life as a gifted magician behind her . . . until a killer with seemingly supernatural powers puts her talents to the ultimate test. A hacker who identifies himself only as "Warlock" brings down the FBI's website and posts a code in its place that leads to a Michigan cemetery, where a dead girl is discovered rising from the ground . . . as if she tried to crawl out of her own grave. Born into a dynasty of illusionists, Jessica Blackwood is destined to become its next star—until she turns her back on her troubled family to begin a new life in law enforcement. But FBI consultant Dr. Jeffrey Ailes's discovery of an old magic magazine will turn Jessica's world upside down. Faced with a crime that appears beyond explanation, Ailes ...

Review: Unforgiven by Lauren Kate

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Unforgiven Lauren Kate Genre: YA  Paranormal Romance Hardback: 400 Pages Publication: November 10, 2015 by Delacorte Press High school can be hell. Cam knows what it’s like to be haunted. He’s spent more time in Hell than any angel ever should. And his freshest Hell is high school, where Lilith, the girl he can’t stop loving, is serving out a punishment for his crimes. Cam made a bet with Lucifer: he has fifteen days to convince the only girl who really matters to him to love him again. If he succeeds, Lilith will be allowed back into the world, and they can live their lives together. But if he fails…there’s a special place in Hell just for him. Tick-tock. Review When I went back to reread my reviews of the previous books in the Fallen  series, a line from my review of Fallen in Love  jumped out at me: "My only regret is that Cam wasn't in the mood for celebrating Valentine's Day along with everyone else, as I would have loved to read his story—and find out more about his...

Movie Monday: John Wick

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John Wick Directed by: Chad Stahelski and David Leitch Genre: Neo-Noir, Action, Thriller Running time: 101 minutes Released: 2014 Distributed by Summit Entertainment & Lionsgate Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John's prized car and kill the puppy that was a last gift from his wife, John unleashes the remorseless killing machine within and seeks vengeance. Meanwhile, Iosef's father (Michael Nyqvist) — John's former colleague — puts a huge bounty on John's head. John Wick is a refreshingly simple action film. It’s whimsical yet satisfying and is an action film in every sense. It brings endless scenes of all kinds of badass action, with depictions of the underworld, martial arts, gunfights, and even John Wick’s own gun-fu style of combat. It comes with a paper-thin plot but ...

Review: Dead Boy by Laurel Gale

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Dead Boy Laurel Gale Genre: MG  Fantasy ,  Zombies Paperback: 256 Pages Publication: September 29, 2015 by Crown Books for Young Readers Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a life. Crow Darlingson died in the 4th grade. But he’s still alive. And growing, actually. He can’t eat or taste anything, his body parts sometimes fall off (mom always sews them back on, though), and he’s only allowed to leave his house once per year, on Halloween. Crow’s parents are separating, and despite their reassurances, he’s pretty sure it’s his fault. After all, having an undead son can’t be much easier than being one. Sneaking out at night only makes things worse, but he can’t resist the chance at a real friendship with Melody Plympton, the new girl next door, who loves mystery more than she minds the stink of his flesh or the maggots that sometimes crawl out of his nose. Together they investigate the mysterious Meera - a monster living in the nearby park. Logic and fear tell ...

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