The Life She Was Given

by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Jan 28-Feb 10, 2018

Warning. This is not a book for adults. This is a YA book hiding in plain sight as credible, adult fiction. It's funny that the more I dislike a book, the more I have to say about it. Fundamentally and technically, there is so much wrong.

Let's start with the spelling and grammatical errors. The book alternates chapters between Lilly (in the 1930s) and Julia (in the 50s). At one point, Julia became "Julie" for a sentence or two. I thought I was losing my mind until I realized it was an error! That's pretty hard to overlook. Every new chapter started with a one-sentence synopsis of what happened two chapters earlier, and the pattern was exactly the same. Out of 34 chapters, 20 of them started with "After {the incident}..." It's as though the author isn't giving the reader credit for remembering what happened just a few pages before. Definitely a YA formula. While this is no literary feat, there were sentences that actually made me laugh out loud:

"The headless dressmaker's dummy seemed to be watching, judging her for searching the house."

Haha! I could go on, but I think my point is clear. Fundamentally, Julia living in the 1950s is poorly visualized. She's written more like a young woman in the present day. The overarching themes of the story became increasingly uncomfortable with every page. Lilly is presented as an albino simply because she has porcelain skin. This was misleading, misinformed and a cop out attempting to add suspense to the big reveal in the end. The animal cruelty was excruciating to read and not something that I think adds interest, only a shock value. Add these two themes to the Big Top and yet another hilarious line:

"Because where else would an albino, a lifelong circus performer, and an elephant have any sort of chance at starting over?"

Don't we all wonder the same thing?!!? Wiseman is touted as an "acclaimed, best-selling author" who got her inspiration from the Flowers in the Attic series. Sorry, you are no V.C. Andrews and I found nothing but flaws in this ridiculous novel.

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A Monster Calls

by Patrick Ness
Sept 24-Oct 2, 2016

I began this book knowing very little. It was simply recommended to me by a friend and fellow book-lover. All he told me was that it was heart breaking; be prepared to sob at the end. So I steeled myself and read A Monster Calls in one week. I typically try to read only current releases because there's just not enough time and so many great new books that if it's over two years old, I tell myself I've missed the boat. But with strong influence from my trusted pal, I jumped.

This is heavy, heavy reading for young adults. Even for not-so-young adults. While it won about a jillion awards, I kept trying to decide if it would be a book I could recommend to my 11-year old niece (it's intended for ages 12-17, but of course my niece is brilliant and could easily comprehend this story). The final consensus though was that I cannot. It's just too sad. The best part about reading is escaping reality, and a book centered around a child whose mother is dying of cancer, is just too real. Not that the message wasn't wonderful – it was.

Ness masterfully wove a narrative about coping, strength and simply "letting go." The metaphor of the yew tree was perfect. I think because I was warned about the emotional ending, I was better prepared, so I didn't cry. I didn't let myself get overly invested. I'd say that anyone over 15 will connect with this book.

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My Awesome Awful Popularity Plan

by Seth Rudetsky
June 2013

It's no secret that I love Broadway shows. LOVE. In my head I'm a triple threat. I only wish I was in real life. Dream job. And to quote Seth, "anyhooo..."

Who is Seth Rudetsky you may ask? Well if you listen to the Broadway channel on Sirius, you already know (come on, don't roll your eyes at me, it's a great channel!). He knows everything there is about Broadway musicals and has a highly entertaining interview show that I never miss. So when I heard about this book, and it was on sale on Audible, I just had to get it. Even though it was touted as young adult, I was still interested because it's narrated by a bunch of great actors, like Megan Hilty (oh Smash, I miss you already!!) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, of Modern Family fame.

Justin is a 15-year old high school sophomore struggling with his sexuality and popularity (or lack thereof). When he develops a plan to get the cutest boy in high school to like him, meanwhile becoming super popular, he finds he is losing his best friend, Spencer, in the process. Popularity Plan is funny, poignant and the perfect book for audio.

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