Reading Reflection: 2021

 

It's almost the end of the year, and that means that it's time to reflect on how my reading goals went. This was a mixed year overall for me. I accomplished some major bookish milestones, but I often didn't enjoy myself while doing it. I ended up reading several very long classics that I either didn't love or was completely exhausted by, and those took away from the amount that I could read based on my mood. I was also a bit unlucky in what I chose to pick up when I could engage in mood reading. While I did find a few things I enjoyed, I didn't end up adding much to my all-time favorites list. 

I don't mean to be negative though--I'm still really happy with how I performed! Here's the breakdown for this year:

My Goodreads goal was to read 50 books, and I ended up reading 60. I did surpass my goal, but I fell far short of the 91 books I read in 2020. The reason for this was the aforementioned stack of long classics I ended up reading for my Classics Club Challenge. I'm hoping to bump this number up next year and get back to enjoying some shorter books again. You can view my year in reading here.

This year, I completed my Classics Club Challenge! I finished about a month early, bringing my five year quest to read 100 classic novels to an end. This was the most difficult year of the challenge for me by far. I had to read Gravity's Rainbow, which was extremely long and awful, and Les Misérables, which was extremely long and wonderful. I also had to read War and Peace again, but unabridged this time, so it would count. It felt pretty grueling at times, but I finished the whole thing. It was definitely the biggest reading accomplishment of my life so far. You can a longer version of my thoughts on it here.

Of course, I also finished the Back to the Classics Challenge for the seventh year in a row. I had a great time with it, like I always do. My wrap up post is here.

The last challenge I set for myself in 2021 was my Clear the Shelves Challenge. I set myself a goal of reading 50 books from my shelves and deciding whether to keep or donate them. I also aimed to acquire less books throughout the year. 

I did buy fewer books that I usually do. I wasn't as good here as I wanted to be, but I was still generally successful at reducing how much I added to my collection. Sadly, I didn't reach 50 books read from my shelves, but I did read 33 of them. I decided to keep 11 of those and added 22 to the donate pile. So basically, I was partially successful at this challenge. You can see all the books I read for this here.  

And that's all for 2021! As I said before, this year was both very successful for me and a little underwhelming too. I felt like I was on the verge of a reading slump for a lot of the time, and I totally did it to myself by having to read so many long classics in the same year. Without the Classics Club challenge to deal with in 2022, I'm hoping to read more than ever and focus on picking books I will enjoy. That's what this is all supposed to be about anyway, right? 

December Wrap Up

 

Well, the end of December is finally here and I was bafflingly successful with my reading. With most of my challenges over for the year, I took this month to just read randomly from my shelves. I powered through quite a few books and felt pretty good doing it. I ended up reading a lot of really excellent stuff. All in all, it's probably the best reading month I've had in 2021.

I finished:

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lại

Bad Sister by Cherise Mericle Harper

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Another Kind by Cait May and Trevor Bream

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

The People of Sparks by Jeanna DuPrau

The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau

The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

From the Earth to the Moon (reread) by Jules Verne

I think my favorite read of the month was Another Kind, a middle grades graphic novel with a lot of heart and a fun, science fiction/fantasy storyline. I also really enjoyed City of Ember, a classic middle grades dystopian novel that truly deserves all the acclaim it has received. I liked that one so much that I went on to read the whole series this month! 

My least favorite read this month was The Prophet of Yonwood, the third and weakest book in the Book of Ember series. It was a prequel to the other books and was not very engaging. Even so, it wasn't unreadable by any means. I didn't read any books this month that I would consider to be "bad".

I'm deep into finalizing my reading goals for 2022, so the end of the month is a busy time for me. I have reading challenges I want to do and I'm going to try something new as well--a physical reading journal. I'm hoping to carry all the momentum I'm enjoying now into the new year! 

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

 

With 2021 winding down, I was looking for another quick read to fill time with until January, when my new reading goals will begin. I settled on Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, a young adult contemporary book that I have had sitting on my shelf for years now. I'd read Dumplin' by this same author back in 2015 and I liked it well enough, so I figured that this would be a pretty safe pick. I started in on it expecting another heartfelt, emotional read, and I wasn't disappointed.

The plot of the novel follows Ramona, a high school senior living in the small town of Eulogy, Mississippi. Hurricane Katrina displaced her family when she was just a baby, and she's been living in a rundown trailer with her father and older sister Hattie ever since. Things have never been easy for her--her father is well-meaning but a bit scattered. He barely earns enough at his hotel kitchen job to scrape by. Hattie is Ramona's best friend, but she doesn't make the best choices. Ramona generally has to follow behind her and pick up the pieces when she messes up. There's a lot of pressure on her to help take care of everyone. 

As the novel begins, several changes are taking place. Ramona's summer girlfriend Grace is returning back to her home, which is hours away. Their romance was brief, but intense, and while they are trying to maintain the relationship long-distance, Ramona is mourning the loss. Hattie has also just announced that she is pregnant, and the impending baby adds even more tension and uncertainty to the household. On a more positive note, Freddie, a childhood friend from Ramona's past, has just moved to the area, and he is quickly becoming a very close friend. Before long, Ramona starts to develop romantic feelings for him, which is deeply confusing for her. She has always considered herself a lesbian. Freddie is the first boy she has ever been attracted to, and she's not sure what that means for herself. 

As the year goes on and Hattie's pregnancy progresses, Ramona tries to sort out a wide array of feelings. She struggles with confusion, anxiety and sadness. She feels pressured and trapped by her needy family. She grows closer to Freddie romantically. She discovers a love of swimming, but is depressed by the fact that she can't fully commit to it due to work and her other home obligations. It's a lot for one person to handle. In order to move forward with her life in a healthy way, Ramona must make decisions that  put herself first, but learning to do that is anything but easy for her.

This book was really good, and everything I expected from a Julie Murphy novel. It was very emotional and Ramona was a relatable character that was easy to root for. I liked the overall theme of putting yourself first sometimes, as this is something I struggle with as well. All throughout the story, Ramona puts so much pressure on herself to be everything for everyone, and it ends up making her very stressed out and unhappy. It is only once she decides to take a chance on herself that she is able to move forward and find some fulfillment and peace. I think this is a good message that a lot of readers need to hear. 

The novel is definitely very character-focused, so it's good that I was invested in Ramona's journey of personal growth. There's not a whole lot of plot events to speak of. This is one of those quiet, everyday life kind of stories where you watch the characters struggle and get emotionally invested in their journeys. I already spoke about how I enjoyed Ramona, and I found myself liking a lot of the supporting characters as well. Hattie was a total screwup, but her relationship with Ramona was so lovely that I often found myself feeling bad for her. Freddie was such a kind and thoughtful character, I ended up wishing I knew him in real life. Ramona's friends Ruth and Saul were interesting to read about as well, each with their own flaws and issues to deal with. The characters that you are supposed to dislike, like Ramona's drunk, largely absent mom, and Hattie's deadbeat boyfriend Tyler are very realistically annoying. Everyone was well-written and Murphy did a good job of creating a very real-feeling depiction of life in a small, Southern town. I have to mention that the representation was great here as well, with characters of many different sexualities, ethnicities, body types, and economic backgrounds included. Murphy does a good job incorporating some of the struggles that come along with those things into the text.

If I had to level one criticism at the book, it would be that some of the teen characters read more like people in their twenties. Outside of Freddie, no characters are too concerned about doing things like getting permission to go places, attending classes, or keeping up with family obligations. They work jobs like serving and bartending that they should be too young to do and frequently drink like college students. In the case of Ramona, this is intentional, to emphasize how she's had to grow up too soon, but for the other characters, I kept forgetting they were supposed to be in high school. It really didn't seem like they were. This wasn't enough of a distraction to make me dislike the book though. It was just an element that felt a little bit off.

All around, this was a very enjoyable read. Both young adults and older readers can enjoy its themes of self-love and acceptance and enjoy its beautiful writing style. It's probably not one that I would want to reread, so it will go on my donate pile for others to enjoy in the future. I'm glad to have had the experience of reading it though, and I'm sure I'll get around to reading more of Julie Murphy's work in the future.

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 33/50 (donate)

Total Books Read in 2021: 58

City of Ember: Books 2-4 by Jeanne DuPrau

 

I wrote a few weeks about about how much I enjoyed City of Ember, the first in a quartet of middle grade dystopia novels by Jeanne DuPrau. I liked it so much that I ended up ordering the rest of the books in the series from eBay immediately after finishing it (for the original cover designs). When they arrived, I powered through them over the course of a week or so. I figured that I'd combine my reviews for those three remaining books into one post.

**There will be spoilers for the series throughout these reviews.** 

Book 2 - The People of Sparks

This novel picks up right where the first book left off, with Lina and Doon emerging from Ember into the world above. They manage to help most of the rest of their people escape from the city behind them, and after four days of walking they arrive at a town named Sparks. Sparks is a small community, and the people there are just starting to become successful with their farming and trading. They certainly do not have the resources to absorb all the people of Ember - it would more than double their total population. They don't want to turn them all away though, so the leaders of Sparks vote to take on the people of Ember for six months, during which time they will teach them the basics of how to build a town.

Things start off well enough, but the people of Ember have a lot to learn. As people that have lived underground their whole lives, they have to learn all about the sun, the moon, weather, the seasons, animals, and more. They also have a lot of catching up to do with history. They discover that they have emerged into a world recovering from a series of wars and pandemics known as "The Disaster." The population of the world has been decimated and there is no more electricity or technology to make life easier. In this way, they have both more and less in Sparks than they had in Ember. Making the adjustment is quite difficult for them. Before long, their seeming ignorance, combined with the amount of food and resources they consume, start to rub the Sparks citizens the wrong way. Tensions begin to rise between the groups and soon, a war between them becomes a possibility.

Lina and Doon are caught up in this conflict in different ways. Lina sneaks away with a traveling trader to try and find a new city for the people of Ember to relocate to. Doon becomes friends with Tick, an aggressive young Emberite that tries to lead the group into war with the people of Sparks. They both must make decisions to try and ease the growing tensions and avert another disaster that could bring their second chance to an abrupt end.

This book was also very good, and a worthy sequel to book one. I thought it was interesting to explore how the people of Ember might try to integrate back into society, and I liked learning more details about what happened to the world on the surface. The conflict with the people of Sparks was engaging too, though many elements of that ended up being a little simplistic. The problems between the groups mostly revolved around squabbles over food and accusations of laziness, and I think more complex issues probably would have arisen if these two groups were thrown together in real life. I didn't mind that much though, because this is a middle grades novel, so the problems that came up were appropriate for the novel's intended audience. The eventual resolution to their conflict felt a little too simple as well. Kindness, sharing, and teamwork help settle the final confrontation between the groups in a predictable way. It was still satisfying and sweet to read though. The novel was solid and I liked the final pages, which end on very hopeful note.

Book 3: The Prophet of Yonwood

The Prophet of Yonwood takes a different path from the other books in the series. It is a prequel, set many years before the political and environmental disasters that lead to the construction of Ember. The protagonist is Nickie, a young girl that will eventually grow up to become one of the first citizens of Ember. As the story begins though, she is just a curious kid taking a trip with her aunt to help clean out her grandfather's old house. He's recently passed away, and his old mansion in Yonwood, North Carolina is packed full of old objects from several past generations of family members. Nickie's aunt wants to organize and sell the place, but Nickie has her own, secret agenda. She's tired of living in a big city and is hoping to persuade her family to keep the house and move to Yonwood, away from all the crime and the increasingly tense news reports about terrorist attacks and possible wars brewing.

Once they arrive in town though, Nickie begins to pick up on some very odd events. The entire community has become obsessed with the words of an old woman named Althea, who recently had a fiery vision about the end of the world. She's been sick in bed and rambling strings of random words ever since. Community leaders are taking her ramblings seriously, however, and are interpreting what she says as instructions to protect Yonwood from the terrible vision she saw. Paranoia and fear are running high due to the increasingly likely prospect of war with other nations, so the community clings to this idea as a way to feel in control of their fate. Accordingly, Althea's words have led to a restrictive set of rules about what people can and can't do, and they are encouraged to inform on each other if they see any rule-breaking. Nickie gets swept up in this along with everyone else and starts looking around for any evil she can report.

Her wanderings lead her to make connections with a few others that live in Yonwood. She befriends a boy named Grover who loves studying snakes, an old, eccentric man that performs mysterious experiments, and a little dog named Otis that becomes a faithful companion to her. Throughout the story, she alternates between helping her aunt clean out the house, searching the streets for evil, and trying to convince her family to stay in Yonwood, which is growing more paranoid and tense by the day. Eventually, one of Althea's prophesies puts Otis in danger, and Nickie must reevaluate what it really means to be "good" and learn how to think for herself.

I thought this book definitely was not as good as the previous two. I wasn't as interested in Nickie's story and I thought that there were some pacing issues with the plot. Not a whole lot happens in the story, and the ties to books one and two aren't particularly strong. The last few pages of the book do make a direct connection, as they describe how Nickie eventually is chosen to live in Ember, but nothing in the preceding 280 pages does much to lead up to that. There are also some supernatural and science fiction elements present that felt odd in this universe that are never fully explained. This just felt like a very different book--like it came from a different series almost. 

That being said, it wasn't terrible. The parts involving Otis the dog were very heartfelt and well written. DuPrau must be a big dog lover herself, because the relationship Nickie shares with this little guy was very well developed and felt genuine. The novel also explores important ideas related to the dangers of groupthink and how religion can be used to control people. I was kind of impressed that a book written for kids would come straight out and show people directly using Jesus to justify abuse and manipulation. I thought that was kind of gutsy. Unfortunately, these elements weren't enough for me like this novel the same way that I liked City of Ember and The People of Sparks. This felt like a misstep, and it's definitely the weakest book in the series.

 

Book 4: The Diamond of Darkhold

The Diamond of Darkhold picks back up with Lina and Doon again after the events of The People of Sparks. Everyone is living together peacefully now, and working hard to get ready for the approaching winter. Lina is thankful to have a stable home, but she is starting to feel a bit of wanderlust. She misses her old job of messenger, running around the streets of Ember and getting to see a lot of different people and places everyday. She is antsy for an adventure. The perfect opportunity presents itself when Doon finds a mysterious and incomplete set of instructions in an old book that seem to point to a treasure the people of Ember were meant to discover upon their exit from the city. Lina and Doon decide to team up again and head back towards their old city, hoping to find this mysterious item and maybe pick up some other helpful things that might have been left behind during their initial escape.

They devise a plan to sneak away together and after a short, difficult journey, they find themselves back in Ember again. They quickly discover that they are not alone down there though. Some wandering traders have stumbled onto the city and claimed it as their own. They manage to capture Doon and plan to keep him as a slave, leaving Lina on her own to try and make her way out of the city and bring back help. Finding herself thrown into a much bigger adventure than she asked for, Lina must figure out how to save Doon, and then figure out the whole mysterious treasure thing, if she can.

This final book in the series was great. I was glad to catch back up with Lina and Doon and see how their adventures continued after settling the conflict in Sparks. DuPrau returned to her earlier themes of teamwork and kindness here, and the overall story was engaging and fun to read. There wasn't as much of a sense of complexity here; in previous novels I felt like there were more questions about who was right and who was wrong in many situations. This was more straightforward, but still entertaining. I was glad that the final book focused on Lina and Doon working together again, much like they did in the first book. It was a good full circle moment and a good sendoff to the series. The ending was a little bit weird, but it did tie all of the previous books together, including the prequel, so I ultimately didn't mind it too much.  

Overall Thoughts:

I ended up enjoying this series a whole lot more than I thought I would. The first book is by far the best. The stakes felt higher there and many parts were genuinely chilling--just like a dystopian novel should be. Books two and four were solid reads as well, if a little less engaging. The third book was definitely the weakest, but still readable. Based on the strength of the first book, I would give the series overall a four-star rating. I know that doesn't make mathematical sense looking at my ratings for the other books, but I liked City of Ember so much that it didn't feel right to give the series as a whole less than that. This was a nice surprise for me and a wonderful way to close out my 2021 year of reading.   

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 32/50 (keep)

Total Books Read in 2021: 57

Series Rating Overall:

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

 

I can't remember which website or video I first heard about The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley from, but I do remember that it was a glowing recommendation. I ended up receiving it as a Christmas gift a few years ago. It´s been stored in my little rolling book cart ever since. The cover caught my eye while I was poking around looking for my next read last week, so I finally decided to give it a try.

The plot of this young adult novel follows Maggie Lynch, a sixteen-year-old girl living in the year 1993. She has recently moved from Chicago to Ireland with her mother, younger sister. and new stepfather. She is still trying to adjust to her new home and country as the story begins. One of the things she struggles with the most is having to leave behind her beloved uncle Kevin, who is only a little bit older than her. They were extremely close and she misses him deeply.

Eventually, time moves forward and Maggie starts settling in and getting used to her new life. She meets a boy she really likes and gets swept up in her first real romance. Just as things start looking up though, tragedy strikes. Kevin passes away and Maggie is absolutely devastated. She decides to go on a pilgrimage to a big concert in his memory, and her adventures end up teaching her a lot about both grief and love.

When I first started reading The Carnival at Bray, I assumed that it was going to be another just-okay YA contemporary novel. I was really surprised with how great this was. Foley is a beautiful writer, and her use of language was lovely here. There were several passages that felt authentically emotional and reminded me of my teenage days. Maggie was a likable and genuine character with plenty of flaws to work through. Her story of grief and healing was consistently engaging, despite the novel having a slower plot. This one got to my feelings, and it's been a long time since I felt that way about a book.

The setting of the novel was also really fun. I usually don't love books featuring travel or music heavily, but against the backdrop of the 1990s, I didn't mind it at all. This was when I was a teenager so it was very nostalgic for me. I enjoyed thinking back to a world without smartphones and Tiktok--a time when people were still buying CDs and watching cable television. I know this makes me old. I can't help it. It was a cool throwback though. The days of grunge music were so transformative to the lives of many young people living during that time period, and this novel captured those feelings perfectly.  

The only aspect of the story that annoyed me a little were it's numerous literary references. This would usually be a huge plus for me, but the book that was mentioned over and over was one that I deeply dislike. On the Road by Jack Kerouac features heavily. Both Uncle Kevin and Maggie mention reading it and drawing inspiration from its pages. I read that novel earlier this year and was not a fan, so it annoyed me a bit that I had to keep hearing about how great it was.

Overall though, I really liked The Carnival at Bray. It was a young adult novel that will resonate with both teenage and adult readers. I don't think it's one that I will want to read again (there are too many books in the world I still need to get to), but I'm glad to have experienced it once. I am looking forward to trying more books by Jessie Ann Foley in the future.

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 29/50 (donate)

Total Books Read in 2021: 54

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

 

I decided to be trendy for my next read and picked up Lore Olympus - Volume 1, the graphic novel version of the web comic that it seems like everyone is reading lately. I had seen multiple positive reviews for it over the past few months, and each time I was intrigued by its bright, vibrant cover art and its Greek mythology-based story. I was in the mood to see what everyone was raving about, so I brewed myself up a cup of coffee and got started.

The story is a modern retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. In this volume, we meet the brooding and handsome Hades, who is deeply unhappy with his life as the story begins. He is lonely and wants a wife, like his brothers Zeus and Poseidon. The relationship he is currently in, however, is very toxic and doesn't have much of a future to it. He finds a reason to become more hopeful when he meets the young and beautiful Persephone at a party one evening. Persephone's mother, Demeter, has only recently let her venture out into the world, and she is still very naive. Through some trickery performed by Aphrodite, the pair is thrown together for the night and they both feel a powerful attraction to each other.

The next day, Persephone reconnects with her roommate Artemis, who is horrified to learn that she was hanging out with Hades all night long. Hades, she warns her friend, is bad news--a dangerous person that is only interested in her for her body. Persephone isn't sure that's true though. He was quite a gentleman during their time together, and she is definitely developing a big crush on him. She must decide whether to follow her instincts and continue seeing him, or follow the advice of her friends and stay away.

As this is a collection of very short web comics, there wasn't a ton of story progression in this first volume, but what was there was very entertaining. The best part of the novel hands-down was the art style. The colors were vibrant and striking, and the art was gorgeous. It was a pleasure just to turn the pages and look at the images. The modern take on the Greek gods and goddesses was very fun as well. It was odd to see them texting each other and driving around in cars, but in a good way. Aside from Hades and Persephone, many other gods are featured and they were all interesting in their style and personality.

Lore Olympus handled some serious topics as well as the fun and romantic ones. Emotional abuse and issues surrounding consent were explored, so this is definitely not a story for young readers. I thought that Smythe handled the discussion around this parts in a realistic way. As this is only the first part of a longer story, there wasn't much resolution to these aspects yet. but I am looking forward to seeing how the characters resolve these issues in future volumes.

So overall, this was a fun, quirky comic and I can see why so many people are enjoying it. There was one thing in the back of my mind while I was reading though-- the original myth. The myth of Hades and Persephone is very dark and includes things like kidnapping and rape. I'm really curious to see how Smythe works around (or with) those elements as the plot moves further along. I already pre-ordered volume two, so I'm all set to find out next summer.

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 28/50 (keep)

Total Books Read in 2021: 53

Another Kind by Cait May and Trevor Bream

 

In my continuing mission to find more quality books for my students, I came across Another Kind by Cait May and Trevor Bream. This middle grades graphic novel was extremely well-reviewed and the cover art looked intriguing, so I decided to give it a try.

The plot of the novel follows a group of cryptid kids who have grown up in a secret government facility. There is Omar, a yeti, Sylvie, a will-o'-the-wisp, Jaali, a Nandi bear, Clarise, a selkie, Newt, an alien, and Maggie, a half-human, half sea-god creature. They spend their days learning, training, and having fun together. Their safe, sheltered existence is shattered, however, when one of the agents meant to protect them turns double-agent and betrays them to The Collector, a man who likes to imprison not-quite-human creatures for his own amusement. They manage to evade his initial attempts at capture, but are then left on their own in a world that is dangerous and difficult to navigate. Together, they must utilize all their strengths and unique talents to reach a place where they can be safe.

Another Kind is a simple story using some well-worn tropes, but it is absolutely delightful. The young characters are all very likable, and they each have their own backstories guaranteed to tug at readers' heartstrings. The way they work together and support each other delivers a beautiful message about found family and love. It's wholesome without being preachy or overbearing and I was rooting for the characters to succeed all the way throughout. This book is perfect for a middle grades audience, but I think readers of any age will be able to enjoy it.

The illustrations were also tremendous here. I really liked the art style and color choices. Of special note were the parts in which Sylvie uses her will-o'-the-wisp powers to their fullest extent, which were often spread across two pages and were very creepy. There is a great sense of movement to the graphics, both in the action sequences and in the quiet moments. Maggie's tentacle hair, for example, seemed to wriggle around the page. It was as pleasant to look at as it was to read.

The good reviews here were very well-earned. Another Kind is a fun, action-packed, and emotional book. It's a wonderful choice for younger readers and is certainly one of the best middle grades graphic novels that I have read. It's a new favorite for me and I'm very pleased to have come across it.

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 27/50 (keep)

Total Books Read in 2021: 52

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

 

In my continued quest to read more middle grade novels, I decided to pick up City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. This is the first book in a pretty famous dystopian series for young readers. A movie version was released in 2008, and a graphic novel version in 2012. A lot of my students over the past few years have mentioned reading it and liking it, so it's got some staying power. Despite all that though, I went into my reading not expecting too much. I was mildly curious about it, but figured that I would be satisfied with just reading the first book to see what it was all about. Of course I was wrong. This book is shockingly good, and now I've been roped into reading an entire quartet.

The plot follows two young friends named Lina and Doon. They live in Ember, a self-contained city carefully constructed by a group known as the Builders hundreds of years ago. The city was initially supplied with everything its citizens would need to survive, but as Lina and Doon reach their adolescence, things are starting to run out. Clothing and shoes are worn to bits and falling apart, many types of food are completely depleted, and, most alarmingly, their electricity is starting to flicker and fade. The light from lightbulbs is the only light in the entire city, so losing electricity has grave implications. Everyone is on edge and unrest is beginning to rise.

Lina and Doon are just as worried as everyone else and are very interested in finding a way to save their city. When Lina runs across a mysterious document hidden away in some old family heirlooms, she thinks she might have finally found a way to help everyone. With Doon's assistance, she begins to piece together a possible solution involving a way to leave Ember and lead everyone to safety. There are other forces at work behind the scenes, however, that will do anything to stop her.

I really ended up enjoying this novel. The characters were lovable, the writing was fluid and easy to read, and the story was compelling. DuPrau does an excellent job of creating a very ominous tone throughout. The youth of the characters blended perfectly with the darkness of the plot; it was one of those situations where a young character's inexperience made everything they noticed feel exponentially more scary. When Lina and Doon notice that there are less lightbulbs available, or talk about rationing common items like paper, it gives you this delicious sense of dread. It makes the story feel more weighty. It reminded me a bit of The Giver, another middle grades dystopian novel with young characters discovering the flaws beneath the surface of their world. I was totally engaged the whole time I was reading and was very invested in seeing how Lina and Doon would end up. 

The overall themes of the text remain somewhat unclear at the end of the story. Lina and Doon are still working to unravel the mystery of why Ember was built at the conclusion, so the reasons for the dystopian setting aren't fully known. There are some hints pointing towards environmental concerns maybe, but I expect more details will be revealed in the following books. As it stands, the first book contains messages about friendship, teamwork, and responsibility. I am very interested to see what other messages are conveyed as additional details about the world are revealed.

The story concludes on a cliffhanger, so of course I had to go online and order the other three books right away. I actually had to go on eBay and find used versions to do it, because they have redesigned the covers since I picked up my copy of book one, and I wanted all my books to match. On a side note, the new covers are vastly inferior to the old ones, so I was happy to do this. Once they arrive, I plan to get started on book two right away. Hopefully they are in good condition.

It's always such a nice treat to be surprised by a novel. I was figuring that City of Ember would be mildly enjoyable, and instead I found it to be truly entertaining. I actually am looking forward to continuing the rest of the series in the coming weeks.

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 26/50 (keep)

Total Books Read in 2021: 51

Bad Sister by Cherise Mericle Harper

 

I have a student this year that is really into graphic novels. She asks me almost every day if I have anything new to read. When the answer is yes, she devours whatever it is in record time and rereads it a time or two for good measure. She's been through all the graphic novels in my classroom library and the school library. She is a reader, through and through. Accordingly, I've been buying up new books for her to enjoy a few at a time since the school year began. One of those was Bad Sister, a graphic novel/memoir by Cherise Mericle Harper.

The plot of the novel is pretty simple. It is centered around the relationship between young siblings Cherise and Daniel as they are growing up together. Cherise struggles with feelings of jealousy and sibling rivalry and is often mean to Daniel. They bicker and fight frequently, and Cherise continually feels guilty about it. She knows that she's being a bad sister to him, but she has a lot of trouble controlling her impulses. When she goes too far one day and accidentally injures him, she goes through a crisis of conscience and must figure out how to build a healthier relationship with her brother.

This was a very basic story, but it was enjoyable to read and amazingly realistic. Anyone who grew up with a sibling will probably see themselves in the silly fights and semi-dangerous antics Cherise and Daniel get up to. The storyline itself isn't too exciting, but the sheer relatability makes this a sweet read that is perfect for a middle grades audience.

The art style in this actually wasn't my favorite. It definitely got the job done and looked fine, but it didn't stand out as anything especially great or beautiful to me. I usually don't have any issues with that aspect of graphic novels, so the fact that it stood out as something I wasn't wild about felt a little weird to me. That's a very minor criticism though, as I did enjoy the novel overall. 

After I finished reading this, I passed it onto my student. She read it twice in the same day, so I'd say that it's a great choice for middle grade readers that enjoy realistic fiction. It makes you think quite a bit as well. I was definitely reflecting as I was reading on how I wasn't the best big sister growing up either. I wouldn't say that this is worth picking up as an adult, but it was a very heartfelt story that is perfect for its intended audience.  

On a side note, with this novel, I am officially finished with my Goodreads Reading Challenge of 50 books for 2021!

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 25/50 (donate)

Total Books Read in 2021: 50

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lại

For my next read, I picked up Thanhhà Lại's Butterfly Yellow. I really enjoyed her middle grades novel, Inside Out and Back Again, so I was interested to read more from her. At first, I assumed this novel would be middle grades as well, but I figured out it's actually young adult after reading for a bit and seeing the seriousness of the subject matter. In any case, I was hoping to find another moving and emotional story to fall in love with. For the most part, I did. 

The story is set in Texas around the end of the Vietnam War and it follows two characters. The first, Hằng, is an eighteen year old Vietnamese refugee that has recently arrived in the country. She was separated from her baby brother six years ago during an attempt to escape from Vietnam at an airport. Her brother was taken on board a plane, but she was not. Ever since then, she has worked tirelessly to earn enough money to reunite with him. After years of toil and unimaginable hardships, she finally makes it to the only address she has for him, a town in Texas.

The other character is LeeRoy, a young cowboy with dreams of being a rodeo star. He meets up with Hằng while on a road trip to meet one of his rodeo idols, and unwittingly becomes her driver and guide. He has an uncanny ability to understand her accent and smooth over her prickly demeanor. Even though he is anxious to continue on pursuing his dreams, he feels honor-bound to help her. 

Before long, the pair does manage to reunite with Hằng's brother Linh, but it doesn't go at all the way she'd hoped. Linh doesn't remember her, and he has a new life and family in the United States now. He has no desire to discard everything he knows to go live with a sister he feels no connection to. Hằng is devastated, LeeRoy is grudgingly sympathetic, and they both must figure out the best way to move forward with their lives and find a path to happiness.  

This was a pretty emotional read, and when I reflect back on my experience with it, what I remember the most was how sad it was. Hằng went through so many horrific things on her quest to find her brother that my heart broke for her. Throughout the story, it is clear that she is suppressing some very difficult memories. Lại does a good job of slowly building up to the reveal of these details, and when Hằng is finally able to think through her experiences, it's just gutting. Linh's reluctance to engage with her on top of all that was just tough to read. It was all realistic though, and nicely handled. As I expected, Lại's writing was beautiful and felt very authentic. This was a very sad story, but also very good.

What stopped it from being great for me was LeeRoy. I was just not into him as a character at all. I thought he was a bit too self-centered and too slow to warm up to Hằng. Cowboys and rodeo life also don't really do it for me, so this was not the kind of character I was ever going to fall in love with. While he does eventually become more caring and chivalrous as the story goes on, it came too late for me to form a connection to him. I didn't hate him or anything, but he wasn't my favorite, which is a shame since he becomes a romantic interest for Hằng and I couldn't bring myself to really root for them. I also disliked Lại's description of his constant erections in the presence of some girls, which felt awkward and weird every time they came up (both literally and figuratively). 

Overall though, this was a moving read and another excellent piece of writing from Thanhhà Lại. I think that Inside Out and Back Again is still my favorite out of her books, but this was really good as well. It was moving, authentic, and helped me to learn more about the hardships faced by Vietnamese refugees during the war. Both young adults and adults will be able to take something away from it. It is definitely worth the time.        

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 24/50 (donate)

Total Books Read in 2021: 49

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

 

I'm trying to read more middle grades fiction lately so that I can make good reading recommendations for my students. I happened to have Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli sitting on my shelf, so I decided to give it a go. This book is a middle school classic, but somehow I'd never ended up picking it up before. I'd heard a lot of positive things about it, so I started reading hoping that it would be a heartfelt story that lived up to its reputation.

The story is told from the perspective of Leo, a high school student living in a small town in Arizona named Mica. He lives a pretty average teenage existence, but things change for him when a new student named Stargirl arrives as his school. Stargirl is unlike anyone else Leo has ever met. She dresses in an odd assortment of old fashioned clothes, carries her pet rat around everywhere with her, and is frequently strumming on a ukulele during her free time. Aside from all that, she's strangely kind. She's constantly giving gifts and offering encouragement to people she doesn't know and is always on the lookout for ways to help others. She appears not to care at all about fitting in, a concept that Leo has a hard time understanding. He is both fascinated by and afraid of Stargirl. She eventually takes an interest in him too, and thanks to her whimsy and persistence, they start dating.

The rest of the student body is similarly fascinated by her. At first, they treat her with adoration, but eventually turn against her after her individuality begins rubbing them the wrong way. A school-wide shunning ensues, and Leo doesn't know how to handle it. He loves his girlfriend, but also doesn't know how to function in school without fitting in with the mainstream crowd. The shunning extends to him as well, and he can't handle the rejection. He becomes upset with Stargirl and encourages her to act more like everyone else to gain acceptance back into the pack. She does give it a try for his sake, and the chain of events this sets into motion changes both their relationship and Leo's life forever. 

I thought this book was a pretty good read, but not a perfect one. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about it. Most notably, the character of Stargirl was lovely. True, she was an early example of the manic pixie dream girl trope, but I couldn't help but like her ukulele and her unfailing kindness to others. She was such a beautiful dream of a character that I really couldn't understand a lot of Leo's decisions and feelings towards the end of the story, but I'll get to my feelings on him in a moment. 

The overall themes in the story were great as well. Spinelli delivers an important message about the importance of individuality and the sacrifices people make in order to fit in with everyone else. It can be dangerous to be different, especially as a teenager, and Stargirl certainly faces social consequences for her nonconformity. Her ability to not care about what others think is a great strength for her. Leo doesn't have this ability. and his life is worse off for it. This message is delivered in a pretty somber way throughout the text, which I appreciated. This isn't a book where everyone comes together to realize the error of their ways and has a happy ending. It's more complicated than that, and the story hits harder because of it. That's not to say that the book is depressing, because it's not, but it isn't completely lighthearted and positive either.

One aspect of the story that I didn't love was Leo's character. I know part of this is by design--his insecurities are a key part of the plot and of his growth, but those insecurities make him pretty unbearable at times. He is so concerned with fitting in that he becomes very hurtful to Stargirl, a person that he is supposedly head over heels in love with. I found myself truly disliking him at several points throughout the book. While I understand that he is young and concerned about navigating the social scene, I did not get how he could bear to be so cruel to a character that does nothing but be nice to people and love him dearly. Spinelli wants readers to see Leo as a kid that makes mistakes due to peer pressure, but is basically good at heart. I struggled to see him as anything but a dangerous combination of weak and impressionable, and I didn't love that his character growth had to come from making a series of mistakes that were very damaging to Stargirl.

Some of the plot elements were pretty unrealistic too. The idea of an entire school full of kids giving one student the silent treatment, when that student's only crime was being nice to people, is definitely an exaggeration of how bullying works. I teach in a middle school and I've seen a lot of mean behavior over the years. I don't care how odd the target of bullying is - it's never the entire school that participates in it. Most wouldn't pay attention or care, especially students across different grade levels. The idea that every single student in Leo's entire high school would be invested in shunning Stargirl is really unlikely and feels like the creation of an adult imagining what bullying looks like.

Another element of the story I thought was weak was the ending. I mentioned before that I liked that it wasn't a typical middle grades happy ending, but I also felt like it chopped off a bit abruptly. I wish there was a little more to the story. There is a sequel to this book, so maybe I would find more of the closure I'm looking for there, but I don't think I'm going to seek it out. I've got way too many books to finish reading to keep up with a series that isn't a special favorite.  

Ultimately, however, I thought Stargirl was a good book with very worthy themes. I can understand why so many readers love it, especially readers that actually picked it up for the first time when they were young. An adult reader coming to it for the first time will certainly notice some flaws, but it's still a great book for the audience it's made for. This is definitely a story I can stick in my classroom library and feel comfortable recommending to my eighth graders.

Challenge Tally

Clear the Shelves 2021: 23/50 (donate)

Total Books Read in 2021: 48